SAINT MARY'S CARDINALS 

(6-5-0 OVERALL)

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JOHNSON & WALES WILDCATS

(6-7-0 OVERALL)

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LAST MEETING:

First-ever meeting

SAINT MARY'S LAST ACTION:

Jan. 1, 2022 * Eau Claire * L, 4-1

Jan. 2, 2022 * Stevens Pt. * L, 5-0

JOHNSON & WALES LAST ACTION: 

Dec. 11, 2021 * Trinity (Conn.) * L, 5-1

SAINT MARY'S UP NEXT:

Jan. 6, 2022 * Worcester St. * Worcester, MA * 4:00

JOHNSON & WALES UP NEXT: 

Jan. 7, 2022 * Castleton * Castleton, VT * 7:00

• FOR RECORD: The Cardinals head into their nonconference games against Johnson & Wales and Worcester State boasting a 6-5-0 overall record, including a 6-1-0 mark in conference play.

• LAST ACTION: The Cardinals are coming off back-to-back nonconference losses to UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stevens Point last weekend, Third-ranked UW-Eau Claire scored two goals 46 seconds apart early in the second period and held the Cardinals to just 13 shots on goal in dealing SMU a 4-1 setback Saturday at the Saint Mary’s Ice Arena. A day later, UW-Stevens Point erupted for three third-period goals in shutting out the Cardinals 5-0 at Ice Hawks Arena in Stevens Point. Wis. 

• HITTING A SPEED BUMP: The Cardinals’ 4-1 loss to UW-Eau Claire and 5-0 setback vs. UW-Stevens Point were just their second and third losses in the last eight games. All five of SMU’s wins in that span have been by two goals or less.

• FACING THE NATION’S BEST: Last Saturday’s matchup against No. 3 UW-Eau Claire marked the second time this season the Cardinals have faced a team ranked in the top five in the USCHO.com Poll. The Cardinals dropped a 7-0 decision to then-No. 4 UW-River Falls on Nov. 6.

• ON THE ROAD AGAIN: After playing seven of their previous eight games on their home ice — including last Saturday’s matchup against UW-Eau Claire — the Cardinals are in the midst of playing six consecutive contests away from the Saint Mary’s Ice Arena. SMU does not play at home again until Jan. 22, when they entertain Hamline in the second game of their two-game MIAC series.

• BUSY STRETCH: Wednesday’s game at Johnson & Wales is the third of four games in a six-day stretch for the Cardinals, who will square off against Worcester State on Thursday.

• SCORE GOALS, WIN GAMES: Saint Mary’s has scored 16 goals in its five wins this season. The Cardinals have managed just two goals in their five losses.

• LIGHTING THE LAMP: Allie Urlaub (Burnsville, Minn.) and Sidney Polzin (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) — who accounted for all three of SMU’s goals against Saint Benedict on Nov. 19-20 — share the team lead with three goals each, with Nina Langley (Chaska, Minn.), Kas Kingston (Black Diamond, Alberta), Jordan Kurkowski (North Branch, Minn.) and Morgan Leib (Farmington Heights, Minn.) all owning two goals. Chrastka, Braun, Sheridan, and Avrey Simonson (Waupaca, Wis.) — who netted Saint Mary’s first goal of the season against St. Norbert on Oct. 29 —  have scored the Cardinals’ other four goals.

• NEW DAY, NEW ROLES: Langley and Kingston accounted for all four goals in SMU’s sweep of St. Olaf on Dec. 3-4. Langley scored the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining in regulation in the first 2-1 win over Dec. 3, while Kingston netted the game-winner 13 seconds into overtime in the second 2-1 victory the following afternoon.

• JOINING THE CROWD: Kingston and Langley each scored their first goals in a Cardinal uniform against St. Olaf on Dec. 3. The duo are the sixth and seventh players to score their first Saint Mary’s goals this season. Urlaub, Polzin, and Leib all scored career goal No. 1 against Concordia on Nov. 12, while Kurkowski her first two collegiate goals and Anna Braun (Mantorville, Minn.) netted her first goal in a Cardinal uniform in SMU’s 4-1 win over St. Norbert on Oct. 29.

• TWO FOR NO. 6: Urlaub picked up her first collegiate multiple-goal game, scoring both of SMU’s goals in SMU’s 2-1 win over Saint Benedict on Nov. 20. The two-goal game is Saint Mary’s first since Anne Carmean (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) found the back of the net twice in the Cardinals’ 4-0 win over … Saint Benedict … on March 13, 2021.

• LENDING A HAND: Urlaub, Kennedy Kraus (Kasson, Minn.), Jordan Modjeski (South Lyon, Mich.) and Delaney Wolf (Bismarck, N.D.) sit atop the team lead in assists with two each, while 11 other Cardinals have recorded one helper.

• THE GAME-WINNER: Both of Leib’s goals against Concordia on Nov. 12-13 were game-winners. She and Langley have each scored two game-winning goals, with Urlaub, Kurkowski, and Kingston owning Saint Mary’s other three game-winners this season.

