SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023-24: 11-4-1 MIAC, 17-5-1 Overall

CONCORDIA COBBERS

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2023-24: 1-15-1 MIAC, 5-15-1 Overall

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FRI at SMU: Live Stats * Streaming Video

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SMU-CON * LAST MEETING:

Feb. 17-18, 2023

T, 1-1; W, 4-3 (ot) * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Feb. 9-10, 2024 * Duluth, MN

St. Scholastica * W, 2-1 (ot); T, 2-2 (ot)

CONCORDIA * LAST ACTION:

Feb. 9-10, 2024 * Moorhead, MN

#3 Gustavus * L, 5-1; L, 6-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

MIAC Playoffs * TBA

CONCORDIA * UP NEXT: 

End of Regular Season

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR RECORD: The Cardinals head into their final regular-season home conference series against Concordia this weekend sitting at 17-5-1 overall, including a 11-4-1 showing through the first eight games of the MIAC season.

• LAST ACTION: The Cardinals picked up a win and a tie in their MIAC series against St. Scholastica last weekend in Duluth, Minn. SMU got the game-winning goal from Reese Heitzman (Hermantown, Minn.) 3:03 into overtime to lift the Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over the Saints last Friday, with the two teams battling to a 2-2 draw the following afternoon.

• PLAYOFF PICTURE: Saint Mary’s locked up its 14th MIAC Playoff berth with their win and tie against St. Scholastica last weekend. The Cardinals head into the final weekend of the season sitting in third place with 33 points, one in front of Hamline and six up on fifth-place Bethel, while sitting four points behind second-place Augsburg, with a possible six points remaining. Should SMU finish tied with any of those three, the Cardinals hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against all three. … The Cardinals have made 13 previous MIAC Playoff appearances — 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22 — and own one MIAC Playoff title (2001--02). 

• RACKING UP WINS: Saint Mary’s 2-1 overtime win over St. Scholastica last Friday was its 17th of the season, the most wins in a season since the 2001-02 season, when Saint Mary’s finished the year 21-6-1. … SMU’s 11 conference wins, meanwhile, are the most since going 15-3-0 during the 2000-01.

• PUTTING IN SOME OT: With both of last weekend’s games against St. Scholastica going into overtime, the Cardinals have now played four overtime games this season — beating Bethel (4-3) on Jan. 27 and CSS (2-1) last Friday, falling to Hamline (2-1) on Nov. 11, and tying St. Scholastica (2-2) last Saturday.

• STREAK-SNAPPER: With their 2-1 loss to Saint Benedict on Feb. 3, the Cardinals had their season-high nine-game winning streak snapped. The nine-game run was SMU’s longest since 2001-02, when the Cardinal won 10 in a row. … Saint Mary’s has also put together three, three-game winning streaks this season. … The Cardinals had three-game winning streak No. 2 snapped with their 3-1 loss to then-#1 Gustavus on Dec. 1, while the added 3-0 loss the following day marked the first time this season SMU had dropped back-to-back games.

• FACING NATION’S BEST: The Cardinals have faced three nationally ranked teams this season, beating then-seventh-ranked (now #6) UW-Eau Claire 2-1 on Nov. 3, falling to then-#4 (now #1) UW-River Falls on Nov. 4, and dropping a pair of games to then-No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Gustavus (now ranked #3) on Dec. 1-2.

• HOME SWEET HOME: The Cardinals have played 12 of their 23 games this season on their home ice, going 9-2-0. SMU has beaten Lake Forest (7-0, 8-0), UW-Eau Claire (2-1), Augsburg (3-2), St. Olaf (5-2), St. Catherine (3-1), Lawrence (4-1), Bethel (4-3), and Saint Benedict (5-1), while falling to Hamline (2-1 in OT) and Gustavus (3-1). Saint Mary’s closed out the regular season 8-2-1 away from the SMU Ice Arena this season.

• CLOSE CALLS: Thirteen of the Cardinals’ 23 games have been decided by two goals or less, including one-goal or less decisions in seven of those outings — a 4-3 victory over Bethel, a 2-1 OT loss to Hamline, 3-2 and 2-1 wins over Augsburg, a 2-1 win over St. Scholastica; a 2-1 loss to Saint Benedict, and a 2-2 tie against St. Scholastica.

