ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Yellowjacket women's hockey team is used to playing teams three times in a season. For years, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women's hockey schedule has had teams playing all other teams in the conference three times.
 
But non-conference, contests, well, that's a different story.
 
Sure, there are times where a team will play a non-conference foe twice in a season, but three times is pretty rare.
 
That was the case Tuesday, as the Yellowjackets hit the road to take on St. Benedict. The Yellowjackets and the Bennies met twice already in 2024-25 – the Yellowjackets won 5-4 at Wessman Arena Nov. 5 and the teams tied 2-2 (the Yellowjackets won the shootout) in St. Cloud Nov. 12.
 
An extra session was needed again this time around, and again nothing was decided through 65 minutes of play as the Yellowjackets and Bennies skated to a 4-4 at Ritschie Arena Tuesday.
 
And as they did in the first meeting in St. Cloud, the Yellowjackets won the shootout, outscoring the Bennies 2-0.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-6-2, 1-3-0 WIAC) got a goal from Emma Booth (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) with just 3:51 to play in regulation time, pulling the Yellowjackets into a 4-4 tie. Booth broke down the left wing and from the left circle wristed a shot on goal that snuck through St. Benedict goaltender Delaney Norman, tying the score.
 
Anna Maulson (Lac du Flambeau, Wis./Lakeland Union) started in goal for the Yellowjackets and finished the game with 42 saves, including eight in the overtime. Her record on the year stands at 2-3-1.
 
Game Notes

• St. Benedict started quickly, opening the scoring just 1:29 into the game on a goal by Mia Lopez. Less than three minutes later the lead went to 2-0 when Emma Rooks found the back of the net at 4:21.
• The Yellowjackets got on the board at 12:28 of the first period when Kailey Swerhun (Thunder Bay, Ontario/St. Ignatius) moved into the St. Benedict zone, made a brilliant move to get around the defender and put a shot past Norman to cut the lead in half. It was the third goal of the year for Swerhun.
• Kaylin Garner (Anchorage, Alaska/Chugiak) tied the game with a second period power play goal, scoring her team-leading sixth goal of the year on a shot from the right circle at 14:26.
• The Yellowjackets took their only lead of the night at 8:49 of the third period when Ashton Parnell (Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti) intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated in on a breakaway, scoring her second of the year to make it 3-2.
• St. Benedict answered quickly, tying the game at 13:13 on a goal by Skylar Salscheider and then retaking the lead on a power play goal by Presley Kraemer just 37 seconds later.
• In the shootout, the Yellowjackets got goals from Jenna Hoops (Woodbury, Minn./Visitation School) and Parnell.
• Swerhun had an assist in addition to her goal.
• Garner had a game-high eight shots on goal.
• St. Benedict outshot the Yellowjackets 46-35 in the game.

The Yellowjackets will be back home Friday when they host Concordia College in the opening game of a two-game series. The opening faceoff is set for 7 p.m. at Wessman Arena.
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