Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — If there was one thing concerning Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Duncan Ryhorchuk heading into Friday's key Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown with Augsburg, it was the fact that his team hadn't played since a 2-0 victory over St. Thomas on Nov. 17.

And with a sweep of the Auggies a crucial part of SMU's drive to a third conference title in the last four years, Ryhorchuk knew his team couldn't afford to show any signs of rust from the two-week layoff.

They didn't.

Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.) and Jaimie Mussehl (South St. Paul, Minn .) scored first-period goals four minutes apart and Missie Meemken (St. Cloud, Minn.) stopped 28 of the 29 shots she faced as SMU held off the Auggies 2-1.

"I thought we played a pretty solid game," said Ryhorchuk, whose team improved to 2-0-1 in the MIAC and 3-1-1 overall with the win. "All four lines did a nice job and that balance is going to be important for us all season."

Kearns got the Cardinals on the board at the 14:08 mark of the first period as she took a feed from Tasa Kostel (Rochester, Minn.) and beat Augsburg goalie Katie Fedoryk for her fourth goal of the season.

Four minutes later, it was Mussehl's turn to light the lamp as she netted her second of the season off an assist from Monica Deringer (Brooklyn Park, Minn.).

The two-goal lead didn't last long, however, as Melynda Kleewein scored an unassisted goal just 10 seconds after Mussehl's.

"“I was a little worried about how we would come out after having almost two weeks off, but I thought we looked pretty good early on,” said Ryhorchuk.. "We got a little sloppy in the second and third periods, and Augsburg kind of took it to us a little bit."

Kind of?

Augsburg outshot SMU 9-3 in the second period and 13-6 in the third, but Meemken was her usual brick-wall self between the pipes in preserving the Cardinals' victory.

"Missie played well," praised Ryhorchuk. "She came through when we needed her down the stretch."