GENEVA, Ill.  — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team steps out of conference play for its final two games before the semester break, traveling to Aurora on Friday and Saturday. The Cardinals and Spartans square off on Friday in a 7 p.m. contest at the Fox Valley Ice Arena, before returning for a 6:30 p.m. rematch the following day.
 
The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (2-4-2 Overall) at Aurora Spartans (0-6-0 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals picked up a pair of conference points in their two-game MIAC series against Saint John's on Nov. 21-22. After battling SJU to a 2-2 deadlock through regulation and the five-minute overtime, the Cardinals won the shootout 2-1 in the first game of their conference series on Nov. 21. The Johnnies, however, erupted for three third-period goals in beating Saint Mary's 4-2 in the teams' rematch a day later | SJU Recap 1 * SJU Recap 2
• Aurora: The Spartans dropped a pair of decisions to Milwaukee School of Engineering last weekend in Milwaukee, Wis., falling to the Raiders 6-5 in overtime on Saturday, before losing 5-2 in the rematch on Sunday | MSOE Recap 1 * MSOE Recap 2
 
Saint Mary's vs. Aurora—Their Last Meeting:
• This weekend's nonconference games between the Cardinals and Spartans are the first in program history.
 
Up Next:
•  Saint Mary's and Aurora square off in the second game of their two-game nonconference series on Saturday. Puck drops at 6:30 p.m. at the Fox Valley Ice Center in Geneva, Ill.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
The Cardinals are in the midst of a seven-game road stretch—Saint Mary's does not return home until Jan. 9-10, 2015, when they host St. Scholastica and Northland at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. … The Cardinals' first eight games have included five against nationally ranked opponents. … Seven of Saint Mary's first eight games this season have been decided by two goals or less—the lone exception a 5-2 victory over UW-Superior on Nov. 14. … Two of the Cardinals' four conference games have gone to a shootout—with Saint Mary's winning both. Jonathon Elliott (Bloomfield Hills, Ill.) scored in Saint Mary's 1-0 shootout win over St. Thomas on Nov. 8, while Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Ill.) and Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) found the back of the net in the Cardinals' 2-1 shootout win over Saint John's on Nov. 21. … 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. … The Cardinals have now played three overtime games, going to a shootout vs. both St. Thomas and Saint John's, while dropping a 3-2 OT decision to nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point. … Saint Mary's scored a season-high five goals in its 5-2 win over UW-Superior on Nov. 14—with the five goals coming from five different players. … Kelvin Walz (Woodbury, Minn.) and Mike Mezzano (Woodbury, Minn.) netted Saint Mary's two goals in regulation vs. Saint John's on Nov. 21, while Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) and Gruse tallied the Cardinals' two goals in the rematch on Nov. 22. … Gruse, who has recorded at least one point in six of the Cardinals' last seven games—including goals in five of those seven contests—leads the team in goals (5) and points (8), while Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) is the team's assist leader with four. … 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. … Marx, Gruse and Mike Wolter (Antigo, Wis.) have all put together two-assist games this season. … The Cardinals boast four players who have netted their first collegiate goals this season—Walz, Jude Warner (Pickerington, Ohio), Taylor Portner (Andover, Minn.) and Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich. … Cesarz's goal with 1:06 remaining in the first period vs. the Cobbers was officially the Cardinals' first goal of the season. … Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) recorded a career-high 51 saves against the Johnnies on Nov. 21. … Heinle's 51 saves are the most by a Cardinal goalie since Jason Horstman stopped 52 shots against Gustavus on Feb. 19, 2011. … Heinle, who has started all eight games for the Cardinals, enters this weekend's nonconference games Aurora owning a 2.58 goals-against-average and a .924 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 have scored just twice in the second period through eight games—Saint Mary's has scored seven goals in the first period and 11 in the third. … 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 Aurora Spartans:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
The Spartans—playing at an NCAA Division III level for the first time in program history—head into this weekend's game against Saint Mary's looking to snap out of its season-opening six-game losing streak. … Friday's game against the Cardinals is the home opener for the Spartans, who played their first six NCAA Division III games on the road. … Aurora has scored first in each of its last three games—including building a 3-0 lead over Milwaukee School of Engineering in last Saturday's 6-5 overtime loss. … Trevor Hoth heads into the weekend series against Saint Mary's with a team-best four goals, one more than Rihards Marenis and Michael Mikulan. … Marenis is the team-leader in assists (6) and points (9). … Mikulan—who scored Aurora's first NCAA Division III goal in program history 25 seconds into the second period of the Spartans' season-opening 6-2 loss to UW-Superior on Oct. 31—is second to Marenis in both assists (5) and points (8). … Mikulan and Jimmie Perkins have each posted two-goal games, while Marenis recorded a team-high four points in AU's 6-5 overtime loss to MSOE last Saturday. … Aurora's 16 goals this season have come from eight different players, while 13 Spartans have recorded at least one point. … Aurora has used three different goalies this season. Griffin Strain has compiled a 6.33 goals-against-average and .860 save percentage in a team-high three starts, while Kyle Weiner (7.00 GAA, .823 save percentage) has started two games and Michael Kitts (5.56 GAA, .887 save percentage) started AU's 6-5 overtime loss to MSOE last Saturday. … Strain owns a team-leading 117 saves, with Kitts' 47-save effort against MSOE a single-game team high. … Aurora has scored six second-period goals, while netting five goals in both the first and third periods. … AU's opponents have netted 21 of their 39 goals in the game's middle period.