MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.  — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's tennis team returns to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, traveling to the U of M Baseline Tennis Center for a 5 p.m. conference showdown against Macalester.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-2 MIAC | 13-3 Overall) at Macalester (0-1 MIAC | 5-4 Overall)

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Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals got wins at No. 1 singles and doubles, but UW-La Crosse answered with a pair of doubles wins and five straight-set singles victories in handing Saint Mary's a 7-2 nonconference setback Wednesday at the Winona Tennis Center | Recap
• Macalester: The Scots closed out a 3-1 showing during their spring trip to Hilton Head, S.C., with a 9-0 victory over Albright on March 20 | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Macalester—A Year Ago:
• April 26, 2014: Saint Mary's gave it everything they had in their season finale against Macalester, but the banged-up Cardinals were no match for the Scots in falling 7-2 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match at the Winona Tennis Center | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are now off until April 11, when they travel to St. Peter, Minn., for a showdown against conference power Gustavus. Match time is set for noon.
• Macalester: The Scots are right back on the court on Sunday, traveling to Collegeville, Minn., for a 1 p.m. conference match against Saint John's.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2015 Roster | 2015 Schedule | 2015 Statistics
Despite their 7-2 loss to UW-La Crosse, the Cardinals enter Saturday's match against Macalester having won 12 of their last 14 matches. … The Cardinals' last two setbacks have been by 7-2 outcomes. … The Cardinals had their 11-match winning streak—the longest in coach Jeff Halberg's 15 years at the helm—snapped with a loss to St. Thomas last Saturday. … Saint Mary's owns six 9-0 sweeps this season, while also recording four 8-1 wins. … Tim Wolford (Maple Grove, Minn.) collected his 10th straight singles win with a 6-4, 4-6, 10-8 win at No. 1 singles vs. UW-La Crosse Wednesday. … Brett Giesen (Cato, Wis.) had his 13-match winning streak come to a screeching halt against the Eagles Wednesday, as the freshman dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision at No. 3. … Brenden Amiotte (Rapid City, S.D.) and Alex Holm (Red Wing, Minn.) both had their singles winning streaks snapped vs. St. Thomas last Saturday—Amiotte had won 11 straight and Holm nine. … Giesen and Wolford—who each kicked off their season by winning a pair of matches at the Gustavus Midwest Open last fall—share the team lead with 15 singles wins, two more than Amiotte. … Wolford and Collin Kaczorowski, who had their 12-match unbeaten streak at No. 1 doubles snapped against St. Thomas last Saturday, picked up their second straight win Wednesday and improved to 14-2 at No. 1 doubles this season. … As a team, the Cardinals own an impressive 75-27 singles record in dual matches, while going 38-13 in doubles play. … Saint Mary's has used 15 different doubles combinations through 17 matches. … Wednesday's loss to UW-La Crosse was just the second nonconference setback of the season for the Cardinals, who are 10-1 vs. non-MIAC foes. … Saint Mary's owns a 21-3 record against nonconference opponents over the past two seasons, and is 34-6 in nonconference action over the past three years. … Eight of the Cardinals' 13 wins have come on the road, where Saint Mary's is 8-1—suffering its first road loss at St. Thomas last Saturday. The Cardinals are 5-3 on their home court this season.
 
Scouting The Macalester Scots:
2015 Roster | 2015 Schedule | 2015 Statistics
With their 9-0 win over Albright on March 20, the Scots completed a 3-1 showing during their spring trip to Hilton Head, S.C.—with all three wins by a 9-0 count. … Macalester has now record 9-0 victories in all five of their matches this season. … Brian Utz—the reigning MIAC Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week—enters Saturday's match against Saint Mary's owning a team-best nine singles wins, one more than Josh Doyle. … Utz, who did not drop a set at No. 1 singles with a perfect 4-0 record, and was also 3-1 in doubles play from the top spot during the Scots' four-match spring trip—is riding a team-best seven-match singles winning streak. … Doyle and Wilson Merell have combined to post a team-leading 6-1 record in doubles competition. … The Scots, who have used 10 different doubles combinations, own an 18-9 record in doubles play, while going 36-18 in singles matches. … The Scots are 2-1 on their home court and own a 3-3 record away from home this season.