By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — With seven of their first eight games being decided by two goals or less — including four one-goal games and three that went into overtime — the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's hockey team has been in more than its fair share of nailbiters this season.
 
Friday evening proved to be no different, as once again Cardinal coach Bill Moore was left gnawing on his nails in Saint Mary's nonconference showdown against Lake Forest.
 
Unfortunately, Friday's nailbiter had the same heartbreaking ending as the first seven, as Lake Forest scored what proved to be the game-winning goal with less than five minutes remaining in the second period, as the Foresters dealt Saint Mary's a 2-1 setback at Alumni Memorial Arena.
 
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Foresters broke the deadlock early in the second period, getting a power-play goal from Aaron O'Neil just 2:19 into the middle frame.
 
Saint Mary's netted the equalizer four minutes later, as Tommy Stang (Mendota Heights, Minn.) took a feed from brother Jack Stang and beat Lake Forest goalie Louis-Phillippe De Courcy for his third goal of the season.
 
Lake Forest would regain the lead at 15:12 of the second period, when Cullen Kane tallied goal No. 2 of the season, rifling a shot past Saint Mary's goalie Nick Nast (Oxnard, Calif.).
 
The Foresters took that one-goal advantage into the locker room at the second-period intermission, and withstood a furious Saint Mary's nine-shot third-period to escape with the victory.
 
Nast finished with 23 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while De Courcy kicked out 29 of Saint Mary's 30 shots on goal.
 
The Cardinals (0-8-1 overall) get another shot at the Foresters on Saturday, when the two teams return to Alumni Memorial Arena for a 4 p.m. rematch.