Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play at home on Friday, but the end result wasn't quite what the Cardinals were looking for.
 
Hamline scored two goals in the second period and added an empty-netter late in the third, as the Pipers dealt Saint Mary's a 3-0 setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
It was clear from the start that the two teams were well-matched. Despite Hamline having an 8-5 lead in shots on goal during the first period, none of the Piper attempts got past Cardinal goalie Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.), as the two teams battled to a 0-0 stalemate going into the first intermission.
 
It looked like the second period would mirror the first — evenly matched and scoreless — but that all changed 10 minutes in. 
 
Mackenzie Kaasa would be the first Piper player to sneak one past Keeley at 9:18 of the middle frame and Molly Meyers added another HU goal six minutes  later, giving Hamline a 2-0 lead — and the game's momentum— as they headed into the third period.
 
The Cardinals fought hard in the third period — outshooting HU 10-7 over the game's final 20 minutes — but were unable net a goal. SMU pulled Keeley with 2:30 left for the extra attacker, but it wasn't enough, as Haley Eder-Zdechlik slid the puck into the empty net with 30 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
 
Keeley ended the game with an impressive 28 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Hamline goalie Olivia Rinzel stopped all 25 Saint Mary's shots in recording the shutout.
 
The Cardinals (0-1-0 MIAC, 0-5-0 overall) will again battle the Pipers on Saturday, as the two teams head to TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minn., for the 2 p.m. conference rematch.
 
 
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