Box Score

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WINONA, Minn. – Saint John's built a 3-0 first-period lead and held on for a 4-3 win over Saint Mary's on Friday, Nov. 22, in Winona.

Senior Justin Hochsprung (Alexandria, Minn.) gave SJU (4-3, 2-1 MIAC) a 1-0 lead 5:10 into the game with his first goal of the season. Junior Nick Senta (Savage, Minn.) and freshman Kevin Becker (Roseville, Minn.) tallied the assists.

Senior Josh Gross (Maple Grove, Minn.) made it 2-0 with a power-play goal, his third tally of the season, six minutes later with assists going to Haeg and Senta.

Sophomore Tyson Fulton (Champlin, Minn.) tipped a shot from the point by junior Nick Vatnsdal (Independence, Minn.) to the back of the net for his third goal of the season with 3:23 left in the opening frame. Freshman Dan McNamara (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was credited with the second assist.

Nick Nagel put SMU (2-5, 0-3 MIAC) on the board 1:34 into the second period and Bobby Thompson made it a one-goal game 4:27 later.

Senta went down due to injury in the first 10 seconds of the third period and did not return, leaving SJU with five defensemen the rest of the way. The Cardinals' Martin Gruse tied the game just over two minutes later.

Junior Phil Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) gave the lead back to SJU with his first goal of the season, a redirect from the point, with 14:38 left. Senior Trent Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) and junior Wally Cossette (Maple Grove, Minn.) tallied the assists.

A penalty on sophomore Neal Smith (Rogers, Minn.) gave SMU a power play with 2:41 left, including 20 seconds with an extra attacker due to an empty net on the other end, but the Johnnies blocked three shots and allowed only two shots to reach sophomore goaltender Saxton Soley (Elk Mound, Wis.) to clinch the victory.

SMU entered the game with the MIAC's top power play at 19.4 percent (6-for-31), but SJU thwarted all five of the Cardinals' power plays on the night. The Johnnies, meanwhile, were 1-for-2 on the man advantage and are now 4-for-5 over the last two games.

Soley made 25 saves to improve to 3-2 on the young season. The three goals allowed is the most for Soley in an MIAC game in over a year; since a 3-1 loss at Augsburg on Nov. 15, 2012.

The Johnnies wrap up the weekend series with a 2 p.m. game Saturday, Nov. 23, in Winona.