SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2022: 0-3-0 MIAC, 3-5-2 Overall

CONCORDIA COBBERS

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2022: 1-2-0 MIAC, 2-7-0 Overall

LIVE ON THE WEB:

Live Stats * Streaming Video

SMU-CON * LAST MEETING:

Oct. 2, 2021 * Winona, MN

L., 2-0 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 28, 2022 * Winona, MN

Gustavus * L, 2-0

CONCORDIA * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 28, 2022 * Collegeville, MN

Saint John’s * L, 4-1

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Oct. 8, 2022 * Winona, MN

Augsburg * 3:30 p.m.

CONCORDIA * UP NEXT: 

Oct. 8, 2022 * St. Peter, MN

Gustavus * 3:30 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into Saturday’s road conference matchup against Concordia sitting at 3-5-2 overall, including an 0-3-0 mark in its first two MIAC contests.

• LAST ACTION: Saint Mary’s surrendered a pair of goals four minutes apart in the first nine minutes of the second half, as seventh-ranked Gustavus handed the Cardinals a 2-0 conference setback Wednesday at Ochrymowycz Field.

• CLOSE CALLS: Eighteen of the Cardinals’ last 24 games have been decided by one goal or less — including five of SMU’s nine games this season.

• OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Jack Hurley (Homewood, Ill.) and Cerim Palislamovic (Jacksonville, Fla.) share the team lead with three goals each. Jacob Clements (Holmen, Wis.), and Rolando Lopez (Berwyn, Ill.) are tied for second in goals with two each, while Kyle Palmberg (Holmen, Wis.), Santiago Montero (Phoenix, Ariz.), and Nathan Riess (Timnath, Colo.) own SMU’s other three goals.

• CAREER FIRSTS: The Cardinals have had four players net their first collegiate goals this season — Montero tallied his first as a Cardinal against Crown on Sept. 1; Lopez netted his against Rockford on Sept. 4; Palmberg scored his vs. Ripon on Sept. 7; and Nathan Riess (Timnath, Colo.) collected goal No. 1 against Martin Luther on Sept. 10.

• CAREER FIRST, PART II: Palislamovic’s two goals against Martin Luther on Sept. 10 marked the first time in his collegiate career that the sophomore has scored two goals in a game.

• PLENTY OF PKs: The Cardinals are 4-for-5 in penalty kicks this season. Hurley has accounted for three of SMU’s four PK goals, while Palislamovic owns the other. … Saint Mary’s two PK goals against Martin Luther on Sept. 10 are the most in a game since Eli Szymanski scored two penalty-kick goals against Edgewood on Sept. 9, 2021. … Saint Mary’s has attempted five penalty kicks in its first six games — one more than its total from all of last year. The last time the Cardinals scored more than four PKs in a season was 2007, when they went 7-for-8.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.) has started all 10 games in goal for the Cardinals, compiling a 1.93 goals-against-average and a .796 save percentage. The junior has made 64 saves in his 10 starts.

• BUSY NIGHT: Sessler equaled his career high with 12 saves in the Cardinals’ 2-0 loss to No. 7 Gustavus last Wednesday. Sessler has now made 12 saves in a game three times in his collegiate career — also stopping 12 shots against UW-Eau Claire on Sept. 25, 2021 and vs. Macalester on Oct. 26, 2021.

 — including a season-high eight saves against Simpson last Wednesday.

• AS A TEAM: The Cardinals have scored 14 goals in 10 games, while attempting 99 shots, including 47 on goal. On the flip side, SMU’s opponents have attempted 166 shots, with 86 finding the mark. … The Cardinals hold an 11-8 scoring edge in the game’s opening half, while being outscored 14-4 in the second half. 

• STREAK SNAPPER: Saint Mary’s 3-0 loss to Carleton on Sept. 13 snapped the Cardinals’ season-opening five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) — SMU’s longest unbeaten run since rattling off six straight wins during the 1997 season.

