By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey kicks off its two-game conference series against Hamline on Friday, as the Cardinals host the fifth-ranked Pipers in a 7 p.m. matchup at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena.
 
The Matchup:
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (3-8-1 MIAC, 6-11-2 Overall) vs. #5 Hamline (9-1-1 MIAC, 14-3-2 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Live Stats * Live Video
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's — January 31-1, 2020 * Saint Mary's Ice Arena/Ed Saugestad Rink * Winona/Minneapolis, Minn.: The Cardinals dropped a pair of one-goal decisions against Augsburg in their MIAC series last weekend, falling 3-2 in the opener and 2-1 in the second game | Augsburg Recap 1 * Augsburg Recap 2
• Hamline — January 31-1, 2020 * TRIA Rink/Don Roberts Ice Arena * St. Paul/St. Peter, Minn.: The Pipers picked up a win and a tie in their two-game MIAC series against Gustavus last weekend, tying 2-2 on their home ice, while collecting a 5-3 road win the following afternoon | GAC Recap 1 * GAC Recap 2
 
Saint Mary's vs. Hamline — A Year Ago:
• February 8, 2019 * TRIA Rink * St. Paul, Minn.: Hamline — coming off a combined 12 goals in sweeping Concordia the previous weekend — erupted for two goals in each of the three periods in dealing Saint Mary's a 6-1 conference setback | Recap
• February 9, 2019 * Saint Mary's Ice Arena * Winona, Minn.: The high-powered Pipers, which dealt the Cardinals a 6-1 setback the night before, picked up right picked up right where they left off, scoring seven unanswered goals in dropping the Cardinals 7-1 | Recap
 
