WINONA, Minn. — The schedule-makers were not very nice to the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's soccer team this week—and neither were their opponents.
 
The Cardinals opened the week Wednesday, dropping a 3-1 nonconference decision to UW-La Crosse—the 26^th-ranked team in the latest NSCAA poll.
 
Three days later, the Cardinals were once again facing a team recognized as one of the best in the country—13^th-ranked and league-leading St. Thomas.
 
And the Tommies, like the Eagles before them, were rather ungracious guests to Ochrymowycz Field, handing the Cardinals a 2-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback.
 
The Tommies got on the board in the 19^th minute, as Mallory DeBoom netted her team-leading seventh goal of the season, taking a feed from Meagan Selinger and slipping a shot between the legs of Cardinal goalkeeper Gabriella Pederson (Chaska, Minn.).
 
Saint Mary's—thanks in large part to the play of Pederson—would remain within striking distance of the high-powered Tommies through the remainder of the first half, and the first 17 minutes of the second. UST, however, would tack on its second goal of the game—a Brie Bourdage goal in the 63^rd minute—to ice the victory.
 
UST's defense, meanwhile, continued its season-long impersonation of a brick wall, holding the Cardinals without a shot on goal in recording its 13^th shutout win of the season.
 
Pederson finished with eight saves in goal for the Cardinals, including five in the first half—several of the acrobatic variety.
 
The Cardinals (0-9-0 MIAC, 2-12-1 overall) close out the road portion of their 2016 regular-season schedule on Wednesday, heading to St. Paul, Minn., for a 3:30 p.m. MIAC showdown against St. Catherine.