MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University and Augsburg women's hockey teams entered Thursday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game on opposite ends of the offensive spectrum.
 
The Cardinals headed to Ed Saugestad Rink having scored just four goals in their first five games — combined.
 
The Auggies, meanwhile, were coming off  a seven-goal performance in beating Bethel 7-3 for their first win of the season Wednesday night.
 
Saint Mary's smothered Augsburg's high-octane offense — and the SMU offense provided just enough punch — as the Cardinals beat the Auggies 2-1 for their first win of the season.
 
After a scoreless first period, a stanza in which Augsburg held an 8-6 edge in shots on goal, Kennedy Kraus (Kasson, Minn.) got the Cardinal offense started, taking a feed from sister Rose Kraus and beating Augsburg goalie Mara McLain for her first collegiate goal — and a 1-0 Saint Mary's lead.
 
Augsburg pulled even late in the middle frame, when McKenna Eilena scored on the power play at 15:58, beating Cardinal goalie Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) for her third goal of the season.
 
Kaley Manglitz (Onalaska, Wis.) gave the Cardinals the lead for good, scoring her first of the season — an unassisted tally — five minutes into the third period.
 
While Kraus and Manglitz gave the Cardinal offense a much-needed shot in the arm, it was the play of Ziakas at the other end that helped seal win No. 1. The senior netminder stopped 34 of the Auggies' 35 shots on goal, including 26 over the final two periods.
 
 The Cardinals (1-1-2 MIAC, 1-3-2 overall) are back in action on Saturday, hitting the road for a second straight game, as they travel to the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., for a 2 p.m. matchup against Bethel.