• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals enter Wednesday's matchup against Macalester sitting at 5-2-1 in conference play, while owning a 12-3-1 overall record. In its most recent action, Saint Mary's dropped a 1-0 decision to Hamline last Saturday, surrendering the game's only goal early in the second half.
• DANCING: Despite their 1-0 loss to Hamline last Saturday, Saint Mary's locked up its first-ever MIAC Tournament berth since the league added the six-team tourney in 2003.
• PLENTY TO PLAY FOR: With two conference games remaining, the regular-season conference crown is still up for grabs — as is the seeding for the six-team MIAC Tournament. Saint Mary's is sitting third, one point back of Saint Benedict (6-1-2, 20 points) and three points behind league-leading St. Catherine (7-1-1). Augsburg (5-3-1, 16 points), Gustavus (5-4-0, 15 points), Carleton (4-4-1, 13 points), and Macalester (4-4-1, 13 points) are all vying for the final three spots. … The Cardinals are still in the running for their first MIAC regular-season title since 1991, but they will have to win both of their two remaining games, and have both Saint Benedict and St. Catherine each lose once or tie twice.
• STREAK BUSTERS: With their 2-0 win over Macalester in their last meeting on Oct. 30, 2019, the Cardinals snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Scots, dating back to a 1-0 win on Oct. 9, 2010.
• RACE TO 12: Saint Mary's 12 wins this season mark the first time a Cardinal team has collected 12 wins since 2005, when they closed out the year 13-5-0. … Saint Mary's 10-1-1 start to the season was its best start since opening the 1991 season 11-1-0. That 1991 team went on to finish 14-4-0 and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, falling to UC-San Diego in the opening round. … The Cardinals also opened the 1988 season 11-1-0 — it's the best 12-game start in program history.
• CLOSE CALLS: Saint Mary's 1-0 loss to Hamline marked the ninth time in the last 10 outings that the game has been decided by one goal or less — the lone exception, SMU's 3-1 win over St. Olaf on Oct. 12.
• HOME SWEET HOME: The Cardinals are unbeaten on their home turf this season, boasting a 5-0-1 record. Saint Mary's is 7-3-0 away from Ochrymowycz Field.
• A PK RARITY: Haddy Falkman's (Waconia, Minn.) goal in the 14th minute against St. Olaf on Oct. 12 was the Cardinals' first penalty kick attempt of the season — and their first since Kassie Arriaga (Chula Vista, Calif.) scored on a PK against Coe on Sept. 9, 2018, a span of 36 games without a penalty kick attempt.
• NONE BETTER: As a team, the Cardinals lead all MIAC teams in goals (36), assists (28), points (100), and goals-against-average (0.43). Individually, Alexis Nguyen's (West Corvina, Calif.) 0.11 goals-against-average and .974 save percentage lead the league. Her 0.11 GAA ranks No. 2 in all of NCAA Division III and her .974 save percentage is No. 1 in the nation. … Jordyn Matthews (Seattle, Wash.) is tied for the league lead in points (21), while she and Falkman are tied for No. 2 in goals with eight each. Matthews and Genesis Capacio (Las Vegas, Nev.) are second in the league in assists (5).
• CONFERENCE HONORS: Nguyen and Matthews have both been named MIAC Athlete of the Week this season — Nguyen earning the honor on Sept. 20 and Matthews following suit one week later.
• FEW GET PAST: St. Catherine's goal in the game's 72nd minute on Sept. 26 was the first allowed by the Cardinals this season — ending a span of 722:13 scoreless minutes. … UW-Stout's goal in the fourth minute the following day, meanwhile, marked the first time all season the Cardinals have not scored first. … The Cardinals have allowed just four goals in nine conference games.
• LEADER OF THE PACK: Matthews and Falkman enter Wednesday's game against Macalester leading the team in goals with eight each, three in front of Brooklyn McKinney (Thornton, Colo.). … Capacio and Matthews share the team lead in assists with five, one in front of Falkman, and two better than Kassie Arriaga (Chula Vista, Calif.), and Kaley Manglitz (Onalaska, Wis.) — while Matthews and Falkman are also the team-leaders in points with 21 and 20, respectively.
• DOUBLING UP: Saint Mary's has had six players score two goals in a game this season — a feat Matthews has achieved twice. Falkman and Elisia Jensen (Gig Harbor, Wash.) achieved the feat against Ripon on Sept. 12, while Matthews, Arriaga, Brooklyn McKinney (Thornton, Colo.), and Megan Trindle (Castle Rock, Colo.) all posted two-goal games against Martin Luther on Sept. 6. It was the first career two-goal game for Arriaga, McKinney, Trindle, Falkman, and Jensen.
• FIRST GOALS: The Cardinals have had six players score their first collegiate goals this season. Wachter netted the 2 OT game-winner against UW-River Falls last Wednesday; Falkman and McKinney scored the Cardinals' two goals in their season-opening win over UW-Superior; Mikayla McCart (Council Bluffs, Iowa) tallied the game's only goal in SMU's win over Coe; and Trindle and Jenna Zimmer (Calgary, Alberta) tallied their first career goals in SMU's 11-0 win over Martin Luther on Sept. 6.
