Box Score Game Summary vs. St. Olaf / GameDay Online / Photo Gallery

WINONA, Minn. — It's become almost a tradition for the Saint Mary's University and St. Olaf men's hockey teams.

When the Oles and Cardinals square off, it's going to be a nailbiter that goes right down to the wire.

In their previous eight meetings, seven were decided by two goals or less — including a string of six straight one-goal decisions.

Saturday evening, however, St. Olaf decided to break from tradition.

In a big, big way.

The Oles erupted three goals in the first period and four more in the second en route to a 9-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at the SMU Ice Arena.

“We played such a good game (Friday), and then we turn around and play just horrible,” said SMU coach Bill Moore, whose team dropped a 6-4 decision to the Oles Friday evening in Northfield, with St. Olaf getting an empty net goal with less than a minute remaining to make it a two-goal game. “We were back to play undisciplined hockey again tonight. You can't take 10 penalties (for 31 minutes) and expect to win hockey games — we were in the penalty box for 30 minutes of a 60-minute game, that's just unacceptable.”

The Oles put the game out of reach early, scoring on three of the 17 first-period shots, then added four more goals — two by Nick Stalock, the first 36 seconds into the frame and the second eight minutes later — in a nine-minute span to open the second period.

Nick Carlson (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) accounted for SMU's lone goal, netting his second of the season 2:56 into the third period, but the Oles answered with two goals of their own to complete the rout.

“It's frustrating,” Moore said. “We've got to find a way to get this team back on track.”

The Cardinals are back in action Friday at the SMU Ice Arena, playing host to Bethel in the first game of a home-and-home conference series.