Box Score WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team took a giant step forward in their quest for a berth in the five-team Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs with their 5-4 win over St. Olaf Friday evening.

Saturday afternoon at the SMU Ice Arena, the Cardinals took that same giant step — backwards — as St. Olaf turned the tables with a 3-1 victory.

Leaving the Cardinals right back where they started.

With two MIAC games remaining – vs. Hamline this week — the Cardinals are in fourth place, two points behind the Oles, who close out their season against Concordia, and tied with Augsburg, which faced St. Benedict this weekend and plays league-leading St. Thomas next weekend.

Two points against the Pipers earns the Cardinals their fourth straight post-season MIAC playoff appearance, while a sweep of Hamline and two Augsburg losses in the Auggies' final four games would lock SMU into the No. 4 spot, and a home game in the opening round of the playoffs.

SMU got on the board first, as Emily Babcock (St. Paul, Minn.) scored eight minutes into the opening period. St. Olaf tied it at 17:08, then got what proved to be the game-winner 50 seconds later as Erin Baxter tallied the Oles' second straight powerplay goal of the afternoon.,

Kayla Went gave the Oles an insurance goal four minutes into the third period, as St. Olaf snapped SMU's four-game unbeaten streak with the win.

SMU (9-7-0 MIAC, 13-8-2) finished with 25 shots on goal, while St. Olaf peppered Cardinal goalie Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) with 25 shots.