On Wednesday, the Cardinals experienced the agony of defeat, as UW-La Crosse — which benefited from an SMU own goal to tie the game with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation — scored the game-winner on a free kick midway through the second overtime to beat SMU 3-2.

“It was a gut-wrenching way to lose,” said SMU coach Eric Zimmerman. “We didn't play that well in the first half — (UW-L) had us on our heels a bit — but we made a few adjustments in the second half and really took it to them.

“We certainly played well enough to win, we just ended up on the wrong end of a couple bad breaks — on resulting in us knocking the ball into our own goal and the other on a questionable foul that resulted in (UW-L's) game-winning goal.”

UW-L wasted little time getting on the board, as Laura Jacobson scored just 1:43 into the first half. Amy Sibik (Onalaska, Wis.) pulled the Cardinals even five minutes into the second half, and Sloane Kuramoto (Rochester, Minn.) gave SMU a 2-1 advantage nine minutes later on her first collegiate goal.

Then disaster struck, as UW-L knotted things at 2-2 on an SMU own goal, then got the game-winner from Sarah Joost late in the second overtime.

The Cardinals, who fall to 2-2-0 overall, are back in action — and back on the road — on Saturday, traveling to Luther for a 7 p.m. contest Saturday.