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Cardinal Roster
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Cardinal Statistics
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Cardinal Schedule
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MIAC Standings
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MIAC Statistics
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| 2005 Record: 4-7-0 MIAC, 7-10-1 Overall |
| Upcoming Events: Sept. 1: SMU at Simpson, 5 p.m. Sept. 4: SMU at Marian, 7 p.m. Sept. 5: SMU at Ripon, 4 p.m. Sept. 10: SMU at North Central, noon |
| This and That: The Cardinals' wins last season were the most wins by the Cardinals since SMU went 12-5-1 during the 1999 season. … SMU's starting lineup in its 2004 season finale vs. Hamline did not include on graduating senior. … Amy Cory (Crystal Lake, Ill.) finished with a team-leading 14 goals and 28 points, earning the then-freshman All-MIAC honors. … Cory’s 14 goals are the most since Julie Giebe scored 17 in both 1995 and 1996. … Ashley Kirkman (Stillwater, Minn.) led the team in assists with five. … Jen Johnson (Racine, Wis.) finished with a 1.72 goals-against-average and an .854 save percentage in her first year as SMU's goalkeeper. … Ten of SMU's 18 games a year ago were decided by one goal, with the Cardinals managing just three wins and a tie in those 10 games. … The Cardinals were 4-4-1 on their home field. … SMU's 29 goals scored equals the goal total of the Cardinals' previous three years combined. |
climb towards the top of conference ladder in 2005
WINONA, Minn. — In his first season as the head coach of the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team a year ago, Tony Guinn didn't know what to expect from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
And the conference didn't know what to expect from Guinn and his Cardinals.
They do now.
Guinn guided the Cardinals to a 7-10-1 overall record — SMU's most wins since going 12-5-1 during the 1999 season — and with a year under his belt, the SMU coach isn't about to settle for another seven-win season.
It's time for the Cardinals to return to the conference's penthouse.
"I think right now we are a bit ahead of where we were last year at this time," said Guinn. "We had another good recruiting class, everyone has a better understanding of my expectations, and everyone's commitment level is that much higher.
"Hopefully we can just pick up where we left off last year."
Hopefully?
With eight starters back from a year ago, including All-MIAC first-teamer Amy Cory (Crystal Lake, Ill.) — and no glaring weaknesses — the question isn't whether or nor the Cardinals will continue to improve, but rather, how much will they improve.
Top half of the conference? Top four? Top 2? No. 1?
It's a question Guinn isn't prepared to answer — but his players may be.
"This team enjoyed some success last year and that just fueled their fire that much more," said Guinn. "They worked extremely hard in the off-season, came back in great shape, and they are eager to continue to work to turn this program around."
Guinn will be the first to admit that this year's squad has all the tools to challenge any team in the conference — now it's just a matter of putting all the pieces together.
"The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's is our depth," Guinn said. "And not only are we deep, but we are solid all the way around. We've got one of the best keepers in the conference in Jen Johnson (Racine, Wis.), we've got an all-conference striker in Amy Cory, (Crystal Lake, Ill.), we've got two outstanding center-mids in Kendra Maloney (Green Bay, Wis.) and Abbey D'Aquisto (Racine, Wis.), and we've got an all-conference sweeper (as a freshman two years ago) in Kelli Krmpotich (Minneapolis, Minn.).
"Add to that the outstanding leadership we are getting from our three seniors — Anne Suddendorf (Excelsior, Minn.), Courtney Gibson (Woodbury, Minn.) and Mandy Downing (Mendota Heights, Minn.) — and this team is really on the right track," continued Guinn, whose team opens its season with five straight road games — including its season-opener Sept. 1 at Simpson — before finally opening the home portion of its schedule on Sept. 13 vs. Hamline. "Everyone got a taste (of success) last year and they're hungry for more."