Box Score  | GameDay Preview

RIVER FALLS, Wis. — In their first two games combined this season, the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team surrendered just one first-half goal — that coming against the University of Dubuque last Sunday.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, UW-River Falls found a crack in SMU's first-half armor Wednesday, scoring a pair of goals in the game's opening 45 minutes — including one just four minutes in — and never looking back in dealing Saint Mary's a 6-2 nonconference setback at Ramer Field.

Anna Kouba got the Falcons on the board in the game's fourth minute, as she took a pass from Missy Barnett and headed the ball past SMU goalkeeper Miranda Halling (Rochester, Minn.). With less than 10 minutes remaining before the break, Nina Abrahamson pushed UW-RF's lead to 2-0, lacing a shot past Halling for her first goal of the season.

And, as good as the Falcons' offense was in the first half, it was even better in the second — which certainly didn't bode well for the Cardinals.

UW-River Falls wasted no time pushing its advantage to 3-0, as Abrahamson netted her second straight tally just 1:32 into the second half, while Alyssa Manor, Sydney Kolnberger and Alex Swatloski also found the back of the net over the game's final 45 minutes.

Emily Blaser (Sycamore, Ill.) collected two of SMU's six shots on goal, while Bridgett Leverich (Oswego, Ill.), Erika Torres (Moline, Ill.), Heidi Martin (Ankeny, Iowa) and Megan Nitzsche (St. Francis, Wis.) accounted for the other four.

Halling finished with three saves in goal for SMU, while Rebecca Kramer stopped all six shots she faced in posting the shutout for the Falcons.

The Cardinals are back in action on Sunday, when SMU squares off against Edgewood in a 4 p.m. nonconference contest in Madison, Wis.