Byron Center, Mich. — The Concordia University Ann Arbor Women's Hockey secured their first win of the season in commanding fashion, shutting out Aquinas College 4-0 at Southside Ice Arena. The Cardinals (1-6-0, 1-4-0 CCWHA) controlled play from start to finish, using a balanced attack and stellar goaltending to earn their first CCWHA victory on the year.
Concordia opened the scoring midway through the first period when Lauren Benoit found Mallory Collins to open the contest. The Cardinals' strong defensive play limited the Saints to just four shots in the opening frame.
The second period saw CUAA extend their lead with a spectacular short-handed effort from Grace Dodgson. Makayla Steinmetz converted on the power play to push the lead to 3-0. Skylar Croft netted her first goal of the season to cap off the scoring for the Cards, assisted by Collins and Benoit.
The third period featured a flurry of penalties, including a pair of disqualification penalties. Despite the heated moments, Concordia maintained their composure to finish the game strong for a 4-0 victory.
Goaltender Rose Lennon was a force in net, stopping all 17 shots she faced to secure her first shutout of the season. Concordia's defense played a significant role, limiting Aquinas to just five shots in the final period and successfully killing off six Saints power plays.
Concordia outshot Aquinas 43-17, with the Cardinals' special teams going 1-for-3 on the power play while holding the Saints to 0-for-6.
The Cardinals are back in action on home ice as they look to complete the sweep over the Aquinas Saints on Saturday November 16th. Puck drop is set for 6:00 PM at the Arctic Edge in Canton.
