Box Score  | GameDay Preview

MOORHEAD, Minn. — After rallying from a 3-0 deficit — only to give up the game-tying goal with two seconds remaining in regulation, and the game-winning goal two minutes into overtime — in a 5-4 loss to Concordia Friday evening, the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team decided to take a little different approach in the teams' rematch on Saturday.

And it worked like a charm.

Unlike Friday, when SMU found itself staring at that three-goal deficit, the Cardinals went on the offensive Saturday, scoring a pair of goals in both the first and second periods and cruising to a 5-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at the Moorhead Sports Center.

"This was a great win for the guys — after the disappointment of (Friday night) I was proud of the way the guys came out and battled from start to finish," said SMU coach Bill Moore. "To come back with a performance like this, that says a lot about the character of this team."

Bob Marx (Sioux Falls, Iowa) got the Cardinals on the board four minutes into the opening period, as the junior netted his team-leading eighth goal of the season — a power-play tally off an assist from Mike Mezzano (Woodbury, Minn.).

Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.) pushed the SMU lead to 2-0, finding the back of the net for the third straight game, as the Cardinals took a two-goal advantage into the locker room after 20 minutes.

And it was more of the same in the second period, as Mike Wolter (Antigo, Wis.) and Austin Balko (Midland, Mich.) each found the back of the net to push SMU's lead to 4-0 heading into the third period.

SMU extended its lead to 5-0 on a goal by Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Ill.) early in the third period, before the Cobbers scored a pair of late goals to close out the scoring.

Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) finished with a career-high 43 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while CC goalie Chris Neamonitis made 19 saves in goal for the Cobbers.

The Cardinals (4-10-0 MIAC, 8-14-1 overall) close out the regular-season portion of their schedule next weekend with a pair of conference games against Hamline. SMU travels to the Oscar Johnson Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Pipers on Friday, before returning home to the SMU Ice Arena for the 7 p.m. rematch on Saturday.