WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team kicks off its two-game conference series against league-leading Gustavus on Friday, hosting the Gusties in a 7 p.m. contest at the SMU Ice Arena.


The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-6-3 MIAC | 6-9-4 Overall)
vs. #6 Gustavus Gusties (11-0-1 MIAC | 16-1-2 Overall)

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Last Action:
The Cardinals earned a split in its conference series against Saint Benedict last weekend. The Blazers held off a late SMU charge to beat the Cardinals 3-2 in St. Cloud, Minn., on Friday, with the Cardinals bouncing back for a 1-0 victory in Saturday's rematch, also in St. Cloud, Minn. … Gustavus, meanwhile, locked up an MIAC post-season playoff berth, picking up a pair of one-goal wins over Hamline last weekend. GAC beat the Pipers 3-2 on Friday in Vadnais Heights, Minn., then came away with a 2-1 win the following day at Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn.

SMU vs. Gustavus — A Year Ago:
February 18, 2011: Special teams weren't so special for SMU, as Gustavus scored three power play goals in handing the Cardinals a 4-2 MIAC setback at Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn.
February 19, 2011: Gustavus scored twice in the second period and once more in the third in completing the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep with a 3-0 victory at the SMU Ice Arena.

Up Next:
The Cardinals hit the road on Saturday for the second game of the teams' two-game conference series, as Gustavus hosts SMU in a 2 p.m. contest at Don Roberts Ice Arena in St. Peter, Minn.

Saint Mary's Cardinals News and Notes:
2011-12 Roster | 2011-12 Statistics | 2011-12 Schedule | 2011-12 Media Guide
Saturday's 1-0 win over Saint Benedict was the second shutout victory of the season for the Cardinals. SMU's other shutout was also a 1-0 decision, this one coming against Hamline on Nov. 11. … Fueled by their 1-0 win Saturday, SMU improved to 2-1-1 in its last four games. … With Saturday's 1-0 victory at Saint Benedict, the Cardinals have now played 10 games decided by one goal or less. … SMU has held its opponent to one goal or less seven times this season. … Including last Friday's 3-2 loss at Saint Benedict, the Cardinals have now scored two goals or less in eight of their nine losses this season. … SMU has surrendered three goals in their last five losses — and seven times in their nine losses overall. … Breanna Peterson (Macomb, Mich.) and Dana Kreuser (Maplewood, Minn.) accounted for SMU's two goals vs. Saint Benedict last Friday, while Rachel Gates-Vickery (New Brighton, Minn.) netted the Cardinals' lone goal in Saturday's 1-0 win.  … Gates-Vickery's goal was the first of her collegiate career. … Haley Coolsaet (Grosse Island, Mich.) enters this weekend's games against Gustavus boasting a team-leading 12 points. … Coolsaet also shares the team lead in goals (6) with Erin Stenseth (Eau Claire, Wis.), while joining Mary DeBartolo (Chicago, Ill.), Nicole Olson (New Brighton, Minn.) and Peterson atop the team lead in assists with six. … The Cardinals boast five players with 10 or more points — Coolsaet (12), Stenseth (11), DeBartolo (11), Olson (11) and Peterson (11). … Olson — who has owned the team's points lead in each of the last two seasons — recorded her first collegiate hat trick and her first collegiate five-point game in SMU's 5-3 win over St. Norbert on Nov. 4. … Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) stopped a season-high 40 shots in notching her second shutout of the season and fourth of her collegiate career. … Gustafson's 40-save effort was just three saves shy of her career best 43 saves against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 6, 2010. … Gustafson enters Friday's game against Gustavus with a 1.91 goals-against-average and a .928 save percentage. … With their 1-1 tie against Augsburg on Jan. 28, the Cardinals have now equaled the school record for ties in a season at four. … SMU, which has now played six overtime games this season, is still looking for its first overtime win of the season (0-2-4). …  SMU is now 1-2-7 in its last 10 overtime games. … SMU's five goals vs. the Auggies in the Cardinals' 5-2 win on Jan. 27 equaled their highest offensive output of the season. SMU also scored five goals in a 5-3 win over St. Norbert on Nov. 4. … SMU's opponents have scored first in 12 of the Cardinals' 19 games this season. … Thirty-three of the 43 goals allowed by SMU this season have come after the first period.

Gustavus Gusties News and Notes:
2011-12 Roster | 2011-12 Statistics | 2011-12 Schedule
Saturday's sweep-clinching 2-1 win over Hamline was the Gusties' second straight win. … GAC, which had its season-opening 16-game unbeaten streak (14-0-2) snapped with a 5-1 nonconference loss at UW-Superior on Jan. 31, has played three overtime games this season, going 2-0-1. … Saturday's 2-1 win over Hamline marked the 11th time this season Gustavus has held its opponent to one goal or less. On the flip side, GAC has scored five or more goals 10 times — including a season-high nine goals in a 9-0 win over Augsburg on Dec. 2. … The Gusties boast five shutouts this season. … The Gusties outshot Hamline 62-4 in Saturday's 2-1 win, while holding a 123-17 advantage in shots on goal for the two game series. … The Gusties' five goals against Hamline last weekend came from five different players. Jess Harren, Meagan Wanecke and Allie Schwab scored GAC's three goals in last Friday's 3-2 win over HU, while Amanda Cartony and Courtney Boucher netted the Gusties' two goals in Saturday's 2-1 Gustavus victory. … Allie Schwab has scored a team-high 17 goals this season. … Schwab is one of three Gusties with 10 or more goals this season — Carolyn Draayer (15) and Mollie Carroll (11) are the other two. … Carroll, one of five GAC players with 10 or more assists, owns a team-leading 16 helpers. … Schwab is the team's points leader with 31, while Carroll is second with 27. GAC boasts seven players with 10 or more points. … As a team, Gustavus has scored 86 goals this season. … Danielle Justice and Marah Sobczak have shared the goaltending duties for the Gusties this season, with Justice owning a team-best 1.16 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage, while Sobczak has a 2.15 GAA and an .852 save percentage. … The Gusties have held their first 19 opponents to just four first-period goals. GAC has outscored its opponents 25-4 in the first period and 30-7 in the third. … Gustavus has scored first in 17 of its 19 games, going 16-1-0. GAC has tied both games in which the Gusties' opponent has scored first.