• NOT-SO-CLOSE CALLS: Three of Saint Mary’s 17 wins have been by seven or more goals. SMU has posted 7-0 victories over both Lake Forest and the University of Dubuque, while beating the Foresters 8-0 in the second game of its season-opening sweep of Lake Forest.

• PUTTING UP BIG NUMBERS: SMU’s eight goals in its 8-0 win over Lake Forest on Oct. 28 were the most since blanking Lawrence 8-0 on Dec. 10, 2022. … The Cardinals’ 15 combined goals in sweeping Lake Forest on Oct. 28-29 were the most since SMU swept Bethel 11-0 and 8-3 on Jan. 4-5, 2002. … Saint Mary’s delivered a season-high 62 shots on goal in its 4-1 win Lawrence on Jan. 23. It was the second time in two years SMU has put up 62 SOGs vs. the Vikings. The program-record for shots on goal in a game sits at 80 against St. Olaf on Nov. 11, 2000.

• PUTTING UP LITTLE NUMBERS: Saint Mary’s matched a single-game program record, holding the University of Dubuque to just one shot on goal in the first period of its 7-0 win on Dec. 5. SMU first set the mark on Nov. 11, 2000, when the Cardinals held St. Olaf to one shot on goal in both the first and third periods. … UD finished with just six shots on goal on Dec. 5, the fewest allowed by the Cardinals since holding St. Olaf to five on No. 11, 2000.

• LIGHTING THE LAMP: Reese Heitzman (Hermantown, Minn.) heads into SMU’s weekend series against Concordia boasting a team-high 15 goals — including the OT game-winner against St. Scholastica last Friday. The freshman has netted a goal in 12 of the team’s 23 games this season. Her 15 goals are the most since Emily Kearns scored 22 in 2003-04. … Sophia Paduano (Westby, Wis.) is sitting second to Heitzman with 14 goals, while Celia Midtbo (Minneapolis, Minn.) is third with 11. … Paduano had her goal-scoring streak snapped at six in SMU’s 2-0 win over Bethel on Jan. 26. The freshman scored in both SMU games against St. Scholastica last weekend, and has now found the back of the net in 10 of the team’s last 12 games. 

• DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORERS: With Heitzman (15), Paduano (14), and Midtbo (11) having all scored 10+ goals, it marks the first time SMU has had three players reach double figures in goals since the 2001-02 season — when Emily Kearns (32), Christy Hicks (15), and Jaimie Mussehl (13) achieved the feat. 

• FIRST AS A CARDINAL: Saint Mary’s has already had eight players — Heitzman, Vasilevich, Paduano, Midtbo, Ella Ausman (Chippewa Falls, Wis.), Kenzie Meland (Zimmerman, Minn.), Maggie Albers (Maple Grove, Minn.), and Ella Hennes (Ramsey, Minn.) — net their first goals as Cardinals this season.

• SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Cardinals opened the season with 10 different players scoring their first 10 goals. Albers, Hennes Urlaub, Kraus, Taverie Sherner (Maple Grove, Minn.), Ellie Hegdahl (Brookings, S.D.), and Jordy Wyant (Winnipeg, Manitoba) accounted for SMU’s seven goals in its 7-0 win on Oct. 27, while Paduano, Vasilevich, and Heitzman netted SMU’s first three goals in the Cardinals’ 8-0 win vs. the Foresters the following afternoon. … Saint Mary’s seven goals in its 7-0 win over the University of Dubuque on Dec. 5 were scored by seven different players, while SMU’s five goals in its 4-2 win and 2-1 loss to Hamline on Nov,. 10-11 also came from five different players.

• TOSSING THE HAT: Saint Mary’s has had two players record their first collegiate hat trick this season. Heitzman scored three goals against Lake Forest on Oct. 28, while Midtbo found the back of the net three times against Saint Benedict last Friday. … SMU has had a player record a hat trick in each of the last two seasons. Sidney Polzin (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) recorded her first collegiate hat trick and her first career five-point game in SMU’s 5-0 win over St. Catherine on Jan. 20, 2023.

• LENDING A HAND: Urlaub, who shared the team lead in assists with seven a year ago, has already amassed a team-leading 16 helpers this season. Paduano is second on the team with 12 assists, followed by Midtbo with 10, and Heitzman and Meland siting with nine each. … Kas Kingston (Black Diamond, Alberta) recorded a career-high three assists in the Cardinals’ 4-1 win over Lawrence on Jan. 23. … Saint Mary’s 98 assists have come from 20 different players.

