WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University men's soccer team is back in action — and back on its home field — on Saturday, as the Cardinals host Grinnell in an 11 a.m. nonconference game at Ochrymowycz Field.



The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-2-1 Overall)
vs. Grinnell Pioneers (1-1-0 Overall)

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Last Action:
The Cardinals outshot visiting North Central (Minn.) 32-7 — including 11-3 in shots on goal — but came up empty, as SMU battled the Rams to a 0-0 double-overtime tie Tuesday at Ochrymowycz Field. … Grinnell, meanwhile, suffered its first loss of the season, as Augustana handed the Pioneers a 2-0 setback in Grinnell, Iowa.

SMU vs. Grinnell — Their Last Meeting
Saturday's game between the Cardinals and the Pioneers will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

Up Next:
The Cardinals hit the road on Wednesday, traveling to St. Thomas to kick off the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season with a 4 p.m. game against the Tommies in St. Paul, Minn. … Grinnell, meanwhile, is right back in action on Sunday, traveling to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a 1 p.m. contest against Coe.

Saint Mary's Cardinals News and Notes:
2011 Roster | 2011 Overall Statistics | 2011 Schedule
The Cardinals' 0-0, double-overtime tie against North Central (Minn.) Tuesday was their first scoreless draw since tying St. Thomas 0-0 on Oct. 16, 2004. … SMU has already played more overtime games this year (2) than it did all of last year (1). …
Chris Williams (Chicago, Ill.) stopped all three North Central (Minn.) shots he faced Tuesday to earn his first collegiate shutout. … Juamaine Venter (Rochester, Minn.) accounted for seven of the Cardinals' 11 shots on goal vs. North Central (Minn.) Tuesday. … Matt Graber (Denver, Colo.) had a hand in two of the Cardinals' three goals last weekend at Lake Forest and Rockford. 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. … 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.) have accounted for SMU's other two goals this season. … 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. … SMU has allowed just one second-half goal this season. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have scored twice in the first half and once in the second. … After dropping nine one-goal decisions a year ago, all three of SMU's games thus far this season have been decided by a goal or less — a 2-1 season-opening loss to Lake Forest, a 3-2 setback to Rockford and Tuesday's 0-0 tie vs. North Central (Minn.). … Despite their double-OT loss to Lake Forest, the Cardinals are 4-2-5 in their last 11 overtime games.

Grinnell Pioneer News and Notes:
2011 Roster | 2011 Overall Statistics | 2011 Schedule
After opening the season with back-to-back home games, Saturday's game at Saint Mary's is the first of seven straight road games for the Pioneers, who do not play another home contest until hosting St. Norbert on Oct. 1. … Both of Grinnell's games this season have been decided by shutout — a 1-0 win over Cornell and a 2-0 loss to Augustana. … Bozo Susac has accounted for the Pioneers' lone goal this season, off asissts from Benjamin Charney and Joseph Brown. … Goalkeeper Greg Fox, who ranked first in the MWC last season in shutouts with eight, collected his first of the 2011 campaign with a five-save effort against Cornell on Sept. 1. … Grinnell has qualified for five straight Midwest Conference Tournaments, including winning the conference's post-season tournament in 2009.