ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota men's soccer team entered Saturday's showdown against Hamline riding a wave of momentum—thanks to back-to-back wins, including its streak-snapping victory over Gustavus on Wednesday.
 
Hamline, meanwhile, was surfing on a similar wave, as the Pipers took to Paterson Field unbeaten in their last four contests (3-0-1).
 
Unfortunately for coach Corbin Bowers, it was the Cardinals who slipped off their board, surrendering a pair of goals in a six-minute span early in the second half in falling to the Pipers 2-0.
 
After a scoreless first half—in which Cardinal goalkeeper Nate Levy (Byron, Minn.) and his HU counterpart, Malachy Zamacona, each made three saves—the Pipers turned up the offensive heat.
 
Hamline peppered Levy with eight second-half shots—including goals by Adam King and Stefan Kissinger—while limiting Saint Mary's to just one shot on goal over the game's final 45 minutes.
 
King broke the scoreless deadlock in the 59^th minute, beating Levy for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Five minutes later, the Pipers would strike again, as Kissinger rifled a shot past Levy to push the Hamline lead to 2-0.
 
A lead the Cardinals could not cut into over the game's final 25 minutes.
 
The Cardinals (2-5-0 MIAC, 8-7-0 overall) return home to Ochrymowycz Field on Friday, hosting Macalester in a 7 p.m. MIAC contest.