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WINONA, Minn. — After playing well enough to win both games against St. Thomas last weekend — but coming up empty both times — Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach Terry Mannor was hoping his Cardinals would put together the same type of effort when they took the ice Friday — and be rewarded for their efforts.

Wish granted.

SMU scored a pair of first-period goals and never relinquished the lead in handing Augsburg a 3-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the SMU Ice Arena.

“I thought we played very well (last weekend) and just couldn't seem to catch a break, or get the puck to bounce our way,” said Mannor. “Tonight, we played another solid game — and the ladies got the win for their efforts.”

The Cardinals weren't wasting any time getting on the board, as McKenna Parent (Ham Lake, Minn.) netted her third of the season just 1:05 into the opening period. SMU would push that lead to 2-0 when Hope Karban (Oconto, Wis.) recorded her first collegiate goal, off an assist from Breanna Peterson (Macomb, Mich.).

Augsburg's Rachel Hennessy gave the Auggies a boost, scoring with just 15 seconds left in the opening period to cut SMU's advantage to 2-1 after one.

The two teams traded second-period goals, with Peterson netting her team-leading seventh for the Cardinals, making it a 3-2 game with 20 minutes to play.

And, thanks in part to the play of Tori Herrmann (Elk River, Minn.) — who made 10 third-period saves, including a point-blank shot by Augsburg's Kayla Fuechtmann in the game's final 10 seconds — the Cardinals made that one-goal lead hold up.

“That's a big win for us,” said Mannor, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak in improving to 3-6-0 in MIAC play and 5-9-0 overall. “Hopefully we can keep things rolling (on Saturday).”

The Cardinals and Auggies square off again on Saturday, heading to Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis, Minn., for the 7 p.m. conference rematch.