SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023: 0-1-0 MIAC, 3-2-1 Overall

SAINT JOHN’S JOHNNIES

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2023: 1-1-0 MIAC, 4-2-1 Overall

NEBRASKA WESLEYAN PRAIRIE WOLVES

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2023: 6-0-1 Overall

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SMU-SJU * LAST MEETING:

Sept. 17, 2022 * Collegeville, MN

L, 7-0 * Series History

SMU-NWU * LAST MEETING:

Sept. 10, 2017 * Winona, MN

W, 2-1 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 16, 2023 * Minneapolis, MN

Augsburg * L, 3-1

SAINT JOHN’S * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 16, 2023 * Collegeville, MN

Hamline * W, 3-1

NE WESLEYAN * LAST ACTION:

Sept.16, 2023 * Lincoln, NE

Cornell * W, 4-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Sept. 27, 2023 * Appleton, WI

Lawrence * 6 p.m.

SAINT JOHN’S * UP NEXT: 

Sept.26, 2023 * Collegeville, MN

Augsburg * 4 p.m.

NE WESLEYAN * UP NEXT: 

Sept. 30, 2023 * Lincoln, NE

Loras * 8 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their weekend games against Saint John’s and Nebraska Wesleyan sitting at 3-2-1 overall including 0-1-0 in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Jack Hurley (Homewood, Ill.) converted a penalty kick to account for SMU’s goal, but it was too little, too late, as the Cardinals dropped a 3-1 decision to Augsburg in their conference opener last Saturday in Minneapolis, Minn.

• STREAK-SNAPPER: The Cardinals, who had posted back-to-back 2-1 win over Bethany Lutheran and Simpson, had their two-game winning streak snapped with last Saturday’s 3-1 conference-opening loss to Augsburg.

• HOME SWEET HOME: After back-to-back road games, the Cardinals play both games this weekend — against Saint John’s on Saturday and Nebraska Wesleyan on Sunday — on their home turf. SMU has picked up four of its last six wins on its home field. The Cardinals are 2-0-0 at Ochrymowycz Field this season.

• CLOSE CALLS: Twenty-five of the Cardinals’ last 36 games have been decided by one goal or less — including four of SMU’s six games this season, and nine of the Cardinals’ 17 contests in 2022.

• FIT TO BE TIED: For the second year in a row, the Cardinals have played to a scoreless tie this season. Saint Mary’s and Wisconsin Lutheran battled to a scoreless deadlock on Sept. 3. … The Cardinals’ three ties last season — including a 0-0 deadlock against Concordia on Oct. 1 — were the most since the 2015 season, when Saint Mary’s finished the year with three ties en route to a 6-9-3 overall record. 

• CAREER GAMES: Cohan Hare (New Richmond, Wis.) and Aidan Adamek (Helena, Mont.) each scored their first — and second — collegiate goals in SMU’s season-opening 4-0 win over Martin Luther on Sept. 1.

• CAREER GAMES II: Rojan Monger (St. Paul, Minn.) netted his first collegiate goal in the Cardinals’ 2-1 win over Bethany Lutheran on Sept. 6, while Diego Giles (Columbia Heights, Minn.) scored his first goal as a Cardinal against Simpson three days later.

• HE SHOOTS, AND SCORES: Adamek and Hare share the team lead with three goals each, on more than Hurley, while Monger and Giles own SMU’s other two goals.

• LENDING A HAND: Along with his three goals, Hare has also assisted on all three of Adamek’s goals, while Monger, Giles, Barick Makabi (Iowa City, Iowa) and Martin Garr (Monticello, Minn.) have also collected helpers this season.

• POINT PRODUCER: With his three goals and three assists, Hare sits atop the Cardinals’ points lead with nine, already surpassing Cerim Palislamovic’s (Jacksonville, Fla.) team-leading eight points (3 G, 2 A) from a year ago. Adamek is second on the squad with six points (3 G), followed by Hurley (2 G, 4 Pts), Monger (1 G, 1 A, 3 Pts) and Giles (1 G, 1 A, 3 Pts)..

• PLENTY OF PKs: With his PK goal against Augsburg on Sept. 16, Hurley has now accounted for five of SMU’s last six penalty-kick goals — going 2-for-2 this season and 3-for-4 a year ago. … Hurley’s five career PK goals put him No. 1 in program history, one more than Eli Szymanski.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.), who started 16 of the team’s 18 games in goal for the Cardinals a year ago — has started all six games this season, compiling a 1.27 goals-against-average and a .759 save percentage. … Sessler led the MIAC in saves last season with 119, and has stopped 22 of the 29 shots he’s faced this season.

• SHUTTING THEM OUT: Sessler’s seven-save shutout against Wisconsin Lutheran on Sept. 3 was the fourth of his collegiate career. The senior had one shutout in each of his first three seasons — including a 12-save performance in blanking Concordia on Oct. 1, 2022.

• BUSY NIGHTS: Sessler made 10 or more saves four times in 2022, including equaling his career-high of 12 saves three times. … Sessler has stopped 12 shots in a game four times over his collegiate career. 

• OFF AND RUNNING: With their 4-0 victory over Martin Luther on Sept. 1, the Cardinals improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight 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. 

