By
DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
WINONA, Minn. — If seniors
Maura Michener (Winona, Minn.),
Maddy Wallraff (Blaine, Minn.), and
Erin McElligott (New York City, N.Y.) wanted to make a statement Wednesday evening in their final collegiate home game, it's safe to say: "Mission Accomplished."
The Cardinal trio wrote an ending that was almost too good to be true — as Michener scored twice and added two assists, and Wallraff and McElligott each added a goal and an assist in leading Saint Mary's to a 5-3 nonconference victory over Ripon at Ochrymowycz Field.
And the Cardinals would need every ounce of the seniors' offensive firepower — and then some — to get past the Red Hawks.
Michener got things started for Saint Mary's in the 13
th minute, as she was on the receiving end of a McElligott-to-Wallraff-to Michener combination to give the Cardinals the early 1-0 lead.
Wallraff and Michener swapped placed six minutes later, as Wallraff took a feed from Michener and beat Ripon goalkeeper Miye Aoki-Kramer for her third goal of the season.
Ripon's Paige Pierce cut the Cardinal lead in half just a minute after Wallraff's tally, but Saint Mary's regained its two-goal advantage in the 29
th minute on Michener's second of the game — and team-leading 12
th of the season.
But the scoring wasn't done — not by a long shot.
Ripon would again close within one before the half ended, getting a goal from Camrie Schmitz with less than two minutes to go before the break.
And the second half had nearly as many offensive fireworks as the first.
Mackenzie Waters (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) made it 4-2 Saint Mary's three minutes into the second half, only to have Pierce answer with her second of the night three minutes later to whittle the Cardinal lead back to one, 4-3.
McElligott then gave the Cardinals a little breathing room, scoring her first of the season in the 86
th minute — off an assist from Michener — and this time, the Red Hawks would not have an answer.
Nete Storm Pederson (Stockholm, Denmark) picked up the win in goal for the Cardinals, making a pair of saves in her first collegiate start. Aoki-Kramer finished with 11 saves in goal for the Red Hawks (7-9-1 overall).
The Cardinals (8-9-0 overall) return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, traveling to Moorhead, Minn., for a 1 p.m. showdown against Concordia
