By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
WINONA, Minn. — Both the Saint Mary's University and Martin Luther women's soccer teams entered Saturday's nonconference game on the heels of back-to-back shutout wins.
 
And thanks to a goal and an assist from Nicole Thompson (Riverside, Calif.) — and goals from Melina Rodriguez (Des Moines, Iowa) and Jordyn Matthews (Seattle, Wash.) — the Cardinals left Ochrymowycz Field with their third straight shutout win.
 
The Cardinals, who have won each of their last three games by 3-0 counts _ and are 4-0-0 to start the season for the first time since 2007 — waited until the very last seconds of the first half to finally get their offense in gear.
 
Rodriguez scored the game's first goal with seven seconds remaining in the opening half, taking a feed from Thompson and feathering a shot past Martin Luther goalkeeper Mollie Fischer.
 
Thompson pushed Saint Mary's lead to 2-0 with her first collegiate goal 16 minutes into the second half, and Matthews scored her sixth of the season — netting goals in each of the Cardinals' first four games — with six minutes to play to round out the scoring.
 
Gabriella Pederson (Chaska, Minn.) posted her third shutout of the season — and 10th of her collegiate career — stopping both Knight shots. Fischer, meanwhile, ade 12 saves — six in each half — between the pipes for Martin Luther.
 
The Cardinals (4-0-0 overall) will put their season-opening four-game winning streak on the line on Saturday, when they host St. Catherine in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.