By EMILY LOOF
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
 
WINONA, Minn. — Power-play opportunities abounded for both the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and UW-Stevens Point women's hockey teams Friday evening.
 
Unfortunately, special teams proved to be more special for the visiting Pointers, as UW-Stevens Point scored three power-play goals in dealing the Cardinals a 4-2 nonconference setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Cardinals, coming off an impressive Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic sweep of Saint Benedict last weekend, were forced to play catch-up the entire game—and were tied with the Pointers for less than 11 minutes of the 60-minute contest.
 
The Pointers broke through seven minutes into the first period, when Mackenzie Kratch slipped a shot  past Cardinal goaltender Ashley Corcoran (Red Wing, Minn.) in the dwindling seconds of a power play.
 
The Cardinals had their first power-play chance with 1:20 remaining in the opening period, but were unable to capitalize on a pair of near-misses, and headed into the locker room down 1-0 after the opening 20 minutes.
 
The first-period intermission seemed to do wonders for the Cardinals' offense, as Saint Mary's netted a power-play goal of their own just 4:35 into the middle frame, as Kayla Pierson (Shorewood, Ill.) buried a shot behind Pointer goaltender Sydney Conley. Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) and Kayla Henning (Burnsville, Minn.) were credited with the assists.
 
Unfortunately, the deadlock did not last long.
 
At 8:21 of the second—again on the power play—UWSP's Cara Lerimande found the puck at the far post and, despite the diving efforts by both Corcoran and Hannah Croonquist (St. Paul, Minn.), was able to find the back of the net.
 
Ryan had the home crowd on the edge of their seat in the last minute of the second period with a shot that nearly trickled past Conley, only to slip wide of the net—leaving the Cardinals once again down by a goal—this time 2-1—heading into the intermission.
 
Shortly after the Cardinals had a goal disallowed midway through the third period, the Pointers extended their lead with the first and only even-strength goal of the game off a shot by Maddie Schlossmacher at 11:38.
 
Exactly three minutes later, the Pointers sealed their victory with yet another power-play goal, as Ali Biagini scored her third of the season.
 
Saint Mary's head coach Greg Moore attempted to spark some offense by pulling Corcoran for an extra attacker with over four minutes left in regulation—and the effort succeeded, earning Mady Bodick (Savage, Minn.) her second goal of the season off a pass by Bailey Wendt (Coon Rapids, Minn.). Unfortunately, Bodick's goal, with just 17 seconds remaining in regulation, proved to be too little, too late.
 
Corcoran finished with 15 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Conley stopped all but two of the 31 shots she faced.
 
The Cardinals (5-5-0 overall) are on break until New Year's Day, when they host Williams College in a nonconference matchup at 1 p.m. at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.