Game Summary

BLAINE, Minn. — After scoring three goals on their first five shots, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team must have thought Friday's semifinal-round game of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament was going to be a walk in the park.

Some walk.

The Cardinals needed a second-period goal by Josie Nechdom and an empty-netter from Emily Kearns to get past St. Thomas 5-3 at the Schwan's Super Rink.

Kearns, Christy Hicks and Tennie McCabe gave the Cardinals what appeared to be a commanding 3-0 advantage just nine minutes into the first period.

A timeout and a goaltender switch seemed to do the trick for UST, however, as the Tommies scored the next two goals — the first by Heather Martin to cut SMU's lead to 3-1 after one, and the second by Tiff Petermeier 4:36 into the second. Nechodom pushed SMU's lead back to two, 4-2, heading into the third period.

Petermeier netted her second of the game midway through the final period to cut make it a one-goal game, but Kearns tallied her second into the open net with 57 seconds remaining in regulation to ice the win — and give the Cardinals a shot at redemption against top-seeded Gustavus.

The Cardinals, who were swept by the Gusties in their regular-season series — and lost to GAC in the MIAC tournament championship series a year ago — willl take on Gustavus in Saturday's championship game, with the winner earning the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III national tournament.