• TOTAL DOMINATION: With their 4-0 win against Martin Luther on Sept. 1, the Cardinals are now a perfect 8-0-0 all-time against Martin Luther, and have outscored the Knights 30-2 in those eight meetings. … Saint Mary’s five goals in last year’s 5-2 win over the Knights were a season high — and the most goals scored in a game since netting five against MLC in a 5-0 win in 2021.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Cardinals have scored six of their 10 goals this season in the first half. SMU’s opponents, meanwhile, have netted three goals in the first half and four after the intermission. … Saint Mary’s has attempted 50 shots in six games, including 27 on goal, while the Cardinals’ opponents have taken 80 shots, with 30 reaching their target. … SMU netted a season-high four goals in its season-opening 4-0 win over Martin Luther on Sept. 1.

SAINT JOHN’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Johnnies head into Saturday’s showdown against Saint Mary’s sitting at 4-2-1 overall, including 1-1-0 through their first two games of the conference season.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint John’s erupted for three second-half goals, erasing a 1-0 halftime deficit en route to a 3-1 conference win over Hamline last Saturday in Collegeville, Minn.

• FINDING THEIR RHYTHM: After opening the season with a 4-2 loss to La Verne on Sept. 2, the Johnnies have gone 4-1-1 in their last six — including a three-game winning streak in which they outscored Carroll, UW-Superior, and the University of Dubuque 5-0.

• HOME SWEET HOME: With their 3-1 win over Hamline last Saturday, Saint John’s improved to 2-0-0 on its home field. The Johnnies are sitting at 2-2-1 away from Haws Field.

• HE SHOOTS, AND SCORES: Alex Bowman enters the weekend leading the Johnnies with four goals, one more than Matt D. Anderson. Andrew Pitzner is third on the team with two goals, while Riley Buxell, Kaidan Popp, and McKaid Schotzko own SJU’s other three goals. … SJU has not had a player score two or more goals in a game this season.

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Carter Hermanson has amassed a team-best three assists, with Buxell and Will Falkman sitting one assist back.

• POINT PRODUCTION: Bowman sits atop the team’s points lead with eight (4 G), followed by Anderson (3 G, 1 A, 7 Pts), Pitzner (2 G, 4 Pts), and Buxell (1 G, 2 A, 4 Pts). … Buxell and Anderson both own three-point games this season — both coming against the University of Dubuque.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Evan Siefken has started all seven games in goal for the Johnnies, and has played all but 26:17 minutes. Siefken owns a 1.34 goals-against-average and an .839 save percentage. … Siefken has stopped 47 of the 56 shots he’s faced and owns three shutouts. … Siefken has made a season-high 10 saves in a game twice — against Macalester on Sept. 13, and vs. Hamline three days later.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: Saint John’s has attempted 88 shots, including 36 on goal, while the Johnnies opponents have attempted 103 shots, with 61 finding the net. … SJU has scored 10 of its 12 goals in the second half. SJU’s opponents, meanwhile, have scored five goals in the first half and six after the break. … The Johnnies posted season-highs in goals (3), assists (4), and points (10) in last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Hamline. … SJU surrendered a season-high five goals in a 5-1 loss to Macalester on Sept. 13.

NEBRASKA WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Prairie Wolves entered their weekend games against Luther and Saint Mary’s sitting at 6-0-1 through seven games.

• LAST TIME OUT: Nebraska Wesleyan pushed its season-opening winning streak to seven last Saturday, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Cornell in Lincoln, Neb.

• NEAR-PERFECTION: The Prairie Wolves entered the weekend riding a five-game winning streak. NWU opened the year with a 2-0 win over Lake Forest and a 2-2 tie against Pacific Lutheran, before rattling off wins over Dordt (2-1), Westminster (5-0), Concordia (2-1), Grinnell (2-0), and Cornell (4-0).

• HOME SWEET HOME: Nebraska Wesleyan has played four of its first seven games on its home turf, sporting a perfect 4-0-0 record. NWU is 2-0-1 away from Abel Stadium. … Beginning with this weekend’s games at Luther and Saint Mary’s, the Prairie Wolves will play five of their next seven games on the road.

• HE SHOOTS, AND SCORES: Nine different players have accounted for NWU’s 19 goals this season, led by Owen Giogowski, who leads the squad with four goals, one more than both Alex Kohler and Alex Aguillar. Zachary McClanathan, Eli Rhodes, and Bryan Andrade have all found the back of the net twice, with Jaden Hayes, Thomas Distefano, and Jacob Garcia accounting for the Prairie Wolves’ other three goals. 

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Isaac Havemeier leads the team with three assists, one more than Giogowski, Thomas Pisasale, and Brenden Zuerlein, with Kohler, McClanathan, Rhodes, Hayes, Johnny Le, and Alvaro Pascual each chipping in one helper.

• POINT PRODUCTION: Giogowski has already reached double figures in points, sitting atop the team lead with 10 (4 G, 2 A), three more than Kohler (3 G, 1 A, 7 Pts) and four up on Aguilar (3 G, 6 Pts).

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Zachary Weis has started all seven goals in goal for the Prairie Wolves, compiling a 0.57 goals-against-average and .867 save percentage. … Weis has stopped 26 of the 30 shots he’s faced and owns four shutouts.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Prairie Wolves have outshot their first seven opponents 118-60 and hold a 60-31 advantage in shots on goal. … NWU has scored eight goals in the first half and 11 in the second, while its opponents have netted two goals in each half. … The Prairie Wolves have allowed more than one goal in a game just once, surrendering two goals in a 2-2 tie against Pacific Lutheran on Sept. 3. On the flip side, NWU has scored two goals in a game five times, while adding a four-goal effort in beating Cornell (4-0) and a season-high five-goal showing in drubbing Westminster 5-0.