STEVENS POINT, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team is back on the ice Saturday, heading to K.B. Willett Arena for a 7 p.m. nonconference game against UW-Stevens Point.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (5-7-0 Overall)
at UW-Stevens Point Pointers (9-6-1 Overall)

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Last Night:
The Cardinals surrendered seven goals in the second period — including three power play and two shorthanded — as SMU dropped a 12-2 nonconference decision to fifth-ranked and two-time defending national champion St. Norbert at the Cornerstone Community Center in Ashwabenon, Wis. … UW-Stevens Point, meanwhile, won for the fifth time in its last six games, as the Pointers cruised to a 5-2 nonconference win over St. Olaf at K.B. Willett Arena in Stevens Point, Wis.

SMU vs. UW-Stevens Point — Their Last Meeting:
January 6, 2012: It wasn't quite the start to the new year that SMU coach Bill Moore was hoping for, as UW-Stevens Point broke a 2-2 tie with a goal late in the third period to lift the Pointers to a 3-2 nonconference win over SMU at the SMU Ice Arena.

Up Next:
The Cardinals return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play next weekend, squaring off against Bethel. SMU hosts the Royals in a 7:30 p.m. game at the SMU Ice Arena on Friday, then travels to the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., for a 7 p.m. rematch on Saturday. … UW-Stevens Point, meanwhile, return to NCHA competition next weekend, traveling to Duluth, Minn., for back-to-back 7 p.m. games against St. Scholastica.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
Saturday's game against UW-Stevens Point is not only the final nonconference game of the season for the Cardinals, but it is also the last of five straight road games. … Mike Hill (Fort Worth, Texas) scored both of Saint Mary's goals against nationally ranked St. Norbert Friday. It was his third two-goal game of the season. … With the two goals, Hill moved into the team lead in goals with eight. The sophomore also leads the Cardinals in assists (9) and points (17). … The Cardinals have now posted eight multiple-goal scorers this season. Hill has three, Austin Balko (Midland, Mich.) has two and Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.), Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) and Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) have each recorded one. … SMU boasts five players with 10 or more points through 12 games — Hill (17), Thompson (13), Marx (12), Kevin Wentland (Columbia Heights, Minn. / 11) and Balko (10). … SMU's 45 goals have come from 15 different players, while 19 Cardinals have recorded at least one point. … After scoring just one shorthanded goal all of last season, SMU has netted four shorthanded goals this season. … The four shorthanded goals are the most since SMU tallied five shorties during the 2006-07 season. … Andy Scheib (Sun Prairie, Wis.), who made 25 saves against nationally ranked St. Norbert on Friday, has now stopped 181 shots in nine games, compiling a 4.15 goals-against-average and an .850 save percentage. … After going nine games without giving up a shorthanded goal, SMU has surrendered four in its last three games — including two against St. Norbert Friday. … The Cardinals have scored 34 goals in their five wins this season — including a season-high nine goals in their 9-2 rout of Hamline on Nov. 9. … SMU's nine goals against the Pipers are the most since SMU erupted for 14 goals in a 14-3 win over Concordia during the 2006-07 season. … The Cardinals have scored first in seven of their 12 games — including all five of their wins. … SMU's 2-0 loss to Lake Forest on Dec. 8 marked the first time this season the Cardinals have been held without a goal. It was also the first shutout loss since SMU dropped a season-ending, 7-0 setback at Concordia on Feb. 18, 2012.

Scouting the UW-Stevens Point Pointers:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
Saturday's game against Saint Mary's is the fourth straight nonconference contest for the Pointers — who split two games against nationally ranked Adrian on Dec. 29-30 — winning 7-4 and losing 6-4 — and 5-2 vs. St. Olaf on Friday. … UW-Stevens Point improved to 5-1-1 on its home ice with Friday's win over St. Olaf. … After going 3-4 in its first seven games, the Pointers are 6-2-1 in their last nine. … UW-SP's 6-4 loss to Adrian snapped the Pointers' season-high four-game winning streak. … UW-Stevens Point's five goals vs. St. Olaf Friday came from five different players — Evan Dixon, Kyle Politz, Alex Kromm, Dylan Wizner and Garrett Ladd — while seven different Pointers recorded an assists vs. the Oles. … Kyle Heck enters Saturday's nonconference game against Saint Mary's with a team-leading eight goals, one more than Johnny Meo and two more than Politz and Andrew Kolb. … Kevin Gibson is the team-leader in assists (9) and Meo owns a team-best 15 points. … Meo is one of seven Pointers with 10 or more points. Heck (14), Gibson (11), Andrew Kolb (10), Politz (10), Garrett Ladd (10) and Alex Brooks (10) are the other six. … Brandon Jaeger faced just 13 shots vs. St. Olaf Friday in winning his seventh game in goal for the Pointers. … Jaeger owns a team-leading 2.54 goals-against-average and an .880 save percentage in 12 games, while Nick Graves has compiled a 2.90 GAA and an .899 save percentage in six games. … The Pointers have outscored their opponents 17-9 in the first period. … The Pointers have scored first in nine of their 16 games this season, going 6-2-1. UW-SP is 3-4-0 when its opponent scores first. … UW-Stevens Point has played in four overtime games this season, going 2-1-1. The Pointers beat UW-Eau Claire (4-3) and UW-Stout (4-3), lost to UW-Superior (3-2) and tied UW-River Falls (2-2).