Box Score Game Summary vs. Hamline / GameDay Online / www.saintmaryssports.com/photo_gallery.aspx

WINONA, Minn. — Scoring the first goal of the game hasn't exactly been the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team's forte thus far this season.

In fact, heading into Saturday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Hamline, the Cardinals had scored first just twice in eight tries.

So when the Pipers got on the board first Saturday afternoon, the Cardinals didn't panic.

And when Hamline scored to break a 1-1 first-period tie, the Cardinals didn't panic.

They just called upon Katie Cachey (Orland Park, Ill..), who scored back-to-back goals five minutes apart in the third period, breaking a 2-2 tie and sending SMU to its second straight victory over the Pipers, a 5-2 decision at the SMU Ice Arena.

“We're learning how to win,” said SMU coach Terry Mannor, whose team has now won back-to-back games for the first time this season. “In both games (vs. Hamline) we had our moments where we played very well, and we had our moments where we didn't play so well. But each time, we did what we had to do to get the win.”

And Saturday, what the Cardinals had to do was kill penalties — a lot of them.

SMU was whistled for 10 penalties, including four in the third period alone, but the Pipers could only manage a first-period powerplay tally.

“Our penalty kill was huge, especially in the third period,” said Mannor, whose Cardinals allowed Hamline just six shots in eight minutes of powerplay advantage — while also getting the shorthanded game-winner off the stick of Cachey. “We can't afford to be taking that many penalties, but it was nice to see us play as well as we di (shorthanded).”

Heather Ahlers got the Pipers on the board first with her powerplay goal at 17:10, but SMU quickly responded on a goal by Stevie Fiek (Rochester, Minn.), who had tallied her first collegiate goal the night before against the Pipers.

Hamline regained its lead at 15:48 of the second period when Sophie Davidson's laser slap shot from beat SMU goalie Madeline Lenz (White Bear Lake, Minn.) to the glove side.

That, however, would be the last goal Lenz would allow, and the Cardinals were just getting warmed up.

Ingrid Klockars (Wheaton, Ill.) netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season less than three minutes after Davidson's, and Cachey gave the lead for good with her two goals, the second at 8:59 of the third period. Jamie Henneman (Countryside, Ill.) closed out the scoring, netting an empty net goal with 24 seconds remaining.

“This was a good sweep for us — a good way to head into the Christmas break,” said Mannor, noting that the Cardinals are now off until Jan. 3-4, when they travel to Adrian, Mich., for a two-game nonconference series against Adrian. “We came into the weekend struggling a bit offensively — it was nice to see us break out a bit.”