EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team steps out of conference play on Friday, as the Cardinals travel to the Hobbs Ice Arena for a 7 p.m. nonconference game against UW-Eau Claire.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-5-1 Overall) at UW-Eau Claire Blugolds (8-4-0 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—December 2-3, 2016 * Moorhead, Minn.: The Cardinals came up empty in both of their MIAC games against Concordia last weekend at the Moorhead Sports Center, falling to the Cobbers 2-0 in the opener last Friday, before dropping a 5-0 decision a day later | CC Recap 1 * CC Recap 2
• UW-Eau Claire—December 7, 2016 * St. Paul, Minn.: The Blugolds continued their winning ways on the road, winning for the sixth time in seven contests away from Hobbs Ice Arena, as Holly Turnbull scored with 56 seconds remaining in overtime to beat Hamline 3-2 at Oscar Johnson Arena | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. UW-Eau Claire—Earlier This Year:
• November 26, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: For the seventh time in as many games this season, the Cardinals did not allow a first-period goal—this time around, blanking UW-Eau Claire over the game's opening 20 minutes. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, there would be no repeat in the second or third periods, as UW-Eau Claire scored back-to-back goals two minutes apart midway through the second period, before adding a pair insurance goals in the final four minutes of the third in dealing Saint Mary's a 4-0 nonconference setback at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. UW-Eau Claire—A Year Ago:
• January 1, 2016 * Winona, Minn.: It took nearly 58 minutes, but the timing of their first goal could not have been better for Saint Mary's. The Cardinals—stymied by UW-Eau Claire goalie Paige Turner all night—finally beat the senior goalie on a goal by Jamie Henderson (Madison, Wis.) with just 2:07 remaining in regulation, lifting Saint Mary's to a 1-1 overtime tie in the teams' nonconference game at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena | Recap
• January 2, 2016 * Eau Claire, Wis.: For the second time in as many days, Saint Mary's found itself heading to overtime, deadlocked with UW-Eau Claire 1-1. Unfortunately, unlike Friday's 1-1 tie, the Blugolds found a way to net the overtime game-winner, as Danielle Lucker scored an unassisted power play goal 1:52 into the extra session to lift UW-Eau Claire to a 2-1 win over the Cardinals at Hobbes Ice Arena | Recap
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are right back on the road on Saturday, heading to Ice Hawks Arena in Stevens Point, Wis., for a 7 p.m. nonconference game against UW-Stevens Point.
• UW-Eau Claire: The Blugolds are back on their home ice on Saturday, entertaining Marian in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at the Hobbs Ice Arena in Eau Claire, Wis.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Friday's game against UW-Eau Claire is the third of four straight road games for the Cardinals, who do not play at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena again until Jan. 6-7, when they entertain Lake Forest in a pair of nonconference games. … With their 5-0 loss to Concordia last Saturday, the Cardinals have now dropped three straight games—all by shutout. … With their 5-0 loss to Concordia last Saturday, the Cardinals have now surrendered four or more goals four times this season. … The Cardinals' six goals in their 6-3 win over St. Olaf on Nov. 17 were a season high—and the highest single-game offensive output since scoring six against both Marian and Hamline during the 2009-2010 season. … Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) recorded her first collegiate two-goal game against St. Olaf on Nov. 17, and followed that up with another goal in the teams' second meeting two days later. … Jane Hannula (Coon Rapids, Minn.), Kassie Lien (Grantsburg, Wis.), Bailey Wendt (Coon Rapids, Minn.), and Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) accounted for Saint Mary's other four goals in the 6-3 win over St. Olaf on Nov. 17, while Jesse Cwik (Chicago, Ill.) and Jamie Henderson (Madison, Wis.) joined Hafiz as goal-scorers in the 4-3, Game 2 loss to the Oles. … Hafiz recorded at least one point in each of the Cardinals' first six games this season—including four multiple-point games. … Hafiz heads into Friday's nonconference game at UW-Eau Claire leading the team in all three offensive categories—goals (6), assists (4), and points (10). … Henderson is second to Hafiz in goals with four, with Cwik, Hannula, and Lien tied for third with three. … Hafiz's goal at 9:50 of the opening period against Marian was her first collegiate goal—as well as the Cardinals' first goal of the