SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2022: 3-3-2 Overall

UW-EAU CLAIRE BLUGOLDS

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2022: 10-0-0 Overall

LIVE ON THE WEB:

Live Stats * Streaming Video

SMU-UWEC * A YEAR AGO:

L, 3-2 * L, 1-0 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 21, 2022 * Winona, MN

Simpson * L, 1-0

UW-EAU CLAIRE * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 20, 2022 * Ripon, WI

Ripon * W, 5-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Sept. 28, 2022 * Winona, MN

Gustavus * 7 p.m.

UW-EAU CLAIRE * UP NEXT: 

Sept. 25, 2022 * Eau Claire, WI

Loras * 3:30 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT:

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

• LAST ACTION: Simpson scored the game’s only goal in the 37th minute, as the Storm handed the Cardinals a 1-0 nonconference setback Wednesday evening at Ochrymowycz Field.

• CLOSE CALLS: Seventeen of the Cardinals’ last 22 games have been decided by one goal or less — including four of SMU’s eight games this season.

• OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Jack Hurley (Homewood, Ill.) scored his team-leading third goal of the season, converting his third PK of the year, against Martin Luther on Sept. 10. Cerim Palislamovic (Jacksonville, Fla.), Jacob Clements (Holmen, Wis.), and Rolando Lopez (Berwyn, Ill.) are all 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 eight games in goal for the Cardinals, compiling a 1.91 goals-against-average and a .763 save percentage. The junior has made 45 saves in his seven starts — including a season-high eight saves against Simpson on Wednesday.

• AS A TEAM: The Cardinals have scored 13 goals in eight games, while attempting 92 shots, including 45 on goal. On the flip side, SMU’s opponents have attempted 128 shots, with 68 finding the mark. … The Cardinals hold a 9-7 scoring edge in the game’s opening half, while being outscored 11-4 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.

UW-EAU CLAIRE BLUGOLDS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Blugolds head into Saturday’s nonconference game against Saint Mary’s with a perfect 10-0-0 overall record.

• LAST TIME OUT: UW-Eau Claire erupted for five goals — three coming off corner kicks — as the Blugolds extended their winning streak to 10 straight with a convincing 5-0 win over Ripon on Tuesday in Ripon, Wis.

• ON A ROLL: UW-Eau Claire has been dominant en route to its perfect 10-0-0 start, outscoring its first 10 opponents by a combined 33-5 with six shutouts. … UW-Eau Claire has allowed more than one goal in a game just once, beating Hamline 4-2 in its season-opener.

• HOME SWEET HOME: After playing seven of their first 10 games on their home field, the Blugolds are in the midst of playing eight of 10 games away from Simpson Field in Eau Claire, Wis.

• BUSY SLATE: Saturday’s game at Saint Mary’s is the sixth game in the last 11 days for the Blugolds, who will play 13 games in the month of September 

• VS. THE MIAC: UW-Eau Claire’s game against Saint Mary’s is the third of eight games against teams from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The Blugolds have already beaten Hamline (4-2), St. Scholastica (5-0), and Concordia (3-0), and still have Augsburg, St. Olaf, Saint John’s, and Carleton on their schedule.

• NOT SO CLOSE: UW-Eau Claire has had only one of its 10 games decided by less than two goals, that win a 2-1 victory over Bethany Lutheran on Sept. 15. … Five of UW-EC’s 10 wins have been decided by two goals, while winning the other four by at least three goals.

• OFFENSIVE LEADER: Nathan Donovan leads the Blugolds with nine goals — including at least one goal in seven of the team’s 10 games. Sam Lynch is second on the team with six goals, two more than Max Lynch, while Ethan Andersen, Will Heinen, Cooper Roberts, and Owen Williams have all scored twice. … Donovan scored twice in UW-EC’s win over UW-Superior on Sept. 13.

• NETTING THE WINNER: Four of Sam Lynch’s six goals have been game-winners, while Donovan, Max Lynch, Andersen, Heinen, Williams, and Porter Ball have accounted for the other six game-winning goals.

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Carter Thiesfeld has collected a whopping 10 assists through 10 games, while Jacob Sampson is second on the team with six helpers. Donovan (4), Andersen (2), Ball (2), Heinen (2), Roberts (2), and Scott Hanson (2) have also collected two or more helpers.

• POINT PRODUCTION: Fueled by his nine goals, Donovan leads the team with 22 points. He is one of three Blugolds with 10 or more points through 10 games, being joined by Lynch (13) and Thiesfeld (12).

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: The Blugolds have used three different goalkeepers this season, led by Spencer Banks, who has compiled a 0.62 goals-against-average and .846 save percentage in eight starts. Mark Belknap (0.30 GAA, .889 save %, 296:03) and Jakob Leonard (0.00 GAA, .000 save %, 18:00) have also seen playing time. … Banks owns a team-high 22 saves, and he and Belknap have both posted a pair of shutouts. … Banks has not allowed more than one goal in a game in his eight starts.

• BY THE NUMBERS: UW-Eau Claire has amassed 104 points (33 goals, 38 assists) through 10 games, while holding a 156-75 advantage in shots — including 87-35 in shots on goal. … The Blugolds have scored three or more goals in seven of their 10 games, including a season-high five goals twice — beating both St. Scholastica and Ripon by 5-0 counts.