SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2021: 7-3-1 MIAC, 13-5-2 Overall

UM-MORRIS COUGARS

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2021: 6-8-0 UMAC, 6-14-0 Overall

LIVE ON THE WEB:

Live Stats * Streaming Video

SMU/UM-M * LAST MEETING:

First-ever Meeting

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Nov. 3, 2021 * St. Joseph, MN

Saint Benedict * L, 3-2

UM-MORRIS * LAST ACTION:

Nov. 3, 2021 * Superior, WI

UW-Superior * L, 6-0

SAINT MARY’S UP NEXT:

Sept. 4, 2022 * Winona, MN

Lawrence * Noon

UM-MORRIS UP NEXT: 

Sept. 4, 2022 * Morris, MN

Augsburg * 4:00

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals closed out the 2021 season with a 7-3-1 record in MIAC play and a 13-5-2 overall record — reaching the MIAC Tournament semifinals, where they dropped a 3-2 decision to second-seeded Saint Benedict. … The Cardinals’ seven conference wins are the most since 1995, when the Cardinals went 7-2-1, while SMU’s 13 overall victories are the most since the 2005 team finished 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.

• POST-SEASON RETURN: The Cardinals made their first-ever MIAC Tournament appearance since the league added the six-team tourney in 2003. Prior to its tournament-opener against St. Scholastica on Nov. 1, Saint Mary’s had not competed in post-season play since 1994, when the Cardinals beat Gustavus (4-1) and lost to UC-San Diego (1-0) in the NCAA Tournament. SMU is 2-6-0 in post-season play all-time.

• 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.

• POST-SEASON HONORS: Saint Mary’s has five players garner six MIAC post-season awards, led by Alexis Nguyen (West Corvina, Calif.), who was named MIAC Defensive Player of the Year, while also landing on the All-MIAC First-Team. Haddy Falkman (Waconia, Minn.), Jordyn Matthews (Seattle, Wash.), and Sophia O’Neil (South Jordan, Utah) joined Nguyen as All-MIAC First-Teamers, while Maya Wachter (Dubuque, Iowa) was an honorable-mention selection.

• POST-SEASON HONORS, PART II: Along with their First-Team All-MIAC selections, Nguyen, Matthews and Falkman also garnered United Soccer Coaches Association Region IX Third-Team All-Region honors.

• STREAKING: The Cardinals opened the season on a six-game winning streak and owned a season-opening eight-game unbeaten run (7-0-1). SMU also put together a three-game win streak. On the flip side, Saint Mary’s did not lose back-to-back games all season.

• CLOSE CALLS: Saint Mary’s 3-2 loss to Saint Benedict in the teams’ MIAC Tournament semifinal on Nov. 3 marked the 13th time in its last 14 outings of 2021 that the game was 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 boasted a near-perfect 5-1-2 record on their home turf this season. SMU closed out the regular season 8-4-0 away from Ochrymowycz Field.

• NONE BETTER: As a team, the Cardinals led all MIAC teams in goals (40), assists (31), points (111), goals-against-average (0.68), and shutouts (12).

• LEADER OF THE PACK: Falkman closed out the season as the team’s goal-scoring leader with 10, two more than Matthews, while Elisia Jensen (Gig Harbor, Wash.) and Brooklyn McKinney (Thornton, Colo.) closed out the year with five goals each. … Matthews ended the year as the team-leader in assists with six, one more than Genesis Capacio (Las Vegas, Nev.), and two better than Falkman and Kassie Arriaga (Chula Vista, Calif.)

• EXTRA POINTS: The Cardinals closed out the year with five players who recorded 10 or more points, led by Falkman with 24 and Matthews with 22. Jensen (11), McKinney (10), and Arriaga (10) also reached double digits in points. It’s the first time since 2006 that Saint Mary’s has had five players finish the season with 10 or more points.

• DOUBLING UP: Saint Mary’s had six players score two goals in a game in 2021 — a feat Matthews and Jensen achieved twice. Falkman, Arriaga, McKinney, and Megan Trindle (Castle Rock, Colo.) also recorded two-goal games.

• FIRST GOALS: The Cardinals had six players score their first collegiate goals in 2021. Wachter netted the 2 OT game-winner against UW-River Falls on Oct. 6; Jensen netted her first two collegiate goals against Ripon on Sept. 12; 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.

