By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
BLAINE, Minn. — It was quality over quantity for the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals were outshot 40-20 in their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rematch with Bethel — and for the second game in a row, managed two goals.
 
This time around, however, two goals was more than enough, as the Cardinals — coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Royals on Friday — picked up a 2-1 victory at the Schwan's Super Rink.
 
All of the game's scoring took place in the opening period, as the Cardinals got back-to-back goals from Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) and Avrey Simonson (Waupaca, Wis.) four minutes apart — and both on the power play — to grab a 2-0 advantage.
 
Bethel would cut the lead in half, 2-1, on a goal by Annika Swanson with less than six minutes remaining in the opening frame.
 
That goal would be the only one the Royals would get past Cardinal goalie Jordan Keeley (St. James, Minn.) — who stopped 38 shots, including 16 in the third period alone.
 
Lauryn Folker (Cody, Wyo.) collected the lone assist on Haifz's goal, while Hafiz and Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) earned the helpers on Simonson's tally — her first goal as a Cardinal.
 
The Cardinals (3-6-1 MIAC, 6-9-2 overall) — who picked up their first road win of the season with Saturday's victory — square off against Augsburg in a pair of conference games next weekend. Saint Mary's will head to Augsburg's Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 7 p.m. matchup on Friday, before returning home to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for the 4 p.m. rematch the next day. The Royals (3-7-0 MIAC, 5-12-0 overall), meanwhile, are back on their home ice at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., next weekend, hosting Concordia in a pair of MIAC contests. BU and CC will play at 7 p.m. on Friday, with Saturday's matinee set for 2 p.m.