vs.
0		3

Game Summary / GameDay Online

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — After opening the season with three straight home games — in which the Saint Mary's University men's soccer team posted a 2-1-0 record — the Cardinals hit the road.

And the road has hit back — hard.

Just four days after dropping a 2-1 decision to Carthage in their first road game of the season, the Cardinals were back  on the road — with similar results — as St. Olaf broke open a one-goal game with two goals in a 13-minute span midway through the second half in handing SMU a 3-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback.

"St. Olaf is a big, physical team and that certainly worked to their advantage," said SMU coach Chris Dembiec, whose team has now dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season. "We didn't play very well, especially in the first half, and against a team as talented as (St. Olaf), you can't afford to have an off day."

The Oles got on the board in the game's 20th minute, as Nate Swenson beat SMU goalkeeper Jim Schultz (Kenosha, Wis.) on an unassisted tally.

"I thought after they scored that first goal we seemed to pick up our play a bit," said Dembiec. "We made one mistake — a physical error that gave them a second chance on a cross and they put it in the back of the net. That's been our Achilles' heel this season, we just aren't as physical as the teams we are playing, and it's really hurting us."

The Oles put the game out of reach midway through the second half as Bobby Anderson and John Zietlow both found the back of the net against goalkeeper Jon Szafranski (Barrington, Ill.), who replaced Schultz at halftime and was making his first appearance of the season after missing the first four games due to an injury.

"This is a tough (loss),  because I know we are capable of playing much better than we showed," said Dembiec, whose team steps out of conference play on Tuesday, traveling to UW-Whitewater for a 4 p.m. nonconference game. "The problem right now is, we're making two or three mistakes a game, and every time we make a mistake, our opponent is making us pay for it."