WINONA, Minn. — It's almost fitting that Saint Mary's University of Minnesota senior Bob Kinne sported jersey No. 3 for the Cardinal men's hockey team.
 
After all, in his three seasons with the Cardinals, Kinne was among the team's top three contributors in all three offensive categories.
 
And in this, his third and final season, he helped lead the Cardinals to a third-place finish in the MIAC regular-season standings.
 
So it should come as no surprise that when the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its post-season award winners on Thursday, Kinne's name was among them—for the third straight year.
 
And the senior forward was not alone in the conference spotlight.
 
Martin Gruse (Trenton, Mich.) and Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo.) also landed conference honors—Gruse collecting First-Team All-MIAC accolades for the third straight year, while Meeh earned All-MIAC honorable-mention honors, and was also selected to the MIAC's All-Rookie Team.
 
Kinne appeared in all 16 conference games for the Cardinals—who reached the MIAC Playoff semifinals this season, falling to Augsburg 5-4 in overtime. He posted a team-leading seven goals—including three game-winners—while adding six assists for a team-best 13 points.
 
In the Cardinals' 26 games overall, Kinne netted a team- and career-high 14 goals, collected 10 assists and finished with 24 points—marking the third time in as many years he eclipsed the 20-point barrier.
 
Gruse capped a remarkable career in a Cardinal uniform, scoring five goals and adding seven assists for 12 points in 15 conference games. Overall, the senior forward—who amassed 108 career points in 100 games at Saint Mary's—netted eight goals in 23 games, while leading the team in assists (14) and finishing second to Kinne in points (22).
 
Meeh certainly made a lasting impression in his first season as a Cardinal, as the freshman defenseman appeared in all 16 conference games, scoring a pair of goals, while adding six assists for eight points, and a team-best +7 plus/minus rating. Overall, Meeh scored three goals—including his first collegiate tally against Bethel on Nov. 11—and finished with 11 assists and 14 points. Meeh led the team in plus/minus at +15 and owned one game-winning goal.
 
As part of the conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC also announced the 10th annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for men's hockey, which included Saint Mary's Kelvin Walz (Woodbury, Minn.)
 
St. Thomas senior Thomas Williams was named MIAC Player of the Year, while Tommies' coach Jeff Boeser, who helped lead UST to the conference's regular-season title, earned MIAC Coach of the Year honors.
 
The Cardinals closed out the season with a 13-10-3 overall record, including a 9-6-1 showing in conference play and a berth in the MIAC Playoffs semifinal for the second time in the last three seasons. Saint Mary's dropped its playoff semifinal to eventual champion Augsburg 5-4 overtime.