Game Summary

WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's soccer team did almost everything right in its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against St. Catherine.

The Cardinals outshot the Wildcats 12-10 and their scoring chances outnumbered the Wildcats' 2-1.

In fact, when it came right down to it, the Cardinals simply outplayed the Wildcats.

Problem was, the one place the Cardinals didn't dominate was on the scoreboard — the one place it mattered most.

St. Catherine scored what proved to be the game's only goal less than three minutes into the second half, as the Wildcats escaped with a 1-0 victory over the Cardinals at Ochrymowycz Field.

"I thought we controlled every aspect of the game, and it's frustrating to come out on the losing end," said SMU coach Dan Blank, whose team outshot the Wildcats 6-3 in a scoreless first half. "But soccer's a funny game that way — you can dominate like we did, and when the final horn sounds, have nothing to show for it.

"I've seen it happen so many times in the past, it's just unfortunate that it had to happen to us today."

The Cardinals missed a golden opportunity to get on the board first just before the half, but Kelli Mooney's (Maple Grove, Minn.) shot clanged off the left post and caromed harmlessly away.

"That would have been a huge goal," said Blank of Goodnature's shot. "To take a 1-0 lead into halftime would have been a big boost."

Instead, it was the Wildcats who got on the board first as Jill Ament broke free and put a shot past SMU goalkeeper Emily Strom (Waterford, Wis.) for her ninth goal of the season.

The Cardinals appeared to have the tying goal midway through the half, as Sara Goodnature (Rochester, Minn.) won a race for a loose ball against CSC goalkeeper Katie Knodel, but her shot ran out of steam, never making it into the open net before the Wildcats' Kendra Graper was able to get back and kick it away.

"I was proud of the way we played," said Blank, whose team dropped to 2-8-0 in the MIAC and 3-14-0 overall. "They played hard, and they played well. It's too bad they weren't rewarded better for their effort."