WINONA, Minn. — With temperatures hovering in the 30s, wind gusts nearing 20 mph and even a few snowflakes, Mother Nature certainly did her part to make life miserable for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's soccer team Wednesday evening.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, St. Catherine's Hannah Okerstrom did her part, too.
 
Okerstrom scored a pair of goals—one in each half—in leading the Wildcats to a 2-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Cardinals at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
The Wildcats did not wait long to get their offense heated up, as Okerstrom took a feed from Elly Leyva and feathering a shot over Saint Mary's goalkeeper Aubrie Cornell (Columbia, Mo.) and into the left side of the net just 5:37 into the opening half.
 
St. Catherine maintained that one-goal lead through the remainder of the game's first 45 minutes, but the Cardinals came out firing to open the second half—only to be thwarted by the goal post.
 
Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.) appeared to pull the Cardinals even just a minute into the second half, as her shot from just outside the penalty box eluded St. Catherine goalkeeper Danielle Mendez, only to clank off the crossbar.
 
Okerstrom gave St. Catherine a little breathing room, netting her second of the game—and team-leading 13th of the season—with nine minutes remaining in regulation.
 
Saint Mary's continued to apply the offensive pressure, but were again stymied—not by the Wildcats, but by the goal post—as Emily Loof's (Colorado Springs, Colo.) shot two minutes after Okerstrom's second goal caromed off the underside of the cross bar and trickled wide.
 
Cornell—making her 17th straight start—finished with eight saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Mendez stopped all five Saint Mary's shots in recording the shutout.
 
The Cardinals (3-7-0 MIAC, 6-11-0 overall) closed out their 2015 schedule on Saturday, traveling to Northfield, Minn., for a 3:30 p.m. conference game against Carleton.