NORTHFIELD, Minn. - The Saint Mary's men's hockey (9-12-1) team braved the snow to travel to St. Olaf (12-7-3) for the first game of their two-game series. However, the Cardinals struggled to score and were shut out 5-0.
 
The difference in the game was that St. Olaf capitalized on three power-play opportunities compared to the Cardinals none.
 
Carter Newpower attempted an early shot in the first period at 19:18, which went wide. Despite a solid defensive effort with blocked shots by Nathan Solis and Markus Andrews, St. Olaf scored the first goal at 17:51. The Cardinals received a two-minute penalty for cross-checking at 3:33, leading to a power-play goal by the Oles at 3:17. The Cardinals had multiple shots on goal, including attempts by Warner Young and Tommy Wright, but were unable to find the back of the net in the first period and fell quick, 2-0.
 
The second period began with the Cardinals showing offensive persistence, as Marc Fletemeyer and Callahan Nauss each took multiple shots early on, though they were stopped by St. Olaf's defense. 
 
St. Olaf extended their lead 3-0 with a goal at 17:15 and a power-play goal to follow again at 7:35. Joey Oliver replaced AJ Ruskowski as goalie midway through the period, making key saves to hold off further scoring from the Oles.
 
The third period began with St. Olaf winning the face off, setting the pace early on. The third power-play goal for St. Olaf at 14:30 deflated the Cardinals as they trailed by five and could not manage a goal of their own. 
 
The Cardinals would get blanked by the Oles.
 
The Cardinals aim to bounce back tomorrow at home, with a 7:05 p.m. match up against the Oles.