MEQUON, Wis. – Maria Gaertner scored the first goal of her College of Saint Benedict hockey career and Rylan Bistodeau notched her second game-winning goal of the season Friday afternoon to help CSB pick up a 2-1 win over Concordia Wisconsin to start 2020.
 
Bistodeau – who also scored the game-winner in the final two minutes of play in a 3-2 win at Concordia – scored on a power play in the final five minutes of Friday's game to help the Bennies beat the Falcons in the first of two nonconference games in Mequon, Wis.
 
After a scoreless first period, CSB's offense came up big in the second and put 12 shots on the Falcons (2-6-1). Several different players put shots on net for Saint Benedict (5-4), then Annika Brodt had back-to-back shots, and 40 seconds later Gartner scored her first career goal to put CSB up 1-0 at the 12:44 mark of the second. McKenna Cavanaugh and Grace Laudenbach both notched assists.
 
First year goalie Ally Frantzick made a handful of saves late in the period, including one with just over 15 seconds remaining in the second, to help her team keep the lead heading into the third and final period.
 
CSB ended the second period and started the third down a skater, but fought off the penalty. The Bennies got called for tripping four minutes into the third, and the Falcons took advantage with the game-tying goal at the 4:32 mark. At the 15:22 mark, it was the Falcons who were called for tripping, and this time the Bennies cashed in on the power play.
 
At the 15:33 mark, Bistodeau scored her fourth goal of the season and second game-winning goal to put CSB up 2-1 off assists from Julia Pias and Maria Wallace. Pias had back-to-back shots on net a minute later, and Saint Benedict got one last power-play opportunity to end the game, and held on for the victory.
 
The two teams combined for 11 shots in the first period, but Frantzick and Concordia's goalie stopped all 11 to keep the game scoreless after the first 20 minutes of play.
 
Saint Benedict finished with 34 shots on net to the Falcons' 26. Pias finished with nine shots on net and Sophie Stoffers added six. Frantzick made 25 saves in the second win of her CSB hockey career.
 
CSB and Concordia are back in action at noon Saturday in Mequon.