MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team kicks off the 2017 portion of its schedule on Friday, as the Cardinals head to the St. Thomas Ice Arena for a 7:30 p.m. Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against St. Thomas.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (4-2-0 MIAC, 7-4-2 Overall) at St. Thomas Tommies (5-0-1 MIAC, 6-3-3 Overall)
 
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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—December 10-11, 2016 * Geneva, Ill.: The Cardinals collected a pair of nonconference wins over Aurora—getting goals from seven different players in a 7-2 win on Dec. 10, while Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) and Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Ill.) each scored twice to pace Saint Mary's 5-0 victory a day later | Aurora Recap 1 * Aurora Recap 2
• St. Thomas—December 10, 2016 * Ashwaubenon, Wis.: The Tommies suffered their first road loss of the season, falling to third-ranked St. Norbert 4-2 at the Cornerstone Community Center | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Thomas—Earlier This Year:
• October 28, 2016 * Blaine, Minn.: Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.) scored with 25 seconds remaining regulation to earn Saint Mary's a 3-3 nonconference tie against the Tommies during the opening day of the MIAC Men's Hockey Showcase at Schwan's Super Rink | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Thomas—A Year Ago:
• January 8, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: For the first time since Dec. 11, 2004—a span of 22 games—Saint Mary's left the ice with a regulation victory over St. Thomas. The Cardinals got a pair of goals from Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.), the game-winner off the stick of Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Wis.) with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, and a 45-save effort from Jake Hebda (Firestone, Colo.) in handing the league-leading Tommies a 4-3 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
• January 9, 2016 * Mendota Heights, Minn.: St. Thomas scored four unanswered goals—and six of the game's final seven—as the Tommies handed the Cardinals a 6-2 setback at the St. Thomas Ice Arena in the second game of the teams' two-game conference series | Recap
 
Up Next:
• The Cardinals and Tommies return to the ice on Saturday, as Saint Mary's hosts UST in the second game of the teams' two-game MIAC series at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Friday's game against St. Thomas is the Cardinals' third straight road game—Saint Mary's owns a 4-2-1 record away from the Saint Mary's Ice Arena this season. … The Cardinals, who had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 5-2 loss to Milwaukee School of Engineering on Nov. 22, snapped a season-high three-game losing streak with their 7-2 win over Aurora on Dec. 10. … Saint Mary's loss to Concordia on Dec. 2 snapped their conference-opening four-game winning streak. The Cardinals' four straight wins to open the conference was the first time since the 1997-98 season that Saint Mary's has opened MIAC play 4-0-0. … Six of the Cardinals' 13 games have been decided by one goal or less. … The Cardinals' seven goals in their 7-2 win over Aurora on Dec. 10 came from seven different players—Andrew Cummings (Anchorage, Alaska), Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.), Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.), Taylor Portner (Andover, Minn.), Nick Albergo (Elmhurst, Ill.), Landon Farrell (Rochester, Minn.), and Jay Heinle (York, Pa). … In the teams' rematch on Dec. 11, Heinle and Albergo each scored twice and Kinne once in the 5-0 Saint Mary's win. … Kelvin Walz (Woodbury, Minn.) picked up assists on three of the Cardinals' five goals in their Dec. 11 win over Aurora—it was his first career three-assist game. … Walz became the third Cardinal to record a three-assist game this season, joining Albergo and Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.), who each picked up assists on three of Saint Mary's five goals vs. UW-River Falls on Nov. 5. It was the fourth time in his collegiate career Gruse has had a three-assist night, while Albergo's was his first. … With his goals against Aurora, Heinle has now scored five times in the Cardinals' last five games, while Albergo and Kinne have scored in back-to-back contests. … With his three goals against Aurora on Dec. 10-11, Heinle moved into the team lead with eight goals, one more than Kinne. … Kinne is the team's points leader with 12 (7 G, 5 A), one more than Albergo (3 G, 8 A) and Walz (3 G, 8 A). … Albergo and Walz share the team lead in assists with eight each, one better than Gruse. … Kinne has recorded at least one point in nine of the team's 13 games—including goals in seven of those 13 contests. … Saint Mary's 43 goals have come from 14 different players—including collegiate firsts from Cummings, Dylan Robertson (Darien, Ill.), Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo.), Alex DiBacco (Darien, Ill.) and Joey Mavrin (Lockport, Ill.). … Twenty different players have accounted for Saint Mary's 60 assists. … Jared Johnson (Hartland, Wis.) scored on a first-period penalty shot against MSOE on Nov. 22—it was the Cardinals' first since Jesse Polk scored on a penalty shot during the 2007-08 season. … Saint Mary's boasts four players who have recorded multiple-goal games this season—led by Heinle, who has achieved the feat twice. Walz, Albergo, and Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.) are the other three. … Albergo and Heinle own five career-multiple-goal games, while Cesarz has four. Walz's two-goal effort against UW-River Falls on Nov. 5 was the first multiple-goal game of his career. … Five of Saint Mary's 12 goals against Aurora on Dec. 10-11 came on the power play—including four of the Cardinals' five goals in their 5-0 victory on Dec. 11. … Jake Hebda (Firestone, Colo.)—making his first start of the season—stopped all 12 shots he face against Aurora on Dec. 11 in recording his first collegiate shutout. … Aaron Davis (Mound, Minn.) stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced against Aurora on Dec. 10 in posting his second win of the season in goal for the Cardinals. … Phil Heinle (York, Pa.), who made 48 saves in the Cardinals' two games against Concordia on Dec. 2-3, stopped all 25 shots he faced against St. Olaf on Nov. 19 for his first shutout of the season—and fourth of his career. … Heinle stopped a season-high 38 shots against Bethel on Nov. 12. … Davis finished with 28 saves against UW-River Falls on Nov. 5 en route to his first win in a Cardinal uniform. … Heinle heads into Friday's conference game against St. Thomas owning a 2.46 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage in eight starts. Davis, meanwhile, boasts a 2.98 GAA and .886 save percentage in four starts. … The Cardinals have scored first in nine of their 13 games this season—including all seven of their wins. … Saint Mary's has outscored its opponents 17-9 in the first period, and 13-9 in the third, but have been outscored 14-13 in the second. … Three of the Cardinals' 11 games this season have gone into overtime—Saint Mary's opened the year with a 3-3 tie against St. Thomas and a 3-2 OT loss to Concordia, before battling UW-Eau Claire to a 3-3 deadlock on Nov. 4. … With their 3-3 tie against No. 8 UW-Eau Claire, Saint Mary's is now 0-2-4 in their last six overtime games. The Cardinals' last OT win was a 4-3, double-overtime victory over Concordia in the 2015 MIAC Playoffs. … The Cardinals' 3-3 tie against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 4 marked the second straight meeting between the two teams that has ended in a 3-3 deadlock.
 
