ST. PAUL, Minn. – After surrendering a combined 11 goals in their season-opening nonconference series against Lake Forest last weekend, the Saint Mary's University men's hockey team held Hamline to just three goals in Friday's conference-opener.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, two of those three goals came in the game's final four minutes — including the eventual game-winner with 1:14 to play in regulation — lifting the Pipers to a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Saint Mary's at TRIA Rink.
 
Things got off to an odd start — much to the delight of the Cardinals — as Hamline was assessed a delay of game penalty on the opening face-off, and, 1:02 into the ensuing power-play, Callahan Nauss (Maple Plain, Minn.) found the back of the net to give Saint Mary's the very early 1-0 advantage.
 
The Pipers would get the equalizer seven minutes later on an even-strength goal by Ike Taraszewski, and the two teams would remain deadlocked heading into the locker room at 20 minutes of play.
 
Despite outshooting the Pipers 9-6 in the middle period, the Cardinals could not break the stalemate — setting up what proved to be a winner-take-all third period.
 
Saint Mary's grabbed its second lead of the evening when Warner Young (Newberry, Mich.) scored his first of the season — off assists from Kasyn Kruse (Luverne, Minn.) and Bud Winter (St. Louis, Mo.) — only to have Hamline respond, netting the game-tying goal off the stick of Bailey Sommers eight minutes later.
 
Just over two minutes later, the Pipers grabbed their lone lead of the game, as Sam Dabrowski beat SMU goalie Connor Close (Des Moines, Iowa) with 1:14 remaining to give HU the lead for good, 3-2.
 
Close finished with 17 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Hamline goalie Kevin Lake stopped 32 of Saint Mary's 34 shots on goal.
 
The Cardinals (0-1-0 MIAC, 0-2-1 overall) and Pipers will close out their two-game conference series on Saturday, heading to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for a 7:05 p.m. rematch.
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