• MULTIPLE-POINTS: Kurkowski’s three-point game against St. Norbert (2 G, 1 A) on Oct. 29 was the first of her collegiate career, and the three points were the most by a Cardinal in a game since Anne Carmean (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) scored two goals and added an assist against Saint Benedict on March 13, 2021. … Kingston added an assist to her first career goal against St. Olaf en route to her first multiple-point game as a Cardinal.

• SHARING THE WEALTH: The Cardinals have had 10 different players account for their 18 goals, while 15 have recorded at least one assist — and 17 have notched at least one point.

• YOUTH MOVEMENT: Fifteen of Saint Mary’s 18 goals this season have come from players wearing the Cardinal jersey for the first time this season.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Ary Ziakas (Palatine, Ill.) and Jordan Keeley (St. James, Minn.) have shared the goaltending duties this season. Keeley kicked out a career-high 44 Concordia shots in SMU’s 3-1 win over the Cobbers on Nov. 13, and enters SMU’s eastern swing with a 3.03 goals-against-average and .901 save percentage in six appearances (266:59). Ziakas — who made a season-high 33 saves against Concordia on Nov. 19 — has compiled a 2.66 goals-against-average and .900 save percentage in 383:07 minutes. … Ziakas has collected a team-leading 153 saves, with Keeley close behind with 128 … Ziakas recorded a pair of shutouts in 2020-21, making 35 saves in a 0-0 tie against Concordia on Feb. 6, before stopping all 31 shots she faced against Saint Benedict on March 14. 

• FIRST-GOAL ADVANTAGE: The team that has scored first has won all 11 of the Cardinals’ games this season. SMU scored first in sweeping Concordia (3-2; 3-2) and St. Olaf (2-1; 2-1), and in beating Saint Benedict (2-1) and St. Norbert (4-1), while Saint Benedict, St. Norbert, UW-River Falls, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-Stevens Point scored first in the Cardinals’ four losses.

• A YEAR AGO: The Cardinals posted 2-6-2 record during the 10-game  2020-21 season. In their last full season in 2019-20, SMU finished 10-14-3 overall, including a 6-10-2, fifth-place showing in the MIAC. The Cardinals beat St. Thomas (4-2) and dropped a 4-1 decision to Gustavus in the 2020 MIAC Tournament.

• FOR THE RECORD: The Wildcats come into Wednesday’s nonconference matchup against Saint Mary’s sitting at 6-7-0 overall.

• LAST ACTION: Johnson & Wales has been off since Dec. 11, when Trinity (Mass.) scored four unanswered goals in dealing the Wildcats a 5-1 setback. Kaylin Garner netted J&W’s lone goal in the second period to tie the game at 1-1.

• ROAD WARRIORS: J&W is in the midst of playing four of five games on the road — the lone exception, Wednesday’s matchup against Saint Mary’s. The Wildcats are 3-4-0 on the road this season, while going 3-3-0 on their home ice.

• RIDING THE ROLLERCCOASTER: After opening the season with wins in four of their first five games — including shutout wins over New England College and Salem State — the Wildcats have gone 2-6-0 in their last eight contests and have dropped their last four in a row.

• POWER OUTAGE: J&W, which scored nine goals in beating Connecticut College and Amherst on Nov. 27-28, has scored just four times since — being outscored 19-4 during its current four-game slide.

• LIGHTING THE LAMP: With her goal against Trine on Dec. 11, Garner moved the team lead in goals with six, one more than fellow freshman Soph Hamel. Koryn Russell has netted four goals, while Madison Matrasko (3), Hannah Tracy (3), Brooke Dineen (3), Hailey Wiltshire (2), Jianna Truppi (2), Haylee Owen (2), and Madi Fox (2)  have all scored two or more goals this season.

• YOUTH MOVEMENT: Twenty-six of the Wildcats’ 34 goals this season have been scored by freshmen. Russell (4), Tracy (3), and Skylar Robert (1) are the only non-freshmen to find the back of the net this season.

• LENDING A HAND: Wiltshire boasts a team-leading six assists, one more than Tracy, and Kaitlin Boyer, and two in front of Garner Dineen, and Truppi.

• POINT PRODUCERS: Garner is sitting atop the heap with a team-leading 10 points, with Tracy and Wiltshire close behind with eight each. The Wildcats have gotten at least one point from 20 different players through 13 games.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Sofia Tamayo and Anna Maulson have shared the goaltending duties for the Wildcats this season, with Maulson making eight starts, while Tamayo has started five games. … Tamayo owns a 1.86 goals-against-average and .928 save percentage in 290:26 minutes and has stopped 116 shots. Maulson, meanwhile, boasts a 4.03 GAA and .880 save percentage in 491:18 minutes and owns a team-high 243 saves.

• AS A TEAM: J&W has recorded 34 goals and 47 assists for 81 points in 13 contests. The Wildcats scored a season-high eight goals in blanking New England College 8-0 on Nov. 5. … Johnson & Wales has allowed four or more goals in all seven of its losses this year — including surrendering six goals in a 6-0 loss to Sacred Heart on Dec. 4.