• STRONG START: The Cardinals’ 3-0-2 start was their best since opening the 1986 season 4-0-1, and the third-best start in program history. The 1983 Saint Mary’s team went 13 games without a loss to open the season, going 11-0-2.

• OFF AND RUNNING: With their 2-1 victory over Crown on Sept. 1, the Cardinals improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven season-openers, the lone blemish a 3-0 loss to the University of Dubuque a year ago, and a 1-1 tie with St. Olaf during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. 

• GOOD KNIGHT: Saint Mary’s five-goal effort against Martin Luther on Sept. 10 was a season-high, and the most goals scored in a game since netting five against the Knights in last season’s 5-0 victory.

• TOTAL DOMINATION: With their 5-2 win on Sept. 10, the Cardinals are now a perfect 7-0-0 all-time against Martin Luther, and have outscored the Knights 26-2 in those seven meetings.

• TOTAL DOMINATION II: With their season-opening, 2-1 win over Crown on Sept. 1, SMU improved to 6-1-1 all-time against the Polars — including a 5-0-1 mark in the teams’ last six meetings.

• NEW THIS YEAR: The NCAA implemented a new rule beginning with the 2022 that will eliminate all overtimes in regular-season games. Games that are deadlocked following the scheduled 90 minute will go in the books as ties. Once in post-season, if a game is tied following regulation, there will be two, 10-minute overtime periods — with no golden goal — followed by a shootout if the game is still tied.

CONCORDIA COBBERS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cobbers head into their home matchup against Saint Mary’s sitting at 2-7-0 overall, including a 1-2-0 showing through three MIAC contests.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint John’s erupted for three second-half goals, breaking open a one-goal game and leading the Johnnies to a 4-1 conference win over the Cobbers Wednesday in Collegeville, Minn.

• LIMPING IN: The Cobbers’ loss to Saint John’s on Wednesday was their third straight setback. CC has now won since beating St. Scholastica 2-1 on Sept. 17. The Cobbers are now 1-5-0 in their last six contests.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Starting with Saturday’s matchup against Saint Mary’s, Concordia plays four of its next five games on their home turf, the lone exception, an Oct. 8 showdown at nationally ranked Gustavus next Saturday. CC is currently 1-3-0 at home, while sporting a 1-4-0 record on the road.

• FOURS ARE WILD: Concordia has allowed four goals in five of its seven losses this season — including back-to-back 4-1 setbacks to Colorado College and Saint John’s in its last two games. … CC has allowed three or more goals in all six of its losses.

• FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET: Gannon Brooks has scored a team-leading three goals through CC’s first nine games, while Telvin Vah, Mason Weigel, and Seth Kotzbacher has all netted two goals. … Matthew Nemer, Patrick Smith, Kayden Aberle, Yousif Alshihmani, and Mason Weninger own CC’s other five goals.

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Vah has recorded a team-high six assists through nine games, followed by Weigel with three. … Vah’s six helpers are not only a team high , but also rnak No. 2 in the conference behind Carter Hermanson of Saint John’s, who leads the league with seven assists.

• POINT PRODUCTION: Fueled by his six assists, Vah leads the Cobbers with 10 points, followed by Weigel with seven (2 G, 3 A), Brooks with six (3 G, 0 A), and Kotzbacher with five (2 G, 1 A). 

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Erik Torres has started all nine games in goal for Concordia, compiling a 3.00 goals-against-average and a .635 save percentage. … Torres has made 47 saves, including a season-high 10 against Saint John’s on Wednesday. … Torres stopped both shots he faced in recording his lone shutout of the season against UM-Morris on Sept. 8.

• BY THE NUMBERS: Concordia has scored two goals in a game four times, while netting a season-high three in beating UM-Morris 3-0 on Sept. 8. … The Cobbers have attempted 101 shots, including 50 shots on goal. On the flip side, CC’s opponents have hit the net on 77 of their 142 shot attempts. … The Cobbers have scored nine of their 14 goals in the second half. CC has been outscored 10-5 in the first half and 17-9 after the halftime break.