|
For PDF version / click here |
|
Tuesday, November 25, 2003 |
|
(Through Monday, November 24) |
|
The Cardinals picked up a pair of wins last weekend, beating UW- Superior 3-2 in OT, then topping St. Scholastica 4-2. … The Blugolds posted back-to-back wins over MIAC opponents last weekend, beating Augsburg 4-3 and Concordia 4-2. |
|
Chris Flaugher scored twice and Al Schumacher and Chad Damerow each had a goal and two assists as SMU routed UW-Eau Claire 6-1 on Jan. 4, 2003. |
|
Chad Damerow (Albert Lea, Minn.) picked up four points last weekend — scoring the game-winner in SMU's 3-2 OT win over UW-Superior, then adding three assists. … Jason Fillipp (Fox River Grove, Ill.) scored twice and assisted on another in SMU's 4-2 win over St. Scholastica. … Ryne Ess (Eden Prairie, Minn.) stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced vs. UW-Superior, while Curtis Nosal (Omaha, Neb.) posted a 21-save effort in recording his first win of the season vs. St. Scholastica. … Ess' performance vs. the Yellow Jackets earned him MIAC Player of the Week honors. … SMU's win over UW-Superior was its first vs. the Yellow Jackets since an 8-4 win to open the 1985-86 season. … Marcus Reszka (Winona, Minn.) was held pointless for the first time this season vs. St. Scholastica. … All three of SMU's wins have come at home. … Two of the Cardinals' three goals vs. UW-Superior were shorthanded. |
vs. 
 |
Year Hometown |
WINONA, Minn. — After last Friday’s emotional overtime win over UW-Superior, it would not have surprised anyone if the Saint Mary’s University men’s hockey team came out a bit flat when the Cardinals played host to St. Scholastica the following night.
In fact, to almost everyone, it would have been expected.
Everyone but the Cardinals, that is.
Fueled by a pair of goals from Jason Fillipp (Fox River Grove, Ill.), the Cardinals cruised past the Saints, 4-2 at the SMU Ice Arena.
“I was a little worried about how we would respond after (Friday’s) game,” admitted SMU coach Don Olson, whose team got a goal from Chad Damerow (Albert Lea, Minn.) with less than a minute remaining in overtime to beat the high-powered Yellow Jackets 3-2 on Friday. “And the way we responded pleased me more than anything else. To play such an emotionally draining game against Superior, and then come back and play the way we did (vs. St. Scholastica), that’s outstanding.”
Saturday’s win wasn’t as pretty as Friday’s, but that certainly didn’t matter to Olson and the Cardinals — after all, a win is a win.
“It wasn’t pretty, but sometimes you just have to win ugly,” said Olson, whose team improved to 3-2-1 overall. “We were a little sluggish early, but once we got rolling a bit, things went pretty well."
St. Scholastica actually got on the board first as Jamie Coffey scored an unassisted goal two minutes into the opening period. SMU got the equalizer five minutes later as Graham Murphy (Webster Groves, Mo.) scored his first collegiate goal and the two teams went into the locker room after 20 minutes tied at 1-1.
The Cardinals sandwiched a pair of FIllipp goals around one by St. Scholastica's Curtis Markewich in the second period, then got an insurance goal from Mark Zoller (Rochester, Minn.) five minutes into the third.
“Overall it was a great weekend for us,” said Olson, whose team returns to action tonight, playing host to UW-Eau Claire. “We sustained a very high level for two straight nights, which was great to see.”
Now, the question is, do the Cardinals have enough left in the tank to do put together a repeat performance tonight against the Blugolds.
“Obviously, it’s tough enough to play back-to-back games, but then to have to come back and play again on a Tuesday is certainly going to be difficult,” said Olson. “But (Eau Claire) is in the same boat, they played twice over the weekend just like we did.
“Our guys are in good enough shape, we just have to go out there and play the way we are capable — if we do that, we’ll be fine.”