VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team is back on the road on Friday, traveling to Vadnais Heights Arena for their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener against Hamline. Puck drops at 7 p.m.



The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-0-0 MIAC | 0-4-0 Overall)
at Hamline Pipers (0-0-0 MIAC | 2-2-0 Overall)

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Last Action:
The Cardinals dropped a pair of games against NCHA opponents last weekend, falling to St. Scholastica 4-2 in Duluth, Minn., on Friday, then suffering a 4-3 setback at the hands of No. 9 UW-Superior in Superior, Wis., on Saturday. … Hamline, meanwhile, also lost its two nonconference games against NCHA foes last weekend, falling to UW-River Falls 8-1 in River Falls, Wis., on Friday, then losing to UW-Eau Cliare 5-3 on Saturday in Eau Claire, Wis.


SMU vs. Hamline — A Year Ago:
November 19, 2010: Despite an early lead, and a furious last-second comeback effort, SMU had its three-game winning streak snapped, falling nationally-ranked Hamline 4-3 at the SMU Ice Arena.

November 20, 2010: Beau Braun (Darwin, Minn.) and Kevin Wentland (Columbia Heights, Minn.) scored for the Cardinals, but it was not enough, as Hamline netted two goals in the game's first 10 minutes and never looked back in a 6-2 MIAC win over SMU at the Fairgrounds Coliseum in St. Paul, Minn.

Up Next:
The same two teams square off against Saturday evening, as the Cardinals open their home schedule with a 7 p.m. contest against the Pipers at the SMU Ice Arena.

Saint Mary's Cardinals News and Notes:
2011-12 Roster | 2011-12 Statistics | 2011-12 Schedule | Media Guide
Friday's game at Hamline is the fifth straight road game of the season for the Cardinals, who finally return to the SMU Ice Arena for their home opener on Saturday against the Pipers. … Friday's game vs. HU is also the second of five straight games against teams that have been nationally ranked this season. SMU, which lost to ninth-ranked UW-Superior last Friday, plays two vs. Hamline (No. 10 in the preseason poll) this weekend, then hosts No. 11 Milwaukee School of Engineering for two games on Nov. 22-23. … Three of the Cardinals' four games this season have been decided by one goal — 3-2 losses vs. St. Thomas and St. Olaf and Saturday's 4-3 setback vs. UW-Superior. … Nick Gorup (Omaha, Neb.), Danny Wood (Wilmington, Ohio), Nate Peterson (Cadillac, Mich.), Tommy Robaczewski (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) scored the Cardinals' four goals last weekend. The goals were the first of the season for all five, and the first in an SMU uniform for Gorup, Robaczewski and Marx. … SMU has now scored nine goals on the season — all nine coming from a different player. … Gorup's goal vs. St. Scholastica last Friday was the first power play tally of the season for the Cardinals, while Wood's second-period short-handed goal was also SMU's first of the season. … SMU boasts seven different players with a team-leading two points through four games, while 17 of the 23 players who have played have recorded at least one point. … SMU's three goals vs. UW-Superior Saturday were a season high. The Cardinals had scored two goals in each of its first three games. … Andy Scheib (Sun Prairie, Wis.) made 24 saves against St. Scholastica Friday, while Jason Horstman (Faribault, Minn.) finished with 25 saves vs. UW-Superior on Saturday. … Horstman enters Friday's MIAC opener against Hamline with a team-leading 3.53 goals-against-average and an .897 save percentage. …  The Cardinals have scored three goals in each of the game's three periods. … SMU has scored first in two of its first four games this season.

Hamline Pipers News and Notes:
2011-12 Roster | 2011-12 Statistics | 2011-12 Schedule
The Pipers enjoyed a storybook season in 2010-11, winning both the MIAC?regular-season and tournament titles, while also reaching the NCAA?National Tournament quarterfinals, where they dropped a 4-0 decision to eventual national champion St. Norbert. … The Pipers' regular-season title was their second in the last four years, while the NCAA?appearance was the first in school history. … After opening the season with back-to-back 3-2 wins over Bethel and Augsburg at the MIAC Hockey Showcase, the Pipers have now lost two straight. … Friday's game against Saint Mary's is the Pipers' first home game of the season — and the first ever at Vadnais Heights Arena. … Zach Johnson scored the Pipers' lone goal against UW-River Falls last Friday, while Jordan Van Gilder had a hand in all three goals vs. UW-Eau Claire on Saturday, scoring twice and assisting on the other. … Van Gilder's two goals vs. the Blugolds were his first of the season and moved him into a tie for the team lead in goals (2) with Nick Widing. … Van Gilder and Brian Arrigoni are the team-leaders in points with five each, while Arrigoni and Joe Rubbelke have each dished out a team-high four assists. … Beau Christian has started all four games in goal for the Pipers, compiling a 3.96 goals-against-average and an .868 save percentage. … The Pipers are 2-1-0 when their opponent scores the first goal, while failing to win the long game in which they netted the game's first goal. … Eight of the 17 goals HU has allowed have come in the second period.