WINONA, Minn. — Playing in their final game before the Christmas holiday, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team picked the wrong time for its offense to break early for the holidays.
 
A day after erupting for four goals—one goal shy of their season high—in a 4-2 win over Concordia, the Cardinals' offense could not get on track Saturday in the teams' rematch, as the Cobbers scored single goals in the second and third periods in dealing Saint Mary's a 2-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
After a scoreless first period, in which Concordia held a 10-8 advantage in shots on goal, the Cobbers broke the ice 1:44 into the second period, as Tori Davis scored her third goal of the weekend to give CC a 1-0 advantage.
 
An advantage that would hold up until midway through the third period, when Ellen Rethwisch gave the Cobbers some breathing room with her fifth goal of the season.
 
Marah Shields (Milford, Mich.) did her part to keep the Cardinals in the game, stopping 32 of the Cobbers' 34 shots, but Andrea Klug was impenetrable at the other end, recording her fifth conference shutout with 24 saves.
 
Saint Mary's (3-2-1 MIAC, 4-4-1 overall) is now off until Jan. 1-2, when the Cardinals square off against UW-Eau Claire in a pair of nonconference games. The Cardinals will host the Blugolds in a 5 p.m. contest at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Jan. 1, before the two teams head to Eau Claire, Wis., for the 7 p.m. rematch a day later.