Box Score

Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — After dropping back-to-back games against Lake Forest last weekend, Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Duncan Ryhorchuk was hoping Friday's conference-opener against St. Catherine would be a chance for the Cardinals to get a little of their confidence back.

After all, the Wildcats entered Friday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game having been outscored 15-3 in their two games this season — not to mention the fact that the Wildcats were not only 0-2 this season, but they had actually lost their last 11 straight, dating back to a 4-2 win vs. St. Benedict on Jan. 24 of last season.

It should have been a Cardinal cakewalk.

Should have been.

The Cardinals played the first two periods like they were skating in mud — and St. Catherine took advantage, scoring single goals in both the first and second period, then held off a furious SMU third-period charge to post a 2-1 win at the SMU Ice Arena.

"You have to give St. Catherine a lot of credit, they played very well," said Ryhorchuk, whose team lost to the Wildcats for the first time ever, after going 11-0-1 in the teams' first 12 meetings. "But when you go out and play the way we did those first two periods, that's what happens — you get beat."

Megan Mumm got the Wildcats on the board at 6:20 of the opening period, rifling a shot over the glove hand of SMU goalie Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.). Angie Carstenbrock made it 2-0 midway through the second period as the Wildcats took advantage of a 5-on-3 powerplay, with Carstenbrock's shot beating the screened Jung to the stick side.

SMU ended its scoreless drought at 6:02 of the third period, as Jenna Roland (Boyne City, Mich.) netted her first of the season on the powerplay. The Cardinals continued to pour on the pressure, pelting St. Catherine goalie Morgan Keane with 145 third-period shots — one more than SMU had in the first two periods combined — but they could not get the equalizer.

"Our problem right now is that we've got players on this team who expect other people to do all the work — and that can't happen," said Ryhorchuk, whose team has now lost three straight, managing just two goals in those three games. "Everyone has to pull their own weight if we are going to be successful.

"This is a disappointing loss, because we proved in the third period how tough we can be when everyone skates, moves and plays smart. Unfortunately, you can't do that for one period and expect to win too many games."