COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — The Saint Mary’s University men’s soccer team, coming off a 1-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at Hamline, stays on the road Saturday, traveling to Saint John’s for a 3:30 p.m. conference contest against the Johnnies.
Records:
Saint Mary’s Cardinals (0-6-1 MIAC / 4-8-2 Overall)
Saint John’s Johnnies (1-5-1 MIAC / 5-7-2 Overall)
Last Action: The Cardinals held Hamline to just a second-half goal, but that proved to be enough, as the Pipers kept SMU off the scoreboard in a 1-0 Hamline win in St. Paul, Minn. Saint John’s, meanwhile, dropped a heartbreaker Wednesday, falling to St. Thomas 3-2 in Collegeville, Minn.
Last Meeting: October 10, 2008: SJU erupted for three first-half goals — all off the foot of Levi Lowell in a six-minute span — and never looked back in rolling to a 5-1 conference win over the Cardinals at Ochrymowycz Field.
SMU Cardinal Notes: SMU GK Jon Szafranski (Barrington, Ill.) stopped seven shots against the Pipers last Saturday. The SMU senior enters today’s game vs. SJU with a 1.67 goals-against-average and an .812 save percentage. He has stopped 104 shots this season, pushing his school-record career saves total to 409. … One of Szafranski’s saves vs. St. Olaf came on a penalty kick. It was the fourth time this season SMU’s opponents have been awarded a PK. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are still looking for their first penalty kick of the season. … SMU’s two goals vs. St. Olaf on Oct. 16 were season-firsts for the Cardinals’ Andy Adair (Woodbury, Minn.) and Tony Olsen (South St. Paul, Minn.). … SMU’s two second-half goals vs. the Oles also marked the Cardinals’ highest offensive output since beating Lakeland 3-2 in overtime on Sept. 27. … Steve Boussie (Troy, Mich.) — who scored SMU’s lone goal vs. SJU a year ago — and Ryan Rademacher (La Crosse Wis.) share the team lead in goals with three each, while Boussie also leads the Cardinals in assists (3) and points (9). … SMU has played three overtime games in each of the last two seasons and are now 4-0-3 in their last seven overtime games and have not lost an OT game since a 3-2 setback vs. Macalester on Sept. 22, 2006. … Both of the Cardinals’ ties this season have come on their home field — and both have been 1-1 decisions. … SMU has scored seven of its 13 goals in the first half, while the Cardinals’ opponents have netted 15 of their 24 goals in the second half.
Saint John’s Johnnie Notes: Wednesday’s loss to St. Thomas snapped the Johnnies’ three-game unbeaten streak (1-0-2). … SJU’s lost to St. Thomas marked the third time this season the Johnnies have scored two goals in a losing effort. … Today’s contest against SMU is the third of four straight home games for the Johnnies. SJU is 2-2-1 on its home field this season. … Paul Keane and Andre Blaine accounted for SJU’s two goals vs. UST. It was the first career goal for Blaine. … Colin Hall leads the team in scoring, boasting team highs in goals (6) and points (13). … A.J. Sollom, J.C. Artavia and Jake Archbold all share the team lead in assists with three each, while five other players have two assists each. … GKs Luke Nelson and Matt Anderson have combined for a 1.87 goals-against-average and a .784 save percentage. … Fifteen of Saint John’s 20 goals have come in the second half. SJU has been outscored 15-5 in the game’s opening 45 minutes