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2006 Records:
0-0-0 MIAC, 3-2-0 Overall
Recent Results:
Loras 3, Saint Mary's 0 / Details
Carthage 3, Saint Mary's 2 / Details
Saint Mary's 2, Ripon 0 / Details
Upcoming Events:
Wed., Sept. 13: Hamline at SMU, 4 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 16: Carleton at SMU, 1 p.m.
This and That:
The Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak with Sunday's 2-0 win over Ripon. … Mike Schmitt (Woodridge, Ill.), who scored one of SMU's two goals in last Tuesday's loss vs. Carthage, has assisted on SMU's last three goals — including both vs. Ripon Sunday — and has had a hand in the Cardinals' last five goals. … Schmitt now leads the team in all three offensive categories with five goals, three assists and 13 points. … Andy Neu (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) scored his first collegiate goal vs. Ripon. … GK Jon Szafranski (Barrington, Ill.) stopped all three shots he faced vs. Ripon to earn his first collegiate shutout in his first collegiate start. … The Cardinals have scored 18 goals in their first five games — one shy of their offensive output all of last year. … SMU has gotten goals from 13 different players and points from 15. …  Thirteen of SMU's 18 goals have come in the second half.


Cardinals get much-needed confidence boost with
2-0, streak-snapping nonconference win over Ripon
Who's Hot?

Jon
Szafranski
Shutout in 1st
career start
WINONA, Minn. — A year ago, Saint Mary's University's Mike Schmitt (Woodridge, Ill.) was the Cardinal men's soccer team's No. 1 goal-scoring threat — if the Cardinals were going to score a goal, it was a pretty safe bet that Schmitt would do the scoring, as the SMU junior accounted for 10 of the Cardinals' 19 goals.

Schmitt is still scoring goals in bunches this season, netting a pair of goals in each of SMU's first two games, while adding another in the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to Carthage last Tuesday.

But scoring goals isn't all the Cardinal sharpshooter can do.

Which is good news for the Cardinals — and bad news for their opponents.

Schmitt assisted on both goals Sunday — and has now had a hand in the last five Cardinal goals — as SMU snapped a two-game losing streak with a 2-0 nonconference win over Ripon at Ochrymowycz Field.

"It's great for us to get back on the winning track," said SMU coach Chris Dembiec, whose team improved to 3-2-0 overall with the win. "We've been struggling a bit to put a full game together, but (Sunday) we did just that — we came out and put (Ripon) on the defensive early, and in weather like that (cold and rainy), that gave us a huge advantage."

The Cardinals got on the board just before halftime vs. Ripon, as Schmitt served up the first of his two assists, threading a pass to Andy Neu (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), who beat Ripon goalie Dave Freisleben for his first collegiate goal.

Schmitt was in a giving mood again early in the second half, as he set up teammate Jon Vik (St. Paul, Minn.) for the Cardinals' second goal. And a two-goal cushion was more than enough for goalkeeper Jon Szafranski (Barrington, Ill.), who stopped all three Ripon shots en route to his first collegiate shutout in his first collegiate start.

"We needed a performance like this heading into our conference schedule," said Dembiec, whose team opens MIAC play on Wednesday, playing host to Hamline. "It's nice for us to come away with a win heading into the Hamline game.

"The season has been a bit of a rollercoaster thus far — we've faced some very good teams, and we've faced some not-so-good teams — but I also think we've learned a lot about ourselves and the potential that this team has.

"We've made some great strides already this season, and I think we are ready to take our game to the next level."