By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — Gabriela Pederson (Chaska, Minn.) was one busy goalkeeper for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's soccer team Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cardinal junior equaled her career high, stopping 11 St. Catherine shots in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
Unfortunately, despite Pederson's efforts — and a pair of second-half goals — the Cardinals came up short, as the Wildcats scored 59 seconds into the second overtime to deal Saint Mary's a heartbreaking 3-2 loss.
 
The Wildcats broke a scoreless deadlock midway through the first half, as Lauren Witte beat Pederson for her team-leading sixth goal of the season — and a 1-0 St. Catherine advantage.
 
St. Catherine would maintain that one-goal advantage through the remainder of the opening half — thanks in large part to the play of Pederson, who finished with seven saves through the game's opening 45 minutes.
 
With Pederson doing her part to keep it a one-goal game, the Cardinal offense finally came to life early in the second half, as Maura Michener (Winona, Minn.) broke free of the SCU defense and delivered her team-leading sixth goal of the game six minutes in to pull the Cardinals even, 1-1.
 
St. Catherine regained the upper hand six minutes after Michener's tally, getting a corner-kick goal off the foot of Iryna Talkachova for a 2-1 lead.
 
For the second time in the second half, the Cardinals had an answer — this one coming off the foot of Maddy Wallraff (Blaine, Minn.), who took a feed from Quinn McGranaghan (Portland, Ore.) and beat SCU goalkeeper Tayler Koop to knot the game at 2-2.
 
After a scoreless first overtime period, the Wildcats' Witte netted her second of the game — 59 seconds into OT to lift SCU to the win.
 
The Cardinals (0-4-0 MIAC, 5-5-0 overall) are back in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action on Wednesday, returning home to Ochrymowycz Field for a 7:30 p.m. matchup against St. Thomas.