Box Score Game Summary
ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team, the first two-and-a-half weeks of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season have followed a familiar pattern — lose on Friday, win on Saturday.
After watching his team struggle to a 6-1 loss at St. Thomas on Friday, SMU coach Duncan Ryhorchuk is hoping the pattern continues.
"The first game (of a two-game series) is always important – we just haven't found a way to get off on the right foot in any of our (conference) series," said Ryhorchuk, whose team dropped Game 1 vs. St. Catherine (2-1) and St. Benedict (3-1), but managed to win the rematches (3-1 vs. the Wildcats and 4-2 vs. the Blazers). "Hopefully we can keep the pattern going (at home on Saturday."
To do that, Ryhorchuk admitted, the Cardinals are going to have to play much better than they did on Friday — especially in the second period, where SMU gave up five goals.
Tanaya Reitz kicked off the Tommies' second-period onslaught, scoring 8:05 into the period. Ashley Reinhardt made it 3-0 53 seconds later, and Susan Hosford and Reitz made it 5-0 with goals five-minutes apart midway through the period.
"We didn't play that poorly in the first period, but we struggled in the second and before we knew it, it was 4-0," said Ryhorchuk, whose team finally got on the board when Jenny Hocum (Rochester, Minn.) netted a powerplay goal with 2:26 left in the second period. "St. Thomas played well, you have to tip your hat to them — but I also know that we can play better."
