ST. PAUL, Minn. — What a difference a day makes.
 
Just 24 hours after equaling their season-high with four goals — including three in the opening period — in Friday's 4-2 win over Hamline, the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team was held to just 22 shots on goal and one tally with 34 seconds remaining in regulation in falling to the Pipers 2-1 in Saturday's rematch.
 
Things didn't start the same way for the Cardinals as they did in Friday's first game of the teams' two-game series — when the Cardinals erupted for three, first-period goals.
 
In fact, it took more than 29 minutes for the game's first goal to be scored, and when it was, it came off the stick of Hamline's Brenden Sheehan, who netted a power-play tally — just Hamline's second power-play goal in 47 tries this season — at 9:29 of the middle period to give Hamline the 1-0 lead.
 
Hamline extended its lead to 2-0 less than five minutes after Sheehan's tally, getting an even-strength goal from Jackson Bond with 5:56 to play in the middle period.
 
The Cardinals would finally break through on a goal by Brady Lindauer (Cary, Ill.) in the third period, but with just 34 seconds remaining in regulation, the Saint Mary's did not have enough time to net the equalizer.
 
Connor Close (Des Moines, Iowa) — who picked up the win in goal in Friday's 4-2 win — finished with a season-high 32 saves, while Hamline goalie Kevin Lake made 21 saves between the pipes for Hamline.
 
The Cardinals (4-4-0 MIAC, 6-10-1 overall) are back in conference play next weekend with a pair of contests against Gustavus. SMU and GAC square off at Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn., at 7 p.m. on Friday, before the two teams head to the SMU Ice Arena for Saturday's 7 p.m. rematch.
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