Box Score Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — Less than 24 hours after struggling in the second period of a 2-1 win over Saint Benedict, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team's complete-game struggles continued in Saturday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rematch.

SMU was good in the second period, and even better in the third.

In the first, however, the Cardinals weren't very good at all.

"New day, same story," said SMU coach Terry Mannor, whose team was outshot 15-5 — and outscored 2-0 — in the game's opening 20 minutes en route to a 3-2 setback at the hands of the Blazers at the SMU Ice Arena. "(On Friday), it was the second period that haunted us, and today, it was the first.

"We just aren't stringing three solid periods together," continued Mannor, whose team survived a three-shot second period in Friday's 2-1 win over the Blazers, but couldn't overcome the 2-0 first-period deficit on Saturday. "We got away with it (on Friday), but today it came back to haunt us."

The Blazers scored twice in a 41-second span midway through the first period as Sarah Horlitz and Patty King each beat SMU goalie Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) to give CSB a 2-0 advantage.

After a scoreless second period, the Blazers pushed their lead to 3-0 on a goal by Janae Cosuette 56 seconds into the third period. Amy Madden (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) finally got SMU on the board at 8;21, and Melissa Mondo (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) made it a one-goal game with four minutes remaining in regulation, but that was as close as SMU would get.

"It's a tough loss, but, hopefully, the ladies learned a thing or two about the importance of playing a complete 60 minutes," said Mannor, whose team will take its 2-1-1 MIAC and 2-3-2 overall record on the road next Friday, opening a home-and-home series against MIAC power and fourth-ranked Gustavus. "When we play the way we are capable, we are as good as anyone around — but if we are going to compete with the top teams, we have to sustain that high level for all three periods.

"So far this season, we haven't been able to accomplish that."