Scouting The St. Thomas Tommies:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• St. Thomas heads into its weekend series against Saint Mary's ranked No. 15 in the latest USCHO.com Poll. … The Tommies' 4-2 loss to top-ranked St. Norbert snapped their seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2). … St. Thomas heads into Friday's game against Saint Mary's a perfect 4-0-0 on its home ice—the Tommies are 2-3-3 away from the St. Thomas Ice Arena this season. … UST has been held to two goals or less in all three of its losses, while scoring three goals or more in all six of its victories. … St. Thomas scored a season-high six goals in its 6-4 win over Hamline on Dec. 3—the Tommies also own a pair of five-goal games, beating both Gustavus and Bethel by 5-2 counts. … Johnny Roisum and Charlie Donlin accounted for St. Thomas' two goals in its 4-2 loss to St. Norbert on Dec. 10. … Michael Dockry enters this weekend's two-game series against Saint Mary's as the team-leader in all three offensive categories—goals (5), assists (7), and points (12). … Roisum, Brett Gravelle, and Cullen Wilcox are all second to Dockry with five goals each, while Thomas Williams is second in assists (6). … Donlin and Williams share the team lead with two game-winning goals each. … St. Thomas has scored five special teams goals—three power play and two shorthanded. … The Tommies have used three different goalies through their first 12 games. Benjamin Myers has made a team-high eight appearances, compiling a 2.33 goals-against-average and .929 save percentage, while Devon Tappenden (2.80 GAA, .880 save percentage) has played in three games, and Andrew Rohkol (1.05 GAA, .962 save percentage) has made two appearances. … St. Thomas has outscored its opponents 12-9 in the first period and 17-7 in the second, but have been outscored 11-6 in the game's final 20 minutes. … St. Thomas has scored first in eight of its 12 games, going 5-1-2. UST is 1-2-1 when its opponent nets the game's first goal. … St. Thomas has played three overtime games this season, with all three ending in ties—3-3 vs. Saint Mary's, 1-1 vs. Bethel and 3-3 vs. Adrian. …