ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team was running in high gear during its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Hamline Friday night.
 
Unfortunately, any time the Cardinals got near the net, they ran into a brick wall in the form of HU goalie Mary Shefveland.
 
The Cardinals outshot Hamline 50-21, but with Shefveland's near-perfect impression of a brick wall, it was the Pipers who made the most of their shots, as Hamline dealt Saint Mary's a 3-2 conference set back at Oscar Johnson Arena.
 
The Pipers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a goal by Kelsey Rafferty 11 minutes into the first period, and a Haleigh Bolton tally eight minutes into the second. Saint Mary's, however, would answer with back-to-back goals by Jane Hannula (Coon Rapids, Minn.) at 12:49 of the second period and Jesse Cwik (Chicago, Ill.) midway through the third.
 
The 2-2 deadlock did not last long, however, as Jordan Verleye found the back of the net less than five minutes after Cwik's game-tying tally to seal the win for the Pipers.
 
Shefveland finished with 48 saves for the Pipers—16 in both the first and second periods, and 18 more in the game's final 20 minutes—while Marah Shields (Milford, Mich.) collected 18 saves in goal for the Cardinals.
 
Saint Mary's (8-7-2 MIAC, 10-11-3 overall)—which has already locked up one of the five MIAC Playoff berths—will get another shot at the Pipers on Saturday, as the Cardinals entertain Hamline in a 2 p.m. conference contest at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.