By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — With one game left until the holiday break, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey coach Greg Moore was hoping his Cardinals could build a little momentum heading to the layoff — and into the second half of the season.
 
Wish granted — as easy as 1-2-3.
 
The Cardinals scored single goals in all three periods — and Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) stopped all 24 shots she faced for her first collegiate shutout — as Saint Mary's blanked UW-Stevens Point 3-0 Saturday evening at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
"This was a great team win — top-to-bottom, everyone contributed," said Moore. "Forwards played extremely well, creating a ton of great scoring chances, and defensively — Ary was outstanding in goal and the defensive corps really helped her out.
 
"This was the perfect way for us to head into break."
 
The Cardinals dominated the game's opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Pointers 17-7 — and Carolyn Chrastka's (Franklin Park, Ill.) goal at 8:42 of the period gave Saint Mary's a 1-0 advantage.
 
Saint Mary's continued to buzz the Pointer net in the middle frame, adding 13 more shots to its shots on goal total. And once again the Cardinals were able to come up with one goal — as Lauryn Folker (Cody Wyo.) netted her first goal in a Cardinal uniform with 3:36 remaining to give SMU a 2-0 lead heading into the game's final 20 minutes.
 
Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) gave coach Moore and the Cardinals a little breathing room in the third period, scoring her fifth of the season — off a picture-perfect pass from Kourtney Jancze (Stillwater, Minn.) — to put Saint Mary's out front 3-0 with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Ziakas was at her best in the game's final 20 minutes, stopping all 10 Pointer shots. The sophomore finished with 24 saves en route to shutout No. 1. UW-Stevens Point goalie Sydney Conley, meanwhile, faced 38 Cardinal shots, stopping 35.
 
Both the Cardinals (4-6-0 overall) and Pointers are now off until Jan. 4-5, 2019, when they travel to Stevens Point, Wis., to take part in the UW-Stevens Point Tournament at Ice Hawk Arena. Saint Mary's will face the host Pointers at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, before squaring off with Marian in a 5 p.m. showdown — also at Ice Hawk Arena — the following evening. Along with its Jan. 4 game against Saint Mary's, UW-Stevens Point will do battle with Saint Benedict in a 2:30 p.m. contest on Jan. 5.