SAINT PETER, Minn. – The No. 4 Gustavus women’s hockey team returns to action Thursday night as it host St. Olaf before heading to Northfield Saturday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at Don Roberts Ice Rink, with Saturday’s contest starting at 2 p.m. at The St. Olaf Ice Arena. The Gusties enter the contest 9-2-1 overall and 5-0-1 in conference while the Oles are 0-11-2 overall and 0-6-2 in the MIAC.
THE SERIES
Thursday night’s game marks the 46th meeting between the Gusties and Oles with Gustavus leading the all-time series 40-2-3. The Gusties have won the last nine contests, with the most recent being a 4-1 victory in Saint Peter on Nov. 10, 2018. St. Olaf’s last win in the series came on Feb. 18, 2012.
SCOUTING THE GUSTIES
Gustavus looks to bounce back, after suffering their second loss of the season Friday to UW-Superior 2-1. The Gusties have yet to be defeated in conference play, going 5-0-1 through six games. As a team, the Gusties 2.67 goals per game and allow 1.08, marks which rank sixth and first in the MIAC, respectively. Gustavus is solid on special teams, as they’ve killed off 19-of-20 penalties while scoring on 8-of-41 power play chances. Kristina Press leads the team in points with 11, coming from seven goals and four assists, with her seven goals being tied for first in the MIAC. Molly McHugh follows Press with nine points from three goals and six assists. Emilia Helms-Leslie has spent the most time in net this season, compiling a 3-1-0 record with a MIAC-leading 0.80 goals against average and a .933 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE OLES
St. Olaf looks for its first win of the season on Thursday. The Oles snapped an 11-game losing streak with two ties against Trine University in early January. The Oles last win came on Feb. 17, 2018 when they defeated Saint Mary’s 7-3. St. Olaf averages 18.7 shots per game while giving up an average of 46.4. Mary Kate Eiden and Johanna Glaaser are tied for the lead in points with four each, with Eiden leading the team with three goals. The Oles have used four goaltenders over the course of the season with Grace Boswell-Healey playing the most minutes, posting a 2.69 goals against average to go along with a .938 save percentage.