By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — After being eliminated from post-season play by Saint John's on Friday, the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team was looking for a little payback in the teams' rematch.
 
After all, the Johnnies entered Saturday's regular-season finale needing a win against the Cardinals to lock up the MIAC regular-season title.
 
Unfortunately, the role of spoiler didn't quite work out the way the Cardinals had hoped, as Saint John's erupted for six goals over the final two periods in dealing Saint Mary's a 6-5, season-ending loss.
 
The Cardinals appeared to be in complete control early, getting first-period goals from Seth Kamrass (Peachtree Corners, Ga.) and Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo.) to take a 2-0 lead after the game's opening 20 minutes.
 
Ian Currie (Franklin, Tenn.) pushed the lead to 3-0 at 7:05 of the second period, and, after Travis Brown had cut the advantage to 3-1 at 9:22, Tyson Liverance (Burford, Ontario) netted Saint Mary's fourth goal of the game to make it 4-1 midway through the middle frame.
 
And it appeared as if the Cardinals would cruise to the season-ending win — and deny the Johnnies that regular-season title.
 
Not quite.
 
Saint John's rattled off four unanswered goals — two in the second period and two in the first 5:15 of the third to take a 5-4 lead.
 
The Cardinals got the equalizer on Meeh's second goal of the game with six minutes to play, but once again the Johnnies had the answer, as Auggie Moore — the hero of Friday's 3-1 win — scored the game-winner with 3:47 to play.
 
Saint Mary's ended its first season under coach Ryan Egan with a 9-14-2 record, including a 6-9-1 mark in conference play. Saint John's (9-3-4 MIAC, 12-8-5 overall), meanwhile, will return to action on Saturday, hosting one of the two MIAC Tournament semifinal games at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.