By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team steps out of conference play on Friday, as the Cardinals host UW-Superior in the first game of their two-game nonconference series at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (1-8-3 Overall) vs. UW-Superior Yellowjackets (3-7-2 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video | GameDay Program
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—November 30-1, 2018 * St. Cloud, Minn.: Saint Mary's took five of a possible six conference points against Saint John's at the National Hockey Center last weekend. On Friday, Jack Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) scored with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to earn the Cardinals a 3-3 overtime tie with Saint John's, while brother Tommy Stang scored the only shootout goal to help the Cardinals earn the extra conference point. Ryan Stoynich (Calgary, Alberta) scored 29 seconds into overtime, lifting Saint Mary's to a 4-3 win in the teams' rematch the following afternoon | SJU Recap 1 * SJU Recap 2
• UW-Superior—November 30-1 * Superior, Wis.: The Yellowjackets went 0-1-1 in its two WIAC games last weekend at Wessman Arena. UW-Superior battled UW-Stout to a 1-1 tie last Friday — scoring the game-tying goal midway through the third period — but the Blue Devils came up empty in Saturday's conference showdown against No. 1-ranked UW-Stevens Point, falling to the Pointers 4-0 | Stout Recap * Stevens Point Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. UW-Superior — Their Last Meeting:
• January 5, 2018 * Superior, Wis.: 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 | Recap
 
Up Next:
• The Cardinals and Yellowjackets return to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Saturday for the second game of their two-game nonconference series. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018 Roster | 2018 Schedule | 2018 Statistics
• After playing 10 of their first 12 games on the road, Friday's game against UW-Superior is the first of six straight home games for the Cardinals. … With their 3-3 tie and 4-3 win over Saint John's last weekend, the Cardinals have played three consecutive overtime games. … Thanks to their 3-3 tie and 4-3 win over Saint John's, 11 of the Cardinals' first 12 games this season have been decided by two goals or less — including eight decided by one goal or less and six that have gone into overtime. … Last Saturday's 4-3 overtime win over Saint John's put an end to the Cardinals' season-opening 11-game winless streak (0-8-3). … The Cardinals equaled their season high with their four-goal effort against Saint John's last Saturday. Saint Mary's also scored four goals in a 4-4 tie against Lake Forest on Nov. 24 — a tie that snapped the Cardinals' four-game losing streak. … Saint Mary's has now scored 11 goals in its last three games. … Jack Hatton (Naperville, Ill.) picked up a goal in both games against Saint John's last weekend. Alex DiBacco (Darien, Ill.) and Jack Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) netted Saint Mary's other two goals against the Johnnies last Friday, while Seth Kamrass (Peachtree Grove, Ga.), Tyson Liverance (Burford, Ontario), and Ryan Stoynich (Calgary, Alberta) scored SMU's other three goals in the rematch the following afternoon. … Liverance's goal last Saturday was his team-leading fifth of the season. Hatton, DiBacco, and Tommy Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) are all second to Liverance with four goals each. … Dylan Robertson (Alpharetta, Ga.) picked up a pair of assists last Saturday to push his team-leading total to seven. … Along with his team-leading five goals, Liverance also leads the Cardinal in points with nine, one more than Tommy Stang and two in front of Robertson. … Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo.) collected his first collegiate two-goal game with a pair of tallies 25 seconds apart in Saint Mary's  4-4 tie against Lake Forest on Nov. 24. … Saint Mary's boasts a pair of players who put together three-game goal-scoring streaks this season. DiBacco had his three-game run snapped against Augsburg Nov. 16, while Liverance had his three-game streak ended against No. 10 UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 10. … Liverance had a hand in all three goals — scoring once and assisting on the other two — in Saint Mary's 5-3 loss to St. Thomas on Nov. 3. … All three of the Cardinals' goals in their 3-3 tie against St. Thomas on Nov. 