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For PDF version / click here |
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Saturday, November 2, 2002 |
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(Through Friday, November 1) |
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Tonight's game is the season opener for both teams. |
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Despite a 24-save effort from Missie Meemken, the Cardinals were shutout by the Pointers, 3-0. |
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The Cardinals earned their second-straight national-tournament appearance a year ago, losing to Gustavus 2-0 in the first-ever NCAA Division III national tourney. … Missie Meemken (St. Cloud, Minn.) was named JOFA/AHCA First-Team All-American, after posting a 1.91 goals-against-average and a stellar .934 save percentage in 23 games. … The Cardinals had five players named to the All-MIAC team, including returners Meemken and Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.). … Kearns led the team with a school-record 32 goals (besting the old mark, held by Tennie McCabe, by two). The sophomore forward also led the team with 18 assists and 50 points. Her 50 points are also a school record, breaking the old mark of 49, set by McCabe last season. |
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Senior / Goalie Hometown Major |
WINONA, Minn. — You’ll have to forgive Saint Mary’s University women’s hockey coach Duncan Ryhorchuk if he seems a little preoccupied of late.
If he happens to keep checking over his shoulders while you are holding a conversation with him, cut him a little slack — he’s not being rude, just a bit cautious.
After all, when you are the coach of a team that has participated in two straight national tournaments and is the defending MIAC playoff champion, you might as well spend your days walking around with a big red target on your back.
And Ryhorchuk doesn’t want anyone sneaking up on him.
“When you have had the type of success that we have had the last couple of years, everyone is gunning for you,” said Ryhorchuk, whose team placed third in the AWCHA national tournament in 2001 and qualified for the NCAA’s first-ever Division III national tournament a year ago.
And in order for the Cardinals to remain in the MIAC’s catbird seat — and keep that target on their backs — they are going to need encore performances from some of their top players, and breakout performances from some of their supporting cast.
“We lost some of our top players (to graduation), but we’ve also got a lot of talent and experience returning,” said Ryhorchuk. “We’re going to need to find some players to try and fill the void (left by those graduated seniors), but the core of the team is still there.”
And what a core it is.
Not only do the Cardinals return a two-time All-American goalie in Missie Meemken (St. Cloud, Minn.) and a solid defensive corps led by Monica Deringer (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), but they also return five of their top six scorers — including team-leaders Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.) and Christy Hicks (Bloomington, Minn.).
In other words, opponents may be gunning to shoot down SMU, but the Cardinals are fully loaded to return fire.
“Last year, our goal at the start of the season was to get back to the national tournament,” said Ryhorchuk, whose team opens its season tonight against UW-Stevens Point, a team that went 26-1 a year ago, including a 3-0 win over SMU. “Obviously, getting back to the national tournament again is one of our goals. But this year, we don’t want to just get there — our goal is the Final Four and playing for a national championship.”