WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's soccer team returns home from its season-opening two-game road trip to kick off its home schedule on Tuesday, hosting North Central (Minn.) in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at Ochrymowycz Field.



The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-2-0 Overall)
vs. North Central Rams (1-1-0)

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Last Action:
The Cardinals are still looking for their first win of the 2011 season, having dropped a 2-1 double-overtime contest at Lake Forest on Friday, and a 3-2 decision at Rockford on Saturday. … North Central, meanwhile, opened its season with a 3-2 win at Crossroads College last Thursday, then dropped a 4-3 decision at Crown on Saturday.

SMU vs. North Central — Their Last Meeting:
Saturday's game is the first-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Rams.

Up Next:
The Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, when they host Grinnell in an 11 a.m. nonconference contest at Ochrymowycz Field. … North Central, meanwhile, is back in action, and back on the road, on Friday, when the Rams travel to Waldorf College for a 3 p.m. contest.

Saint Mary's Cardinals News and Notes:
2011 Roster | 2011 Overall Statistics | 2011 Schedule
After dropping nine one-goal decisions a year ago, SMU's first two games this season have also been decided by one goal — a 2-1 season-opening loss to Lake Forest and a 3-2 setback to Rockford. … Matt Graber (Denver, Colo.) had a hand in two of the Cardinals' three goals last weekend. The freshman picked up his first collegiate assist in SMU's double-overtime loss at Lake Forest on Sept. 3, then recorded his first goal as a Cardinal a day later at Rockford. … Juamaine Venter (Rochester, Minn.) — the Cardinals' leading scorer a year ago with career highs in goals (5) and points (12) — and Mac Stringer (Mendota Heights, Minn.) also scored for SMU last weekend. … Stringer's goal vs. Rockford was the first of his collegiate career. … Mark Thompson (Madison, Wis.) picked up his first collegiate point against Lake Forest, assisting on Venter's first-half tally. … Chris Williams (Chicago, Ill.) has played all 199:40 in goal for the Cardinals, compiling a 2.25 goals-against-average. He has stopped 10 of the 15 shots he's faced. … SMU has not allowed a second-half goal this season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have scored twice in the first half and once in the second. … Despite their double-OT loss to Lake Forest, the Cardinals are 4-2-4 in their last 10 overtime games. … Starting with Tuesday's game vs. North Central, the Cardinals play five of their next six games at home, with the lone road contest a Sept. 14 showdown at St. Thomas.

North Central Rams News and Notes:
2011 Roster | 2011 Overall Statistics | 2011 Schedule
Tuesday's game at Saint Mary's is the second of four straight road games for the Rams, who play eight of their first nine games away from home. … North Central has scored three goals in each of its two games this season — beating Crossroads College 3-2 and falling to Crown 4-3. … Christian Stepaniak, Zach Claussen and Caleb Thomas accounted for NCU's three goals vs. Crown on Saturday. … Stepaniak's tally came on a second-half penalty kick. … All three of North Central's goals vs. Crown came in a 12-minute span midway through the second half.