• POINT PRODUCERS: Saint Mary’s boasts seven players who have already reached double figures in points, led by Paduano with 26. Heitzman is sitting second in the points race with 24, followed by Urlaub (22), Midtbo (21), Kingston (12), Meland (11), and Sherner (10). … Heitzman has recorded at least one point in 15 of SMU’s 23 games this season. She had her season-high nine-game point streak snapped against #1 Gustavus on Dec. 1. … Paduano, meanwhile, has recorded at least one point in 14 games. … The last time SMU had four players eclipsed the 20-point mark was 2001-02, when Emily Kearns (50), Christy Hicks (30), Jaimie Mussehl (22), and Missy Westergren (21) all achieved the feat.

• BIG NIGHTS: Heitzman delivered her first collegiate four-point game against the University of Dubuque on Dec. 5, scoring once and assisting on three others. … Midtbo recorded her first collegiate two-goal and three-point game against Bethel on Jan. 27. … Urlaub collected a goal and three assists in SMU’s 8-0 win over Lake Forest on Oct. 28. The three assists and four points matched her career high. … Heitzman has recorded two multiple-goal games — scoring three times against Lake Forest on Oct. 28 and adding a pair of goals against Augsburg on Nov. 17 — while Midtbo owns a two-goal game against Bethel on Jan. 27 and a three-goal game against Saint Benedict on Feb. 2. … Vasilevich tallied a two-goal game against Lake Forest on Oct. 28 and Paduano delivered the first multiple-goal game of her career with two tallies against UW-Stevens Point on Nov. 21.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES:Celeste Rimstad (Richfield, Minn.) has started all 23 games in goal for the Cardinals, compiling a 1.42 goals-against-average and a .938 save percentage. … Rimstad stopped all 20 shots she faced in SMU’s 2-0 win over Bethel on Jan. 26 and has now recorded four shutouts this season … Rimstad — who came within 13 seconds of a third straight shutout in SMU’s 2-1 win over #7 UW-Eau Claire — now owns five shutouts through her first two seasons as a Cardinal. … Rimstad has stopped 480 of the 512 shots she’s faced this season — including a career-high 42 saves in last SMU’s 3-1 loss to then-#4 UW-River Falls on Nov. 4. … Riley Vander Esch (Sioux Falls, S.D.) stopped all four shots she faced in relief of Rimstad against the University of Dubuque on Dec. 5, and boasts a 3.76 GAA and .778 save % in two appearances (31:53 minutes).

• THROWING UP ZEROS: The Cardinals had their season-opening shutout streak snapped at 179:47 minutes, when UW-Eau Claire scored with just 13 seconds remaining in regulation in the Cardinals’ 2-1 win over the then-seventh-ranked Blugolds on Nov. 3.

• THROWING UP ZEROS II: SMU’s 7-0 and 8-0 wins over Lake Forest on Oct. 27-28 marked the second straight season in which the Cardinals have posted back-to-back shutouts, having blanked Lawrence 3-0 and 8-0 on Dec. 9-10, 2022. … SMU added its third shutout of the season with its 7-0 win over the University of Dubuque on Dec. 5 and recorded shutout No. 4 with last Friday’s 4-0 win over St. Catherine.

• TOTAL DOMINATION: In its three games against Lawrence over the past two seasons, Saint Mary’s has outshot LU 183-37, and have outscored the Vikings 15-1 … SMU held a 28-1 first-period edge in SOG in their first meeting on Dec. 9, 2022, while boasting a 26-5 edge in shots in the second period the following evening. SMU outshot LU 24-3 in the first, 21-4 in the second, and 17-2 in the third in their Jan. 23 meeting this season.

• LONG TIME COMING: With their 2-1 win over then-seventh-ranked UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 3, Saint Mary’s improved to 3-0-0, marking the first time SMU had opened the season with back-to-back-to-back victories since beating Marian (5-0), St. Norbert (2-1), and UW-Eau Claire (4-1) to kick off the 2010-11 campaign.

