WINONA, Minn. — It was Celia Midtbo's hat trick that got the job done as the Saint Mary's women's hockey team (5-6-0) skated past UW-Stevens Point (8-7-0), 3-1, in front of the home crowd. 

The Cardinals struck twice in the opening period, protected the lead with disciplined defense, and sealed the win with a late empty-netter.

Saint Mary's wasted little time setting the tone. Celia Midtbo opened the scoring at 16:38 of the first period for her first of the season, finishing a setup from Kenzie Meland to give the Cardinals an early edge. 

Just five minutes later, it was Midtbo who found the back of the net again, this time off feeds from Leah Parker and goaltender Audrey Abeln, her first career assist and start, pushing the lead to 2-0. 

The Cardinals carried that momentum into the first intermission with a two-goal cushion.

The second period turned into a defensive battle. Saint Mary's continued to generate chances, with shots from Meland and Mollie Koch, but couldn't add to the score. 

The Pointers broke through at the 12:00 mark to cut the deficit to one. Despite the goal, the Cardinals stayed composed and headed into the third period holding a 2-1 advantage.

In the final frame, Saint Mary's controlled the pace and won key faceoffs, keeping the pressure on the Pointers. After holding off a late push, Midtbo put the finishing touch on the night with an empty-net goal at 0:44, completing her hat trick and securing the 3-1 victory.

Midtbo led the way with all three goals, while Meland added an assist and matched the +3 mark. Abeln was stellar in her first career win in goal, turning aside 28 shots as the Cardinals swept the Pointers in nonconference action.

The Cardinals will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 9 for a 7:00 p.m. game hosting UW-Eau Claire.