Byron Center, Mich. – The Saints women's hockey team played their first game of the season tonight (Oct. 7) against the Concordia Cardinals. AQ got out ahead with a 2-0 lead in the second period, but Concordia tied the game late in the same period. A goal from CUAA in the third would prove to be the winner as the Cardinals won 3-2.

CUAA improves to 2-2 on the season while AQ falls to 0-1.

The first period got off to a hot start as Concordia put a shot off the post just a minute into the period. Just a minute and a half later, the Saints would get their first powerplay of the season. Despite the opportunity, the Concordia defense was strong and prevented AQ from generating much on offense. With 9:36 remaining in the period, Concordia would get a powerplay of its own, but the Saints would take a turn killing off the powerplay opportunity.

Aquinas would kill off another powerplay with 4:00 remaining in the first after Lauren Tulloch was called for roughing. Both sides would get a couple more scoring chances and the Saints would get another powerplay opportunity with just 30 seconds remaining in the period. However, both sides would remain at a stalemate entering the first intermission.

Concordia outshot Aquinas 18-11 in the first period, but net minder, Laura Pointon, held off the Cardinals offensive.

The Saints dominated the majority of the second period and were the first team to score. Chloe Donnelly scored her first goal of the season off a rebound from Tulloch's shot, giving Tulloch her first assist of the 2022-23 campaign. The goal came during AQ's second of four consecutive powerplay opportunities. Other than that goal, the Cardinals did well killing off Aquinas' powerplay chances.

AQ continued to dominate the second period, holding the puck in Concordia's third for most of the period. With 3:58 left to play in the second period, Zoe Bergen would take the puck up the right side of the ice and slot the puck across the net to beat the Cardinal's goalie. This was Bergen's first goal of the season and gave AQ a comfortable lead with little time remaining in the second.

However, disaster would strike late in the second for Aquinas. Madison Morgrette was called for holding with just 29 seconds remaining in the period. CUAA would immediately capitalize and score just four seconds later to narrow the lead to just one. Then, with two second on the clock, Concordia would strike again to level the score.

AQ outshot CUAA 15-11 in the second period, but the two sides would, once again, enter the locker rooms with the score tied.

Both sides had a couple of scoring chances early in the third period, but it would ultimately be Concordia that would break the tie off of a powerplay goal with just 7:53 remaining on the clock. The Cardinals played great defense for the next few minutes, but AQ would get another powerplay chance late in the third. AQ would generate a couple of shot but were unable to get past the Concordia net minder. Pointon came out of the net for a six-on-five with 1:10 left on the clock, but AQ was unable to tie the game. Concordia would walk away with a 3-2 victory.

Concordia outshot the Saints 44-37 in a very even matchup. Pointon saved 41 of the 44 shots on net for a save percentage of .932 save percentage.

Aquinas is back in action next Saturday (Oct. 15) for a home matchup against Utah. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM at Southside Ice Arena.