NORTHFIELD, Minn. — It's been a long time since the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team has won a game at the Northfield Arena.
 
A very long time.
 
Eight years, to be exact.
 
But thanks to three goals from Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.)—including back-to-back goals in the game's final 40 seconds—that trend changed on Saturday, as the Cardinals completed a two-game Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of St. Olaf with a 5-3 victory.
 
"That was a big win for us," said Saint Mary's coach Bill Moore, whose team's last win in Northfield came on Feb. 17, 2006, when the Cardinals beat the Oles 3-2. "I thought we played very well—and overcame some huge adversity when St. Olaf scored those three third-period goals.
 
"I couldn't be prouder of the guys," Moore added. "We knew coming in how tough it was to play here—and they just went out and got the job done."
 
Jed McGlasson (Kenai, Alaska) got the Cardinals on the board with eight minutes left in the opening period, as the senior netted his 10th goal of the season to give Saint Mary's a 1-0 lead after the game's opening 20 minutes.
 
But the Cardinals' offense was just getting warmed up.
 
Cesarz and Taylor Portner (Andover, Minn.) would each find the net in the second period, as the Cardinals pushed their lead to 3-0 heading into the game's final 20 minutes.
 
Three straight third-period Ole goals, however, swung the momentum in St. Olaf's favor, as the team's headed into the game's final minute deadlocked at 3-3.
 
Enter Cesarz.
 
The Cardinal freshman gave Saint Mary's a 4-3 lead with a power play goal with 40 seconds remaining, then added an empty net goal for his first collegiate hat trick seconds later to ice the win.
 
Phil Heinle (York, Pa.)—who stopped 31 St. Olaf shots in recording his second collegiate shutout on Friday—finished with a second straight 31-save effort on Saturday, while St. Olaf goalie Steve Papciak also recorded 31 saves in goal for the Oles.
 
The Cardinals (5-2-1 MIAC, 10-7-2 overall) are back on the road next Friday, traveling to Ed Saugestad Rink in Minneapolis, Minn., for the first game of their two-game conference series against Augsburg. Saint Mary's will host the Auggies in the teams' rematch at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.