Box Score

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Game Summary / GameDay Online

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — If Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Terry Mannor were to give his Cardinals a letter grade for their performance Friday evening against St. Thomas, the third-year head coach would probably go with an A for effort, but about a C- for execution.

"I thought we played very well — we just didn't make the most of the chances we created," said Mannor, whose Cardinals were outscored 3-1 in the second period and never recovered, as St. Thomas dealt SMU a 4-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback. "We had so many great chances, we probably should have won this game 7-6.

"It was a great hockey game — unfortunately, the ladies weren't rewarded for the effort they put forth."

More importantly, the loss puts the Cardinals' backs to the wall in their bid for an eighth straight MIAC post-season appearance. With three games — and a possible nine points — remaining, SMU remains three points behind Bethel and Hamline for the fifth and final playoff spot.

Another loss to the Tommies in Saturday's rematch at the SMU Ice Arena could spell disaster for the Cardinals' playoff hopes.

"We're not doing ourselves any favors," said Mannor, whose team  has now dropped three straight, getting outscored 13-4 in that span. "We're still in the thick of things  in terms of the playoffs, but we've got to put some wins together down the stretch."

Cierra Lopis (Macomb, Mich.) netted her first collegiate goal — a second-period tally that knotted the game at 1-1, but the Tommies responded with three unanswered goals to ice the win.

"We had so many good opportunities, it's too bad we couldn't covert a few more of them," said Mannor. "I was very pleased with our effort — it was probably one of the best, all-around performances we've had all season.

"But at this time of the year, moral victories aren't going to get you into the post-season," Mannor added. "We've got to find a way to create those good scoring chances — and then covert on them."