• LONGER TIME COMING: With their 4-0, 3-1 sweep of St. Catherine, the Cardinals picked up their first conference sweep of the Wildcats since the 2006-2007 season, when SMU won 3-1 and 3-0.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: SMU has outscored its 23 opponents 78-34, and hold an 814-521 advantage in shots on goal. … The Cardinals have scored 29 of their 78 goals in the second period, adding 23 tallies in the first and 24 in the third. … Saint Mary’s is 18-for-72 on the power play (25.0 %), while killing off 56 of its opponents’ 64 PP opportunities (87.5 %). … SMU has scored a season-high three power-play goals in a game twice — vs. St. Catherine on Jan. 20 and against Saint Benedict on Feb. 2. … The Cardinals set season-bests for goals (8), assists (13), and points (21) in their 8-0 win over the Foresters on Oct. 28, while their 62 shots on goal against both Lawrence on Jan. 23 and vs. St. Scholastica last Friday were a season high.

CONCORDIA SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cobbers enter their final two conference games of the regular season sitting at 5-17-1 overall, but are just 1-14-1 in their 14 MIAC contests.

• LAST TIME OUT: Concordia closed out its home season last weekend with a pair of losses to No. 3-ranked Gustavus in Moorhead, Minn. — falling 5-1 on Friday, before dropping a 6-0 decision in the rematch the following afternoon.

• HOME SWEET HOME: Concordia has collected three of its five wins on its home ice this season. The Cobbers finished their 12-game home schedule at 3-8-1, while heading to the Saint Mary’s Ice Arena owning a 2-9-0 mark on the road.

• LIMPING IN: With their back-to-back losses to nationally ranked Gustavus last weekend, the Cobbers saw their current losing streak climb to seven straight. CC has now won since beating Bethel 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 19. Since that time, the Cobbers have dropped decisions to Bethel (5-2), St. Olaf (2-1, 4-0), Augsburg (2-0, 3-0), and Gustavus (5-1, 6-0).

• LIGHTING THE LAMP: Jerica Friese heads into the Cobbers’ two-game series finale at Saint Mary’s leading the team with seven goals, one more than Morgan Sauvageau and two up on Taylyn Cope. … Concordia has gotten at least one goal from 17 different players. … Friese and Reule both own two-goal games this year — Friese vs. UW-Superior on Dec. 16 and Reule against St. Catherine on Nov. 18.

• LENDING A HELPING HAND: Abbey Reule and Grace Doerring share the team lead in assists with eight each. Cope and Paige Hanson have both dished out seven helpers, with McKenzie Oelkers chipping in five. … Reule (3 times), Sauvageau, Hanson, and Abbey Hardwick have all delivered two assists in a game this season.

• POINT PRODUCERS: The Cobbers boast three players who have reached double figures in points, led by Cope with 12 (5 G, 7 A). Reule is one point back with 11 (3 G, 8 A) and Sauvageau is third with 10 (6 G, 4 A). … Friese owns the team’s only three-point game this season, scoring twice and assisting on another against UW-Superior on Dec. 16.

• BETWEEN THE PIPES: Concordia has used three different goalies through 23 games, led by Hailee Bailey, who has compiled a 3.75 goals-against-average and .867 save percentage in 15 appearances (783:34 minutes). Kate Stephens owns a 2.77 GAA and .866 save % in seven games played (324:52), with Becca Macklin chipping in a 3.80 GAA and .872 save % in seven appearances (268:09). … Bailey leads the team with 319 saves, followed by Macklin with 116 and Stephens with 97.  Bailey posted season-high 36s-save games against both Augsburg on Feb.3 and vs. Gustavus last Friday. … Bailey has been in goal for three of CC’s five wins, with Stephens owning the other two. 

• WORKING OVERTIME: The Cobbers have played four overtime games this season, going 1-2-1. CC defeated Bethel (3-2), while falling to Saint Benedict (5-4) and St. Scholastica (4-3), and tying St. Catherine (3-3).

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: Concordia has been outscored 85-45, and the Cobbers’ opponents also hold a 620-556 advantage in shots on goal…. CC has netted just seven first-period goals. The Cobbers have been outscored 28-7 in the opening period, 23-16 in the second, and 32-21 in the third. … CC has scored 10 of its 45 goals on the power play, going 10-for-88 (11.4 %) on the PP. The Cobbers’ opponents have gone 16 of 71 (22.5 %) with the man advantage. … Concordia delivered season highs in goals (7), assists (8), and points (15) against UW-Superior on Dec. 16, while the Cobbers also collected a season-best eight assists against the University of Dubuque on Oct. 28. On the flip side, CC allowed season-highs in goals (8), assists (15), and points (23) in an 8-0 loss to UW-River Falls on Jan. 5.