2 were scored by freshmen. Liverance picked up his first two collegiate goals, while Hatton scored the other. … Liverance and Hatton were at it again in the rematch with the Tommies on Nov. 3, as Liverance netted his third goal of the season and Hatton added his second in a Cardinal uniform. … Stoynich and Owen Sikich (Wolfeboro, N.H.) have also scored their first collegiate goals this season. Stoynich netted his first goal in a Cardinal uniform against Augsburg on Nov. 16, while Sikich found the back of the net against Concordia on Oct. 27. … Saint Mary's has netted eight power-play goals this season, with Liverance, Hatton, DiBacco, and Tommy Stang all scoring two each. … Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.) finished with 30 saves against Saint John's last Friday — it was the fourth time that Nast has made 30 or more saves in a game this season. … Nast — who collected his first collegiate assist against Gustavus on Oct. 26 — heads into Saint Mary's nonconference series against UW-Superior with a 2.81 goals-against-average and a .905 save percentage. … Al Rogers (North Haven, Conn.) — who finished with a season- and career-high 43 saves against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 10 — boasts a 3.61 GAA and .897 save percentage. … Saint Mary's has scored 11 of its 27 goals in the third period. The Cardinals have found the back of the net seven times in the first period and eight times in the second. On the flip side, the Cardinals have surrendered 39 goals through 12 games — including 14 in the second period and 15 in the third stanza. … The Cardinals have scored first in seven of their 12 games, going 1-4-2 in those six contests. Saint Mary's is 0-4-1 when its opponent nets the game's first goal. … Six of Saint Mary's first 10 opponents were nationally ranked — including a 3-2 loss to No. 1 UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 9. Two of SMU's other four opponents — Concordia and Gustavus — both qualified for the MIAC Playoffs a year ago.
 
Scouting The UW-Superior Yellowjackets:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Statistics | 2018-19 Schedule
• The Yellowjackets head into this weekend's two-game nonconference series against Saint Mary's having already played four games against teams from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference — dropping decisions to Augsburg (3-1), Concordia (5-2), Gustavus (5-3), and St. Olaf (3-2). … After going 1-5-1 in their first seven contests, the Yellowjackets are 2-1-1 in their last four. … UW-Superior snapped its season-high five-game losing streak with an 8-1 win over Finlandia on Nov. 17. … Pavel Mikhasenok scored UW-Superior's only goal last weekend — netting the game-tying goal at 9:18 of the third period in last Friday's 1-1 tie vs. UW-Stout. … Troy York and Andrew Durham head into Friday's opening game of the Yellowjackets' two-game series against Saint Mary's sharing the team lead with eight goals each. … Troy MacTavish is the team's assist leader with seven, one more than York and Artur Terchiyev, while York boasts a team-best 14 points. … York is one of three Yellowjackets with 10 or more points through the season's first 12 games — Durham (10) and Chad Lopez (10) are the other two. … York has netted two of the Yellowjackets' three game-winning goals, while Jordan Martin owns the other. … UW-Superior has scored 11 power-play goals this season, led by York with six. … UW-Superior has used three different goalies this season, led by A.J. Smith, who has compiled a 2.71 goals-against-average and .900 save percentage in eight starts. Cole Skinner owns a 3.62 GAA and .831 save percentage in three starts, and Oscar Svensson carries a 3.94 GAA and .800 save percentage in two appearances, including one start … Smith leads the team with 197 saves. … UW-Superior has outscored its opponents 14-10 in the second period, but the Yellowjackets have been outscored 12-8 in the first period and 16-12 in the third. … The Yellowjackets have scored four or more goals in each of their three wins — including a season-high eight goals in routing Finlandia 8-1 on Nov. 17. On the flip side, UW-Superior has been held to two goals or less in five of its seven losses. … UW-Superior has played three overtime games this season — falling to St. Olaf 3-2, while tying Lake Forest (3-3) and UW-Stout (1-1). … The Yellowjackets have scored first in five of their 12 games, going 3-2-0. UW-Superior is winless (0-5-2) when its opponent scores first. …