BLAINE, Minn. — It took the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team four periods to get their offense shifted out of neutral—but once they did, they skipped first and second gears and went right to third.
 
The Cardinals, who dropped a 1-0, season-opening decision to Saint John's Saturday evening in their first game of the MIAC Hockey Showcase—and were held off the board in the opening 20 minutes of Sunday's nonconference contest against Bethel—scored three goals over the final two periods in handing the Royals a 3-1 setback at the Schwan's Super Rink.
 
Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) collected the Cardinals' first goal of the 2017-18 season, beating Bethel goalie Joe Sheppard at 6:22 of the second period. Kelvin Walz (Woodbury, Minn.) was credited with the assist.
 
The Royals answered with a goal of their own at 12:39 of the middle frame, but the Cardinals regained the lead—for good—on a goal by Ben Owen (Allen, Texas) off an assist from Alex DiBacco (Darien, Ill.) two minutes later.
 
Saint Mary's added an insurance goal when Kellen Wasell (Edmonds, Wash.) took a feed from Heinle and beat Sheppard midway through the third period.
 
Aaron Davis (Mound, Minn.) stopped 27 of Bethel's 28 shots in recording the win in goal—including all 12 Royal shots in the third period—while Sheppard recorded 31 saves.
 
The Cardinals (1-1-0 overall) kicked off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play next weekend with a pair of games against St. Thomas. The Cardinals will entertain the Tommies in a 7 p.m. matchup at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Friday, before heading to the St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn., for the 7 p.m. rematch a day later.