By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — There's something about playing Gustavus that seems to bring out the best in Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Aaron Davis (Mound, Minn.).
 
For the second straight year, Davis did a picture-perfect rendition of a brick wall against Gustavus last Friday night in leading the Cardinals to a 1-0 victory in the first game of the team's two-game conference series.
 
A year ago, Davis recorded his first collegiate shutout against the Gusties, stopping 31 shots in a 2-0 Saint Mary's win. Fast-forward to Friday night, and Davis was at it again, blanking the Gusties for a second straight time, once again stopping 31 shtos in the 1-0 win.
 
The senior goalie wasn't done, either, kicking out 24 more GAC shots in the team's rematch on Saturday, helping Saint Mary's complete the key conference sweep with a 4-3 victory.
 
And Monday afternoon, Davis was rewarded for his efforts, being named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Men's Hockey Athlete of the Week, the league office announced.
 
Davis seemed to get better with age in Friday's victory, posting eight first-period shots, before adding 11 saves in the second and 12 more in the third to make Andrew Cummings' (Anchorage, Alaska) first-period tally stand up. In the rematch, Davis put together a pair of nine-save periods in the first and second, and stopped all six GAC third-period shots to help preserve the Cardinals' second straight one-goal win.
 
For the season, Davis has made 13 starts in goal, compiling a 3.28 goals-against-average and an .884 save percentage, while making a team-leading 313 saves.
 
Davis and the Cardinals will put their four-game winning streak on the line next weekend, as they take on Bethel in a two-game series. Game 1 is slated for 7 p.m. Friday at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., with the teams heading to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for Saturday's 7 p.m. rematch.