SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023: 1-0-1 MIAC, x-x-x Overall

BETHANY LUTHERAN VIKINGS

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2023: 1-0-0 Overall

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SMU-BLC * LAST MEETING:

Sept. 7, 2016 * Winona, MN

W, 3-0 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 4, 2023 * Fond du Lac, WI

Marian * L, 2-1

BETHANY LUTHERAN * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 1, 2023 * Storm Lake, IA

Buena Vista * W, 3-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Sept. 9, 2023 * Indianola, IA

Simpson * 5:00

BETHANY LUTHERAN * UP NEXT: 

Sept. 9, 2023 * Mankato, MN

Carleton * 3:30

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their home nonconference game against Bethany Lutheran sporting a 1-1-1 record through three games.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s scored less than five minutes into the opening half, but that would be the extent of SMU’s offense, as Marian netted the game-tying goal in the 12th minute, and scored on a PK with 5:01 remaining to lift the Sabres to a 2-1 win over the Cardinals Monday in Fond du Lac, Wis.

• HOME SWEET HOME: SMU has picked up three of its last four wins on its home field. The Cardinals were 2-8-0 at home, while going 1-4-3 away from Ochrymowycz Field a year ago.

• LETTING ONE IN: The Cardinals surrendered their first goal of the season in the 12th minute Monday against Marian, snapping SMU’s shutout streak at 192:14.

• CLOSE CALLS: Twenty-three of the Cardinals’ last 33 games have been decided by one goal or less — including two of SMU’s three 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 Sunday. … 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. 

• OFF AND RUNNING: With their 4-0 victory over Martin Luther last Friday, 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. 

• CAREER GAMES: Cohan Hare (New Richmond, Wis.) and Aidan Adamek (Missoula, Mont.) each scored their first — and second — collegiate goals in Friday’s 4-0 win over Martin Luther. … Adamek followed that up with his team-leading third goal of the season in the fourth minute against Marian on Monday.

• LENDING A HAND: Along with his two goals, Hare has also assisted on all three of Adamek’s goals, while Barick Makabi (Iowa City, Iowa) collected a helper on one of Hare’s two goals.

• POINT PRODUCER: With his two goals and three assists, Hare sits atop the Cardinals’ points lead with seven, just one point shy of 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).

• PLENTY OF PKs: The Cardinals went 4-for-5 in penalty kicks in 2022. Hurley accounted for three of SMU’s four PK goals, while Palislamovic owned the other. … Saint Mary’s two PK goals against Martin Luther on Sept. 10 were the most in a game since Eli Szymanski scored two penalty-kick goals against Edgewood on Sept. 9, 2021. … The last time the Cardinals scored more than four PKs in a season was 2007, when they went 7-for-8. …Hurley’s four PK goals rank second in program history, one shy of Eli Szymanski’s five PKs in 2021.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.), who started 16 of the team’s 18 games in goal for the Cardinals a year ago — compiling a 1.96 goals-against-average and a .793 save percentage — made seven saves in the Cardinals’ 0-0 tie against Wisconsin Lutheran last Sunday. … Sessler made 119 saves in 17 total appearances last season — tops in the MIAC.

• SHUTTING THEM OUT: Sessler’s seven-save shutout against Wisconsin Lutheran last Sunday 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. 

• POST-SEASON HONORS: Sessler was named honorable-mention All-MIAC a year ago, after leading the league in saves with 119.

• TOTAL DOMINATION: With their 4-0 win last Friday, 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: Saint Mary’s holds a 33-28 edge in shots attempted, including a 16-12 advantage in shots on goal. … The Cardinals have scored all five of their goals this season in the first half. SMU’s opponents, meanwhile, have netted solo goals in each half. … SMU netted a season-high four goals in last Friday’s season-opening 4-0 win over Martin Luther.

BETHANY LUTHERAN SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Vikings head into their nonconference matchup against Saint Mary’s sitting at 1-0-0, thanks to a season-opening 3-0 win over Buena Vista last Friday.

• LAST TIME OUT: BLC got goals from three different players — one in the first half and two in the second — in rolling to a 3-0 nonconference win over Buena Vista last Friday.

• A YEAR AGO: The Vikings closed out 2022 with a 15-4-3 overall record, including an 11-2-1 showing in UMAC competition. BLC reached the UMAC Tournament title game a year ago, falling to UW-Superior 3-0.

• STREAKING: Bethany Lutheran closed out the 2022 season going 12-2-1 in its last 15 games — including a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1), a run that was snapped with a 2-1 loss to UMN Morris on Oct. 22, 2022. … BLC did not lose back-to-back games all season a year ago. 

• HOME SWEET HOME: Wednesday’s game at Saint Mary’s is the second straight road contest for the Vikings, who will play their next three games on their home field. … Bethany Lutheran finished 8-1-3 in 12 home contests last season, while going 7-3-0 on the road.

• OFFENSIVE LEADER: Daniel Almeida, Lorenzo Falleti, and Ben Klausen scored BLC’s three goals in last Friday’s 3-0 win over Buena Vista. … Antonio Lima led the Vikings with 16 goals a year ago, while Agostino Quadrio Curzio was a distant second with four goals.

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Danny Pilot collected Bethany Lutheran’s lone assist against Buena Vista last Friday. … Lima was also the Vikings’ assist leader in 2022, dishing out 12 helpers, three more than both Quadrio Curzio and Elrik Hansson.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Nick Lundberg picked up the shutout in goal for BLC against Buena Vista, stopping the lone shot that he faced. … Lundberg was one of three goalkeepers that saw time between the pipes last season, making a team-high 12 starts. He compiled a 0.77 goals-against-average and an .824 save percentage.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: BLC held a 15-2 advantage in shots against Buena Vista last Friday, including a 6-1 edge in shots on goal. … The Vikings recorded single-game season highs in goals (8), assists (8), points (24), shots (31) and shots on goal (19) in an 8-1 win over North Central (Minn.) a year ago. … BLC had three players — Lima, Jamie Smith, and Christian Edwards — score two goals in a game last season. … Quadrio Curzio posted a single-game season-high three-assist game against North Central on Sept. 29, 2022.