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2005-2006 Final Records:
8-7-3 MIAC, 11-12-3 Overall
Upcoming Action:
Fri., Nov. 3: SMU at UW-River Falls, 7:05 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 7: UW-Eau Claire at SMU, 7:05 p.m.
Cardinal News and Notes:
SMU made its sixth straight MIAC Tournament appearance in 2005-06 — one of just two teams (along with Gustavus) to appear in all six conference tournaments. … Melissa Mondo (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) was SMU's lone representative on the All-MIAC first team. Teammates Nikki Jung (Vadnais Heights, Minn.), Laura Mueller (St. Paul, Minn.) and Val Rodriguez (Woodbury, Minn.) were honorable-mention selections. … After going 3-9-2 in their first 14 games, the Cardinals closed the season with eight wins in their last 11 games (8-2-1) … Mondo closed out the season as the team's leader in goals (11) and points (21). … Mueller led the team in assists (11) and was second in points (20). … SMU ended the season with seven players with 10 or more points. … Jung and Amanda Gage (Lino Lakes, Minn.) combined to boast a 2.96 goals-against-average and a .910 save percentage. … The Cardinals have now won 11 or more games in all eight years of the program's existence.
With virtually entire cast back for another go around,
Cardinals set sights on another MIAC playoff berth

Melissa
Mondo
First-Team
All-MIAC
WINONA, Minn. — They had a new coach, but it was the same old story for the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team a year ago, as the Cardinals made their sixth straight appearance in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs.

And second-year coach Terry Mannor is looking for his Cardinals to make it a perfect 7-for-7 in 2006-07.

"I'm very excited about the upcoming year," said Mannor, who picked up his first collegiate coaching win in his first game a year ago (a 5-1 season-opening win vs. UW-Eau Claire) and guided SMU to an 11-12-3 overall mark. "The work ethic of this group is outstanding — they had a great dryland and that has carried over into the first couple of weeks of practice.

"I thought we accomplished a lot last year," added Mannor. "Anytime you have a new coach take over a program, there's an adjustment period — it takes time for the players to get used to a new coach, and it takes time for the coach to get used to the players."

If the Cardinals were able to reach the conference playoffs during Mannor's "adjustment period," imagine what they can accomplish a year later.

With virtually the same team.

The Cardinals return their top four scorers — Melissa Mondo (Vadnais Heights, Minn. / 11 G, 10 A, 21 pts), Laura Mueller (St. Paul, Minn. / 7 G, 11 A, 18 pts), Amy Madden (East Grand Rapids, Mich. / 8 G, 9 A, 17 pts) and Rachel Harrison (Madison, Wis. / 6 G, 10 A, 16 pts) — as well as goalies Nikki Jung (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / 3.00 GAA, .907 save %) and Amanda Gage (Lino Lakes, Minn. / 2.38 GAA, .922 save %).

With that kind of firepower, it's no wonder Mannor and the Cardinals expect to make some noise in the MIAC — in the regular-season and the post-season.

"Our goal is to get back to the conference playoffs," said Mannor, whose team placed fifth in the MIAC regular-season a year ago with an 8-7-3 mark, then were ousted in the opening round of the playoffs by St. Olaf. "And if we are going to accomplish that goal, our upperclassmen are going to have to continue to lead by example, and our young players are going to have to make the adjustments to the collegiate game.

"The MIAC keeps getting tougher and tougher every year, and this year will be no different," Mannor said. "I don't know how things will unfold, but I do know one thing — it should be an exciting season."