By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — After scoring 29 goals in their previous eight games, the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team entered Friday's showdown against Gustavus looking to keep its offense in high gear.
 
The Gusties, however, limited that high-powered Saint Mary's offense to just two goals.
 
But with Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.) between the pipes, two goals were more than enough for the Cardinals.
 
Nast stopped all 28 shots he faced in recording his first collegiate shutout — and Jack Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and Owen Sikich (Wolfeboro, N.H.) scored for the Cardinals — as Saint Mary's posted a 2-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over the Gusties at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
After a scoreless first period — thanks in large part to the play of Nast, who stopped all 11 Gustavus shots — Saint Mary's broke the ice 2:38 into the middle frame, as Jack Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) scored a power-play goal, off assists from Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo.) and Ryan Stoynich (Calgary, Alberta).
 
The goal was Stang's fourth of the season and gave the Cardinal junior seven points in his last five games (3 G, 4 A).
 
Saint Mary's would cling to that one-goal advantage until late in the third period, when Sikich scored into an empty net for the Cardinals' second goal of the game.
 
The Cardinals held a 32-28 advantage in shots on goal — including outscoring Gustavus 15-9 in the second period and 12-8 in the third.
 
The Cardinals (3-4-2, 4-11-3) and Gusties return to the ice on Saturday, heading to Don Roberts Ice Rink in St. Peter, Minn., for the 7:05 p.m. conference rematch.