Box Score BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Fortunately for Saint Mary's University men's hockey coach Bill Moore, a collegiate hockey game is 60 minutes long, because if Moore was looking for a sign that Friday was not going to be his night, he didn't need to look any further than the first period.

Make that the first shot.

Or the last second.St. Thomas scored on their first shot of the game, then added their third first-period goal with one second remaining to grab what appeared to be a commanding 3-0 advantage.

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So much for appearances.

The Cardinals took a page out of the Tommies' playbook – scoring the first of two second-period goals on their first shot 35 seconds into the period in cutting the gap to 3-2 heading into the final 20 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that was as close as they would get, as St. Thomas added an insurance goal four minutes into the third period to ice a 4-2 nonconference win during the opening day of the three-day Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Hockey Showcase at the Bloomington Ice Garden.

“I thought we played pretty well – especially in the last two periods,” said SMU coach Bill Moore. “We put ourselves behind the eight ball a bit in the first period, but I was really happy with the way we responded in the second period.

“It would have been easy for the guys to just hang their heads and go through the motions, but they didn't, they battled right to the end."

UST's Phil Johnson opened the scoring for the Tommies, netting a powerplay goal at 4:36 of the first period, while Evan MacIntosh made it 2-0 with his first of the season at 18:46. The Tommies would then get a late-period gift, as the Cardinals were whistled for icing with 10 seconds left in the stanza. UST won the ensuing face-off and Rob Johnson banged a loose puck past SMU goalie Greg Moore (Woodbury, Minn.) with one second on the clock.

Jimmy Becker (Wildomar, Calif.) got the Cardinals on the board 35 seconds into the second period and Ben Kitzmiller (Lambertville, Mich.) pulled SMU to within one, 3-2 with a powerplay tally at 16:34.

Kelly Kranz gave UST a little breathing room with a shot from the point that eluded a screened Moore four minutes into the third period.

Greg Moore finished with 27 saves for the Cardinals, who return to action Saturday, taking on Saint John's in a 2 p.m. game at the Ice Gardens. Joe Schraeder stopped 26 shots for the Tommies, who are back in action Sunday, when they face the Johnnies in an 8 p.m. contest.