By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn.  — A year ago, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team kicked off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play in impressive fashion, collecting a win and a tie in its two-game series against St. Thomas.
 
Fast-forward to Friday night — and again the Cardinal and Tommies are once again squaring off to kick off conference action.
 
And once again the two teams went to overtime to determine a winner in the first game of their MIAC season.
 
This time, however, it was the Tommies who had the upper hand in the first game of the two-game conference series, scoring early in the 3-on-3 overtime to take the extra conference point in the teams' 3-3 deadlock at the St. Thomas Ice Arena.
 
The Cardinals grabbed the early lead, scoring the lone goal of the opening period on a tally by Tyson Liverance at 15:20 of the opening period.
 
St. Thomas answered with back-to-back goals in the second period to take a 2-1 lead afar two periods.
 
Jack Hatton pulled Saint Mary's even, 2-2 1:26 into the third period and Liverance scored his second of the game 44 seconds later to give Saint Mary's a 3-2 advantage.
 
Elijah Latimer pulled UST even with 46 remaining in regulation and, after a scoreless 5-on-5, five-minute overtime period, Brett Gravelle gave UST the extra MIAC point with his goal early in the second, 3-on-3 overtime period.
 
Nick Nast finished with 33 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Andrew Rohkohl stopped 21 of Saint Mary's 23 save for the Tommies.
 
The Cardinals (0-1-0 MIAC, 0-3-0 overall) and Tommies head to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Saturday for the second game of their two-game conference series. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.