Box Score Game Summary vs. Gustavus / GameDay Online / Photo Gallery

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team's season began with four straight nonconference games against teams from the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.

It just so happened that all four teams — St. Scholastica, UW-Superior, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Eau Claire — were ranked in the USCHO.com's Top 15 Poll.

Friday evening was a new chapter for the Cardinals, who opened their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule against Gustavus at the SMU Ice Arena.

New chapter, but another villain from the same cast of characters — 14th-ranked Gustavus.

Five games, five nationally ranked opponents.

And, unfortunately for SMU, five losses.

Gustavus scored on its first shot of the game and never looked back, jumping out to a 3-0 first-period lead and cruising to a 6-0 MIAC victory.

“It's a new day, but the same old story,” said SMU coach Bill Moore, whose team has now been shut out twice — and have scored just six goals in their first five games. “For long stretches, we looked every bit as good as they did. But then we'd have a letdown and (Gustavus) would take advantage.

“We have played some pretty good periods this season — but we still haven't been able to put an entire game together.”

Cody Mosbeck got the Gusties on the board at 6:00 of the first period, beating SMU goalie Scott Pederson (Lake Villa, Ill.) with a wrist shot from the slot. The two teams traded chances for 12 minutes, before Gustavus got back-to-back goals from David Martinson and Mosbeck 35 seconds apart to push the GAC lead to 3-0 before the period ended.

“We came out and really took it to them for the first six minutes of the first period, and then they score on that first shot and it just seemed to take the wind out of our sails,” said Moore. “We played so well for 18 minutes, and then in a 40-second span, we just fell apart.”

The Gusties would make it 4-0 on Ross Ring-Jan's second goal of the season midway through the second period, the iced the win with a pair of third-period goals.

“It's tough,” said Moore, whose team gets another shot at the Gusties on Sunday, when SMU travels to Mankato, Minn., for a 5:30 p.m. MIAC contest. “Everyone is pressing and trying to do everything in their power to get us over the hump — we just need a break or two to go our way.”