By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PAUL, Minn. — After surrendering six goals in Friday's 6-1 loss to fifth-ranked Hamline, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team was determined to write a different ending in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rematch on Saturday.
 
After surrendering a pair of second period goals — giving Hamline six goals against the Cardinals in the middle frame — it appeared as if the Pipers were headed for a repeat of Friday's lopsided win.
 
The Cardinals proved, however, that things aren't always as they appear.
 
Saint Mary's scored a pair of third-period goals — including the game-tying tally from Amber Miller (Kasson, Minn.) with less than two minutes remaining in regulation — as the Cardinals battled the league-leading Pipers to a 3-3 overtime tie at TRIA Rink.
 
Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) gave the Cardinals the lead, scoring with 1:08 remaining in the opening period — marking just the fourth time in Hamline's 21 games that the Pipers have not scored the game's first goal.
 
Much like they did on Friday, Hamline came out firing in the second period, getting back-to-back goals in the period's first 2:53 to grab a 2-1 advantage heading into the game's final 20 minutes.
 
Bre Simon pushed the Hamline lead to 3-1 at 5:30 of the final frame, but the two-goal deficit seemed to energize the Cardinals, who got a goal from Carson Sheridan at 14:32 to cut the deficit to 3-2, and Miller followed with her second of the season four minutes later to send the game into overtime.
 
Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) enjoyed a career-day between the pipes for the Cardinals, stopping a career-high 54 shots — the most by a Cardinal goalie since Ashley Corcoran kicked out 56 Gustavus shots on Feb. 3, 2017. HU goalie Jaela O'Brien stopped 13 of Saint Mary's 16 shots on goal.
 
The Cardinals (3-9-2 MIAC, 6-12-3 overall) kick off their two-game conference series against St. Olaf next Friday, as Saint Mary's hosts the Oles in a 7 p.m. showdown at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. The two teams will then travel to the St. Olaf Ice Arena in Northfield, Minn., for Saturday's 2 p.m. rematch. The Pipers (10-1-2 MIAC, 15-3-3 overall), meanwhile, return home to TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minn., next Friday, entertaining St. Thomas in a 7 p.m. matchup, with the two teams then traveling across town to St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn., for the 2 p.m. rematch the following afternoon.