Box Score Game Summary / GameDay Preview

BLAINE, Minn. — For the third straight game, the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team got on the scoreboard first Saturday evening against Bethel.

Thanks to Kevin Wentland (Columbia Heights, Minn.), scoring first had a better outcome than the previous two games.

Wentland scored with 30 seconds remaining in regulation, as the Cardinals rallied from a 3-1 deficit to earn a 4-4 tie with the Royals at the Schwan's Super Rink.

“It was really nice to see us keep battling and never quit tonight,” said SMU coach Bill Moore. “(Tonight) was like a mirror image of last night — last night we had all the momentum and the 3-1 lead and (Bethel) came back and got the win. Tonight, they had the momentum and the 3-1 lead and we kept battling and got a hard-earned (conference) point.

“We would have loved to get two points, but to battle the way we did, getting that one point is huge.”

Ryan Griffiths (Arvada, Colo.) got the Cardinals on the board less than two minutes into the first period, as the Cardinal freshman notched his first collegiate goal. The Royals, however, responded with two first-period goals and another early in the third period to grab a 3-1 advantage.

SMU was down, but far from out, as Austin Balko (Midland, Mich.) netted an unassisted goal at 8:09 of the third period, and Griffiths pulled the Cardinals even, 3-3, with his second of the game less than a minute later

Bethel regained the lead on a goal by Corey Grander at 12:41, but SMU again answered, as Wentland scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season with 30 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

The Cardinals (3-4-1 MIAC, 4-12-1 overall) return to action on Friday, hosting St. Thomas in the first game of their two-game conference series at the SMU Ice Arena. Puck drops at 7 p.m.