WINONA, Minn. — Hats off to
Sidney Polzin (Chippewa Falls, Wis.).
Polzin scored three goals — her first hat trick as a Cardinal — and collected assists on the team's other two goals, as the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team cruised to a 5-0 thumping of St. Catherine in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup Friday evening at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena..
The Wildcats were simply no match for Polzin and the Cardinals, who enjoyed their biggest offensive night on their home ice since netting five goals in a 5-3 win over Saint Benedict on Feb. 26, 2022.
Jenna Kurkowski (North Branch, Minn.) set the tone for the night, scoring the Cardinals' first goal 8:28 in the first period, with ssists coming from Pozin and
Sydney Green (East Bethel, Minn.), to grab a 1-0 lead.
And that was just the beginning for the Cardinals.
Polzin would net two of her three goals in the second period — both with assists from
Kas Kingston (Black Diamond, Alberta) — just two minutes apart to extend the Cardinals' lead to 3-0.
Anna Braun (Mantorville, Minn.) joined in on the scoring spree, grabbing her fourth goal of the season at 12:18 to lengthen the Cardinals' lead to an impressive 4-0 as they headed into the second intermission.
But a 4-0 win wasn't good enough for Polzin.
With assists coming from
Anne Carmean (Blaine, Minn.) and Kurkowski, Polzin netted her third goal of the game in the third period to complete the hat trick and secure a 5-0 victory for Saint Mary's.
Polzin's three goals are the most in one game by a Cardinal since Bailey Wendt put up 4 goals against Bethel on Feb. 3, 2018, while her five points are the most since Nicole Olson recorded five points (3 goals, 2 assists) vs. St. Norbert on Nov. 4, 2011).
Celeste Rimstad (Richfield, Minn.) was a brick wall in goal for the Cardinals, blocking all 24 shots she faced as she recorded her second shutout as a Cardinal — her other one coming in the 8-0 defeat of Lawrence on Dec. 10.
The Cardinals (2-6-1 MIAC, 5-10-1 overall) will face off against St. Catherine once again on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Drake Arena in Saint Paul, Minn.
