By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
BLAINE, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team kicks off its two-game conference series against Bethel on Friday, as the Cardinals head to the Schwan's Super Rink for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Royals.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-6-3 MIAC, 6-8-5 Overall) at Bethel Royals (2-8-2 MIAC, 5-11-2 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's—January 25-26, 2019 * St. Peter/Winona, Minn.: The Cardinals collected one conference point in its two-game MIAC series against Gustavus. The Gusties scored three times in both the second and third periods in handing Saint Mary's a 6-0 setback last Friday at Don Roberts Ice Rink, while SMU battled GAC to a 1-1 overtime tie in the teams' rematch at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena the following afternoon | GAC Recap 1 * GAC Recap 2
• Bethel—January 25-26, 2019 * St. Paul, Minn./Blaine, Minn.: The Royals finished with a loss and a tie in their two-game MIAC series against Hamline last weekend. BU dropped a 4-1 decision to the Pipers at TRIA Arena last Friday, before battling Hamline to a 4-4 tie in the teams' rematch the following afternoon at the Schwan's Super Rink | HU Recap 1 * HU Recap 2
 
Saint Mary's vs. Bethel — A Year Ago:
• February 2, 2018 * Winona, Minn.: For the third Friday in a row, the Cardinals were taken to overtime in their MIAC showdown against Bethel at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. Unfortunately, the third time was not the charm for the Cardinals, as Bethel scored the game-winner 1:05 into overtime to lift the Royals to a 3-2 conference victory | Recap
• February 3, 2018 * Blaine, Minn.: Bailey Wendt (Coon Rapids, Minn.) became the first Cardinal since 2001 to score four goals in one game, as the Cardinal junior accounted for all the Saint Mary's offense in its 4-2 win over the Royals at the Schwan's Super Rink | Recap
 
Up Next:
• The Cardinals and Royals conclude their two-game conference series on Saturday, as the two teams head to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena for a 4 p.m. rematch.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals: 
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Last Friday's game at Gustavus was the fourth road game in the last six contests for the Cardinals — who have now played six of their last nine contests away from the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. … With their 1-1 overtime tie against Gustavus last Saturday, the Cardinals have now gone into OT in six of their last nine games — including five that ended in ties. … The Cardinals' five ties this season are the most since the 2011-12 season, when Saint Mary's finished the year 7-12-6. … Carson Sheridan (Waunakee, Wis.) scored the Cardinals' goal in last Saturday's 1-1 tie against Gustavus. … Sophia Zebro (Oak Grove, Minn.) and Natalie Ryan (Village of Lakewood, Ill.) head into this weekend's conference series against Bethel sharing the team lead in goals with six — three in front of Bailey Wendt (Coon Rapids, Minn.), Carolyn Chrastka (Franklin Park, Ill.), Delaney Wolf (Bismarck, N.D.), and Lexie Budensiek (Farmington, Minn.). … Courtney Moser (Blaine, Minn.) picked up her team-leading ninth assist of the season against Gustavus last Saturday. … Moser owns a team-high 11 points, one more than Wendt and two in front of Ryan. … Zebro recorded her second collegiate two-goal game on Jan. 8 against nationally ranked UW-River Falls, scoring the first two of the Cardinals' three goals vs. the Falcons. Zebro also had a two-goal game against Marian on Oct. 27. … Saint Mary's 32 goals this season have come from 10 different players, while 15 Cardinals have recorded at least one point. … Saint Mary's six game-winning goals this season have come from five different players — Ryan (2), Moser, Zebro, Chrastka, and Wolf. … The Cardinals boast five players who have scored their first collegiate goals this season — Zebro, Budensiek, Chrastka, Sheridan, and Lauren Folker (Cody, Wyo.). … Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) made a season-high 37 saves against Gustavus last Saturday. … Ziakas' 37-save effort was just four shy of her career high. … Ziakas heads into this weekend's showdown against Bethel boasting a 1.58 goals-against-average and a .940 save percentage in nine appearances, while Ashley Corcoran (Red Wing, Minn.) owns a 2.02 GAA and .935 save percentage in three games and Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.) has compiled a 2.68 GAA and .907 save percentage in a team-leading nine starts. … Ziakas leads the goalie corps with 220 saves, with Keeley second with 194. … All three Cardinal goalies have posted at least one shutout this season. Keeley stopped all 28 shots she faced in Saint Mary's 1-0 win over St. Catherine on Jan. 19 — it was her second shutout of the season. The freshman also stopped all 16 shots in notching her first collegiate shutout — in her first collegiate start — against Marian on Oct. 27. Corcoran stopped all 22 shots she faced against Saint Benedict on Nov. 30 en route to her first shutout of the season and second of her collegiate career; while Ziakas posted her first collegiate shutout in the Cardinals' first meeting with UW-Stevens Point on Dec. 8, stopping all 24 Pointer shots. … Corcoran finished with a season-high 39 saves against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 20 — including 20 in the game's opening 20 minutes. … Keeley posted a career-high 29 saves in Saint Mary's 4-1 loss to Augsburg on Nov. 17. … Saint Mary's game against sixth-ranked UW-River Falls on Jan. 8 was the fourth against a nationally ranked opponent this season. The Cardinals played a pair of games against then-No. 9 St. Thomas on No. 9-10, and faced then-No. 10 UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 20. … Six of the nine goals scored between Saint Mary's and Saint Benedict on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 were scored in the first period. The Cardinals scored all three of their goals in their 3-0 win vs. Saint Benedict on Nov. 20 in the opening period, while the Bennies netted three of their five tallies in their 5-1 win the following day in the game's first 20 minutes. … Saint Mary's has scored first nine times this season — including all six of its wins — and three of its five ties. The Cardinals are still searching for their first win (0-9-1) when their opponent scores first. … Saint Mary's is 6-1-2 when leading after two periods, but are winless (0-6-1) when trailing heading into the third period. … The Cardinals' six goals in their 6-3, season-opening win over St. Norbert equaled their single-game season high from a year ago. … The Cardinals' 6-3 loss to nationally ranked UW-River Falls on Jan. 8 was their final nonconference game of the season. Saint Mary's finished 3-2-2 in its seven non-league games. … With their 6-3 season-opening win over St. Norbert on Oct. 26, the Cardinals have now won their season-opener in each of their last four seasons. … Thanks to their 6-3 win over St. Norbert and 4-0 victory over Marian, the Cardinals have now swept those two teams to open each of the last three seasons.
 
