WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's soccer team kicks off ithe home portion of its 2014 schedule on Thursday, as the Cardinals host North Central (Minn.) in a 7 p.m. nonconference game at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
The Matchup:
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-1-0 Overall) vs. North Central Rams (0-0-0 Overall)
 
Last Action:
The Cardinals surrendered three second-half goals in its season-opener last Monday, as North Park handed Saint Mary's a 4-1 nonconference setback in Chicago, Ill. | Recap … Thursday's game against Saint Mary's is the season-opener for North Central.
 
SMU vs. North Central — Their Last Meeting:
September 6, 2011: Offensively, Saint Mary's had more than its fair share of chances in its nonconference game against North Central (Minn.) at Ochrymowycz Field. Unfortunately, the Cardinals could not cash in on any of those chances, as they settled for a 0-0 double-overtime tie against the Rams — Saint Mary's second double-overtime contest in its three games this season | Recap
 
Up Next:
The Cardinals hit the road on Saturday, traveling to St. Bonifacius, Minn., for a 7 p.m. nonconference game against Crown. … North Central is also back in action on Saturday, when the Rams host Providence-Manitoba in a 2:15 p.m. nonconference game in Minneapolis, Minn.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2014 Roster | 2014 Schedule | 2013 Final Statistics
Saint Mary's 4-1 loss to North Park marked just the second time in the last five years that the Cardinals have not won their season opener. … Ryan Geidner (Antioch, Ill.), who shared the team lead in goals with three a year ago, tallied his first goal of the season to account for Saint Mary's tally against North Park Monday. … Jim Dreshar (Hugo, Minn.) picked up the lone assist for the Cardinals against North Park. It was his first collegiate point. … Goalkeeper Zach Satton (Tehachapi, Calif.) finished with nine saves in his first collegiate start against North Park. … Twelve of the Cardinals' last 19 games have been decided by one goal or less. … Ten of Saint Mary's 13 wins under coach Pete Watkins have been decided by one goal. … The Cardinals' 11 goals in their 11-1 win over Presentation a year ago were a school record, breaking the old mark of 10 — also set on Sept. 1 — in a 10-1 win over Rockford in 2006. … 
 Seventeen of Saint Mary's 22 goals last season came in the Cardinals' four wins and one tie.
 
Scouting The North Central Rams:
2014 Roster | 2014 Schedule | 2013 Final Statistics
The Rams head into Thursday's matchup at Saint Mary's coming off a 3-13-3 record in 2013. … North Central reached the NCCAA Regional final a year ago, falling to Providence-Manitoba 3-2 in overtime. … Stephen Johnson was the Rams' offensive leader a year ago, scoring four goals, while also leading the team with eight points. … Johnson accounted for half of the team's goals in 2013, while Christian Stepaniak chipped in two goals and Tyler Maag and Nick Wiese recorded the other two. … Wiese also led the team with a pair of assists and was second to Johnson with four points. … Nathan Kraines started all 19 games in goal for the Rams in 2013, compiling a 2.75 goals-against-average and a .761 save percentage. … Kraines recorded 172 saves a year ago. … Two of North Central's three wins a year ago were by shutout — a 1-0 win over Martin Luther on Sept. 25 and a 1-0 victory over Faith Baptist Bible College on Nov. 2. … North Central surrendered seven or more goals four times in 2013, including a season-high 11 in an 11-0 loss to St. Scholastica on Sept. 27. … North Central won just once on its home field in 2013, going 1-6-2. The Rams finished 2-7-1 on the road a year ago.