MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, as the Cardinals travels to St. Thomas Arena for a 7 p.m. rematch against St. Thomas.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-0-0 MIAC, 2-1-0 Overall) at St. Thomas Tommies (0-1-0 MIAC, 1-2-0 Overall)
 
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Last Night:
• November 3, 2017 * Winona, Minn.: Saint Mary's got a pair of goals from Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) as the Cardinals kicked off conference play with a 4-1 win over the Tommies at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. St. Thomas—A Year Ago:
• October 28, 2016 * Blaine, Minn.: Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.) scored with 25 seconds remaining in 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
• January 6, 2017 * Mendota Heights, Minn.: Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.) scored with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to pull Saint Mary's even with the Tommies, 5-5—and send the game into overtime. Unfortunately, the overtime period would last just 32 seconds, as St. Thomas' Johnny Roisum rifled a shot past Saint Mary's goalie Phil Heinle (York, Pa.) to live the league-leading and nationally ranked Tommies to a 6-5 victory at the St. Thomas Ice Arena | Recap
• January 7, 2017 * Winona, Minn.: Bob Kinne (St. Paul, Minn.)—who scored with 26 seconds left to lift the Cardinals to a 3-3 tie against the Tommies at the season-opening MIAC Hockey Showcase, and forced overtime in a heartbreaking 6-5 loss to the Tommies the previous event—was at it again in the rematch. The senior assisted on the Cardinals' first goal of the evening, then scored what proved to be the game-winner midway through the second period in lifting the Cardinals to a 2-1 victory and a split in their two-game MIAC series | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals return home next weekend for a pair of nonconference games at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. Saint Mary's entertains UW-Stevens Point on Friday at 7 p.m., before hosting UW-Eau Claire in another 7 p.m. contest the following day.
• St. Thomas: The Tommies step out of conference play next weekend, hosting UW-Eau Claire on Friday at 7 p.m., while hosting UW-Stevens Point in a 7 p.m. contest the following day.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Schedule | 2017-18 Statistics
• Saturday's game at St. Thomas is one of just two road games in the next 10 contests for the Cardinals, who went 6-2-2 at home last season. … Saint Mary's limited both of its first two opponents to just one goal—falling to Saint John's 1-0 and beating Bethel 3-1. … The Cardinals' 1-0 loss to Saint John's marked the first time in the last 12 games that Saint Mary's has failed to win when holding its opponent to two goals or less. … With their 1-0 loss to Saint John's and 3-1 win over Bethel last weekend at the MIAC Showcase, nine of the Cardinals' last 10 games have been decided by two goals or less. … Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) scored a pair of goals against the Tommies Friday and now owns three on the season—including goals in each of the Cardinals' last two games. … Jude Warner (Pickerington, Ohio) and Jack Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) netted Saint Mary's other two goals vs. the Tommies. … Stang's third-period empty net goal was the first of his collegiate career. … Stang is the second Cardinal to score his first goal of his collegiate career this season—Ben Owen (Allen, Texas) scored in Saint Mary's 3-1 win over Bethel last Saturday. … Aaron Davis (Mound, Minn.)—who stopped 51 of the 53 shots he faced in the Cardinals' two MIAC Hockey Showcase games last weekend—finished with 25 saves against the Tommies and has now allowed just one goal in each of his three starts. … Davis picked up his first collegiate shutout, making 31 saves in a 2-0 win over Gustavus on Feb. 4, 2017, while stopping 28 shots en route to his first win as a Cardinal on Nov. 5, 2016. … The Cardinals made their second MIAC Playoff appearance in the last three seasons a year ago, falling to eventual playoff champion Augsburg 5-4 in overtime in the semifinals. Saint Mary's reached the MIAC Playoff championship game in 2015, falling to Hamline 4-2. …
 
Scouting The St. Thomas Tommies:
2017-18 Roster | 2017-18 Statistics | 2017-18 Schedule
• Friday's game against Saint Mary's was the third straight road game for the Tommies, who play their next three games on their home ice—beginning Saturday with the rematch against Saint Mary's. UST went 10-3-0 on its home ice a year ago, while finishing 4-5-5 away from the St. Thomas Ice Arena. … Tanner Barnes scored the Tommies' lone goal against Saint Mary's Friday night. … Brett Gravelle scored a goal in both of the Tommies' MIAC Hockey Showcase games last weekend, while also adding a pair of assists in UST's 3-2 win over Hamline. … Johnny Panvica collected an assist on all three of the Tommies' goal in last Sunday's 3-2 win Hamline. … John Peterson and Jack Christensen have accounted for St. Thomas' other two goals this season—Christensen netting UST's lone goal in a season-opening 3-1 loss to St. Olaf, while Peterson tallied his in the 3-2 victory over Hamline the following day. … Benjamin Myers, an AHCA All-American a year ago, finished with 23 saves against the Cardinals Friday. … Myers stopped 36 of the 40 shots he faced in last weekend's MIAC Showcase. … The Tommies opened the season ranked No. 15 in the USCHO Preseason Poll, but dropped out after going 1-1 in their two MIAC Showcase games. … St. Thomas went 14-8-5 and won the regular-season MIAC championship for the fifth time in six seasons. The Tommies lost 3-2 to Augsburg in the conference playoff title game. … St. Thomas has placed first or second in the MIAC 51 times, including 31 of the last 34 years—and owns 35 consecutive winning seasons. …