ST. CLOUD, Minn.  — After a pair of nonconference games against UW-Superior and UW-Stevens Point, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Friday, squaring off against Saint John's in a 7 p.m. contest at the Municipal Athletic Complex.
 
The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-1-1 MIAC | 2-3-1 Overall) at Saint John's Johnnies (2-0-0 MIAC | 4-0-2 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals split their two nonconference road games last weekend. Saint Mary's got goals from five different players in handing UW-Superior a 5-2 setback last Friday in Superior, Wis. In their second game of the weekend, Saint Mary's dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 overtime decision to sixth-ranked UW-Stevens Point in Stevens Point, Wis. | Superior Recap * Stevens Point Recap
• Saint John's: The Johnnies kicked off conference play last weekend, erupting for eight goals—four in each game—as Saint John's swept St. Olaf, winning 4-1 in Northfield, Minn., on Friday and 4-2 in the rematch on Saturday in St. Cloud, Minn. | St. Olaf Recap 1 * St. Olaf Recap 2
 
Saint Mary's vs. Saint John's—A Year Ago:
• November 22, 2013: Saint Mary's coach Bill Moore knew that if his Cardinals expected to hang with defending regular-season co-champion Saint John's, a quick start was key. And a quick start is what the Cardinals coach got. Unfortunately, it was the Johnnies who got off to the quick start, as SJU erupted for three first-period goals. Down, but far from out, the Cardinals battled back — finally digging out of the three-goal hole with a goal two minutes into the third period, only to have SJU answer three minutes later to lift the Johnnies to the 4-3 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
• November 23, 2013: They call them "opportunities" for a reason. And after squandering their first nine, Saint Mary's decided to cash in on a few opportunities in the third period against Saint John's. The Cardinals, who went 0-for-9 in their first nine power play chances, took advantage of a five-minute PP, scoring two goals 23 seconds apart midway through the second period, erasing a 2-1 SJU lead and giving Saint Mary's a hard-earned, 3-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
 
Up Next:
•  The Cardinals and Johnnies go at it again on Saturday, as Saint John's hosts Saint Mary's in the second game of the teams' two-game MIAC series. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. at the Municipal Athletic Complex
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
Friday's game against the Johnnies is the third of seven straight road games for the Cardinals, who do not return home until Jan. 9-10, 2015, when they host St. Scholastica and Northland at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. … The Cardinals' games vs. the Johnnies mark the fourth and fifth time this season that Saint Mary's has faced a nationally ranked team. … Last Friday's 5-2 win over UW-Superior marked the only time this season the Cardinals' game has not been decided by two goals or less. … Last Saturday's 3-2 loss to UW-Stevens Point was Saint Mary's second overtime game of the season—the Cardinals tied St. Thomas 3-3 on Nov. 8. … Saint Mary's five goals vs. UW-Superior last Friday came from five different players—including collegiate firsts from Kelvin Walz (Woodbury, Minn.), Jude Warner (Pickerington, Ohio) and Taylor Portner (Andover, Minn.). … Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.) and Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) accounted for Saint Mary's other two goals vs. the Yellowjackets. … Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.)—who collected two assists vs. UW-Superior—and Marx collected Saint Mary's vs. goals vs. the Pointers last Saturday. … Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) has now scored in four of the team's last five games and has recorded at least one point in five straight contests. … The Cardinals now boast four players who have netted their first collegiate goals this season—Walz, Warner, Portner and Cesarz. … Cesarz's goal with 1:06 remaining in the first period vs. the Cobbers was officially the Cardinals' first goal of the season. … Gruse now leads the team in goals (4) and points (7), while sharing the team lead in assists (3) with Marx. … McGlasson recorded the second two-goal game of his career with a pair of goals vs. Concordia on Nov. 2. The senior also netted two goals against St. Olaf on Nov. 30, 2012. … Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) collected a season-high 39 saves in the Cardinals' 5-2 win over UW-Superior last Friday, and followed that up with a 33-save effort against UW-Stevens Point a day later—earning the Cardinal sophomore MIAC Athlete of the Week honors. … Heinle, who has started all six games for the Cardinals, enters this weekend's conference games against Saint John's owning a 2.48 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage. … In his final start a year ago against Hamline, Heinle notched his first collegiate assist—marking the first time since Dan Byron during the 2000-2001 season that a Saint Mary's goalie has recorded an assist. … The Cardinals recorded their first second-period goal of the season against UW-Superior Friday—Saint Mary's has scored seven goals in the first period and eight in the third. … The Cardinals' 1-0 win in the shootout vs. St. Thomas on Nov. 8 was their first shootout in the two years since the MIAC added it to the end of tied games prior to the 2013-14 season. Jonathan Elliott (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) netted the shootout winner for the Cardinals. … The Cardinals' 1-1 showing at the season-opening MIAC Hockey Showcase marked the third straight season Saint Mary's has gone 1-1 at the conference's season-opening event. Saint Mary's lost to Augsburg (6-2) and beat St. Olaf (3-2), while topping Bethel (7-2) and falling to Saint John's (8-1) in 2012-13. … Saint Mary's season-opening 2-0 loss to Augsburg on Oct. 31 actually snapped its three-game winning streak—the Cardinals had closed out the 2013-14 season with a 5-2 win over Concordia and 6-5 and 8-3 victories over Hamline.
 
Scouting The Saint John's Johnnies:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
Saint John's enters this weekend's games against Saint Mary's riding a season-opening six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). … After opening the season with a 0-0 tie against St. Thomas at the MIAC Hockey Showcase, SJU has scored 19 goals in its last five games—including a season-high six in a 6-2 win over Hamline and back-to-back four-goal efforts last weekend in sweeping St. Olaf. … John Carroll, Nick Senta, Dan McNamara and Phil Johnson scored Saint John's four goals in last Friday's 4-1 victory over St. Olaf, while Huba Sekesi recorded the Johnnies' first hat trick since Oct. 28, 2012, scoring three of SJU's four goals in last Saturday's 4-2 win over the Oles. … The three goals were the first of his collegiate career for Sekesi. … Neal Smith leads the Johnnies in goals with five and shares the team lead in points (5) with Tyler Dunagan. … Wally Cossette and Dave Mylrea each have a team-high four assists. … Saint John's 19 goals have come from 11 different players, while 18 of the 20 Johnnies who have seen action—including goalie Saxton Soley—have recorded at least one point. … Soley—who picked up his first assist against St. Olaf last Saturday, has started five of the Johnnies' six games in goal, compiling a 1.36 goals-against-average and a .955 save percentage. … Soley has recorded a team-high 148 saves, including a 32-save shutout effort against St. Thomas in the teams' season-opener. … Saint John's has scored eight of its 19 goals in the second period. SJU has owns six first-period goals and five third-period tallies. … Saint John's opponents have scored five of their nine goals in the game's final 20 minutes. … SJU has played two overtime games this season, with both ending in ties—0-0 vs. Saint John's and 3-3 against UW-Eau Claire. …