• PK PERFECTION: Saint Mary’s was a perfect 4-for-4 in penalty kicks to seal its MIAC Tournament-opening win over St. Scholastica on Nov. 1. Falkman, Matthews, Arriaga, and Jensen all converted their PK attempts. Saint Mary’s and St. Scholastica had battled to a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtimes, setting up the decisive shootout, which SMU won 4-1.

• SPEAKING OF PKs: Falkman’s 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 Arriaga scored on a PK against Coe on Sept. 9, 2018, a span of 36 games without a penalty kick attempt.

• 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 eighth shutout of the season against St. Scholastica in SMU’s MIAC tournament opener against St. Scholastica, stopping both Saints shots on goal. The sophomore also made one save in the PK round. … Nguyen ended the year stopping 49 of the 55 shots she faced for a 0.45 goals-against-average and .891 save percentage.

• THE BRICK WALL II: Madison Mora (Honolulu, Hawaii) closed out the year with a 0.68 goals-against-average and an .868 save percentage in eight appearances — including four starts.

• 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 played four overtime games in 2021, going 2-0-2. Saint Mary’s played four overtime games in 2019 — with all four going into a second OT.

• FEW GOT PAST: St. Catherine’s goal in the game’s 72nd minute on Sept. 26 was the first allowed by the Cardinals in 2021 — ending a span of 722:13 scoreless minutes. … The Cardinals allowed just seven goals in 11 conference games — and surrendered just 12 goals in 20 games season.

• 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.

• 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.

UM-MORRIS COUGARS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cougars head into their 2022 season-opener at Saint Mary’s on the heels of a 6-14 season a year ago, including a 6-8 showing in UMAC action.

• LAST TIME OUT: UW-Superior broke open a close game with four, second-half goals, as the UMAC regular-season champion and top-seeded Yellowjackets rolled to a 6-0 win over UM-Morris in the semifinals of the UMAC Tournament on Nov. 3.

• NONCONFERENCE STRUGGLES: All six Cougar wins during the 2021 season came in conference play. UM-Morris was 0-5-0 against non-UMAC opponents, falling to Saint Benedict (10-0), UW-River Falls (3-1), Concordia (6-0), Nebraska Wesleyan (6-0), and UW-Stout (4-2), with the other nonconference loss coming to league foe UW-Superior in the UMAC Tournament.

• SUCCESS ON THE ROAD: Four of UM-Morris’s six victories in 2021 came on the road. The Cougars ended the year 2-7-0 on their home field, while going 4-7-0 on the road.

• MIAC FOES: Thursday’s game against Saint Mary’s is the first of three straight, season-opening games against MIAC opponents for the Cougars, who face Augsburg on Sunday and Concordia on Wednesday. All told, UM-Morris will face four MIAC foes, also having an Oct. 18 date with St. Catherine.

• STREAKING: The Cougars opened, and ended, their season with five-game losing streaks, while going 6-4-0 in between — including a season-high three-game winning streak.

• OFFENSIVE LEADER: Monica Calderon was the Cougars’ most lethal offensive weapon in 2021, leading the team in all three offensive categories. Calderon scored a team-best nine goals, two more than Kim Peters. … Calderon and Peters combined for 16 of UM-Morris’s 27 goals. Hannah Pedderson (3), Emma Giere (2), and Shannon Young (2) are the only other Cougars to score more than one goal a year ago. … Calderon scored a single-game, season-high three goals against Crown on Oct. 13.

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Calderon finished the season sharing the team lead in assists (3) with Caroline O’Donnell, with Pedderson, Giere, and BeBe Say all chipping in two helpers. … Harper Toward dished out a single-game, season-high two assists against UW-Stout on Sept. 19. 

• POINT PRODUCTION: Calderon and Peters are the only Cougars to end the year in double figures in points, compiling 21 and 15, respectively. … Calderon recorded a single-game, season-high seven points (3 G, 1 A) against Crown on Oct. 12.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Bernadette Cienik played every minute of all 20 games in goal for the Cougars a year ago, compiling a 3.36 goals-against-average and a .670 save percentage.… Cienik stopped 136 of the 203 shots she faced — including a single-game, season-high 13-save performance twice.

• BY THE NUMBERS: UM-Morris was held to one goal or less in 12 of its 14 losses last season — including being shut out on eight different occasions. … The Cougars scored three or more goals in five of their six wins, while scoring three goals in three of their six victories. … UM-Morris netted a season-high five goals in beating Crown 5-0 on Oct. 12. UM-Morris surrendered a season-high 10 goals in its season-opening 10-0 loss to Saint Benedict.