By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's hockey team took the ice Tuesday evening against No. 13 Milwaukee School of Engineering on the heels of a 10-day layoff — having not played since sweeping Concordia on Nov. 15-16 in Moorhead, Minn.
 
And the Cardinals showed no signs of rust, standing toe-to-toe with the nation's 13th-ranked team.
 
The two teams traded punches through the first 40 minutes, but the Raiders landed one third-period haymaker that proved to be the difference, as MSOE dealt the Cardinals a 3-2 nonconference setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Cardinals scored early in the first period and late — very late — in the second to head into the game's final 20 minutes deadlocked at 2-2.
 
Sam Hanson (Eau Claire, Wis.) scored his second collegiate goal just five minutes into the opening period to give Saint Mary's the early 1-0 lead. MSOE responded with back-to-back goals — the first off the stick of Matt Hanewall with 10 seconds remaining in the first period and the second by Christian Sabin midway through the second — to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Kyle Meeh (Fenton, Mo.) netted the equalizer for the Cardinals, scoring his team-leading fourth of the season with 15 seconds to play in the middle frame.
 
Hanewall broke the 2-2 stalemate with his second of the game — a power-play tally — just 2:03 into the third period — and the Cardinals could not find an answer over the game's final 18 minutes.
 
Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.) was busy between the pipes for the Cardinals, finishing with 30 saves, while MSOE goalie Logan Halladay stopped 19 of Saint Mary's 21 shots — including 11 in the second period.
 
The Cardinals (2-4-1 overall) are now off until Dec. 6-7, when they return to MIAC play with a pair of games against Gustavus. Saint Mary's will head to Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn., for a 7 p.m. conference matchup on Dec. 6, before the two teams head to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for Saturday's 7 p.m. rematch. The Raiders (6-1-1) hit the road on Dec. 6-7, heading to Houghton, Mich., for a pair of conference games against Finlandia. MSOE and FU will drop the puck at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 6, with the second game of their two-game series taking place at 3 p.m. the following afternoon.