WINONA, Minn. — After posting a pair of 1-1 ties in back-to-back exhibition games, the Saint Mary's University men's soccer team was chomping at the bit to finally sink their teeth into an opponent in game that truly mattered.
 
And Thursday evening was that game.
 
Unfortunately, it was visiting St. Thomas that did the teeth-sinking, as the Tommies scored twice in the first half and added another in the second in blanking the Cardinals 3-0 in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
The Tommies got all the offense they would need in the game's 26^th minute, when Halvor Houg converted a penalty kick to give UST a 1-0 lead.
 
The Tommies would then turn their offense over to McRay Drong, who push UST's advantage to 2-0 with just 12 seconds remaining until halftime, before adding his second of the game five minutes into the second half to round out the scoring.
 
Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.) — making his first collegiate start — finished with seven saves in goal for the Cardinals, including five in the game's opening 45 minutes.
 
The Cardinals (0-1 MIAC, 0-1 overall) are back in action on Sunday, heading to Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field in Minneapolis, Minn., for a 3:30 p.m. conference showdown against the Auggies.