• THE BRICK WALL: Nguyen — who stopped a career-high 10 shots in SMU's 2-1 win over St. Catherine on Sept.26 — posted her sixth shutout of the season against Concordia on Oct. 1, stopping both CC shots. … Nguyen has now stopped 38 of the 39 shots she's faced for a 0.11 goals-against-average and .974 save percentage.
• THE BRICK WALL II: Madison Mora (Honolulu, Hawaii) enters Wednesday's matchup against Macalester having started three of the team's last four goals in goal. She owns a 0.68 goals-against-average and an .868 save percentage.
• IN GOAL FIRSTS: Mora stopped all five UW-River Falls shots on Oct. 6 en route to her first collegiate shutout — and her first win as a Cardinal. … Mora recorded a career-high in saves against St. Olaf on Oct. 12, stopping eight Ole shots.
• WORKING OVERTIME: The Cardinals have played three overtime games this season, going 2-0-1. Saint Mary's played four overtime games in 2019 — with all four going into a second OT.
• STRIKING FAST: Saint Mary's has scored at least one goal in the first half in nine of its 16 games this season. SMU has outscored its opponents 20-3 in the first half and 16-4 in the second.
• BACK-TO-BACK: With their 1-0 overtime win over Gustavus on Sept. 29, the Cardinals have now shut out Gustavus in each of the teams' last two meetings, having beaten GAC 3-0 on May 2, 2021.
• FIT TO BE TIED: With their 0-0, double-overtime tie against Saint Benedict on Sept. 18, the Cardinals and Bennies have now played to a draw in each of their last two meetings, having battled to a 1-1 deadlock a year ago.
• SNAPPED: The Cardinals' 2-1 win over St. Catherine on Sept. 26 put an end to a nine-game losing streak against the Wildcats, dating back to a 3-1 win on Oct. 15, 2011.
• NAILBITERS: With their 1-0 win over Carleton on Sept. 14, the Cardinals are now 2-0-1 in their last three meetings with the Knights — with all three games being decided by one goal or less. Along with their 1-0 win, SMU beat Carleton 3-2 in 2 overtimes in 2018, and battled to a 1-1, double-overtime draw in 2019.
• DOUBLE DIGITS: Saint Mary's 11-goal outburst in its 11-0 win over Martin Luther on Sept. 6 marked the first time since beating Northland 10-0 on Sept. 9, 2017 that the Cardinals scored 10 or more goals in a game. … SMU's 11 goals were the most since beating UW-Platteville 11-0 on Sept. 7, 1996 and just three goals shy of the school record, set in a 14-0 win over Saint Benedict on Oct. 22, 1986. … Saint Mary's has scored 10 or more goals in a game seven times in program history.
• PERFECTION: With their 11-0 win over Martin Luther on Sept. 6, the Cardinals improved to 7-0-0 all-time against MLC and have outscored the Knights by a combined 45-5. |
• FOR THE RECORD: The Scots head into Wednesday's showdown against Saint Mary's boasting a 10-4-2 overall record, including a 4-4-1 mark in conference play. With two MIAC games remaining, the Scots are still in the hunt for one of the six MIAC Tournament berths. Macalester is tied with Carleton for the sixth and final spot, two points behind fifth-place Gustavus and two points in front of seventh-place St. Scholastica.
• RARE LOSS: Last Saturday's 1-0 setback at the hands of Saint Benedict snapped the Scots' six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1). Macalester had beaten Hamline (1-0), UW-Eau Claire (2-0), St. Scholastica (2-1), Carleton (2-0), and Grinnell (2-0), while tying league-leading St. Catherine (1-1) in that six-game span.
• SHUTTING 'EM DOWN: Nine of Macalester's 10 wins this season have been via shutout — the lone exception, a 2-1 win over St. Scholastica on Oct. 12.
• CLOSE CALLS: The Scots have played 11 games decided by one goal or less — including all four losses. Macalester's four losses this season have come against Augsburg (1-0), St. Olaf (2-1), Bethel (1-0), and Saint Benedict (1-0).
• LEADERS OF THE PACK: Alice Bieda, Julia Kispert, and Carolyn Eckstein have accounted for 14 of the Scots' 26 goals this season. Bieda owns a team-leading six goals, two more than both Kispert and Eckstein.
• LENDING A HAND: Ella Thomsen, Lucy Grochulska, and Hannah Conner all share the team lead in assists with three each, one more than Lily Lorenzen. Kispert, Caighley Espardinez, Ana Berman, Abby Ecker, and Mikaely Evans own Macalester's other five helpers.
• GAME-WINNERS: Thomsen, Kispert, Eckstein, and Bieda have all scored two game-winning goals this season, with Mia Bribin and Celia Lesmeister netting the other two.
• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Dana Gustafson has started 15 of the team's 16 games in goal, compiling a 0.60 goals-against-average and an .898 save percentage. Gustafson has stopped 79 of the 88 shots she's faced and has recorded six shutouts.
• SEASON-HIGHS: The Scots posted season-highs in goals (7), assists (4), points (18), and shots on goal in their 7-0 rout of Northland on Sept. 4. On the flip side, the Scots have allowed more than one goal just twice in 16 games this season — falling to St. Olaf (2-1) and tying Carleton (2-2).
• HOME, AWAY PARITY: It doesn't seem to matter if the Scots are playing at home or on the road this season — Macalester is 5-2-1 at home, while also going 5-2-1 away from Macalester Stadium.
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