Game Summary

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Heading into their weekend series against Augsburg, Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Duncan Ryhorchuk predicted that his Cardinals would need to pick up at least four points in their final four games if they hoped to earn a spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament.

Friday evening, the Cardinals took a step — albeit a small, one-point step — forward as they took advantage of Rebecca Jelenc's (Sheboygan, Wis.) second-period goal in earning a 1-1 split against the Auggies.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their steps weren't in the right direction in the teams' rematch on Saturday, as Augsburg once again held SMU to one goal — but scored three of its own — as the Auggies cruised to a 3-1 win.

Despite the loss, the Cardinals are still in the driver's seat for the fifth and final MIAC playoff spot. The Cardinals, 6-8-2 (14 points) in the MIAC, are two points ahead of St. Benedict, with SMU closing out the regular season with two games vs. Concordia, while St. Benedict takes on Bethel in its final two MIAC regular-season games.

A sweep of the Cobbers, and SMU is in — guaranteed. Two losses, and a Blazers' sweep, and SMU will be left on the outside looking in. If SMU splits and St. Benedict sweeps, then it gets really interesting.

If the two teams are tied for the fifth spot, it would come down to the third tiebreaker criteria — goals against vs. other playoff teams. Because SMU and St. Ben's split their regular-season series — CSB won the first game 3-1, while the Cardinals took Game 2, 4-2 (MIAC tiebreaker criteria No. 1) and the two teams' head-to-head goal differential is the same (criteria No. 2), SMU would enter the final weekend with a two-goal advantage over the Blazers with two games remaining.

Jocelyn Cookson scored a pair of goals for the Auggies — the first 13 minutes into the first period and the second with 3:19 remaining in regulation to seal the win — while Stacy Anderson added her team-leading 17th midway through the second to give Augsburg a 2-0 lead.

Jenny Hocum (Rochester, Minn.) cut the lead to 2-1 with her third goal of the season three minutes after Anderson's goal, but that was all the offense the Cardinals would muster as SMU fell to 0-12-2 in games in which they scored less than two goals.

Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) did her part for SMU, stopping 35 shots — including 18 in the second period — while Augsburg goalie Amanda Bockmann stopped 21 for the Auggies.