By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — After failing to score more than two goals in any of its first three games — all against teams ranked in the Top 5 in the USCHO.com Poll — the Cardinal women's hockey team turned up the offensive heat Friday evening.
 
And gave coach Sarah Murray her first collegiate coaching win in the process.
 
Saint Mary's scored four times — including the game-winner off the stick of Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) with less than three minutes remaining in regulation — as the Cardinals collected the elusive first win, beating Concordia 4-3 at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Cobbers jumped out to a 2-0 advantage — getting a goal by Libby Hinrichs at 6:34 of the first period, and adding another by Ally Witala just 1:07 into the second.
 
Saint Mary's quickly responded, however, netting three unanswered tallies — the first by Lauryn Fokker (Cody, Wyo.) and the next two by Sophia Zebro (Oak Grove, Minn.) to give the Cardinals a 3-2 edge heading into the game's final 20 minutes.
 
Concordia pulled even with a power-play goal by Megan Mohr at 16:41 of the third stanza, but the Cardinals had an answer, as Hafiz netted her third of the season just 30 seconds after Mohr's tally to seal the Cardinal victory.
 
Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.) finished with 23 saves in goal for the Cardinals — including 14 in the third period — while Kiana Flaig recorded 26 saves for the Cobbers.
 
The Cardinals (1-0-0 MIAC, 1-3-0 overall) and Cobbers (0-1-0 MIAC, 2-2-0 overall) return to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena Saturday afternoon for the second game of their two-game conference series. Game time is set for 2 p.m.