By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's soccer team kicks off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, and the Cardinals were looking to use Thursday's matchup against North Central as an opportunity to make sure they were clicking on all cylinders.
 
They are — and then some.
 
Saint Mary's erupted for nine goals — including five in the first eight minutes of the second half — as the Cardinals rolled to a 9-0 nonconference win over the Rams. The Cardinals' nine-goal outburst is their highest offensive showing since scoring 11 times in an 11-1 win over Presentation during the 2013 season.
 
Johnluke Nahorski (Minnetonka, Minn.) got the Cardinals off and running with a goal at 4:59 of the first half, and by the time the half ended, that lead had ballooned to 3-0 — thanks to goals by Josh Balsiger (Camas, Wash.) and Eli Szymanski (La Crosse, Wis.).
 
The halftime break did nothing to slow down the Cardinals offense — not by a long shot.
 
Saint Mary's erupted for five goals in the first eight minutes — two by Garrett Jackson (West Linn, Ore.), single tallies by Armin Jesnac (Brooklyn Center, Minn.) and Jacob Clements (Holmen, Wis.), not to mention a North Central own goal — to push the lead to 8-0.
 
Clements would add his second of the afternoon in the 68th minute to round of the scoring — and join Jackson in recording his first collegiate two-goal game.
 
Saint Mary's held a 25-1 advantage in shot attempts, including a 15-1 cushion in shots on goal. Michael Maniak (Wisconsin Dells, Wis.) and Connor Petrich (Arden Hills, Minn.) combined on the shutout in goal for Saint Mary's, with Maniak stopping the Rams' lone shot on goal in the first half. Isaac Mugisha made six saves in goal for North Central.
 
The Cardinals (3-2 overall) is back in action on Saturday, heading to St. Peter, Minn., where they will square off with Gustavus in a 1 p.m. conference matchup.