WINONA, Minn. – The UW-Stevens Point women's hockey team (8-7-0) dropped the series finale of a home-and-home with Saint Mary's (5-6-0) by an identical 3-1 final as Friday's game in Stevens Point.
 
The Cardinals scored two goals in the first period at the 3:22 and 8:29 marks to hold a 2-0 advantage after one.
 
Riley Novak (Oakdale, Minn./Tartan) got the Pointers within a goal at 8:00 of the second period, her fifth goal of the season. Dani Weiland (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) and Gianna Neist (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) had assists, Weiland's second point of the weekend.
 
UWSP goaltender Anne Beck (Grandville, Mich./Grandville) kept the Pointers within a goal until the final minute of play. She was pulled for an extra attacker and SMU sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 19:16 of the third period.
 
Beck made 34 saves in the game. SMU goaltender Audrey Abeln earned the win with 28 saves.
 
The Pointers are back home on Saturday (Jan. 10) for a 2:00 p.m. non-conference game against Augsburg.