BLAINE, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team hits the road on Saturday, as the Cardinals head to the Schwan's Super Rink for the second game of their two-game MIAC series against Bethel. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (4-1-0 MIAC | 6-8-0 Overall)
vs. Bethel Royals (5-2-0 MIAC | 6-10-0 Overall)

GameDay Live On The Web:
Live Stats | Live Video | Video Preview | GameDay Program

Last Night:
The Cardinals scored four unanswered goals from four different players in handing league-leading Bethel a 4-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the SMU Ice Arena.

SMU vs. Bethel — Earlier This Year:
October 27, 2012: SMU erupted for six goals in the first two periods — including a pair from Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) — and never looked back in handing Bethel a 7-2 nonconference setback during the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Hockey Showcase at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn.

SMU vs. Bethel — A Year Ago:
January 13, 2012: For 40 minutes, SMU had the upper hand against host Bethel. Over the final 20 minutes, however, the Royals turned the tables, as Bethel scored three third-period goals in handing the Cardinals a 5-3 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at Bethel Arena in Blaine, Minn.
January 14, 2012: SMU dominated its MIAC game against Bethel at the SMU Ice Arena. The Cardinals had the advantage in every offensive category. Every category except the one that mattered most — the final score. Fortunately for SMU, a two-goal outburst in the span of less than a minute late in the third period allowed the Cardinals to earn a valuable conference point with 2-2 overtime tie.

Up Next:
The Cardinals kick off a two-game MIAC series against St. Thomas on Friday, as SMU hosts the Tommies in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the SMU Ice Arena. … Bethel, meanwhile, opens its two-game conference series against St. Olaf on the road, as the Royals head to Northfield, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with the Oles.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
With Friday's 4-1 win over Bethel, SMU improved to 4-1-0 in conference play — the Cardinals' best start to the MIAC season since going 6-0-1 in 2001-2002. … Friday's 4-1 win over Bethel snapped the Cardinals' season-high five-game losing streak. … SMU's four goals against the Royals came from four different players — Austin Balko (Midland, Mich.), Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska), Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.) and Mike Hill (Fort Worth, Texas). … Thompson also added assists on two of the team's four goals vs. the Royals. … The three-point game was Thompson's second of the season. He has now recorded two or more points six times this year. … Hill's third-period goal was his team-leading ninth of the season, one more than Thompson and two more than Balko. … Hill also leads the team in assists (10) and points (19). … The Cardinals have posted eight multiple-goal games this season. Hill has three, Balko has two, and Thompson (Centerville, Minn.), Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) and Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) have each recorded one. … SMU boasts six players with 10 or more points through 14 games — Hill (19), Thompson (16), Marx (12), Balko (11), Kevin Wentland (Columbia Heights, Minn. / 11) and McGlasson (10). … SMU's 49 goals have come from 15 different players, while 20 Cardinals have recorded at least one point. … After scoring just one shorthanded goal all of last season, SMU has netted five shorthanded goals this season — including Balko's on Friday … The five shorthanded goals are the most since SMU tallied five shorties during the 2006-07 season. … Andy Scheib (Sun Prairie, Wis.), who made a season-high 30 saves against Bethel Friday, has now stopped 211 shots in 10 games, compiling a 3.79 goals-against-average and an .869 save percentage. … Christian Gaffy (Scandia, Minn.) equaled his career high with 30 saves against UW-Stevens Point last Saturday. It was the second 30-save effort in as many starts for the sophomore goalie. … The Cardinals have scored 38 goals in their six 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 14 games — including five of their wins. … Friday's 4-1 win over Bethel marked the first time this season the Cardinals have won when their opponent scored first (1-6-0). … With Friday's win, the Cardinals improved to 4-1-0 on their home ice. … SMU's 4-0 loss at UW-Stevens Point on Saturday marked the second time this season the Cardinals have been held without a goal.

Scouting the Bethel Royals:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
Despite Friday's loss, Bethel (5-2-0 MIAC) remains tied with St. Thomas for the league lead with 10 points — two more than Saint Mary's (4-1-0), St. Olaf (4-2-0) and Concordia (4-3-0). … With Friday's 4-1 loss at Saint Mary's, the Royals have now lost four straight. … Bethel has surrendered 45 goals in its 10 losses this season — including five or more goals five times. … Mitch Hughes, who scored three goals in BU's two games last weekend, netted the Royals' lone goal vs. Saint Mary's Firday. … Hughes, who has now scored nine goals in his last six games, leads the team with eight goals, one more than Garrett Windle. … Jack Paul is the team's assist (10) and points (15) leader. … Hughes (14), Dan Rowland (10) and Colin Mayer (10) have also notched 10 or more points this season. … The Royals have used three different goalies this season, with Matt Rowe and Dan Harper seeing the majority of the work. Rowe owns a 2.96 goals-against-average and an .895 save percentage in seven games, while Harper has a 3.00 GAA and an .886 save percentage in seven games. Bobby Brown, who finished with 27 saves against SMU on Friday, has appeared in three games, posting a 4.17 GAA and an .865 save percentage. … BU has been outscored 52-38, including 18-9 in the first period. … The Royals are 4-2-0 when scoring first, but just 2-7-0 when their opponent scores the game's first goal.