By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — After giving up seven first-period goals—not to mention 17 goals total—in their last three games, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey coach Bill Moore was thrilled with the start of the Cardinals' game against third-ranked Augsburg Saturday evening.
 
After all, thanks in part to the 11-save effort of goalie Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.), the Cardinals headed into the locker room deadlocked with the high-powered Auggies 0-0.
 
In fact, four minutes into the second period, it was the Cardinals who struck first.
 
Unfortunately, Jared Johnson's (Hartland, Wis.) early second-period tally would be the only goal for Saint Mary's, while Augsburg rattled off five unanswered tallies—two in the second and three more in the third—as the Auggies completed the two-game Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep with a 5-1 victory at Ed Saugestad Rink.
 
"I thought we played well—we just have to find a way to score goals," said Saint Mary's coach Bill Moore. "We held the advantage in shots on goal, we're just not getting enough traffic in front—and today's day and age, the goaltenders are too good to allow them to be able to have a clear view of the puck.

"There were a lot of positives," Moore added. "And you have to give Augsburg credit—they are a very good team, and they showed that this weekend."

After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Cardinals got things going when Johnson beat Augsburg goalie Nick Schmit with a shorthanded at 4:29 for a 1-0 lead. Jay Heinle (York, Pa.) and Ben Owen (Allen, Texas) were credited with the assists on Johnson's first goal of the season.
 
That, however, would be the extent of the Cardinals' offensive attack—despite holding a 32-29 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Augsburg pulled even exactly five minutes after Johnson's tally when Paul Soubry beat Nast from the slot. Four minutes later, the Auggies grabbed the lead for good, as Alex Rodriguez netted the first of his two goals on the evening to give Augsburg a 2-1 lead heading into the third period.
 
Rodriguez found the back of the net for a second time eight minutes into the third period, and Nate Flynn and Jake Larson followed at 10:11 and 14:38, respectively, to give the Auggies their second straight 5-1 victory over the Cardinals.
 
Nast finished with 24 saves in his second collegiate start for the Cardinals, while Schitt kicked out 31 of Saint Mary's 32 shots on goal for the win.
 
The Cardinals (1-2-1 MIAC, 2-5-1 overall) step out of conference play next weekend, entertaining Lake Forest in a pair of nonconference games at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. The Cardinals and Foresters will play at 7 p.m. on Friday and at 3 p.m. the following afternoon.