By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — It was the kind of start that Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey coach Greg Moore was hoping for.
 
But not the kind of finish.
 
The Cardinals scored just five minutes into the opening period of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Augsburg Friday evening at Ed Saugestad Rink—only to have the Auggies rattle off three unanswered goals in the third period in dealing Saint Mary's a 3-1 setback.
 
Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) got the Cardinals off and running, recording an unassisted goal—her second goal of the season—at 5:37 of the opening period.
 
And the Cardinals would maintain that one-goal lead through the remainder of the opening period and all of the second stanza.
 
That quickly changed in the third period, however, as Bridget Walter pulled the Auggies even with her second goal of the season at 3:45 of the final period.
 
Mikayla Jones would add what proved to be the game-winner with 2:18 remaining in regulation, and Megan Johnson chipped in an empty net tally with 42 seconds to play to ice the Auggie win.
 
Ashley Corcoran (Red Wing, Minn.) finished with 33 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while McKenna Manalli stopped 14 of the 15 Saint Mary's shots she faced.
 
The Cardinals (1-2-0 MIAC, 3-2-0 overall) and Auggies (3-0-0 MIAC, 4-1-0 overall) head to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Saturday for the second game of their two-game MIAC series. Opening faceoff is slated for 2 p.m.