Box Score  | GameDay Preview

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Terry Mannor figured the Cardinals' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opening game against Hamline at Ridder Arena Friday evening was going to be a defensive struggle

After all, the Cardinals scored just two goals in a 1-0 victory and 1-1 tie in the team's two-game conference series last season.

Not to mention the fact that HU goalie Sarah Schneekloth stopped a career-high 47 shots in shutting out St. Catherine in the Pipers' 2-0 win over St. Catherine last Saturday.

Mannor expected yet another low-scoring affair — and the Cardinals and Pipers delivered just that.

Mary DeBartolo (Chicago, Ill.) scored the game-winner with 2:52 left in overtime as the Cardinals kicked off conference play with a 2-1 victory over Hamline at RIdder Arena.

After a scoreless first period, both teams netted second-period tallies — the Cardinals' coming off the stick of Mackenzie Klimek (Hastings, Minn.), who earned her first collegiate goal with the tally.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the third period, setting up DeBartolo's overtime heroics.

Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) finished with a season-high 34 saves — including 14 in the third period — for the Cardinals, while Schneekloth kicked out 29 SMU shots in goal for the Pipers.

The Cardinals (1-0-0 MIAC, 2-1-0 overall) and Pipers square off again on Saturday, as SMU hosts Hamline in a 2 p.m. conference game at the SMU Ice Arena.