Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team took the first step towards a berth in the MIAC playoff championship series Friday evening, as Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.) scored twice and Missy Westergren (Lonsdale, Minn.) added a goal and an assist as the Cardinals beat St. Thomas 4-1 in the opening game of their two-game playoff series at the SMU Ice Arena.

The Cardinals, who swept the Tommies during the teams' regular-season meetings (winning 3-0 and 3-2), wasted little time getitng on the board Friday, as Kearns netted the first of her two goals on the powerplay just 40 seconds into the opening period. Westergren made it 2-0 seven minutes later as the Cardinals took a 2-0 cushion into the locker room after 20 minutes of play.

Christy Hicks (Bloomington, Minn.) pushed the Cardinals' lead to 3-0 two minutes into the second period to account for the lone goal of the second period. UST's Kara Trygestad foiled SMU goalie Missie Meemken's (St. Cloud, Minn.) shutout bid eight minutes into the third period, but Kearns dashed any hopes the Tommies had of a comeback with her second goal four minutes later.

Meemken finished with 34 saves, including 18 in the second period and 12 in the third, while UST goalie Karissa Stapf stopped 25 of the 29 shots she faced.

The same two teams square off Saturday (7:05). A Cardinals' win or tie will push SMU into the playoff championship series against the winner of the Gustavus-St. Catherine series. If St. Thomas wins Saturday, there will be a 10-minute "mini-game." If the game is still tied, the game will be decided by 20-minute sudden-death overtime periods.