ST. PETER, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team's season-high five-game winning streak came to a screeching—and heartbreaking—halt on Saturday, as Gustavus scored the game-winning goal with nine seconds remaining in overtime to hand the Cardinals a 2-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback.
 
"That's a tough way to lose," said Saint Mary's coach Bill Moore. "I thought we played well, we put ourselves in position to win—against a tough team, on the road—and that's all I can ask for.
 
"Unfortunately, we just weren't able to get the clutch goal when we needed it."
 
The Cardinals broke a scoreless deadlock with 35 seconds remaining in the opening period, as Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Ill.) scored his first goal of the season—off assists from Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) and Kelvin Walz (Woodbury, Minn.)—to give Saint Mary's a 1-0 advantage after 20 minutes.
 
Gustavus finally solved Saint Mary's goalie Phil Heinle (York, Pa.)—who stopped 32 Gustie shots in recording his first collegiate shutout in Friday's 3-0 Cardinal win—as Jack Walsh netted the game's equalizer eight minutes into the second period.
 
The score would remain deadlocked at 1-1 through the final 12 minutes of the second period and the entire 20-minute third period, forcing the five-minute overtime—the Cardinals' fourth OT contest of the season, and the eighth overtime appearance for the Gusties.
 
And it appeared as if the Cardinals would be headed to their third conference shootout only to have GAC's Conor Deal pick up a loose puck in front of the Saint Mary's net and beat Heinle with the game-winner with just nine seconds remaining in the extra session.
 
Heinle finished with a season-high 43 saves for the Cardinals—including 18 in the second period, when the Cardinals were outscored 18-7. John McClean, meanwhile, recorded 26 saves between the pipes for the Gusties.
 
The Cardinals (3-3-2 MIAC, 8-7-2 overall) are back on their home ice on Friday, hosting St. Olaf in the first game of the teams' two-game MIAC series, a 7 p.m. showdown at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. St. Olaf will turn around and host Saint Mary's in Saturday's rematch at 7:30 p.m. in Northfield, Minn.