ST. CLOUD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's men's hockey team (8-7-2, 4-3-1) picked up a key road win on Saturday night, topping Saint John's University (8-5-4, 3-2-3), 3–1, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. 

The Cardinals struck first on the power play and closed the door late with an empty-net goal to secure the victory.

Joona Juntunen led the way with a pair of goals, including the opening power-play tally, while firing eight shots on net. Ben Polomsky added what proved to be the game-winning goal and was strong in the faceoff circle, winning half of his draws and Adam Prokop delivered a standout performance in goal, stopping 44 shots and allowing just one score.

Saint Mary's wasted little time capitalizing on its chances in the opening period. Juntunen broke the ice at 15:43 on the power play, finishing a setup from Cole Mickel and Newpower. The Cardinals kept the pressure on and doubled their lead when Polomsky buried an even-strength goal at 11:08, with assists from Colin Tushie and Paden Hicks. 

Saint Mary's headed into the first intermission up 2–0 after weathering several Saint John's chances.

The Johnnies pushed back in the second period and cut into the lead and scored at 17:33. Despite the momentum shift, the Cardinals stayed composed, leaning on strong defensive play and timely blocks, highlighted by Connor Abric, to protect the 2–1 advantage heading into the final period.

Saint Mary's sealed the win in the closing seconds of the third, as Juntunen scored his second of the night into an empty net at 19:58, once again assisted by Newpower. Prokop and the Cardinal defense shut down any late surge, finishing off a strong road performance and a 3–1 victory.

The Cardinals will be back in action at home against St. Scholastica on Friday, Jan. 30 for a 7:00 p.m. put drop and weekend homestand.