The Johnnies (4-4-4, 3-2-2 MIAC) travel to face Saint Mary's this Saturday, Oct. 23. The match is set for 3 p.m. in Winona. SJU will then continue south to Decorah, Iowa, to take on Luther for a 2 p.m. match Sunday, Oct. 24.
Preview Video:
-Head coach John Haws (0:59)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Senior Colin Hall's first goal of the season 2:48 into the first overtime gave SJU a 1-0 conference victory at Bethel on Oct. 16. Freshman Joe Balder (Stillwater, Minn.) played the ball behind the Royals' defense to fellow freshman Michael Coborn (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral), who in traffic, passed it to a wide-open Hall (Maple Grove, Minn.). The goal is the 13th of his career. Senior Matt Anderson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) made seven saves to record his fourth shutout of the season and improve to 3-2-2 on the year. He made a game-saving stop, on a point-blank blast from 15 yards out, near the end of regulation. Anderson now boasts a .910 save percentage and a 0.68 GAA.
SJU currently sits on the bubble (the top four teams advance) with 11 points and three conference games to play (a win counts as three points toward the MIAC standings). First-year head coach John Haws' squad was picked to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the 2010 MIAC Preseason Coaches' poll.
A LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Saint Mary's (2-13, 0-7 MIAC) has lost each of its last 12 games since its lone win during Labor Day weekend. The losing streak is deceptive; however, as the Cardinals' two most recent matches were each 1-0 decisions to St. Olaf and Hamline. Junior Juamaine Venter leads SMU in 12 points (5g/2a), shots (27) and shots on goal (15). SMU allows an average of 2.4 goals per game.
THE LAST MEETING WITH SMU: Saint Mary's scored a goal with 40 seconds remaining in the second overtime to defeat Saint John's 1-0 on Oct. 24 of last year in Collegeville. SMU goalkeeper Jon Szafranski caught an SJU corner kick and quickly punted the ball over the Johnnies to an open Juamaine Venter, who floated a shot over the hard-charging Luke Nelson into the net. The loss was the first for SJU at home against Saint Mary's since Oct. 31, 1992 (1-0). Saint John's is now 23-4-3 against Saint Mary's since 1981, including a 13-2-2 record in Collegeville. SJU had won each of the last nine meetings.
A LOOK AT THE NORSE: Luther (3-4, 6-7-1 IIAC) is currently on a three-game winning streak entering its next game against Cornell (Iowa) on Oct. 23. Sophomore Saul Rosales leads the Norse with 11 points (4g/3a), while Steve O'Meara has a 1.11 GAA in 1,212 minutes in net. With an important MIAC match against Macalester two days later, Haws will most likely rest a number of varsity players for this match.
THE LAST MEETING WITH LUTHER: The last time SJU faced Luther was in 2008 (Oct. 19 in Decorah), where the Johnnies fell 2-1 in overtime. Hall put the Johnnies ahead, 1-0 11:30 into the match. Luther tied the game at the 56:04 mark of the second half before scoring the game-winner 2:35 into the second overtime. Anderson made two saves in the loss.
