WINONA, Minn. — The busiest stretch of the year has arrived, and there’s no shortage of excitement ahead for Saint Mary’s student-athletes as multiple programs gear up for big weekends.
Softball Returns to Action
After a historic 2025 campaign, the Saint Mary’s softball team is officially back and ready to launch an exciting 2026 spring season. The Cardinals open play this weekend in the Mankato Dome, facing Northwestern (Minn.) at 1:00 p.m. and Nebraska Wesleyan at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14.
The weekend wraps up on Sunday with matchups against Bethany Lutheran at 9:00 a.m. and UW–River Falls at 11:30 a.m.
Track & Field Competes Across Two States
Coming off a strong showing at the River Falls meet, highlighted by Mya Slavin’s first-place finish in the women’s mile with a new personal-best time of 5:09.41, the track and field program will split this weekend to maximize competition opportunities. Athletes will compete at the SDSU Indoor Classic in Brookings, South Dakota on Feb. 13–14, while others head to the Carleton Meet of Hearts on Saturday, Feb. 14, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Tennis Hits the Road
While the women’s tennis team had the weekend off, the men’s team made the most of its opportunity, earning a perfect 2–0 day on the road with wins over Ripon and Wisconsin Lutheran. Now 3–4 on the season, the men head to Minneapolis on Saturday for a noon matchup at Northwestern (Minn.).
The women’s team, off to a perfect 3–0 start, will also face Northwestern at 12:30 p.m. before traveling to open conference play at Carleton at 6:00 p.m.
Men’s Basketball Home Stretch
The Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team (1-20, 0-12) returns home for a pair of important matchups, hosting Augsburg on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 p.m. before welcoming St. Scholastica on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. for Senior Day.
Women’s Basketball Celebrates Senior Day
After another strong 2–0 conference week, the women’s basketball team (17-4, 11-3) continues to surge toward the postseason. The Cardinals earned wins over St. Catherine (70–41) and St. Olaf (67–51), with Ayla Olson leading the way with a career-high 26 points against the Oles.
The team travels to Augsburg on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. before returning home Saturday to host St. Scholastica at 1:00 p.m. for Senior Day.
Big Week Ahead for Men’s Hockey
Men’s hockey (12-7-2, 8-3-1) is rolling after a weekend sweep of Bethel (5–3, 2–0), vaulting the Cardinals into sole possession of first place in the conference with 27 points as the regular season winds down. Goaltender Adam Prokop earned conference Player of the Week honors for the third time this season and recorded his first career shutout on Saturday.
This weekend, Saint Mary’s takes on St. Olaf, hosting the Oles Friday at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Northfield for a 5:00 p.m. puck drop on Saturday.
Women’s Hockey Three Game Week
It’s a special and busy week for the Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team (8-10-2, 4-8-2), which will honor its seniors during Saturday’s home finale. The Cardinals will travel to take on No.1 ranked UW-River Falls today to close out their nonconference schedule at 7:05 p.m. With playoff hopes still alive, the Cardinals take on St. Olaf in a home-and-home series, beginning Friday in Northfield at 6:00 p.m. and returning home Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. game followed by Senior Day festivities.
There’s no shortage of Cardinal action this week—stay up to date at saintmaryssports.com and follow along on social media @SMUMNAthletics. Go Cardinals!
