Box Score Game Summary / GameDay Preview

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The weekend started out the exactly same way as the first two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference weekends did.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, the weekend ended the same way, too.

The Cardinals, who battled St. Catherine to a 2-2 tie Friday — marking the third consecutive Friday night tie for SMU — picked up their third straight Saturday victory, as Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) stopped all 41 shots she faced for her first collegiate shutout in guiding SMU to a 4-0 victory over the Wildcats at Ridder Arena.

Erin Stenseth (Eau Claire, Wis.) scored her second goal in as many games midway through the opening period, as the Cardinal went into the locker room after 20 minutes boasting a 1-0 advantage.

Stevie Fiek (Rochester, Minn.) wasted little time pushing that lead to 2-0, as the SMU junior scored 22 seconds into the second period. Dy-anna Stewart (Eden Prairie, Minn.) made it 3-0 at 14:23 of the second, and Brittany Therrien (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) tallied SMU's four goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

While the Cardinals were making the most of their offensive opportunities, scoring four goals on just 20 shots, Gustafson was flawless at the other end, kicking out 16 shots in the first period, 18 in the second and seven in the third in posting the shutout in just her second collegiate start.

The Cardinals, who improve to 3-0-3 in conference play and 6-1-3 overall, are now off until Jan. 2-3, when they travel to Boston, Mass., to take part in the UMass-Boston Codfish Bowl.