WINONA, Minn. — Through the first 11:12 of the opening period Friday evening, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey coach Terry Mannor had just two words to say to the Cardinals' offense: "Welcome back."
 
Over the game's final 48:48 of regulation, however—a span in which Saint Benedict outscored Saint Mary's 3-0—Mannor had four words for that same Cardinals' offense: "Where did you go?"
 
After failing to score in either of the team's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games against Gustavus last weekend, the Cardinals erupted for three goals in the game's first 12 minutes in their conference showdown with Saint Benedict at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Blazers, however, scored the next three goals—including the game-tying tally 1:31 into the third period—to force overtime.
 
Fortunately for Mannor, the vaunted first-period offense reappeared in overtime, as Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) unloaded a blistering slap shot from the point that beat CSB goalie Julia Carle just 47 seconds into the extra period—and lifted the Cardinals to the 4-3 victory.
 
"Finally—a win at home," said Mannor, whose team picked up its first home-ice win of the season with the overtime victory. "We dominated the first period, and then let (Saint Benedict) back in the game.
 
"But it was great to see this team keep battling and come away with the overtime win."

Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) got things rolling for the Cardinals just 1:57 into the opening period, taking a feed from Jamie Henderson (Madison, Wis.) and her off-angle shot deflected off the pad of CSB goalie Amy Jost and into the net for her seventh goal of the season.
 
Hafiz was at it again six minutes later, netting her second of the game on the power play to push Saint Mary's lead to 2-0.
 
And the Cardinals' first-period fireworks weren't finished, as Kassie Lien (Grantsburg, Wis.) found the back of the net at 11:12 of the first—off assists from Lindsay Paschke (New Prague, Minn.) and Jane Hannula (Coon Rapids, Minn.) to give Saint Mary's a three-goal cushion­—and send Jost to the bench.
 
Saint Benedict cut into the Cardinal lead at 2:44 of the second period, when Molly Wise broke in alone on Cardinal goalie Ashley Corcoran (Red Wing, Minn.) and slid a shot between her pads for the Blazers' first goal of the game.
 
With less than three minutes remaining in the middle period, the Blazers struck again, as Alexis Klatt rifled a slap shot from the blue line that beat a screened Corcoran and found the back of the net to whittle Saint Mary's lead to one, 3-2 head into the third and final period.
 
The Blazers completed their climb out of the three-goal, first-period hole early in the third, getting the game-tying goal from Kylie Eklund less than two minutes into the third period.
 
Neither team would score in the final 19:13 of regulation, and the Cardinals did not waste any time in the overtime period, as Ryan delivered her third goal of the season to secure the victory.
 
Corcoran—coming off a career-high 56-save effort in her last start last Friday against Gustavus—stopped 21 Blazers shots, while Jost made just two stops on five Cardinal shots, before being relieved by Carle, who made 18 saves in relief.
 
The Cardinals (3-10-2 MIAC, 6-14-2 overall) and Blazers (1-12-2 MIAC, 4-16-2 overall) return to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Saturday for the second game of their two-game conference series. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.