Game Summary
WOODBURY, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team worked way too hard to just get into the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament to make it a one-and-done showing.
Yet, for the first 55 minutes of Thursday's tournament-opener against Augsburg, it appeared that that was exactly what the Cardinals were headed for — one and done.
Over the final five minutes, however, Tennie McCabe (Rochester, Minn.) and Josie Nechodom (Oakdale, Minn.) decided to take matters into their own hands.
One and done? Not a chance.
The Cardinals' duo — with a helping hand from Christy Hicks (Bloomington, Minn.) — lifted SMU from the brink of elimination to the tournament's semifinals, scoring back-to-back goals two minutes apart late in the third period to lift the Cardinals to a 2-1 victory.
And another date with league-champion St. Thomas.
"This team is playing with so much confidence right now — they believe in themselves and they believe in each other," said SMU coach Duncan Ryhorchuk, whose team earned the No. 4 seed in the five-team tournament and will be making its third straight semifinal appearance Friday when they take on the Tommies — a team SMU swept 3-2 and 4-3 in the final weekend of the regular season. "We came out and played a little nervous in the first period, but once that second period started, we really played well.
"Augsburg seemed to sit back a bit in that second period, and I think our speed kept them off balance," continued Ryhorchuk, whose team won its third straight in improving to 11-9-6 overall. "I really was never too worried (about the outcome). Even when we were down late in the third period, I just knew this team would find a way to pull it out."
And pull it out they did,.
After being stymied on their 12 first-period shots — including a pair of breakaways — as well as their first six shots of the second period — Augsburg finally got one past SMU goalie Missie Meemken (St. Cloud, Minn.). Annie Annunziato poked a loose puck past the sprawlen Cardinal goalie with less than five minutes remaining in the second period, giving the Auggies a 1-0 advantage heading into the final 20 minutes.
"Missie bailed us out a few times early and kept us in the game," said Ryhorchuk of Meemken, who, along with stopping the two first-period breakaways, made a pair of spectacular saves — the second a diving glove saves — midway through the second period to keep the game scoreless. "We know Missie's going to do her part — she played another great game."
Yet, despite Meemken's heroics, the Cardinals were still staring at a 1-0 deficit with time running down — and SMU's season hanging in the balance.
In stepped McCabe, Nechodom and Hicks.
McCabe got the Cardinals even, completing a Hicks-to-Nechodom-to-McCabe passing play with a wrist shot over the glove of Auggie goalie Krstin Johnson. Two minutes later, it was Nechodom's turn to light the lamp — and Hicks and McCabe to pick up the assists — as the SMU senior's backhander eluded Johnson's glove and gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game, 2-1.
"It was great to see Josie get that goal — she seems to have a knack for getting key goals in key situations," said Ryhorchuk, noting that it was Nechodom that netted the game-winner in SMU's 2-1 win over Williiams in the third-place game of the AWCHA national tournament two years ago. "She's not what you'd call a natural goal scorer, but she works hard and when she gets the opportunity, she puts the puck on net — sometimes, the puck has eyes."
The Cardinals' eyes are now transfixed on St. Thomas — and a chance at a third straight trip to the MIAC tournament's title game.
"We're looking forward to another shot (at St. Thomas), but it really doesn't matter who we play," admitted Ryhorchuk. "Because the bottom line is, if we want to move on (to the NCAA Division III national tournament) you have to beat them all anyway.
"We're just going to go out and play up to our capabilities — much the same way we did tonight — and see what happens."
