The Teams
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-1-1, 0-1-1)
vs.
Hamline Pipers (0-0-0, 2-0-0)
The Vitals
Friday, Nov. 10 • SMU Ice Arena • 7:05 p.m.
Last Action
The Cardinals are coming off an 0-1-1 start against Concordia, tying the Cobbers 3-3 last Friday, then losing 5-2 on Saturday. … Hamline, meanwhile, opened with a nonconference sweep of Northland, winning 9-2 and 6-5.
Conference Standings
Through Thursday, November 9
This and That
Colin Emans (Hutchinson, Minn.) scored SMU’s first two goals of the season in the first period of last Friday’s 3-3 tie against Concordia. … Friday’s season-opening tie with Concordia marked the second straight season SMU has begun a season with a 3-3 tie. … Todd Hangge (Rochester, Minn.) scored twice and added an assist vs. the Cobbers. … Jason Fillipp (Fox River Grove, Ill.) netted his first collegiate goal Saturday. … Eric Richardson (Skokie, Ill.) stopped 34 shots in Friday’s tie, while Dan Byron (Edina, Minn.) had 31 saves Saturday.
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CARDINAL PROFILEDustin Noble
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battle as Hamline comes calling
WINONA, Minn. — Before the season started, Saint Mary’s University men’s hockey coach Don Olson predicted that every weekend series was going to be a battle.
He wasn’t kidding.
And his Cardinals have the battle scars to prove it.
“Overall, I thought we played very well,” said Olson, whose team tied Concordia 3-3 on Friday, then dropped a 5-2 decision Saturday. “I was very pleased with our effort on Friday. We made a few critical mistakes (in Saturday’s game), but overall, it was a good start.”
The thought of facing the Cobbers — an NCAA Division III national tournament quarterfinalist and a favorite to win this year’s conference crown — with a lineup that included seven freshmen was a huge hurdle to clear.
A challenge the Cardinals eagerly accepted.
And, if not for a late third-period letdown in Friday’s opener, it was a hurdle the Cardinals might just have cleared.
Led by sophomore Colin Emans (Hutchinson, Minn.), who scored the game’s first two goals to stake SMU to a 2-0 first-period advantage, the Cardinals jumped out to a 3-1 lead heading into the final 20 minutes. In fact, with less than two minutes remaining, the Cardinals still clung to that 3-1 advantage — and it appeared SMU was on the brink of a stunning season-opening victory.
Unfortunately, a not-so-funny thing happened on their way to the victory stand.
The Cobbers pulled within one with 1:52 remaining in regulation, then netted the game-tying goal with just nine seconds remaining to salvage a 3-3 tie.
“To give up a goal in the final 10 seconds is tough,” admitted Olson. “I’m sure Concordia felt pretty fortunate to come away with a tie. Anytime a team can score a goal late to even things up, it’s natural that they are going to feel better about (the tie) than the team that gave up the goal.
“Once our guys get over the disappointment of that late goal, they are going to realize that there were a whole lot more positives to take from this game than negatives.”
The momentum the Cobbers gained from the late-game heroics carried over to Saturday’s rematch, as Concordia scored the game’s first three goals en route to a 5-2 victory.
“I don’t think (Friday’s tie) had much of an effect on us, but you certainly can’t totally erase it, either,” admitted Olson. “To be that close to a win, and then have it taken from you, it’s hard to swallow.
“We’re a very young team and we showed some of that inexperience,” continued Olson, whose team returns to the battlefield tonight, playing host to Hamline. “It was exactly the kind of series I expected it to be.
“We knew before the season started that every game was going to be a battle — this was a perfect example.”