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WINONA, Minn. — You can't write endings like that.

In fact, if Saint Mary's University men's hockey coach Bill Moore hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed it.

Four of the Cardinals six goals against Hamline Saturday evening came from seniors playing in their final collegiate home game — including the game-tying goal from Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.) with 17 seconds remaining in regulation.

But a last-second tie was not the ending the Cardinals were hoping for, so  — junior Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) gave his senior teammates a little going-away present, scoring with 35 seconds remaining in overtime to lift SMU to a 6-5 victory over Hamline at the SMU Ice Arena.

"We had great leadership from our seniors tonight — you could not have asked for more from them," said Moore. "Give a lot of credit to the senior line of Deur, Fusaro and Tommy Robaczewski (Arlington Heights, Ill.) — they really gave us a boost every time we needed it.

"I'm so happy for the seniors — it was a great way for them to end their (home) careers."

Hamline did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard, as Kevin Novakovich beat SMU goalie Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) just 1:08 into the opening period.

Novakovich's goal would be the lone tally of the first period, and after the break, the Cardinals kick things up a notch, getting back-to-back goals from Mike Wolter (Antigo, Wis.) and Brad Fusaro (Soldotna, Alaska) 52 seconds apart early in the second stanza to give SMU its first lead of the game, 2-1.

The game would remain 2-1 until the final three minutes of the period, when the Pipers' Andrew Carlson, Novakovich and Cody Mason all found the back of the net to give HU a two-goal cushion heading into the game's final 20 minutes.

Scott Deur (Big Rapids Mich.) pulled the Cardinals back even with back-to-back goals in the first six minutes of the final stanza — marking the first time in his collegiate career the senior had recorded two goals in a game.

Hamline regained the lead, 5-4, on a goal by Andrew Herbert midway through the period, and clung to that lead until the waning seconds — when Thompson came through with arguably the biggest goal of his collegiate career.

SMU dominated the overtime, outshooting HU 6-2 — including Marx's game-winner with 35 seconds remaining.

Heinle finished with 28 saves in goal for the Cardinals — including 16 in the second period alone, while Piper goalie John Selle-Hanson stopped 38 SMU shots.

The Cardinals (5-10-0 MIAC, 9-14-1 overall) close out their regular season on Sunday, as SMU heads to Ken Yackel Arena in West St. Paul, Minn., for the second game of its two-game conference series against Hamline.