ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — Despite having its eight-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 2-0 loss to Bethel on Friday night at the SMU Ice Arena, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team still controlled its own destiny in its quest for a sixth straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff berth.

Thanks to their new best friend Concordia.

The Cobbers kept the Cardinals two points in front of Augsburg in the chase for the fifth and final conference playoff spot with a 3-2 victory Friday evening — but Concordia wouldn't be there to bail the Cardinals out again on Saturday, as the Auggies staked their claim to that elusive final playoff spot with a 1-0 win in the teams' rematch Saturday afternoon.

Which meant that if the Cardinals' season was to continue, they were going to have to take matters into their own hands later that same evening.

A win or a tie against the Royals, and SMU would punch its ticket to the five-team conference playoff.

A loss, and the Cardinals would be left on the outside looking in.

Thanks to a three-goal, second-period outburst, the Cardinals find themselves on the inside, looking out, as SMU rebounded from Friday's shutout loss to beat the Royals 5-3 — and grab the No. 5 spot in the MIAC playoffs.

"There's no question we felt the pressure — everyone on this team knew what was at stake tonight," said SMU coach Terry Mannor, whose team will head to St. Olaf for Tuesday's tournament opener. "And I think it showed a little in the way we played.

"It wasn't one of our best efforts, but it was good enough to get the job done, and at this stage in the season, that's all that matters."

The Royals put SMU on its heels, scoring the game's first goal — on their first shot — as Bethel took a 1-0 first-period lead.

SMU rebounded with three goals in the second on tallies by Melissa Mondo (Vadnais Heights, Minn.), Jenn Shire (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) and Laura Langen (New Berlin, Wis.) to take a 3-2 lead into the final period, where the Cardinals got goals from Laura Mueller (St. Paul, Minn.) and Shire to ice the win.

"We came out flying to start the first period, but when they scored that first goal — on their first shot — it really took a lot of wind out of our sails," said Mannor. "We came back out (in the second period) and regained the momentum. I wouldn't say we dominated the last two periods, but we came pretty close for at least 30 of the 40 minutes.

"I'm proud of the way this team worked," continued Mannor. "They never got down and really hung together — they deserve to be in the position they are in."