NORTHFIELD, Minn. — After playing 10 of their first 11 matches indoors, the Saint Mary's University men's tennis team took their game outdoors Wednesday afternoon.
 
With temperatures hovering in the upper 30s with blustery winds, however, conditions were more conducive to an outdoor hockey game than an outdoor tennis match.
 
And, as if playing in less than ideal conditions wasn't tough enough, the Cardinals took the court squaring off against Carleton, one of the top teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
 
Carleton gave the Cardinals a first-hand look at why they are sitting atop the league standings as one of two unbeaten teams in conference play, handing Saint Mary's an 8-1 setback.
 
"Carleton showed us why they hold a national ranking," said Saint Mary's coach Jeff Halberg. "They are an extremely talented and deep team. We put up a fight, we just didn't have enough in the tank to hang with them."
 
Reilly Fredell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) picked up the Cardinals' lone win, rallying from a set down to beat Carleton's Christof Zweifel 5-7, 6-3, 10-4 at No. 6 singles. The Knights dropped just 11 games in winning the other five singles matches in straight sets, while adding 8-2, 8-3, 8-1 victories in the three doubles matches.
 
The Cardinals close out the 2021 season with a 4-8 overall record, including a 2-6 mark in conference play.