Game Summary

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Sooner or later, the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team is going to get rewarded for its offensive efforts.

Coach Don Olson just wishes it would be sooner, rather than later.

For the fourth straight game, the Cardinals outshot their opponent Sunday afternoon, peppering the St. John's goal with 35 shots — only to come up on the short end, as St. John's scored two goals 20 seconds apart early in the first period and never looked back in handing SMU a 3-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback.

"We played well enough to win both games (against St. John's)," said Olson, whose team held a 36-35 edge in shots on goal in Saturday's first game, but lost 5-3. "It's not like we're not creating good scoring opportunities, because we are.

"We just can't seem to put the puck in the net."

The Johnnies' Scott Bjorklund and Adam Holmgren gave SJU a quick 2-0 advantage, beating SMU goalie Ryne Ess (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 20 seconds apart before the game was even two minutes old.

"They caught us on our heels a bit," admitted Olson, noting that St. John's got 15 of its 25 shots on goal in the game's opening 20 minutes. "We were a little flat to start, but really seemed to pick it up in the second and third periods."

The Cardinals hounded the Johnnies' net over the game's final two periods, peppering SJU goalie Rick Gregory with 12 second-period shots and 14 more in the third period, only to come up with Mark Zoller's (Rochester, Minn.) second-period tally, and Lenny Hofmann's (Sartell, Minn.) got with 22 seconds remaining in regulation.

"It's frustrating for everyone, because it's not like we're playing that poorly," said Olson, whose team has now dropped six straight. "To create that many good scoring chances, and only come away with two or three goals is tough.

"Sooner or later, these guys are going to get rewarded for all their hard work — they're going to break out and score a bunch of goals."

Hopefully sooner, rather than later.