WINONA, Minn. — It wasn't quite the going-away present the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team was hoping to give St. Thomas in the teams' final meeting.
 
Just the opposite, in fact.
 
St. Thomas — playing its final season as a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before jumping to NCAA Division I next season — erupted for four second-half goals, as the Tommies handed the Cardinals a 4-0 setback Tuesday at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
The Cardinals gave the Tommies all they could handle for the game's opening 45 minutes — and through the first 15 minutes of the second half — but St. Thomas turned on the offensive after-burners over the game's final 35 minutes.
 
After a scoreless first half — in which UST held a slim 2-1 edge in shots on goal — the Tommie offense finally broke through, getting a goal from Paige Cater in the 64th minute for a 1-0 lead.
 
Cater would bookend the Tommies' offensive afternoon with her second of the game with 20 seconds remaining — and in between the senior's two tallies, UST would net a penalty kick goal by Liz Murphy in the 79th minute and a tally by Kristi Epperly eight minutes later.
 
Alexis Nguyen (West Covina, Calif.) finished with three saves in goal for the Cardinals, while St. Thomas goalkeeper Olivia Graupmann stopped SMU's lone shot on goal.
 
Saint Mary's (0-1-0 MIAC, 0-1-0 overall) are back in action on Sunday, heading to Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 12:30 p.m. MIAC showdown against the Auggies.