WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team, coming off back-to-back nonconference losses at Lake Forest two weeks ago, kicks off its home schedule Friday evening at the SMU Ice Arena, playing host to UW-Eau Claire in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at the SMU Ice Arena.
The Records:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-2-0 Overall)
UW-Eau Claire Blugolds (1-1-1 Overall)
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Last Action: The Cardinals dropped both ends of a two-game nonconference series at Lake Forest on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. SMU jumped out to a 3-0 first-period lead in the opener, but couldn't hold on, falling 5-4. The Cardinals' offense then went into hibernation in the rematch, as the Foresters blanked SMU 4-0. UW-Eau Claire, meanwhile, picked up its first win of the year with a 2-0 victory at Bethel on Friday, then battled St. Thomas to a 3-3 overtime tie at home on Saturday.
A Year Ago: The Cardinals and Blugolds split their nonconference series a year ago, with UW-Eau Claire winning the opener, 3-1, while SMU took Game 2 5-4 in overtime.
November 1, 2008: The Blugolds scored once in each period in beating the Cardinals for the sixth straight time, 3-1, in Eau Claire, Wis.
November 7, 2008: The Cardinals erupted for five goals — including the overtime game-winner by Sheree Haslemore (Gore, New Zealand) — as the Cardinals picked up their first win of the season, beating the Blugolds 5-4 at the SMU Ice Arena.
Saint Mary's Cardinal Notes: Nicole Olson (New Brighton, Minn.) scored two of SMU's four goals vs. Lake Forest in their season-opening 5-4 loss. Olson's six career collegiate goals have come via three two-goal games. … Jamie Henneman (Countryside, Ill.) had a goal and two assists vs. the Foresters, while Dy-Anna Stewart (Eden Prairie, Minn.) — SMU's First-Team All-MIAC selection a year ago — netted her first collegiate goal vs. Lake Forest. … Madeline Lenz (White Bear Lake, Minn.) finished with 25 saves in SMU's 5-4 loss to Lake Forest on Oct. 31, while Kaye Collier (Hibbing, Minn.) kicked out 39 of the 43 shots she faced in her collegiate debut the following night. … SMU scored three of its four goals vs. Lake Forest in the first period, while the Foresters netted four goals in both the second and third periods. … The Cardinals have now winless in their last three season openers (0-2-1) and have not won its season opener since the 2005-06 season, when the Cardinals dropped UW-Eau Claire 5-1 in Terry Mannor's first game as SMU's head coach.
UW-Eau Claire Blugold Notes: Tonight's game is the fourth straight against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference teams for the Blugolds, who opened with a 4-1 loss to Hamline, and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Bethel and a 3-3 tie vs. St. Thomas last weekend. … Danika Porter stopped all 20 shots in earning the shutout vs. Bethel last Friday. … Porter has played all three games in goal for the Blugolds, compiling a 2.77 goals-against-average and a .916 save percentage. … The Blugolds return six of their top seven scorers from last season, led by All-NCHA pick Kristin Faber, who finished 2008-09 with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists). … Three other Blugolds recorded 15 points or more last season — Beth Dittrich (8 G, 9 A, 17 Pts), Christine Dickinson (4 G, 12 A, 16 Pts), and Toni Simones (6 G, 9 A, 15 Pts). … This year's returners accounted for 73% of the Blugolds' goals from last year and 75% of the team's overall points. … Christine Dickinson currently leads the team in goals (2) and is tied with Dittrich and Kelli Johnson for the team lead in points with three. … Dittrich, Johnson and Toni Simones share the teams assist lead with two each. … Five of the seven goals allowed by the Blugolds have come in the first period. UW-EC has not allowed a goal in the third period this season.
