WINONA, Minn.  — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team squares off against Gustavus Friday in the first of two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games between the two teams. Opening face-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (2-2-2 MIAC | 7-6-2 Overall) vs. Gustavus Gusties (2-2-4 MIAC | 5-6-6 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals picked up six conference points last weekend, sweeping Bethel in the teams' MIAC series. Saint Mary's got a pair of goals from Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) in Friday's 5-2 win at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena, then got four goals from Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) in a sweep-clinching 5-2 win the following day at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. | Bethel Recap 1 * Bethel Recap 2
• Gustavus: The Gusties battled Augsburg to an MIAC split last weekend, dropping the first game 5-3 Friday in Minneapolis, Minn., before riding the shutout goaltending of John McLean to a 3-0 victory in the rematch on Saturday in St. Peter, Minn. | Augsburg Recap 1 * Augsburg Recap 2
 
Saint Mary's vs. Gustavus—A Year Ago:
• January 24, 2014: Gustavus scored the game's first four goals—including three in the opening period—en route to a 4-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Cardinals at the Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn. | Recap
• January 25, 2014: For the second game in a row, Gustavus got off to a quick start, scoring two goals in the opening 20 minutes—and the Cardinals could not recover, as Gustavus completed its two-game Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of the Cardinals with a 5-1 victory at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
 
Up Next:
• The Cardinals and Gusties take to the road on Saturday for Game 2 of their two-game conference series—Saint Mary's and Gustavus will square off at 7 p.m. at Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
The Cardinals extended their winning streak to four straight with last weekend's sweep over Bethel. The four straight wins are not only a season high, but the longest winning streak since winning four in a row during the 2007-08 season. The last time the Cardinals won five or more games in a row was late in the 2005-06 season, when they put together a six-game winning streak. … The Cardinals have scored five goals in each of their four games during their current winning streak, including three games in which they won 5-2—Saint Mary's beat St. Scholastica 5-2 on Jan. 9, and swept Bethel 5-2 in both games last weekend. … The Cardinals boasted a multiple-goal scorer in each of their games against Bethel last weekend. Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) scored twice against the Royals last Friday, while Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) scored four of the team's five goals in last Saturday's victory. … Gruse's four-goal effort was the Cardinals' first since Mike Glaesmer netted four against Hamline on Dec. 6, 2008. … Gruse, who also had an assist in Friday's win, has had at least one point in each of Saint Mary's last four games, and has amassed 14 points (9 goals, 5 assists) in the Cardinals last six contests. … McGlasson's two-goal game against Bethel last Friday was his second multiple-goal game of the season—the senior also netted a pair of goals against Concordia on Nov. 2. … Saint Mary's has now recorded three hat tricks in their last four games. Gruse netted three against St. Scholastica and four vs. Bethel, while Taylor Portner (Andover, Minn.) notched his first collegiate three-goal game vs. Northland on Jan. 10. … Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.) had a goal in both games vs. Bethel last weekend and has now scored four goals in the Cardinals' last three games. … Cesarz recorded his first collegiate two-goal game last Saturday against Northland. …  Gruse heads into this weekend's games against Gustavus as the team-leader in goals (14) and points (24)—the most by a Cardinal since the 2007-08 season, when Mike Glaesmer scored 15 goals and Anthony Bohn had 26 assists. … Gruse's 14 goals and 24 points rank No. 1 in the MIAC and No. 4 in all of NCAA Division III. … Bob Marx (Sioux City, Iowa) owns a team-best 11 assists. … Marx has had an assist in nine of the Cardinals' 15 games—including one in three of the team's last four contests. … Gruse (24), McGlasson (16), Marx (15), and Walz (10) give the Cardinals four players with 10 or more points through 14 games. … The Cardinals' 11 goals in their 11-2 rout of Aurora on Dec. 6 were a season high—and the most scored in a game since Saint Mary's netted 14 in a 14-3 rout of Concordia during the 2007-08 season. … Saint Mary's 11 goals vs. Aurora on Dec. 6 came from eight different players. … The Cardinals boast 10 players who have netted their first collegiate goals this season—Walz, Cesarz, Portner, Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.), Michael Cimba (Wilmette, Ill.), Kyle Blondin (Kent, Wash.), Johnny Morales (Torrance, Calif.), Joey VanAntwerp (Farmington Hills, Mich.), Kellen Wasell (Edmonds, Wash.), and Jude Warner (Pickerington, Ohio). … Saint Mary's 54 goals have come from 15 different players, while 22 Cardinals have notched at least one point. … Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) made 54 saves in the Cardinals' two wins over Bethel last weekend—23 on Friday and 31 on Saturday. … Heinle, who has made 30 or more saves five times this season, recorded a career-high 51 saves against Saint John's 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 12 of the team's 16 games—enters Friday's game against Gustavus owning a 2.57 goals-against-average and a .919 save percentage, while Christian Gaffy (Scandia, Minn.) boasts a 4.00 GAA and an .852 save percentage … The Cardinals have scored 25 of their 54 goals in the third period. … Two of the Cardinals' six 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 Gruse 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 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. … Seven of Saint Mary's first 12 games this season have been decided by two goals or less. … Saint Mary's 4-0 loss to MSOE on Jan. 5 marked just the second time this season they have failed to net at least one goal—the Cardinals were blanked by Augsburg 2-0 in their season-opener against Augsburg on Oct. 31. … 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 Gustavus Gusties:
2014-15 Roster | 2014-15 Schedule | 2014-15 Statistics
With their 3-0 win over Augsburg last Saturday, the Gusties improved to 3-1-1 in their last five games. … Gustavus enters this weekend's games against Saint Mary's having played seven overtime games this season—going 1-0-6 in those seven contests. … In a stretch of six contests from Nov. 15-Dec. 5, the Gusties played five overtime games—with all five ending in ties. … Four of the Gusties' eight conference games have gone to a shootout, with GAC going 2-2 in those four shootouts. … Conor Deal, Jake Bushey and Blake Schammel netted GAC's three goals in last Friday's 5-3 loss to Augsburg, while Deal, Darren Lapic, and Tyler Lapic accounted for the Gusties' three goals in their 3-0 win in the rematch. … John McClean made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season in Gustavus' 3-0 win over Augsburg last Saturday. … McClean has now recorded shutout in his last two starts at Don Roberts Ice Rink. In his last two home games, McLean has turned away all 65 shots he's faced. …  McClean heads into Friday's showdown with Saint Mary's boasting a 1.78 goals-against-average and a .933 save percentage in five starts. … Fellow goalie Erik Johnson has started 11 contests for the Gusties, compiling a 2.04 goals-against-average and a .900 save percentage. … With his two goals last weekend, Deal now leads the team with eight goals and 15 points. … Deal and Bushey, and Tim Donohue share the team's assist lead with seven each. … Gustavus' 44 goals this season have come from 17 different players, while 21 of the 23 Gusties who have been in the lineup this season have recorded at least one point. … GAC owns 11 special teams goals—nine power play and two shorthanded—while the Gusties' opponents have netted just three power play goals, but have also scored five shorties. … Gustavus have been outscored 15-13 in the first period, while GAC and its opponents have each scored 14 goals in the second period and 16 in the third. … The Gusties are 4-5-2 when scoring the game's first goal, while going just 1-5-3 when their opponent scores first.