WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team closes out its 2013-14 regular season on Sunday, as the Cardinals head to Ken Yackel Arena for a noon conference game against Hamline

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (5-10-0 MIAC | 9-14-1 Overall) at Hamline Pipers (1-14-0 MIAC | 2-21-1 Overall)

GameDay Live On The Web:
Live Stats | Video Preview | Directions to Ken Yackel Arena

Last Night:
The Cardinals scored with 17 seconds left in regulation, then got the game-winner with 35 seconds remaining in overtime en route to a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over Hamline at the SMU Ice Arena.

SMU vs. Hamline — A Year Ago:
November 9, 2012: SMU scored early — and often — against Hamline, as the Cardinals erupted for five goals in the game's first 12 minutes en route to a 9-2 conference victory at the SMU Ice Arena.
November 10, 2012: The Cardinals — coming off a 9-2 win over the Pipers that included a five-goal first period — scored five unanswered goals, erasing a 2-1 deficit and leading SMU to a 6-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at the Vadnais Heights Sports Complex in Vadnais Heights, Minn.

Up Next:
Sunday's game is the season-finale for both the Cardinals and the Pipers.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013-14 Roster | 2013-14 Statistics | 2013-14 Schedule
Saturday's game was the final collegiate contest for SMU seniors Nick Gualano (Prospect Heights, Ill.), A.J. Mueller (New Berlin, Wis.), Brad Fusaro (Soldotna, Alaska), Tommy Robaczewski (Arlington Heights, Ill.), Andrew Ketterer (Peoria, Ill.), Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.), Scott Deur (Big Rapids, Mich.), Ryan Griffiths (Arvada, Colo.), Brad Denney (Fishers, Ind.), Nick Nagel (Andover, Minn.), Austin Balko (Midland, Mich.) and manager Brian Thesenvitz (Woodbury, Minn.). … Saturday's 6-5 win over Hamline was SMU's second straight and third in their last four games. … The Cardinals' six goals vs. the Pipers Saturday were a season high. … SMU has now scored 20 goals in its last four games. … Four of SMU's six goals vs. the Pipers Saturday came from seniors — Deur (2), Fusaro and Bobby Thompson (Centerville, Minn.). … Saturday's OT game was the second in the last three contest for the Cardinals, who also dropped a 5-4 decision to Concordia on Feb. 14, and the third overtime game of the season. SMU battled MSOE to a 2-2 tie on Jan. 11 for its other OT contest. … The Cardinals' 6-5 win over Hamline marked the 13th time in 24 contest that the game has been decided by two goals or less. … Six of SMU's nine wins this season have been by one goal — Friday's 6-5 win over Hamline, 3-2 and 5-4 wins over Augsburg, a 3-2 win vs. Saint John's, and back-to-back 2-1 victories over Lake Forest. … Thompson scored the game-tying goal vs. Hamline Friday with 17 seconds remaining — it was the fourth straight game the SMU senior has netted a goal. … Mike Wolter (Antigo, Wis.) and Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) accounted for SMU's non-senior goals scored vs. the Pipers Saturday. … Deur's two goals vs. Hamline Saturday marked the first time in his collegiate career that that senior has recorded a two-goal game. … Deur also had a hand in two of SMU's other four goals, giving him his first collegiate four-point game. … Marx's goal game-winning goal vs. Hamline — his second in as many games — was his team-leading 10th of the season, one more than Thompson, who owns a team-leading 18 points. … Thompson, Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Ill.) and Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) share the team lead in assists with nine each. … The Cardinals boast six players with 10 or more points — Thompson (18), Marx (15), Albergo (15), Gruse (14), Wolter (13) and Nagel (12). … Albergo accounted for all three of the Cardinals' goals against Bethel on Jan. 18 en route to his first collegiate hat trick. … Albergo's hat trick marked the first time since Mike Glaesmer scored four goals at Hamline on Dec 6, 2008 that SMU has boasted a player with three or more goals in a game. … The Cardinals boast five players who have scored their first collegiate goals this season — Albergo, Gruse, Elliott, Wolter and Mezzano. … Phil Heinle (York, Pa.), who recorded 74 saves in the Cardinals' two games against Concordia last weekend — including a career-high 43 saves in last Saturday's 5-2 win — finished with 38 saves vs. Hamline Friday. … Heinle's 43 saves were just three shy of the season- and career-high 46 save effort recorded by fellow goalie Christian Gaffy (Scandia, Minn.) against UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 16. … Heinle enters Saturday's matchup with Concordia leading the team in both goals-against-average (3.30) and save percentage (.907). … Gaffy's 46 saves against UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 16 were the most saves by a Cardinal goalie since Jason Horstman stopped 52 on Feb. 19, 2011. … Gaffy, who leads the team with 329 saves, owns a 3.42 GAA and an .896 save percentage, while Mitch Fernsler (Ballwin, Mo.) has a 4.76 GAA and .846 save percentage. … As a team, the Cardinals posted a season-high 44 shots on goal against Hamline Friday. … The Cardinals' four goals in last Friday's 5-4 OT loss to Concordia marked the second time this season SMU has scored four goals in a loss. SMU also netted four goals in a 6-4 loss against UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 16. … SMU is 4-3-1 when scoring first and 5-11-0 when its opponent nets the game's first goal.

Scouting The Hamline Pipers:
2013-14 Roster | 2013-14 Statistics | 2013-14 Schedule
With their loss to Saint Mary's Friday, the Pipers saw their losing streak climb to a season-high 11 straight. HU's last win was a 5-4 victory over Northland on Jan. 11. … Thirteen of Hamline's 24 games have been decided by two goals or less. … Kevin Novakovich netted two of HU's five goals vs. Saint Mary's, while Andrew Carlson, Cody Mason and Andrew Herbert accounted for the other three. … Novakovich's two goals vs. Saint Mary's push his team-leading total to eight. He also enters Sunday's rematch with SMU leading the team in points with 14. … Joe Rubbelke and Brandon Zurn share the team lead in assists with nine. … The Pipers have three players with 10 or more points this season — Novakovich (15), Zurn (13) and Rubbelke (11). … Chris Williford owns the Pipers top two single-game goal-scoring performances, netting three goals against Northland on Jan. 11, while also recording a two-goal game against Saint John's on Feb. 7. … Hamline recorded team highs in goals (5), assists (9) and points (14) in a 5-4 victory over Northland on Jan. 11. … Hamline has used five different goalies this season, with John Selle-Hanson and Nick Heimer seeing the majority of the work. Selle-Hanson owns a 3.72 goals-against-average and .878 save percentage in 13 games, while Heimer has a 4.14 GAA and .853 save percentage in 12 appearances. … Hamline has been outscored 101-37 this season — including 24-5 in the first period and 42-17 in the second. … The Pipers are 1-5-1 in games in which they score first, but have won just once in the 18 games in which their opponent scores first.