WINONA, Minn. — in their last three games, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team has been anything but an offensive juggernaut, scoring just six goals.

But then, with freshman goalie Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) between the pipes, who needs an offensive juggernaut?

Jung posted her second shutout in her last three starts last Sunday afternoon, stopping all 28 Concordia shots as SMU completed its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opening sweep of the Cobbers with a 3-0 victory.

SMU had opened conference play with a 2-1 win vs. the Cobbers on Saturday, with both goals coming off the stick of Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.), while Jung stopped 23 of the 24 shots she faced.

"Nikki played well all weekend," understated SMU coach Duncan Ryhorchuk, whose team not only opened conference play with a perfect 2-0 mark, but also improved to 3-1-1 overall. "She faced well over 50 shots and only allowed one goal, which was great to see."

Great for the Cardinals, but bad for the Cobbers, who outshot the Cardinals 52-44 on the weekend, but were outscored 5-1.

Jung may have been the biggest thorn in the Cobbers' side, but Kearns was a close second.

A year ago, Kearns scored a team-leading 24 goals, marking the second straight season that she led the Cardinals in scoring.

In SMU's first two games this season, however, Kearns was held without a point — and SMU went 0-1-1. In the Cardinals' next two games, Kearns netted three goals — and the Cardinals won both times.

Kearns got SMU on the board with an unassisted goal at 6:50 of the opening period on Friday, then added what proved to be the game-winner 10 minutes later as the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead into the locker room after the first period.

"We came out and pretty much controlled play for about the first 10 minutes, got our two goals, and then just played them even the rest of the way," Ryhorchuk said of Saturday's win. "We were able to skate four lines and all six defensemen, so it was good to see everyone contribute."

Speaking of contributing, Aja Walters (Fairmont, Minn.), Jenny Hocum (Rochester, Minn.) and Laura Mueller (St. Paul, Minn.) gave Kearns the offensive night off in Sunday's rematch, as the trio gave Jung more than enough offensive support as SMU pushed its winning streak to three straight.

Walters got SMU on the board on the powerplay late in the first period, and that was all the offense the Cardinals would need as Jung continually thwarted the Cobbers' offense — stopping 10 first-period shots and 14 more in the second.

Hocum and Mueller gave Jung and the Cardinals some breathing room in the third period, as Hocum scored shorthanded early in the period and Mueller netted SMU's second powerplay tally with eight minutes remaining to seal the win.

"It was nice to get some other people into the (scoring column)," said Ryhorchuk, whose team ends its two-week "break" tonight, when they host St. Catherine. "The (Thanksgiving) break came at a good time for us,” continued Ryhorchuk. “We were able to get some rest and get everyone healthy Now it’s time to get back to work.”