By
DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — After erupting for a season-high eight goals in Friday's 8-1 win over St. Olaf on Friday, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team managed to find the back of the net just three times in the teams' rematch.
And three goals proved to be more than enough.
Saint Mary's scored a pair of second-periods and netted another in the third, as the Cardinals completed the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of the Oles with a 3-1 victory Saturday at the St. Olaf Ice Arena.
With the sweep — and the vital four conference points — the Cardinals vaulted themselves right back into the conference tournament picture. Saint Mary's is currently sitting in sixth place, one point behind Bethel, and one in front of St. Catherine, for the fifth and final MIAC berth with two games to play.
Saint Mary's (5-9-2 in conference play) closes out the regular season with a pair of road games at Saint Benedict, while Bethel (6-8-1) has two games against nationally ranked and league-leading Gustavus (12-1-2) and St. Catherine plays two against Hamline (11-1-3).
After a scoreless first period, the Cardinals finally broke through seven minutes into the second frame on goal by
Carolyn Chrastka (Franklin Park, Ill.).
Jordan Modjeski (South Lyon, Mich.) — who collected her first collegiate goal and three assists in Friday's 8-1 Saint Mary's win — and
Courtney Moser (Blaine, Minn.) were credited with the assists.
The Cardinals didn't have long to savor the one-goal lead, as
Sophia Zebro (Oak Grove, Minn.) quickly made it a 2-0 Saint Mary's lead, scoring an unassisted tally just 31 seconds after Chrastka's goal.
St. Olaf — which saw its winless streak climb to 48 games (0-42-5) — cut the Cardinal advantage in half just 3:41 into the third period, but Moser iced the win with her third goal of the weekend with 16 seconds remaining.
Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.) finished with 28 saves for the Cardinals — including 13 in the second period and 10 more in the third — while three St. Olaf goalies combined to stop 31 of Saint Mary's 34 shots on goal.
The Cardinals (5-9-2 MIAC, 8-12-3 overall) close out their regular-season schedule on the road, traveling to the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud, Minn., for a pair of games against Saint Benedict. The Cardinals and Bennie will play at 7 p.m. next Friday, with the rematch taking place at 2 p.m. the following afternoon. The Oles' (0-16-0 MIAC, 0-21-2 overall) season comes to a close next weekend with two conference road games against Concordia. The Oles and Cobbers will take the ice at the Moorhead Sports Center in Moorhead, Minn., at 7 p.m. on Friday, with Game 2 set for 2 p.m. the following day.
