Box Score

	vs.
0		4

Game Summary / GameDay Online

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — After what Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Terry Mannor called "two kind of boring periods of hockey," UW-Eau Claire decided to spice things up a bit in the third period of Saturday's nonconference  game.

And Mannor quickly learned that his Cardinals don't like spicy.

The Blugolds took advantage of three third-period SMU penalties — scoring on all three — as UW-Eau Claire spoiled the Cardinals' season opener with a 4-0 victory.

"The first two periods weren't much of anything, it certainly wasn't very exciting," admitted Mannor, whose team had played a pair of exhibition games against Lindenwood — losing 7-0 and winning 2-1 — in preparation for Saturday's "official" opener. "(UW-Eau Claire) scored with six seconds to go in the first period, and that was about the only excitement."

And then came the third period.

"We were our own worst enemy," said Mannor. "We were called for three penalties, and (UW-Eau Claire) made us pay for them."

The Blugolds got all the offense they would need with six seconds remaining in the opening period, as Amanda Alioto netted her first goal of the season, beating SMU goalie Jessie Smith (Steamboat Springs, Colo.).

After a scoreless second period, the Blugolds' special teams got to work, as Maddi Hammer, Katie Lawler and Lauren Havard all scored powerplay goals in a seven-minute span to put the game out of reach.

"Eau Claire plays a very cerebral game, they really controlled the tempo of the game, were very patient and did a nice job of limiting our offensive chances," said Mannor, whose team was outshot 33-13 — including 16-2 in the final 20 minutes. "I didn't think we were mentally as prepared as we should have been, and it showed in our play."