By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team kicks off its two-game MIAC series against Bethel on Friday, as the Cardinals play host to the Royals in a 7 p.m. matchup at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-5-2 MIAC, 4-12-3 Overall) vs. Bethel Royals (2-7-2, 2-17-2 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 25-26, 2019 * Winona/St. Peter, Minn.: The Cardinals split their two-game MIAC series against Gustavus last weekend, getting a 28-save shutout from Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.) in a 2-0 Saint Mary's win on Friday at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena, while Gustavus scored twice in the second and third more times in the third in earning a split with a 5-1 win the following evening at Don Roberts Ice Rink | GAC Recap 1 * GAC Recap 2
• Bethel—January 25-26, 2019 * Blaine/St. Paul, Minn.: The Royals split their two-game conference series against Hamline last weekend — with both teams winning on their home ice. Bethel captured a 7-1 win at the Schwan's Super Rink last Friday, with the Pipers claiming a 2-1 win the following evening at TRIA Arena | HU Recap 1 * HU Recap 2
 
Saint Mary's vs. Bethel — A Year Ago:
• October 29, 2017 * Blaine, Minn.: The Cardinals scored three goals over the final two periods in handing the Royals a 3-1 setback during Day 2 of the MIAC Hockey Showcase at the Schwan's Super Rink | Recap
• February 2, 2018 * Blaine, Minn.: Kellen Wasell (Edmonds, Wash.) scored the game-tying goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation, carrying the Cardinals to a 4-4 tie against the Royals in the team's conference matchup at the Schwan's Super Rink | Recap
• February 3, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: Bethel scored the game-tying goal midway through the third period, as the Cardinals and Royals skated to their second straight tie, this one a 3-3 decision at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
 
Up Next:
• The Cardinals and Royals close out their two-game conference series on Saturday, heading to the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., for a 7 p.m. matchup.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Friday's game against Bethel is the seventh home game in the last eight contests for the Cardinals, who opened the season playing 10 of their first 12 games away from the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. … With their split against Gustavus last weekend, the Cardinals moved to 5-4-2 in their last 11 games. … Last Friday's 2-0 win over Gustavus was the first shutout of the season for the Cardinals — and the first since blanking the Gusties 1-0 on Jan. 26, 2018. … Saint Mary's 2-0 victory over the Gusties last Friday marked the 15th time in 19 games this season that the contest was decided by two goals or less. The Cardinals have played in eight one-goal contests and have had six going into overtime. … Jack Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) and Owen Sikich (Wolfeboro, N.H.) scored the Cardinals' two goals against Gustavus last Friday, while Dylan Robertson (Alpharetta, Ga.) accounted for Saint Mary's lone goal in its 5-1 loss to GAC the following evening. … Jack Stang was held off the scoresheet last Saturday, snapping his five-game point streak (3 G, 4 A). … Sikich — whose goal against Gustavus last Friday was the Cardinals' first empty-net goal of the season — had his four-game goal-scoring streak snapped against UW-Stout on Jan. 17. Sikich was the fourth Cardinal to put together a consecutive-game scoring streak of three or more games, joining Jack Hatton (Naperville, Ill.), Alex DiBacco (Darien, Ill.), and Tyson Liverance (Burford, Ontario), who all had three-game streaks this season. … Tommy Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) heads into third weekend's MIAC series against Bethel owning the team in lead in goals with seven — one more than Liverance, Sikich, and Hatton. … Robertson is the team's assist leader with 11, two more than Jack Stang. … Along with his team-high seven goals, Tommy Stang also leads the team in points with 14, followed by Jack Stang (13), Liverance (12), Robertson (12), Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo. / 10) and Ryan Stoynich (Calgary, Alberta / 10). … Meeh 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. … 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. … Saint Mary's boasts five players who have scored their first collegiate goals this season — Liverance, Hatton, Stoynich, Sikich, and Tucker Chapman (Rochester, Minn.). … Saint Mary's has netted 14 power-play goals this season, with Hatton and Tommy Stang leading the way with three each, while Liverance and DiBacco have both scored two. … Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.) recorded his first collegiate shutout against Gustavus last Friday, stopping all 28 shots he faced. Nast followed that up with a second straight 28-save performance in the team's rematch last Saturday. … Nast owns four games of 30 or more saves this season. … Nast — who collected his first collegiate assist against Gustavus on Oct. 26 — heads into this weekend's MIAC series against Bethel with a 2.85 goals-against-average and a .898 save percentage. … Al Rogers (North Haven, Conn.) finished with 37 saves in the Cardinals' 5-3 loss to Concordia on Jan. 11. The 37-save showing against the Cobbers marked the fourth time in six starts that Rogers has stopped 30 or more shots — including a season- and career-high 43 against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 10. … Rogers boasts a 3.15 GAA and .910 save percentage. … Saint Mary's seven-goal outburst in its 7-2 win over Concordia on Jan. 12 was a season-high — and marked the highest single-game goal total since scoring seven against UW-Stout in a 7-4 win on Jan. 19, 2018. … The Cardinals' 5-2 loss to UW-Superior on Dec. 7 snapped their streak of three straight overtime games. … The Cardinals have scored first in 11 of their 19 games, going 4-5-2 in those 11 contests. Saint Mary's is 0-7-1 when its opponent nets the game's first goal. … Saint Mary's is 4-1-0 when leading after two periods, but the Cardinals are still searching for their first win (0-8-3) when trailing heading into the game's final period. … 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.
 
