WINONA, Minn. - The Saint Mary's men's hockey team (7-4-1) dropped a 5-1 decision to Gustavus Adolphus (9-5) in a Friday night matchup at home, ending their seven-game win streak.
 
Nathan Solis stood out with the only goal recorded among the players, contributing to his point tally. Goaltender AJ Ruskowski made 35 saves in his appearance, showcasing his efforts in the net despite a challenging game.
 
The Cardinals started the first period with a power play opportunity after a tripping penalty on Gustavus at 19:14, but were unable to capitalize before the penalty expired. Despite multiple shots from Clay Allen and Warner Young, Gustavus Adolphus scored the first goal at 12:53.
 
Later in the period, Gustavus added a second goal at 3:27 despite the Cardinals' efforts, including blocked shots by Cooper Smyl and Blake Arneson, and saves by Ruskowski to fall by two.
 
Despite strong defensive efforts by Blake Green and Allen blocking multiple shots, Gustavus managed to score at 16:19 with a goal to keep the Cardinals shutout. 
 
In the third period, the Cardinals faced an early challenge when Gustavus scored at 19:01, extending their lead. To avoid the shutout, Solis's goal at 6:31 assisted by Cole Mickel and Denis Valenta, marked their sole goal of the game. 
 
The Cardinals face a quick turnaround, wrapping up their weekend series at Gustavus tomorrow with a 7:05 p.m. puck drop.