WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team, coming off a 2-1 home loss to UW-Eau Claire on Friday in the Cardinals' home opener, hits the road on Saturday, traveling to UW-Eau Claire for the second game of their two-game nonconference series. Puck drops at 2 p.m. at Hobbs Ice Center.
The Records:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-3-0 Overall)
UW-Eau Claire Blugolds (2-1-1 Overall)
GameDay On Web: Live Stats
Last Night: Beth Dittrich scored with 3:19 remaining in regulation, breaking a 1-1 tie and leading UW-Eau Claire to a 2-1 nonconference victory over the Cardinals at the SMU Ice Arena Friday evening.
A Year Ago: The Cardinals and Blugolds split their nonconference series a year ago, with UW-Eau Claire winning the opener, 3-1, while SMU took Game 2 5-4 in overtime.
November 1, 2008: The Blugolds scored once in each period in beating the Cardinals for the sixth straight time, 3-1, in Eau Claire, Wis.
November 7, 2008: The Cardinals erupted for five goals — including the overtime game-winner by Sheree Haslemore (Gore, New Zealand) — as the Cardinals picked up their first win of the season, beating the Blugolds 5-4 at the SMU Ice Arena.
Saint Mary's Cardinal Notes: Brianna Drude (Oakdale, Minn.) scored the Cardinals' lone goal vs. the Blugolds Friday. It was the freshman's first collegiate tally. … Nicole Olson (New Brighton, Minn.) scored two of SMU's four goals vs. Lake Forest in their season-opening 5-4 loss on Oct. 31. Olson's six career collegiate goals have come via three two-goal games. … Jamie Henneman (Countryside, Ill.) had a goal and two assists vs. the Foresters, while Dy-Anna Stewart (Eden Prairie, Minn.) — SMU's First-Team All-MIAC selection a year ago — netted her first collegiate goal vs. Lake Forest. … Kaye Collier (Hibbing, Minn.), who kicked out 39 of the 43 shots she faced in her collegiate debut vs. Lake Forest on Nov. 1, recorded 29 saves vs. UW-Eau Claire Friday … SMU has scored four of its five goals this season in the first period, while SMU's opponents have netted nine of their 11 goals in the second and third periods combined. … With their 5-4 loss to Lake Forest on Oct. 31, the Cardinals fell to 0-2-1 in their last three season openers, and have not won its season opener since the 2005-06 season, when the Cardinals dropped UW-Eau Claire 5-1 in Terry Mannor's first game as SMU's head coach.
UW-Eau Claire Blugold Notes: Tonight's game is the fifth straight against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams for the Blugolds, who opened with a 4-1 loss to Hamline, and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Bethel, a 3-3 tie vs. St. Thomas and Friday's 2-1 win vs. SMU. … Nicole Lence stopped 35 shots in recording her first win of the season. … Danika Porter stopped all 20 shots in earning the shutout vs. Bethel last Friday. … Porter had played UW-EC's first three games, compiling a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .916 save percentage. … The Blugolds return six of their top seven scorers from last season, led by All-NCHA pick Kristin Faber, who finished 2008-09 with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists). … Faber scored UW-EC's first goal vs. SMU Friday evening, while Beth Dittrich netted the other. … Three other Blugolds recorded 15 points or more last season — Dittrich (8 G, 9 A, 17 Pts), Christine Dickinson (4 G, 12 A, 16 Pts), and Toni Simones (6 G, 9 A, 15 Pts). … This year's returners accounted for 73% of the Blugolds' goals from last year and 75% of the team's overall points. … Christine Dickinson currently leads the team in goals (2) and is tied with Dittrich and Kelli Johnson for the team lead in points with three. … Dittrich, Johnson and Toni Simones share the teams assist lead with two each. … Five of the seven goals allowed by the Blugolds have come in the first period. UW-EC has not allowed a goal in the third period this season.
