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MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team, special teams were the difference Friday evening in the Cardinals' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown with St. Thomas.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Tommies' special teams were extra-special, as UST scored both a shorthanded and a power play goal in the game's opening period and never let SMU recover, handing Saint Mary's a 3-0 setback at the St. Thomas Ice Arena.

“Overall, I thought we played a pretty decent game,” said SMU coach Terry Mannor. “We made two mistakes (in the first period), and (St. Thomas) capitalized on them.

“That really was the difference,” Mannor added. “After the first period, I thought the game was pretty even — and in the third period, we really controlled play.”

Lauren Mumm got the Tommies on the board first, netting her third goal of the season — shorthanded — with less than six minutes remaining in the opening period.

Less than a minute later, Paige Baldwin beat SMU goalie Tori Herrmann (Elk River, Minn.) on the power play to push the Tommie advantage to 2-0.

The game would remain that way until late in the third, when UST's Tara Baago scored an empty netter, her first of the season, to round out the scoring.

Herrmann finished with 37 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Tommie goalie Alise Riedel kicked out all 22 SMU shots in recording the shutout.

The same two teams square off again Saturday, as Saint Mary's hosts the Tommies in a 2 p.m. MIAC contest at the SMU Ice Arena.