By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The last time the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team squared off against Hamline, the Pipers entered the two-game series having scored a combined 17 goals in a sweep of Concordia — including a season-high 13-goal effort in the series-opening 13-4 win.
 
Fast-forward to Friday evening.
 
The Cardinals and Pipers once again squared off in Game 1 of their two-game MIAC series — and once again, Hamline entered the series-opener with its high-octane offense clicking on all cylinders, having netted 12 goals in sweeping the Cobbers last weekend.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Pipers' offense had more than enough gas left in the tank, as Hamline erupted for two goals in each of the three periods in dealing Saint Mary's a 6-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at TRIA Rink.
 
Hamline gave Saint Mary's an early sampling of that high-powered offensive machine, scoring the game's first goal on a Leah Schwartzman tally at 8:04 of the first period.
 
Unfazed, the Cardinals quickly answered, as Bailey Wendt (Coon Rapids, Minn.) pulled Saint Mary's even, 1-1, with her sixth of the season — and second in as many games — at 12:42 of the opening frame.
 
The Pipers would regain the lead before the period ended on a goal by Olivia Arkell with 3:31 remaining to give HU a 2-1 lead after the game's opening 20 minutes.
 
Hamline equaled its first-period offensive output in the second period, as Schwartzman netted her second of the game at 12:28 and Molly Garin added a short-handed tally with 1:55 remaining to push the Pipers' lead to 4-1 heading into the third stanza.
 
And the Pipers weren't finished.
 
Jordan Hansen made it 5-1 Pipers with a goal five minutes into the third period and Bre Simon — who assisted on three of HU's first four goals — closed out the scoring with a goal at 19:05, as Hamline pushed its unbeaten streak to 16 games (13-0-3), while improving to 12-1-1 on its home ice this season.
                                                                                                         
Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) finished with 29 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Hamline's Jaela O'Brien stopped 11 of the Cardinals' 12 shots on goal.
 
The Cardinals (4-7-4 MIAC, 7-9-6 overall) and Pipers on back on the ice on Saturday, heading to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for the second game of their two-game conference series. Game time is slated for 4 p.m.