By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
SUPERIOR, Wis. — After surrendering the game's first goal in each of their last five games—and managing just one win in the 10 games in which their opponent scored first—the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team knew the importance of scoring first Friday evening.
 
And score first they did.
 
Unfortunately, UW-Superior rattled off three unanswered goals—and scored six of the game's final eight goals—in dealing the Cardinals a 6-3 nonconference setback at Wessman Arena.
 
Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) got the Cardinals off to their quick start, moving into a tie for the team lead with his fourth goal of the season just 6:43 into the opening period. Heinle took a feed from Ben Owen (Allen, Texas) and rifled a shot over the shoulder of UW-Superior goalie Kyle Miller for a 1-0 Saint Mary's lead.
 
The Yellowjackets netted the equalizer late—very late—in the opening frame, as Daniel Litchke lifted a backhander past Cardinal goalie Aaron Davis (Mound, Minn.) with just 32 seconds remaining.
 
UW-Superior took its first lead of the game, scoring 3:36 into the second period on a goal by Colton Nelson, his first of the season, and pushed that advantage to 3-1 eight minutes later, when Andrew Durham beat Davis for his second goal of the year.
 
The Cardinals cut the deficit to one twice in the game's final 20 minutes, but could not net the equalizer.
 
Chad Cesarz (Jackson, Mich.) made it a one-goal game just 38 seconds into the third period, as the Cardinal senior took a feed from Heinle and beat Miller with a shorthanded tally to pull the Cardinals within 3-2.
 
The Yellowjackets did not waste any time regaining their two-goal advantage, getting a goal from Buno Birzitis less than three minutes after Cesarz's goal to make it a 4-2 UW-Superior advantage.
 
Michael Cimba (Wilmette, Ill.) found the back of the net at 11:50—off assists from Seth Kamrass (Peachtree Corners, Ga.) and Tommy Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.)—to once again make it a one-goal game, 4-3.
 
Birzitis, however, gave the Yellowjackets some breathing room with less than six minutes remaining in regulation, banging home a rebound—after Davis had stoned Ian Eklund on the doorstep—to push the UW-Superior lead back to two, 5-3.
 
Durham rounded out the scoring for UW-Superior, netting his second of the game—an empty-net tally—with 14 seconds remaining to ice the Yellowjacket victory.
 
Davis finished with 21 saves for the Cardinals, while Miller stopped 23 of Saint Mary's 26 shots between the pipes for the Yellowjackets
 
The Cardinals (3-9-2 overall) return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play next weekend, heading to the Moorhead Sports Center in Moorhead, Minn., for a pair of games against Concordia. Saint Mary's and CC will play at 7 p.m. Friday evening, with the rematch on Saturday slated for a 2 p.m. start.