WINONA, Minn. — The second game of the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team's conference series against Augsburg had a familiar feel to it after 20 minutes.
 
In reverse.
 
After the Cardinals erupted for three goals in the game's opening 20 minutes of Friday's 5-0 MIAC win, it was the Auggies turn to grab control earn in Saturday's rematch, as Augsburg scored a pair of goals in the game's opening six minutes to jump out to a 2-0 advantage..
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it wasn't the two first-period goals that did them in, but rather the two second-period—and one third-period—tallies, as Augsburg held off Saint Mary's 5-4 at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena to earn a split in the teams' two-game conference series.
 
"The first period hurt us tonight," said Saint Mary's coach Bill Moore. "We did not come out with the jump that we did Friday night—and Augsburg did.
 
"I thought we played better in the second in third, we just couldn't get over the hump."
 
After failing to find a way to put a puck past Cardinal goalie Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) Friday—peppering the Cardinals netminder with 34 shots—the Auggies struck quickly Saturday, as George Jackson flipped a puck up and over Heinle's shoulder to give Augsburg a 1-0 lead at 2:19.
 
Less than three minutes later, it was Mack Ohnsted's turn, blistering a wrist shot into the lower right corner to give Augsburg a 2-0 cushion after the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Cardinals owned the early part of the second period, getting back-to-back goals from Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.) and Johnny Morales (Torrance, Calif.) in the first 4:16 of the middle period, only to have Augsburg regain its two-goal lead with a pair of unanswered goals 1:05 apart midway through the period.
 
Saint Mary's would once again cut into the Augsburg lead before the second period ended, as Mike Mezzano (Woodbury, Minn.) rifled a slap shot that beat Auggie goalie Frederik Melander to make it a one-goal game heading into the final 20 minutes.
 
Augsburg regain its two-goal lead for the third time, 5-3, on Ohnsted's second of the game at 12:43 of the third period. Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) inched the Cardinals back within one with his team-leading 16th goal of the season less than two minutes later, but that would be as close as the Cardinals would get.
 
Heinle finished with 15 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Melander kicked out 25 Saint Mary's shots.
 
The Cardinals (6-4-2 MIAC, 11-8-2 overall) are right back on their home ice next weekend, as Saint Mary's hosts Concordia in a pair of conference games at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. Friday's game is scheduled for 7 p.m., with Saturday's rematch set to begin at 2 p.m.