WINONA, Minn. — The beginning wasn't all that memorable for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's soccer team—but the ending sure was.
 
The Cardinals surrendered a goal in the first 12 minutes of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game against Hamline Friday evening at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
And over the next 71 minutes, the Pipers made that one-goal lead standup.
 
Fortunately for coach Neil Cassidy, that all changed with less than 12 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
The Cardinals scored two goals in a two-minute span to erase that 1-0 Piper lead and lift Saint Mary's to a 2-1 conference victory.
 
Arendje Louter netted her fifth goal of the season just 11:09 into the first half to give Hamline an early 1-0 advantage.
 
And no matter how hard the Cardinals pressed, the Piper defense would not budge.
 
Until the 83rd minute, that is.
 
Maddy Wallraff (Blaine, Minn.) finally broke through at 83:19, scoring her second goal of the season off an assist from Caroline Blackwood (Norwalk, Ohio) to pull the Cardinals even at 1-1.
 
The game did not stay deadlocked long, however, as Bridgett Leverich (Oswego, Ill.) scored less than two minutes after Wallraff's goal—off an assist from Emma Schaefer (Roseville, Minn.)—to give Saint Mary's the lead for good, 2-1.
 
Aubrie Cornell (Columbia, Mo.) finished with four saves in goal for the Cardinals—including three in the first half—while HU goalie Anna Briscoe  finished with seven saves for the Pipers.
 
The Cardinals (2-4-0 MIAC, 4-8-0 overall) are back in action on Tuesday, when they travel to St. Paul, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. MIAC matchup against Macalester.