WINONA, Minn. — It's not how you start the game that matters as much as how you finish it.

Just ask the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team.

The Cardinals turned in a sub-par performance through the first 20 minutes of Friday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against St. Olaf, managing just seven shots and settling for a 1-1 tie.

After a between periods "pep talk" from coach Terry Mannor, the Cardinals kicked their game into high gear, getting back-to-back goals from Amy Madden (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Rachel Harrison (Madison, Wis.) en route to a key 3-1 victory over the Oles at the SMU Ice Arena.

"I thought we played one of our better games — after the first period," said Mannor, whose team extended its unbeaten streak to seven straight games — and picked up two key MIAC points in their chase for one of the five MIAC playoff spots. "We did not compete in the first period, we were just out there going through the motions. We talked about it between periods and we played much better after that."

With the win, SMU improved to 6-6-3 in the MIAC pulled into a tie with Augsburg — a 7-0 loser to league-leading Gustavus on Friday — for the fifth and final playoff spot. The win also moved the Cardinals to within one point of the Oles for the conference's No. 3 spot with three games remaining.

"This was a good start (to the Cardinals' final playoff push)," said Mannor, whose team travels to Northfield, Minn., for Saturday's rematch with the Oles. "Everyone on this team knows what's at stake and what we need to do."

The Oles got on the board first, as Katie Bennet netted her 12th goal of the season, beating SMU goalie Amanda Gage (Lino Lakes, Minn.) at the 6:59 mark of the first period.

That, however, would be the only goal Gage would give up, as the SMU junior stopped 30 of the 31 shots she faced.

Madeline Loftus (Parsippany, N.J.) pulled SMU even midway through the first period, before Madden and Harrison gave the Cardinals some breathing room with their second-period tallies.

"This team has worked hard to put themselves in position to make the playoffs," said Mannor, whose Cardinals have not lost since a 10-0 setback to Gustavus on Jan . 21 — and has outscored their opponents 19-6 during their six-game unbeaten streak. "But they also need to realize that we have to take it one game at a time, one period at a time, and, literally, one shift at a time.

"We can't afford to take any shifts off — every one is that important this time of year."