ASHLAND, Wis. – First year Kate Carfagnini netted the game-winning goal at 8:11 of the third period to give the St. Olaf College women's hockey team a 2-1 victory in the opener of its non-conference series against Northland College on Friday evening at Bay Area Civic Center.

Shortly after a power play expired for Northland (1-10-1), Carfagnini fired the puck high glove side on Soleil Archambeault for her first collegiate game-winning goal for St. Olaf (6-6-0) in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Junior Annika Patterson picked up assists on both of the Oles' goals in the game.

St. Olaf got on the board first at 13:54 of the opening period when first year Sophie McBane scored short handed off an assist from Patterson. McBane and Patterson formed a 2-on-0 rush after a pair of Lumberjills collided in neutral ice and Patterson slid the puck to McBane on her left for McBane's second goal of the season. The goal was the Oles' fourth short-handed goal of the season, which is already the fourth-highest total in program history.

The Oles took the 1-0 lead into the first intermission after outshooting the Lumberjills by a 15-12 margin in the period. St. Olaf held a 12-5 advantage in shots on goal in the second period, but it was Northland who grabbed the lone goal of the period when Elle Black scored on a rebound on a 2-on-1 rush with Taylor Richmond at the 3:24 mark. The goal came a minute and a half after senior Grace Boswell-Healey denied Mikayla Santjer in a 1-on-1 after Santjer got in free on goal.

St. Olaf had several chances to break the 1-1 tie after Black's goal but had to wait until Carfagnini's goal at 8:11 of the third to go back on top. Carfagnini collected the puck in her own defensive zone, raced in up the right side, and fired a shot in under the bar for the game-winning tally.

The Oles generated seven shots on goal over a pair of power plays after the goal, but Archambeault kept her team in the game by stopping all seven. With 1:22 remaining, Northland got a power play of its own, but it lasted just 27 seconds before the Lumberjills were called for a body checking penalty.

First year Lauren Spear nearly gave the Oles an insurance goal in the final minute, but her close-range shot was kept out by Archambeault. Boswell-Healey had just one save to make after Carfagnini's goal and it came in the final seconds to deny Yvonne Durfee.

Archambeault had at least 12 saves in each period and finished with 42 in the game for Northland, while Boswell-Healey recorded her fourth win of the season with a 21-save night for St. Olaf. The Oles' 44 shots on goal were the program's most in a game since tallying 55 in a 4-1 win over Finlandia on Jan. 8, 2016.

The two teams wrap up their series on Saturday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. at Bay Area Civic Center.