By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — All season long, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's soccer coach Neil Cassidy had been waiting for his Cardinals to put it all together in conference play.
 
There had been flashes of brilliance, but they had yet to show their true potential for a complete 90-minute game.
 
Until Saturday.
 
The Cardinals gave their veteran head coach his wish, scoring three times in the first half en route to their first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win of the season — a 4-0 drubbing of Hamline at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
Maura Michener (Winona, Minn.) gave the Cardinals all the offensive firepower they would need, scoring the game's first goal — her team-leading eighth of the season — in the game's 26^th minute.
 
But the Cardinal senior wasn't finished — not by a long shot.
 
Michener tallied her second of the game just two minutes later to push the lead to 2-0, and Mackenzie Waters () tacked on Saint Mary's third of the half in the 40^th minute to give the Cardinals a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the break.
 
Maddy Wallraff (Blaine, Minn.) rounded out the scoring, taking a feed from — who else, Michener — and beating HU goalkeeper Lauren Secora in the 65^th minute to put the exclamation point on the Cardinals' performance.
 
Gabby Pederson (Chaska, Minn.) picked up the shutout in goal for the Cardinals, stopping the lone Piper shot on goal, while a pair of Hamline goalkeepers combined to make three saves.
 
The Cardinals (1-7-0 MIAC, 6-8-0 overall) are back in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Wednesday, returning home to Ochrymowycz Field for a 7 p.m. matchup against Carleton.