By
DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
WINONA, Minn. — Saturday's conference rematch between the Saint Mary's University and Augsburg looked eerily similar to Friday's opener.
Which did not bode well for the Cardinals.
For the second game in a row, the Auggies would score the only goal of the first period, and the Cardinals would knot the game at 1-1.
And, unfortunately for Saint Mary's, the third period would once again belong to the Auggies.
Augsburg — which scored twice in the game's final period in beating Saint Mary's 3-2 Friday evening — scored the game-winner midway through the third period Saturday, dealing the Cardinals a 2-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
Nikki Nightengale gave the Auggies a 1-0 lead, scoring the only goal of the first period at 5:58, but the Cardinals would answer, scoring the second-period's lone tally just 30 seconds in, as
Courtney Moser (Blaine, Minn.) took a feed from
Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) and beat Augsburg goalie Annie Juergens.
Augsburg would break the deadlock midway through the third period on Bridget Wagner's second goal of the series to seal the Auggies' second one-goal win over the Cardinals in as many days.
Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.), coming off a 41-save effort in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Auggies, was again busy between the pipes for the Cardinals, finishing with 36 saves. Juergens, meanwhile, stopped 15 of Saint Mary's 16 shots on goal.
The Cardinals (3-6-1 MIAC, 6-9-2 overall) are right back on their home ice at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena at 7 p.m. on Friday for the first game of their two-game MIAC series against Hamline. The two teams will then head to TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minn., for the 2 p.m. rematch the following afternoon. The Auggies (7-3-0 MIAC, 12-5-0 overall), meanwhile, return to conference play next weekend with a pair of games against St. Catherine. Augsburg will host SCU in a 7 p.m. contest at Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis, Minn., before the two teams travel across town to Drake Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for the 3 p.m. rematch on Saturday afternoon.
