By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PETER, Minn. — For the second straight game, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team got down right defensive to kick off their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series against Gustavus.
 
Coming off a 1-0 shutout win over St. Catherine last Saturday, the Cardinals pitched a fourth straight shutout period against the Gusties Friday.
 
That shutout string came to an abrupt end, however, as Gustavus erupted for three goals in the first 3:18 of the second period — including back-to-back goals 23 seconds apart — as the Gusties dealt the Cardinals a 6-0 setback at Don Roberts Ice Rink.
 
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Gusties broke the ice at 1:17 of the middle period on a goal by Amelia Vosen.
 
A goal that seemed to wake a sleeping offensive giant.
 
Less than two minutes after Vosen's tally, Allie Stanger made it 2-0 with her seventh goal of the season, and — 23 seconds later — it was 3-0, as Jordyn Peterson tallied her first of the year.
 
The Cardinals shut down the high-powered Gusties over the final 16:41 of the second period, but faced a tough, uphill, three-goal climb heading into the game's final 20 minutes.
 
And to make things even tougher for the Cardinals, the Gusties were back to their early-period ways in the third, as Stanger netted her second of the game — a power-play tally at 5:37 — to push Gustavus' lead to 4-0.
 
Hanna Mutschelknaus scored Gustavus' second power-play goal of the evening midway through the third, and Kristina Press added another tally with the man advantage at 18:01 to round out the scoring.
 
Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.) made 12 saves in goal for the Cardinals, before being relieved by Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.), who stopped 20 shots in 36:41 of relief. Amanda DiNella recorded the shutout in goal for Gustavus, stopping all 15 Saint Mary's shots.
 
The Cardinals (3-6-2 MIAC, 6-8-4 overall) get another shot at the Gusties on Saturday, when the two teams head to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for a 4 p.m. conference rematch.