NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The St. Olaf College women's hockey team got a career-high 37 saves from first year Hannah Fritz to secure a four-point weekend with a 2-1 victory over Saint Mary's University (Minn.) on Saturday afternoon at St. Olaf Ice Arena.

After a shootout loss the night before on the road, St. Olaf (8-5-2, 4-3-1 MIAC) scored once in each of the first two periods and used Fritz's stellar play in net to hold off Saint Mary's (4-10-1, 1-6-1 MIAC) in the third period. First year Molly Terebayza and sophomore Iona Welsch scored for the Oles in the win.

Fritz made double-figure saves in each of the three periods to rack up 37 stops in the victory, surpassing her previous career-high total of 24 done on three occasions. The win was the fifth of Fritz's young career.

Terebayza put St. Olaf on top midway through the opening period with her team-leading ninth goal of the season off fellow first year Solvei Berg-Messerole's team-leading 11th assist of the year. Berg-Messerole won an offensive-zone faceoff back to Terebayza, who walked past a Saint Mary's skater before firing the puck into the top-right corner of the net.

Saint Mary's nearly capitalized on a bad change by the Oles less than five minutes into the second period, but Anna Braun rang a shot square off the pipe as St. Olaf maintained its one-goal lead. The Oles went on to double their lead at the 13:11 mark of the period on Welsch's fourth goal of the season, as the sophomore weaved behind the goal from left to right and scored on a wraparound after getting the puck from sophomore Grace Lankas and senior Makenzie Booth.

Down by two goals, the Cardinals made a push late in the second period, but Fritz made five saves over the final two-plus minutes of the period, including two highlight-reel saves in the final minute, to keep St. Olaf up by two after two despite being outshot by a 27-13 margin.

Saint Mary's took 11 of the third period's 13 shots on goal and halved its deficit with an unassisted goal by Allie Urlaub at the 8:43 mark, but the visitors could not find a game-tying goal. Urlaub's goal came on a breakaway after she forced a turnover in her own defensive zone, skated the length of the ice, and scored on the backhand.

St. Olaf committed just two minor penalties in the game, including one in a set of coincidental penalties late in the first period. Jordan Keeley suffered the loss for Saint Mary's after yielding two goals over the first 31:31 before Celeste Rimstad stopped all seven shots she faced over the remainder of the game.

The Oles continue conference play with a series against the College of St. Scholastica next weekend. Puck drop for the series opener in Duluth is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 20.