Game Summary

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff scenario is a simple one for the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team: Four wins and they are in.

Heading into Friday's game against St. Olaf, all that stood between the Cardinals a berth in the five-team conference playoffs were the Oles and Bethel.

And "The Structure."

The Cardinals entered Friday's game winless in their last four games in the Oles' home rink, known as "The Structure." In fact, SMU coach Don Olson will be the first to admit that he has had more bad memories than good ones in that building.

Friday evening, however, was one of those rare good memories, as the Cardinals — thanks in part to Adam Fingerhut's (Oak Brook, Ill.) game-winning tally in the second period — snapped that four-year losing streak with a 3-2 victory.

A victory that inched the Cardinals one step closer to that elusive playoff berth.

"This is a tough place to play," said Olson, whose team pushed its winning streak to five straight. "We've certainly had our share of bad experiences here — fortunately, tonight wasn't one of those."

The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Adam Gill (Rochester, Minn.) and Jim Becker (Lockport, Ill.). St. Olaf cut the gap to one, 2-1, with less than two minutes remaining in the first period, then tied the game midway through the second, before Fingerhut netted the game-winner at 16:50.

Curtis Nosal (Omaha, Neb.), who entered Friday's game having stopped 126 of the last 128 shots he faced — including posting his first two collegiate shutouts — kicked out 39 of the Oles' 41 shots to help preserve the win.

"This team is playing with a lot of confidence right now," said Olson, whose team hosts the Oles in the second game of the two-game MIAC series Saturday evening. "I think we've finally learned what it takes to win. They've battled from start to finish in each of their last five games, and they are being rewarded for that hard work.

"We've built up a pretty good head of steam — now we've got to keep it going."