MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — Forward Rachel Werdin registered one goal and one assist, and four other Tommies scored Friday night at St. Thomas Ice Arena as St. Thomas defeated St. Mary’s 5-0.
Werdin scored the first goal of the night for either team with just under two minutes left in the first period. Her score gave St. Thomas (1-0 MIAC, 5-0 overall) their first lead over St. Mary’s (0-1 MIAC, 2-1 overall), and one they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
“I’m feeling really good about this team,” coach Tom Palkowski said. “They’re having a lot of fun coming to the rink every day, and as a coach that makes my job a lot easier.
She earned her other point with an assist on a power-play goal by defender Demi Cooper just over halfway through the second period. The goal was Cooper’s first goal and the Tommies’ second scored off of a power-play this season.
Nursing a tight 2-0 lead after two periods, the Tommies faced a tough attack from the Cardinals to start the final frame of the game. Forward Kaylee Druk added a goal in the ninth minute of third, giving the Tommies a more comfortable 3-0 lead.
Druk’s goal sparked a three-minute, three goal streak that saw forwards Allison Borgstrom and Isabel Bianchi score just a minute apart.
“We were a little faster than they were … and we were finally able to take advantage of that (in the third),” Palkowski said. “We were crashing the net, banging out some rebounds. They’re not pretty, but they count.”
In the opposite zone, St. Thomas smothered St. Mary’s on defense. The Tommies gave up 15 shots on goal, all of which were deflected by goalie Kenzie Torpy. The junior’s efforts in the net earned St. Thomas its first shutout of the season.
“As a goalie, sometimes you’re not going to see every shot,” Palkowski said. “She did a good job of standing in there … and (she) took over the game defensively in the last two periods.”
Friday’s win moved the Tommies into a five-team tie for first in the MIAC. The team faces off against the Cardinals again at 2 p.m. Saturday in Winona. Palkowski said the team is well on its way to a 6-0 start.
“With our speed, once we get adjusted and play like we know we can, I like our chances,” Palkowski said.
Noah Brown can be reached at brow7736@stthomas.edu.