Box Score  | GameDay Preview

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team got off to a flying start Friday evening in their nonconference game against Lake Forest.

Problem was, as quickly as the Cardinals took flight, the Foresters grounded them, as Lake Forest scored a pair of first-period shorthanded goals and added three goals in the second period in handing SMU a 5-3 nonconference setback at the Alumni Memorial Rink.

“I thought we've played very well all season, but today we let one get away from us,” said SMU coach Bill Moore. “It seemed like every time we gained a little momentum, we'd take a penalty, and give the momentum right back to (Lake Forest).

“The key for us now is to put this game behind us as fast as we can and focus on getting back to playing the way we are capable (in Saturday's rematch).”

The Cardinals got on the board midway through the first period, as Mike Hill (Fort Worth, Texas) took a feed from Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.) and rifled a slap shot that beat Lake Forest goalie Brendan Sullivan to give SMU the 1-0 lead.

SMU continued to dominate the opening 20 minutes — until the final three minutes, that is.

Lake Forest got back-to-back goals from Jason McAloon and Mike Violette — both shorthanded — to give the Foresters a 2-1 advantage heading into the locker room after the first period.

David Sharpe pushed the Foresters lead to 3-1 three minutes into the second period, zipping a shot that beat Horstman to the short side.

SMU had a pair of golden scoring opportunities to cut into Lake Forest's two-goal advantage, but Kevin Wentland (Columbia Heights, Minn.) was stymied on a breakaway and Hill's slap shot from the slot clanked off the post two minutes later.

The Cardinals finally broke through with 6:25 remaining in the second, as Nick Nagel (Andover, Minn.) banged a loose puck past Sullivan to make it a 3-2.

The one-goal deficit quickly grew to three, however, as the Foresters answered Thompson's tally with a goal by Roberto Caparelli and another by Violette before the period ended to take a 5-2 advantage into the third period.

SMU scored the lone goal of the third period on a goal by Thompson — his team-leading seventh of the season — but it wasn't enough, as SMU saw its overall record fall to 5-5-0 on the season.

The Cardinals get another shot at the Foresters on Saturday, as Lake Forest hosts SMU in a 4:30 p.m. nonconference game at Alumni Memorial Rink.