By EMILY LOOF
Saint Mary's Sports Information Intern
 
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — When the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team headed to the Northfield Ice Arena, for their second game of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series against St. Olaf Saturday, it was knowing that their hopes of a berth in the MIAC Playoffs depended the Cardinals coming away with a win.
 
And though the Cardinals rallied twice in what turned out to be a rollercoaster of a game, they were unable to rally a third time—and a win, or a post-season invitation would not be in the cards—as Saint Mary's dropped a 7-3 decision to the Oles.
 
Penalties slowed the Cardinals' offensive attack early, and it would be the Oles who would strike first, scoring during four-on-four hockey off the stick of Xandi Swedberg at 11:25 of the first period.
 
The Oles kept the ball rolling, extending the lead to 2-0 when Michaela Crowley collected and finished a rebound off Cardinal goaltender Ashley Corcoran (Red Wing, Minn.) at 14:09.
 
That lead would hold for the remainder of the period, sending the Cardinals into the middle frame facing a daunting, two-goal deficit.
 
The Cardinals came out strong in the second period, and cut into the Ole advantage 6:49 into the middle period on a goal by  Jamie Henderson (Madison, Wis.).
 
And the Cardinals weren't about to let up, drawing the game back to even two minutes later with a power play goal by Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.), off a pass from Henderson at 8:50.
 
The momentum would again swing in the Oles' favor, as Kali McCullen beat Corcoran at 14:23 of the second period—only to have it swing back in Saint Mary's favor 20 seconds later, as Courtney Moser (Blaine, Minn.), received a pass from Bailey Wendt (Coon Rapids, Minn.) and beat St. Olaf goalie Sam Klemann to knot the game at 3-3.
 
Despite several more dangerous chances by the Cardinals, the rollercoaster of a second period would end without further dramatics, and the two teams found themselves back at square one heading into the final 20 minutes.
 
Unfortunately, the Oles' Mary Kate Eiden took advantage of a breakaway on Corcoran, pulling the Oles ahead a third—and final—time at 8:15 of the third period. Carolyn Carpenter would make it 5-3 on a goal two minutes after Eiden's, and McCullen would score her second of the game—an empty-netter at 18:43 to push the St. Olaf lead to 6-3. The Oles would tack on one more goal, this one off the stick of Jane Vezina, to seal the win.
 
Corcoran finished with 18 saves for the Cardinals—who close out the season 6-10-2 in MIAC play and 9-14-2 overall—while Klemann had 26 saves for the Oles.