Up Next:
• The Cardinals and Pipers head to TRIA Rink in St. Paul, Minn., for Saturday's second game of the teams' two-game conference series. Opening face-off is slated for 2 p.m.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Friday's game against Hamline is the second straight home game for the Cardinals, who have recorded five of its six wins — and both of its ties — at the Saint Mary's Ice Arena. Saint Mary's 2-1 win over Bethel on Jan. 24 was the Cardinals' first road win of the season. … With their 3-2 and 2-1 losses to Augsburg last weekend, the Cardinals' last four games have all been decided by one goal — while 14 of their 19 games this season have been decided by two goals or less. Saint Mary's is 6-6-2 in those 14 contests. … The Cardinals' 5-2 loss to St. Thomas on Jan. 17 snapped their three-game winning streak and four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1). … The Cardinals' three-game winning streak was their longest since the 2015-16 season, while their four-game unbeaten run was the longest since going 3-0-1 during the 2014-15 campaign. … Delaney Wolf (Bismarck, N.D.) and Lauryn Folker (Cody, Wyo.) scored the Cardinals' two goals against Augsburg last Friday, while Courtney Moser (Blaine, Minn.) delivered Saint Mary's lone tally in its 2-1 loss the following day. … Saint Mary's has had a player score two goals in a game three times this season — Anya Hafiz (Woodbury, Minn.) against St. Thomas on Jan. 17, Delaney Calabrese (West Dundee, Ill.) v. St. Norbert on Jan. 10, and Sophia Zebro (Oak Grove, Minn.) v. Concordia on Nov. 15. … Hafiz has now posted a multiple-goal game four times in her collegiate career, while Zebro's two-goal game against Concordia on Nov. 15 was her third. … Saint Mary's has had five players score their first collegiate goals this season — Avrey Simonson's (Waupaca, Wis.), Calabrese, Kaley Manglitz's (Onalaska, Wis.), Sam Carlson (St. Paul, Minn.), and Amber Miller (Kasson, Minn.). … Hafiz enters this weekend's games against Hamline leading the team in goals with 10, while also leading the team in points with 15. …  Moser picked up her team-leading ninth assist against Augsburg last Friday. She is also second to Hafiz with 13 points. … Jordan Keeley (St. Peter, Minn.) stopped 41 Augsburg shots last Friday, while adding 38 saves in the teams' rematch the following afternoon. … Keeley's 41-save effort was just two shy of her career-high 43-save showing against Adrian on Nov. 3. … Keeley has now stopped a combined 153 shots in her last four starts. … Keeley, who has made 30 or more saves in a game six times in her first two years as a Cardinal, boasts a 2.46 goals-against-average and a .926 save percentage in nine starts. … Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.), who stopped a season- and career-high 44 shots against Gustavus on Dec. 6, enters this weekend's two games against Hamline boasting a 2.62 goals-against-average and a .911 save percentage. … Ziakas has made 30 or more saves six times in her collegiate career. … Saint Mary's has scored 15 of its 38 goals this season in the second period, where they hold a 15-12 scoring advantage. On the flip side, the Cardinals have been outscored 18-9 in the first period and 22-13 in the third. … Saint Mary's finished with a season-high 53 shots on goal in its 4-2 win over Marian on Jan. 5. It was the most shots on goal since putting 53 on net against Hamline on Feb. 25, 2004. … With their 3-2 loss to Bethel on Jan. 24, the Cardinals have now played four overtime games this season — going 1-1-2. Along with their loss to Bethel, the Cardinals have also beaten St. Norbert, tying both UW-Stevens Point and Gustavus, with both games ending 2-2. … The Cardinals' 2-2 tie against fourth-ranked Gustavus on Dec. 6 marked the third straight year in which Saint Mary's and GAC played to an overtime draw — the Cardinals and Gusties tied 1-1 in each of the last two seasons. … With their 4-2 win over St. Norbert on Jan. 10, the Cardinals have now scored a season-high four goals three times this season — having also beaten Concordia 4-3 on Nov. 15 and Marian 4-2 on Jan. 5. … Saint Mary's has scored first in 10 of its 19 games, going 2-6-2. The Cardinals are 4-5-0 when their opponent scores first. … Saint Mary's is 3-1-2 when leading after two periods, while going 1-7-0 when trailing after two. … Five of the Cardinals' first nine games this season were against teams ranked in the USCHO.com Poll. Saint Mary's dropped 3-2 and 4-2 games to No. 3 Adrian on Nov. 2-3, while falling to No. 5 UW-River Falls 4-1 on Nov. 9, and tying (2-2) and losing (5-1) to No. 4 Gustavus on Dec. 6-7 … The Cardinals' 4-3 win over Concordia on Nov. 15 was the first collegiate coaching win for Cardinal HC Sarah Murray. … Saint Mary's 3-2 loss to Adrian on Nov. 2 snapped its four-year, season-opening winning streak. … The Cardinals, who made their first MIAC Tournament appearance since the 2015-16 season a year ago — and their 11th in program history — were picked to finish sixth in the MIAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
Scouting The Hamline Pipers:
2019-20 Roster | 2019-20 Schedule | 2019-20 Statistics
• Friday's game against Saint Mary's is the second of back-to-back road games for the Pipers, who are 7-2-0 on the road this season. HU has compiled a near-perfect 7-1-2 record on their home ice at TRIA Rink. … Last Friday's 2-2 tie against Gustavus snapped the Pipers' nine-game winning streak, but HU enters this weekend's showdown against Saint Mary's unbeaten in its last 11 games (10-0-1). … With six games remaining in the regular season, the Pipers — ranked No. 5 in the latest USCHO.com Poll — are sitting atop the conference standings, one point in front of Gustavus and St. Thomas, and three points up on Augsburg. … Hamline enters the weekend boasting three players who have scored 10 or more goals this season — Bree Simon (12), Molly Garin (12), and Sophie Rausch (11). … Simon (16) Garin (15), and Rausch (14) are three of five Pipers with 10 or more assists, being joined by Olivia Arkell (15) and Jordan Hansen (14). … Along with her team lead in both goals and assists, Simon owns a team-best 28 points, followed by Garin (27), Rausch (25), Hansen (21), and Arkell (19). … Hamline has scored 13 power-play goals this season — led by Garin and Hansen with three each — while also adding a pair of shorthanded goals. … Simon owns a team-leading four game-winning goals, one more than Rausch. … Jaela O'Brien has made 13 starts in goal for the Pipers, compiling a 1.13 goals-against-average and a .921 save percentage, while McKenna Huislander owns a 1.67 GAA and .913 save percentage in seven appearances — including six starts. … Hamline has outscored its opponents 83-31 — and have allowed just a combined 13 goals in the game's first two periods. … Hamline has scored first in 16 of its 19 games, going 12-2-2. … The Pipers are also 12-2-2 when leading after two periods. … Hamline is 4-2-1 in games decided by one goal or less, including two of its three losses — with both losses a 4-3 decision. … Hamline is 9-1-0 in games decided by three goals or more. … The Pipers have scored five or more goals in 10 of their 19 games this season — including a season-high eight goals in wins over Saint Benedict (8-1) and Concordia (8-0). …