ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Hamline University women's hockey team finished their first weekend of play with a pair of wins, defeating Saint Benedict 3-1 in a non-conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at TRIA Rink. The Pipers will see the Bennies again later this season for their conference meeting.
 
Three different HU players scored in the win, with sophomore Madison Davis getting the first tally in the second period and senior Olivia Arkell getting what would be the game-winner in the third. Junior Molly Garin tacked on an additional goal in the third to give the Pipers some breathing room.
 
Sophomore Ava Bailey earned her second win in net, making 16 stops throughout the contest.
 
For the second night in a row, the Piper offense put a lot of pressure on the opponent's goalie, firing 49 shots on net. On the opposite end, HU's defense only allowed 17 shots.
 
After a fairly uneventful first period, in which the Pipers killed a penalty and held an 8-4 edge in shots, Davis got Hamline on the board nine minutes into the second period, putting in a loose puck after a shot from sophomore Elizabeth Valley. HU would take this 1-0 lead into the final period.
 
Arkell added to that lead with a slapshot goal 10 feet in front of the blue line, taking advantage of a pass from sophomore Michaela Arnold.
 
The Bennies were the next to score, cutting Hamline's lead in half with a goal from Rylan Bistodeau who finished off a puck right in front of the net.
 
A little over two minutes later, Garin would extend the lead to two again, stealing the puck in front of the Bennie goal and completing the unassisted play.
 
The Pipers won't play again until next Saturday, February 6 when they will play their first conference game of the year, hosting Augsburg for a 2:00 p.m. game at TRIA Rink. Live video and stats will be available and the links can be found on the women's hockey schedule page.