season. … The Cardinals boast three players who have netted their first collegiate goals this season—Hafiz, Ryan, and Wendt. … Saint Mary's scored a pair of shorthanded goals against St. Olaf on Nov. 17—back-to-back tallies by Hannula and Lien less than a minute apart midway through the second period. … Eight of the Cardinals' 19 goals have come on special teams—four power-play and four shorthanded. … Marah Shields (Mitford, Mich.) made 30 saves against Concordia last Friday, while Ashley Corcoran (Red Wing, Minn.) equaled that feat in the teams' rematch a day later. … Corcoran has now stopped a season-high 30 shots in each of her last two starts. … Shields' 30-save effort was two stops shy of her season-high 32-save performances against both St. Olaf on Nov. 19 and St. Norbert on Oct. 29. … Corcoran owns a 3.16 goals-against-average and an .888 save percentage, while Shields has a 4.12 GAA and an .887 save percentage. … Saint Mary's has scored 10 goals in the second and eight in the third, while the Cardinals' opponents have netted 15 goals in the second and 17 in the third. … Concordia's first-period tally in last Saturday's 5-0 win over Saint Mary's marked the first time this season the Cardinals have surrendered a first-period goal—a span of 167:50 minutes without allow a first-period goal. … The Cardinals have scored first in five of their nine games—going 2-2-1. Saint Mary's is 1-3-0 when its opponent scores first. … Four of the Cardinals' nine games have been decided by one goal or less—Saint Mary's opened the season with one-goal wins over Marian (4-3) and St. Norbert (5-4), and added a 2-2 tie vs. Bethel and a 4-3 loss against St. Olaf. … Saint Mary's wins over Marian and St. Norbert on Oct. 28-29 marked the first time the Cardinals have opened the year with back-to-back wins since beating the same two teams to open the 2010-11 season. … The Cardinals' combined nine goals against St. Olaf on Nov. 17 and Nov. 19 are the most in a two-game weekend series since netting nine in sweeping Marian 6-0 and 3-2 on Jan. 9-10, 2010. … Saint Mary's and St. Norbert scored seven third-period goals in their nonconference game on Oct. 29—including five in the game's final 1:33.  
 
Scouting The UW-Eau Claire Blugolds:
2016-17 Roster | 2016-17 Statistics | 2016-17 Schedule
• Friday's game against Saint Mary's is the first of five straight home games for the Blugolds, who are just 1-3-0 on their home ice thus far this season. … With their 3-2 overtime win over Hamline on Wednesday, the Blugolds improved to 6-1 on the road this season—UW-EC lone loss away from home was a 3-2 setback at Gustavus on Nov. 29. … UW-EC's rematch with Saint Mary's Friday is the eighth of 13 games against teams from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UW-EC has already faced St. Thomas (W, 4-1), Hamline (L, 4-3 & W, 3-2), Gustavus (L, 3-1 & L, 3-2), St. Olaf (2-0), Saint Mary's (W, 4-0), and Saint Benedict (W, 5-3), and still has St. Catherine, St. Olaf, and Augsburg (twice) on its schedule. … With Wednesday's victory over Hamline, the Blugolds enter the weekend riding a two-game winning streak, and have won four of their last five. … Courtney Wittig has scored a team-high 10 goals, while also leading the team in points with 11. … Wittig owns two of the team's eight game-winning goals and has tallied the Blugolds' lone hat trick—scoring four times against Finlandia on Oct. 29. … Elizabeth Bauer is the team's assist leader with seven. … Jaedyn Walz is second to Wittig in both goals (6) and points (10). … Walz scored one of the Blugolds' three goals in their win over Hamline Wednesday, and has now found the back of the net in four of the team's last five games. … UW-Eau Claire has used three different goalies this year, led by Erin Conolly, who has compiled a 2.00 goals-against-average and .906 save percentage in nine appearances. Molly Scarborough (3.40 GAA, .794 save percentage) has played in two games, while Anna Veazey (0.00 GAA, 1.000 save percentage) has made one start. … Conolly posted a 17-save shutout against Saint Mary's in the team's first meeting on Nov. 26, while Veazey stopped all 14 shots she faced in shutting out St. Olaf on Nov. 9. … As a team, the Blugolds have scored 13 power-play goals on 61 attempts (.213 %), while limiting their opponents to just six goals with the man advantage in 62 opportunities (.097 %). … UW-Eau Claire has outscored its opponents in all three periods—12-6 in the first, 13-8 in the second, and 13-10 in the third. … Wednesday's 3-2 win over Hamline was the Blugolds' second overtime game of the season—UW-EC dropped a 4-3 OT decision to the Pipers in their first meeting on Nov. 6. … UW-Eau Claire has scored the game's first goal in eight of its 12 contests this season, going 7-1-0. The Blugolds are 1-3-0 when their opponent scores first.