By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ADRIAN, Mich. — New year, new coach, new opponent.
 
As if playing their first game … under their new head coach … on the road … wasn't tough enough, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team had to open its season against one of the nation's best Saturday evening.
 
Saint Mary's took to the ice for its season-opener Saturday evening, and staring across from them … the third-ranked team in the country — Adrian.
 
And the Cardinals gave the Bulldogs all they could handle, only to come up one goal short.
 
Adrian scored the game's first three goals — and held off a furious Saint Mary's rally — in dealing the Cardinals a 3-2 nonconference setback.
 
The Bulldogs netted the game's first three goals — getting back-to-back tallies from Adrian Abbie less than two minutes apart midway through the first period, and adding another two minutes into the second period — before Saint Mary's offense finally came to life.
 
Amber Miller (Kasson, Minn.) got the Cardinals on the board at 13:45 of the middle period, pulling Saint Mary's within two, 3-1, heading into the game's final 20-minute period.
 
The Cardinals made it a one-goal game eight minutes into the third period, as Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) found the back of the net off an assist from Courtney Moser (Blaine, Minn.).
 
That would be as close as the Cardinals would get, however, as Adrian held the Saint Mary's at bay over the final 11:13 to seal the win.
 
Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) made 27 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Adrian goalie Denisa Jandova stopped 21 of Saint Mary's 23 shots.
 
The Cardinals (0-1-0 overall) and Bulldogs (2-0-0 overall) return to Arrington Ice Arena in Adrian, Mich., on Sunday for the second game of their two-game nonconference series. Opening face-off is slated for 2 p.m.