WINONA, Minn. — It's been said that a 90-minute soccer game is a marathon, not a sprint.
 
And the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's soccer team can certainly attest to that.
 
St. Olaf opened the scoring less than two minutes into the opening half, but the Cardinals netted the game's final two tallies—including the game-winner off the foot of Emily Loof (Colorado Springs, Colo.) early in the second half—as Saint Mary's handed the Oles a 3-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback Saturday at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
Madison Van Wylen did not waste any time getting the Oles on the scoreboard, as she deflected an Aubrie Cornell (Columbia, Mo.) clearing attempt and put the ball into the open net just 1:33 into the opening 45-minute period.
 
The Cardinals would get the equalizer at 31:46, as Becca Dup (Albert Lea, Minn.)—off an assist from Caroline Blackwood (Norwalk, Ohio)—beat St. Olaf goalkeeper Ruth Hesse for her second goal of the season.
 
The game remained deadlocked for less than two minutes, however, as Abby Stats scored off a corner kick to give St. Olaf a 2-1 advantage.
 
It appeared like the Oles would take that one-goal cushion into the halftime break, but Maddy Wallraff (Blaine, Minn.) had other ideas, as the Cardinal freshman tallied her third goal of the season with 35 seconds remaining to knot the game at 2-2 at the intermission.
 
Twenty minutes into the second half, Saint Mary's took the lead for good, as Loof scored her first goal of the season to put the Cardinals on top 3-2.
 
And with a stifling Cardinal defense, that one-goal lead proved to be more than enough.
 
Cornell finished with three saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Hesse made seven saves in goal for St. Olaf (2-5-1 MIAC, 3-7-4 overall).
 
The Cardinals (3-5-0 MIAC, 5-9-0)—winners of two of their last three games—step out of conference play on Wednesday, hosting Martin Luther in a 5 p.m. nonconference contest at Ochrymowycz Field.