INDIANOLA, Iowa — The last time the Saint Mary's University men's soccer team squared off against Simpson, the Cardinals scored a pair of goals — and lost.
 
Saturday evening, the Cardinals managed just one goal against the defensive-minded Storm — and won.
 
Eli Szymanski (La Crosse, Wis.) scored 14 minutes into the second half, and the SMU defense made it stand up, as the Cardinals posted their third straight win, beating Simpson 1-0.
 
Neither team was able to break through in the game's opening 45 minutes, with Simpson holding a 3-2 edge in shots attempted, while the Cardinals owned a 2-1 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Szymanski put an end to that scoreless deadlock early in the second half, as the senior scored his third goal of the season — off an assist from Diego Rivera — to give the Cardinals a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.) picked up the win in goal for the Cardinals, as the sophomore stopped all four shots he faced en route to his first shutout of the season and second of his collegiate career.
 
The Cardinals (3-1-0 overall) are back in action on Wednesday, heading to Northfield, Minn., for a 4 p.m. showdown against Carleton in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener.