EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team closes out the nonconference portion of its schedule on Saturday, traveling to Hobbs Ice Arena for a 3 p.m. game against UW-Eau Claire.

The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (4-6-0 Overall)
at UW-Eau Claire Blugolds (5-6-2 Overall)

Last Night:
Mary DeBartolo (Chicago, Ill.) scored all three of SMU's goals — including the game-winner 1:12 into overtime — as the Cardinals recorded a 3-2 victory over UW-Eau Claire at the SMU Ice Arena.

SMU vs. UW-Eau Claire — A Year Ago:
January 6, 2012: SMU coach Terry Mannor isn't psychic, but prior to the Cardinals' nonconference against UW-Eau Claire, he did predict it would be a nailbiter. How right he was. Brittany Therrien (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) scored two minutes into the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie and lifting the Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Blugolds at Hobbs Ice Arena in Eau Claire, Wis.
January 7, 2012: SMU and UW-Eau Claire women's have battled to a split in their last three two-game nonconference series. And the trend continues, as the Blugolds scored the game's final two goals in handing SMU a 3-1 setback at the SMU Ice Arena.

Up Next:
The Cardinals are now off until Jan. 18-19, when they return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play against St. Thomas. SMU travels to St. Thomas Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn., for a 7 p.m. contest on Jan. 18, then hosts the Tommies in the rematch at the SMU Ice Arena at 2 p.m. the following day. … UW-Eau Claire, meanwhile, closes out its nonconference schedule on Tuesday, when they head to Mendota Heights, Minn., and the St. Thomas Ice Arena for a 7:30 p.m. game against the Tommies.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
Friday's 3-2 win over UW-Eau Claire snapped the Cardinals' season-high five-game losing streak. … SMU's Friday night victory also marked the seventh time in their last eight games that the final was decided by two goals or less. … After going winless (0-2-6) in eight overtime games a year ago, the Cardinals are now 2-0-0 in OT games this season. SMU also beat Hamline 2-1 overtime on Nov. 9. … Mary DeBartolo (Chicago, Ill.) scored the game-winner against UW-Eau Claire Friday night — the sophomore forward also scored the game-winner in SMU's first OT win of the season against Hamline on Nov. 9. … DeBartolo accounted for all three goals vs. the Blugolds Friday en route to her first collegiate multiple-goal game and her first collegiate hat trick. … With her three goals Friday, DeBartolo moved into a tie for the team lead in goals (5) with Breanna Peterson (Macomb, Mich.). The two also share the team lead in points with nine, while Mackenzie Klimek (Hastings, Minn.) owns a team-best six assists. … Two of Peterson's four goals this season have been shorthanded. … SMU's 24 goals have come from 11 different players, including collegiate firsts from Klimek, Rory Petrisin (High Bridge, N.J.), Macki Fadness (Eau Claire, Minn.), McKenna Parent (Ham Lake, Minn.) and Katie Ehlenfeldt (Beaver Dam, Wis.). … Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.) — who stopped a season-high 34 shots against Hamline on Nov. 9 — made 27 saves against UW-Eau Claire Friday. … Gustafson has stopped 152 shots in six starts this season, and owns a 3.17 goals-against-average and an .889 save percentage. … Tori Herrmann (Elk River, Minn.), meanwhile, posted 26 saves in SMU's rematch with St. Olaf on Dec. 1 and owns a 2.52 GAA and a .911 save percentage in four starts in goal. … Herrmann made 20 saves against Concordia-Wis. on Oct. 27 en route to her first collegiate win, and added a career-best 31-save effort against Hamline on Nov. 10. … With Friday's win, the Cardinals evened their record to 2-2-0 at the SMU Ice Arena.

Scouting The UW-Eau Claire Blugolds:
2012-13 Roster | 2012-13 Statistics | 2012-13 Schedule
Friday's loss to Saint Mary's snapped a pair of UW-Eau Claire streaks. The Blugolds had entered Friday's nonconference contest riding a four-game winning streak and a six game unbeaten streak (4-0-2). … UW-Eau Claire had not lost since falling to Adrian 3-2 on Nov. 10. … Eight of the Blugolds' last nine games have been decided by one goal or less — the lone exception a 6-1 win over Marian on Dec. 10. … This weekend's games against Saint Mary's are the third and fourth contests against MIAC foes this season. UW-EC fell twice to Bethel — 7-0 and 4-1 — to open the season. … Tory Heller and Sam Knutson accounted for UW-Eau Claire's two goals vs. SMU Friday. … With her goal Friday, Knutson moved into a tie with Emily Larson for the team lead in goals with four each. … Larson also boasts team-highs in assists (4) and points (8). … UW-Eau Claire's 28 goals have come from 12 different players, while 15 of the team's 17 players have recorded at least one point. … The Blugolds have used three different goalies — Kim Van Brunt, Paige Turner and Mara Stormer — through the season's first 13 games. Turner, who made 31 saves vs. Saint Mary's Friday, owns a 3.04 goals-against-average and a .910 save percentage in 10 games, while Van Brunt has a 1.72 GAA in three appearances and Stormer has compiled a 4.23 GAA in two games. … UW-Eau Claire has been outscored 15-9 in the second period and 15-11 in the third. … The Blugolds are unbeaten when scoring first (4-0-2), but have won just once when their opponent nets the game's first goal (1-6-0). … UW-Eau Claire has now played four overtime games this season, going 1-1-2. UW-EC beat St. Norbert 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 2, lost to SMU Friday and battled UW-River Falls to back-to-back ties on Nov. 16-17.