WINONA, Minn. – The Cardinal women's hockey team opened up the season with a dominate performance hosting Concordia Wisconsin Friday afternoon. Saint Mary's won 6-1 and head coach Heath Isaacson records his first win as a Cardinal.
 
It was a bit of a slow start for both teams as the new season jitters were in full effect. Neither team scored in the first period but the Cardinals out-shot the Falcons, 13-5. The Cardinals landed themselves on two power plays but could not capitalize on them.
 
The second period was full of action. The Cardinals came out ripping, literally, ripping the first and second shot attempt of the period and at the second minute, the team found themselves on the board. At the second minute of the period, the first goal scored by Reese Heitzman put the Cardinals on the board and up by one goal on their power play that was assisted by Sophia Paduano and Allie Urlaub.
 
Hungry for more, the Cardinals continued to take the next five shots on goal and had taken control of the first ten minutes of the period. At the 13^th minute, Urlaub found herself on a two on one breakaway and skated her way up the ice and slipped in a wonderful pass to Paduano as she found the back of the net, high over the Falcon goalie. The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead.
 
Almost less than a minute later, Kas Kingston wanted in on the action and took advantage of another power play by skating her way past two defenders and face on with the goalie, she netted the third Cardinal goal of the period.
 
The Falcons raced their way down the ice as the Cardinals were changing their line up's and netted their first goal of the game and trailing by two goals. Kenzie Meland did not like that answer and responded with a goal of her own, less than 30 seconds later, and third of her career to bring the lead back to three. She led her defender on faking out a shot and taking a crack at the second shot which also faked out the goalie.
 
It couldn't have been a more action-packed period! Heitzman started the period similar to how she did the last, notching her second goal of the game at the second minute mark to give the Cardinals a four-goal lead. Heitzman's intercepted the puck in front of the Falcon goalie and skated to her right and had a beautiful across the body shot which led her to fall to her knees.
 
The Cardinals up by four in the third and did was not allowing the Falcons to find any rhythm. To put the cherry on top, Jenna Kurkowski took a shot off the face off that hit the post and Sidney Polzin was there to clean it up and net the last goal of the game.
 
It was an eventful season opener for the women's hockey team and Celeste Rimstad kept the Falcons scoreless with 19 saves.
 
The Cardinals get to do it all again tomorrow as they host Concordia for the second time at noon. It will be the annual Ice Breaker day for the programs with lots of fun activities throughout the day.