NEW BERLIN, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University men's tennis team kick off its season with a busy weekend — playing road matches at Concordia (Wis.) and Wisconsin Lutheran on Friday, and at Carroll on Saturday, before returning home for a nonconference match against Martin Luther Sunday at the Winona Tennis Center.

The Weekend Matchups:

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Friday, February 8, 2013 | Moorland Tennis Center * New Berlin, Wis. | 2 p.m.
Saint Mary's Cardinals (2012: 9-12 Overall) at Wis. Lutheran Warriors (2012: 2-8 Overall)

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Friday, February 8, 2013 | Paley Tennis Center * Glendale, Wis. | 7 p.m.
Saint Mary's Cardinals at Concordia (Wis.) Falcons (2012: 14-11 Overall)

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Saturday, February, 9, 2013 | Moorland Tennis Center * New Berlin, Wis. | 6 p.m.
Saint Mary's Cardinals at Carroll Pioneers (2012: 9-6 Overall)

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Sunday, February 10, 2013 | Winona Tennis Center * Winona, Minn. | Noon
Saint Mary's Cardinals vs. Martin Luther Knights (6-8 Overall)

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GameDay Live On The Web:
Video Preview | Martin Luther GameDay Program

Last Action:
Carroll is the only team to have played a match this spring, as the Pioneers knocked off 24th-ranked Carthage 6-3 on Feb. 2 in New Berlin, Wis. This weekend's matches are the season-openers for SMU, Wisconsin Lutheran, Concordia (Wis.) and Martin Luther.

SMU vs. Wisconsin Lutheran — Their Last Meeting:
Friday's match will be the first-ever between the Cardinals and the Warriors.

SMU vs. Martin Luther — Their Last Meeting:
February 12, 2012: The Cardinals lost just one game in sweeping the three doubles matches, while sweeping all six singles matches in straight sets en route to a 9-0 nonconference win over Martin Luther at the Winona Tennis Center.

SMU vs. Concordia (Wis.) — Their Last Meeting:
February 24, 2012: Michael Lunka (Eagan, Minn.) and Sam Puff (Eden Prairie, Minn.) were victorious in both singles and doubles action in leading the Cardinals to a 7-2 nonconference win over the Falcons in Milwaukee, Wis.

SMU vs. Carroll — Their Last Meeting:
February 27, 2011: The Cardinals swept all three doubles matches and cruised to their third straight 8-1 victory of the season, beating Carroll in New Berlin, Wis.

Cardinals Up Next:
The Cardinals kick off Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play next Friday, hosting Carleton in a 6:30 p.m. match at the Winona Tennis Center.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
Andrew Rangitsch (Oakdale, Minn.) set a single-day school record with five wins during the opening day of the Gustavus Midwest Open last fall, reaching the quarterfinals, as she dropped a two-and-a-half hour, three-set, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 decision to Saint John's Alex Weigmann. … Michael Lunka (Eagan, Minn.) and Bobby Steingraeber (La Crosse, Wis.) concluded a remarkable 2012 season with their second All-MIAC doubles honor. Lunka was also named all-conference in singles. … Lunka and Steingraeber — who played all 21 matches at No. 1 doubles — closed out the season with back-to-back wins and was 8-2 in their final 10 matches. … At 19-2, Lunka and Steingraeber closed out the year with more doubles wins than any other duo in the MIAC. … SMU's season-ending 5-4 loss at Macalester marked the fifth match this season decided by a 5-4 outcome. SMU was 2-3 in those five matches. … The Cardinals put together a season-high four-match winning streak with victories over Concordia (Wis.), Ripon, Marywood and King's College from Feb. 24-March 5.

Scouting the Concordia (Wis.) Falcons:
2013 Roster | 2013 Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Falcons are the team to beat in the Northern Athletics Conference, according the NAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. … CUW enters 2013 riding an 18-match conference winning streak, having run through the previous two NAC seasons with unblemished 9-0 records. … Concordia (Wis.) has been the NAC's preseason favorite six times in the seven-year history of the league. … CUW has dominated the NAC over the past six years, winning five regular-season and five conference tournament championships. … CUW has advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times in the last four years — including a year ago, when the Falcons bowed out to UW-Whitewater 5-0. … Russell Johnson led the Falcons with 19 singles wins a year ago, while Skip Turner added 16, and Tanner Hahn and Nathan Hoeppner chipped in nine and eight singles wins, respectively. … Johnson also owned a team-best 16 doubles wins a year ago, with Turner and Taylor Schaffer each chipping in 14. … As a team, Concordia (Wis.) went 80-59 in singles matches in 2012 — including boasting a 45-9 mark in conference singles play.

Scouting the Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Warriors kick off the 2013 season with a new head coach, as Paul Johnson takes of the reigns. … The Warriors return seven letterwinners from last year's squad that finished 2-8 overall. … Wisconsin Lutheran's two wins last year are the most in the program's brief, five-year history. … Lee Johnson returns after being named 2012 Northern Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. … Johnson went 8-2 in dual matches a year ago — with all 10 mathes played at No. 1 singles. … Johnson accounted for eight of the team's 18 singles wins in 2012. … The Warriors were picked to finish sixth in the 10-team NAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. … Both of Wisconsin Lutheran's wins a year ago came on its home court — the Warriors were 0-6 on the road in 2012.

Scouting the Carroll Pioneers:
2013 Roster | 2013 Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Pioneers kicked off their 213 season in style, knocking off 24th-ranked Carthage 6-3 in their season-opener on Feb. 2. … The Pioneers are coming off a nine-win season a year ago, while winning their first Midwest Conference North Division regular-season title. … Jack Michael is the Pioneers' top returner, as the sophomore is back after going 12-2 at No. 1 singles a year ago. … Michael was also part of Carroll's most successful doubles team, teaming with Ryan Ferrita to go 13-4 at No. 2 doubles in 2012. … Michael picked up right where he left off in 2012, winning a three-setter at No. 1 singles, while he and Ferrita were 8-6 winners at No. 1 doubles against Carthage on Feb. 2.

Scouting the Martin Luther Knights:
2013 Roster | 2012 Final Statistics | 2013 Schedule
The Knights, coming off a 6-8 season a year ago, return three All-UMAC performers in Scott Henrich, Paul Koester and Benjamin Nommensen. … Henrich was named to the All-UMAC First Team for the third straight year, after finishing with a 7-7 overall singles record, while also going 7-7 in doubles play — both at No. 1. … Koester finished with six singles wins and seven doubles victories at No. 2 singles, while Nommensen was one of only two freshmen named to the all-conference team a year ago after posting five singles wins. … The Knights went 3-3 on their home court a year ago, while also picking up three wins on the road.