WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team returns home for a pair of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games against Saint Benedict this weekend at the SMU Ice Arena. Friday's game is slated for 7 p.m., while Saturday's rematch is set for 2 p.m.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-6-1 MIAC | 5-9-1 Overall)
vs. Saint Benedict Blazers (2-6-2 MIAC | 4-6-4 Overall)

GameDay Live On The Web:
Live Stats | Live Video | Video Preview | GameDay Program

Last Action:
The Cardinals picked up three of a possible four conference points against Augsburg last weekend. SMU scored a pair of first-period goals and never relinquished the lead in handing Augsburg a 3-2 MIAC setback at the SMU Ice Arena on Friday, while SMU repeated that three-goal performance in the rematch on Saturday at Ed Saugestad Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., en route to a 3-3 tie. … Saint Benedict, meanwhile, failed to pick up a win against Hamline last weekend. The Blazers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Pipers on Friday in St. Paul, Minn., then battled Hamline to a 0-0 tie in the teams' rematch on Saturday in St. Cloud, Minn.

SMU vs. Saint Benedict — A Year Ago:
February 3, 2012: SMU got second-period goals from Breanna Peterson (Macomb, Mich.) and Dana Kreuser (Maplewood, Minn.), but it was not enough, as Saint Benedict scored the game's first three goals and held off the Cardinals 3-2 at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex.
February 4, 2012: Senior Rachel Gates-Vickery (New Brighton, Minn.) scored her first collegiate goal 13 minutes into the opening period, and SMU goalie Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) made it stand up, as the Cardinals edged the Blazers 1-0 at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex.

Up Next:
The Cardinals and Blazers are back at the SMU Ice Arena on Saturday, as SMU hosts Saint Benedict in the second game of the teams' two-game MIAC series at 2 p.m.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
Prior to last Saturday's 3-3 tie at Augsburg, the Cardinals were one of just two MIAC teams without a tie. … After going winless (0-2-6) in eight overtime games a year ago, the Cardinals are now 2-0-1 in OT games this season. Along with last Saturday's 3-3 tie, SMU has beaten Hamline 2-1 and UW-Eau Claire 3-2. … Last Friday's 3-2 win over Augsburg snapped the Cardinals' three-game losing streak. … SMU's 3-2 win over the Auggies last Friday was also SMU's third win at the SMU Ice Arena. … Hope Karban (Oconto, Wis.), Breanna Peterson (Macomb, Mich.) and McKenna Parent (Ham Lake, Minn.) accounted for SMU's three goals vs. Augsburg last Friday, while Peterson, Brittany Therrien (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Katie Ehlenfeldt (Beaver Dam, Wis.) found the back of the net in Saturday's rematch. … Karban's goal was the first of her collegiate career. … Peterson, who has now scored in three straight games, leads the team in goals (8) and points (13). … Two of Peterson's eight goals have come when SMU was shorthanded. … Mary DeBartolo (Chicago, Ill.) is second to Peterson in both goals (5) and points (11), while Mackenzie Klimek (Hastings, Minn.) collected her team-leading seventh assist vs. the Auggies last Saturday. … DeBartolo recorded her first collegiate hat trick on Jan. 4, scoring all three of SMU's goals — including the game-winner in overtime — in its 3-2 win over UW-Eau Claire. … DeBartolo owns two game-winning goals — with both coming in overtime. The sophomore forward also scored the game-winner in SMU's first OT win of the season against Hamline on Nov. 9. … SMU's 33 goals have come from 12 different players, including collegiate firsts from Klimek, Karban, Parent, Ehlenfeldt,  Rory Petrisin (High Bridge, N.J.) and Macki Fadness (Eau Claire, Minn.). … Tori Herrmann (Elk River, Minn.) — who stopped a career-best 37 shots against St. Thomas on Jan. 18 — finished with 24 saves in recording the win vs. Augsburg last Friday. … Herrmann has now stopped 188 shots and enters this weekend's games against Saint Benedict with a 2.73 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage. Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.), meanwhile, made 26 saves against Augsburg last Saturday and has kicked out a team-high 199 shots and owns a 3.44 GAA and an .881 save percentage. … Herrmann made 20 saves against Concordia-Wis. on Oct. 27 en route to her first collegiate win. … SMU owns a 4-1-0 record when scoring first, but the Cardinals are just 1-8-1 when their opponent scores first. 

Scouting The Saint Benedict Blazers:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
With their 0-0 tie against Hamline on Saturday, the Blazers snapped their three-game losing streak. However, CSB is still looking for its first win since a 2-1 victory over Concordia-Wis. on Jan. 10 (0-3-1). … Saint Benedict has been outscored 10-3 during its current four-game winless streak. … Saturday's shutout marked the third time this season the Blazers have held their opponent without a goal — CSB has also blanked Augsburg 4-0 and St. Catherine 3-0. … Tara Frey and Alyssa Hoffman picked up third-period goals in last Friday's 3-2 loss to the Pipers, while Jenna Traut collected 30 saves. … Kaitlyn Rolando kicked out 32 Hamline shots in recording the shutout in goal last Saturday. … Alli O'Brien enters this weekend's games at Saint Mary's leading the team in assists (5) and points (9). … Megan Brettingen is the team's goal-scoring leader with five, one more than O'Brien, Frey, Allyson Nielsen, and Ashley Olson. … Traut and Rolando have shared the goaltending duties this season, with Traut compiling a 1.78 goals-against-average and a .939 save percentage in nine starts, while Rolando has a 2.55 GAA and an .896 save percentage in five starts. … Traut stopped a season-high 35 shots against St. Oalf on Nov. 3, while also adding a pair of 32-save efforts this season. … CSB's four goals in its 4-0 over Augsburg on Nov. 17 were a season high. The Blazers have also scored three goals in a game three times. … Three of Saint Benedict's four wins — and two of the Blazers' four ties — have come at home. CSB is just 1-2-2 on the road this season. … Saint Benedict has played four overtime games this season — with all four ending in ties. … The Blazers have scored first in all four of their wins this season, but are 0-6-3 when their opponent scores first.