Scouting The Bethel Royals:
2018-19 Roster | 2018-19 Schedule | 2018-19 Statistics
• Friday's game against Saint Mary's is the second straight home game for the Royals, who have collected four of their five wins this season on their home ice (4-4-1). … Bethel's 4-4 tie against seventh-ranked Hamline last Saturday snapped the Royals' three-game losing streak, but extended their winless streak to four (0-3-1). … After starting the season 0-8-1, the Royals rattled off four straight wins, before falling to St. Thomas 4-0 to kick off their current four-game slide. … Courtney Johnston netted BU's lone goal in last Friday's 4-1 loss to Hamline, while Bailey Thompson scored twice and Kaylyn Forliti and Payton Olson accounted for the Royals' other two goals in their 4-4 tie in the teams' rematch the following day. … With their goals last weekend against Hamline, Thompson and Forliti moved into the team lead with seven goals each, one more than Bri Stafine. … Stafine owns the team lead in both assists (7) and points (13). … Stafine is one of three Royals with 10 or more points this season, being joined by Thompson (12) and Forlitti (11). … Forlitti has scored two of BU's five game-winning goals, with Stafine, Kennedi Mitchell, and Erika Geary netting the other three. … The Royals have scored just three power-play goals this season, while surrendering 22. … Mallory Tidona has been the workhorse between the pipes for the Royals, starting 13 of the team's 18 games — compiling a 3.49 goals-against-average and .896 save percentage. … Emily Auge (5 GP, 3.87 GAA, .904 save %) and Claire Belkholm (2 GP, 4.31 GAA, .825 save %) have also seen action in goal for the Royals this season. … Bethel has scored first in just four of its 18 games, going 3-1-0. BU is 2-10-2 when its opponent scores first. … Bethel is 4-1-2 when leading after the second period, while going 1-10-0 when trailing heading into the game's final 20 minutes. … Bethel has played three one-goal games, going 2-1-0, and the Royals are 1-2-0 in games decided by two goals. … Bethel has played three overtime games this season — the Royals beat Chatham 3-2, while tying both Concordia (3-3) and Hamline (4-4). … Bethel's four goals against Hamline last Saturday marked the fourth time this season the Royals have netted four or more goals. BU also scored four in blanking Northland (4-0), while scoring a season-high five goals in back-to-back games against Northland (W, 5-2) and Saint Benedict (W, 5-3).