WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's soccer team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday, hosting Bethel in a 1 p.m. contest at Ochrymowycz Field.


The Matchups:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-2-0 MIAC | 1-6-0 Overall)
vs. Bethel Royals (0-2-0 MIAC | 4-2-1 Overall)

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Last Action:
The Cardinals dropped a heartbreaker to UW-La Crosse Wednesday evening, falling to the Eagles 1-0 in double-overtime in a nonconference game at Ochrymowycz Field. … Bethel, meanwhile, has been off since last Saturday, when the Royals dropped a 2-1 conference decision to Hamline in Arden Hills, Minn.

SMU vs. Bethel — The Last Meeting:
September 14, 2010: Stuck in the midst of a two-game losing streak in which they struggled to keep their opponents off the board early, the Cardinals not only got on the board first in their MIAC opener against Bethel, but they also kept the Royals off the board, as SMU kicked off conference play with a 1-0 victory in Arden Hills, Minn.

Up Next:
The Cardinals hit the road for the first of two straight road games next week, traveling to Gustavus Wednesday for a 4 p.m. MIAC contest against the Gusties in St. Peter, Minn. … Bethel, meanwhile, return home on Wednesday, hosting St. Catherine in a 4 p.m. conference game at Ona Orth Athletic Complex in Arden Hills, Minn.

Saint Mary's Cardinals News and Notes:
2011 Roster | 2011 Overall Statistics | 2011 Schedule
Saturday's game against Bethel is the second of back-to-back home games for the Cardinals, who play five of their next seven games at Ochrymowycz Field. … Wednesday's loss to UW-La Crosse was the second straight time the Eagles and Cardinals have had their game decided in the second overtime period. UW-L handed SMU a 3-2 2 OT setback a year ago in La Crosse, Wis. … Wednesday's game was the third 1-0 setback of the season for SMU. … Wednesday's loss to UW-L was the first overtime game of the season for SMU — the Cardinals played three overtime games a year ago, going 1-1-1. … Cassie Hulett (Milwaukee, Wis.) made six saves against the Eagles Wednesday — with all six coming after halftime. … Teri Valenzuela (Morton Grove, Ill.) had a team-high seven shot attempts vs. UW-L Wednesday. … Valenzuela and Amanda Rahman (Rochester, Minn.) share the team lead with two goals each. … Hulett has now started five of the team's seven games in goal, compiling a 1.93 goals-against-average, while stopping 25 shots. … Three of SMU's four goals this season have come in the first half. … The Cardinals' 3-1 win over Marian on Sept. 11 was not only SMU's first win of the season, but also the first victory for Neil Cassidy as SMU's head coach. … SMU's three goals vs. Marian were the most since the Cardinals netted three in a 3-0 victory over Central-Iowa on Sept. 19, 2010.

Bethel Royals News and Notes:
2011 Roster | 2011 Overall Statistics | 2011 Schedule
After opening the season with three straight wins and going 4-0-1 in their first five games, the Royals enter Saturday's game at Saint Mary's having lost two straight. … Both of Bethel's two losses have been by one goal — 1-0 at Augsburg and 2-1 vs. Hamline. … Three of the Royals' four wins have been by shutout. … Bethel has outscored its opponents 16-1 in its four wins — including a season-high six-goal effort in a 6-0 win at Crown on Sept. 6. … Kelsey Flaherty leads the team with four goals, while sharing the team lead in points (8) with Anne Fazio and Leah Hardie. … Fazio, Hardie and Carrie Kishaba are tied for the team lead in assists wit two each. … Bethel's 18 goals this season have come from eight different players. … The Royals have used three different goalkeepers, with the trio combining for a 0.69 goals-against-average, while stopping 20 of the 25 shots they've faced. … Eleven of Bethel's 18 goals have come in the second half. The Royals' opponents, meanwhile, have netted four of their five goals after halftime.