WINONA, Minn. — The battle between the Saint Mary's University and Bethel men's hockey teams was a tight battle from start to finish.
 
And what a finish it was.
 
Callahan Nauss (Maple Plain, Minn.) scored less than three minutes into overtime, lifting the Cardinals to a 3-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over the Royals Saturday evening at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.  
 
The Cardinals were the first to find the back of the net. Bud Winter (St. Louis, Mo.) would grab a goal at 8:07 of the first period, with an assist from Jack Campion (Crystal, Minn.), to give SMU a 1-0 lead — one the Cardinals would carry with them into the first intermission. 
 
The Royals would tie things up in the second period one a goal by Ben Ward at 11:27 — but the tie wouldn't last long.
 
Brady Lindauer (Cary, Ill.) netted a goal for SMU on a penalty shot with just over three minutes left in the second period, as SMU regained the lead at 2-1 to head into the final break.
 
BU would tie the game yet again midway through the third period, forcing the teams to head into overtime — where Nauss would come up big, earning SMU the win and split in its two-game MIAC series with the Royals.
 
A.J. Ruskowski (Traverse City, Mich.) made 29 saves in goals for the Cardinals. 
 
The Cardinals (5-5-0 MIAC, 9-9-1 overall) are back in action on Thursday,  as they visit the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn., for a 7 p.m. matchup against Saint John's.
 
 
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