While a few seasons have come to an end, championship season is just heating up for Cardinal Athletics.
WOMEN’S HOCKEY WRAPS SEASON AGAINST NO. 2 AUGSBURG
The Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team (9-14-2, 5-11-2) entered the final weekend needing a sweep of the nationally ranked No. 2 Augsburg University Auggies, along with help elsewhere in the conference, to keep its postseason hopes alive.
Despite turning in two of their strongest performances of the season, the Cardinals were edged in a pair of tight contests, falling 3-1 and 2-1 to close out the year. The competitive series marked a hard-fought finish to the 2025-26 campaign.
NO. 5 SOFTBALL STAYS PERFECT
The fifth-ranked Saint Mary’s softball team is off to a dominant start.
The Cardinals closed out their opening weekend at the Mankato Dome with a perfect 8-0 record, defeating UW–La Crosse, Concordia Wisconsin, Dominican, and Minnesota Morris. The highlight of the weekend was a 19-0 victory, the program’s highest single-game run total in a year.
Saint Mary’s will now regroup before heading to Georgia for a March 3 doubleheader against LaGrange, followed by a trip to Columbus, Ga., for the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
MEN’S BASKETBALL FINISHES SEASON AT NO. 12 GUSTAVUS
The Saint Mary’s men’s basketball team (1-24, 0-16) closed out its season on the road against No. 12-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties.
In one of their best offensive showings of the year, the Cardinals poured in a season-high 92 points but fell 120-92. Saint Mary’s kept the contest competitive early before the Gusties pulled away in the second half.
The Cardinals will now shift their focus toward regrouping and preparing for a fresh start next season.
BASEBALL CLAIMS SERIES WIN OVER LUTHER
Opening weekend brought success for the Saint Mary’s baseball team (2-1), which traveled to Tucson, Ariz., for a three-game series against Luther College Norse.
After dropping the season opener, the Cardinals bounced back with back-to-back wins to take the series 2-1 in three tightly contested matchups.
Next up is the team’s annual Florida trip, beginning March 1 with a doubleheader against Trine as part of a week-long stretch of games running through March 7.
TENNIS TEAMS PREPARE FOR BUSY STRETCH
It was a successful Friday in Winona for Cardinal tennis, as both the men’s and women’s teams earned victories over Crown College.
The busy weekend ahead begins Friday, Feb. 27, when Saint Mary’s hosts Bethel at 5:00 p.m. The Cardinals then travel to Madison, Wis., for a 2:30 p.m. match Saturday against Edgewood College before closing the weekend Sunday, March 1, with an 11:00 a.m. contest against Elmhurst.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO HOST MIAC QUARTERFINAL
Seeding came down to the final week of conference play for the Saint Mary’s women’s basketball team (19-7, 13-5) . After losses to Hamline and Gustavus, the Cardinals secured the No. 4 seed in the MIAC Tournament.
Saint Mary’s will host its first conference playoff game since 2016 on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m., welcoming the No. 5 Hamline Pipers to Winona for a MIAC Quarterfinal matchup. The two teams split their regular-season series.
The winner advances to the semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 26, with the MIAC Championship scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28.
MEN’S HOCKEY EARNS NO. 3 SEED
The Saint Mary’s men’s hockey team entered the final weekend with a chance to capture regular-season honors but needed a sweep of the Augsburg University Auggies to do so. Instead, the Cardinals split the series, highlighted by a 7-3 Saturday win powered by a hat trick from senior captain Jak Campion.
That result secured the No. 3 seed in the MIAC Tournament.
The Cardinals will travel to No. 2 Gustavus Adolphus Gusties on Saturday, Feb. 28, for a 5:00 p.m. semifinal matchup. The winner advances to the MIAC Championship game on Saturday, March 7.
INDOOR TRACK & FIELD HEADS TO MIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The records continue to fall for Saint Mary’s track and field.
At last weekend’s Maverick Open, Mya Slavin broke the school record in the 1000m, a mark that had stood since 2006, with a first-place time of 2:58.84. Ryan Cramer also etched his name in the record book, setting a new program standard in the 60m with a time of 6.88, ranking him among the top 50 nationally.
The Cardinals now carry that momentum into the MIAC Indoor Championships, set for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28, at Carleton College.
With postseason play underway and championships on the line, this week will define the winter season. Best of luck to all Cardinals competing. Go Cardinals.