Scouting The Bethel Royals:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Statistics | 2018-19 Schedule
• Friday's game at Saint Mary's is the second of back-to-back road games for the Royals, who are still looking for their first win away from the Schwan's Super Rink this season (0-9-0). … With their 7-1 win over Hamline last Friday, the Royals put an end to an eight-game winless streak (0-7-1). … The Royals' seven goals in last Friday's 7-1 win over Hamline were a season-high — just one goal shy of the eight they scored during their eight-game winless streak. … Bethel's 2-2 tie against St. Thomas on Jan. 18 snapped its six-game losing streak. The Royals put an end to a season-opening nine-game winless streak (0-8-1) with a 5-4 victory over Gustavus on Nov. 30. … Charlie Haugen and Nick Ketola each scored two goals in the Royals' 7-1 win over Hamline last Friday, while Jay Paul, Kade Brannon, and Johan Kling netted the other three goals. Curtis Hansen had BU's lone goal in last Saturday's rematch against Hamline. … Ketola and Michael Piehler head into this weekend's MIAC matchup against Saint Mary's leading the team with six goals, one more than Hansen and two in front of Josiah Roen and Adam Marty. … Roen is the team-leader in both assists (6) and points (9). … Roen and Ketola have scored the team's two game-winning goals this season. … The Royals have scored four power-play goals this season — two by Piehler, and one each from Ketola and Brandon Baker. … The Royals have used four different goaltenders this season, led by Joe Sheppard and Olof Djurberg. Sheppard has compiled a 4.53 goals-against-average and .878 save percentage in nine appearances, while Djurberg owns a 5.00 GAA and .862 save percentage in eight appearances. Ridge Gerads (5 GP, 2.55 GAA, .924 save %) and Aaron Furlano (4 GP, 4.50 GAA, .862 save %) have also seen time between the pipes for the Royals. … Bethel is 2-1-1 when leading after two periods, while going 0-15-1 when trailing heading into the game's final 20 minutes. … BU has scored first seven times this season — including both of the Royals' wins. Bethel is 0-13-1 when its opponent scores first. … The Royals have played five one-goal games and have had three others decided by two goals. … Bethel has played three overtime games, going 0-1-2. BU lost to MSOE 3-2, while tying both Concordia (3-3) and St. Thomas (2-2).