GRINNELL, Iowa — Grinnell entered Wednesday's nonconference game against the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team riding an impressive nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3).
 
The Cardinals were not impressed — or intimidated.
 
Saint Mary's dealt the Pioneers their first loss since Sept. 10 — also against an MIAC foe in a 4-0 setback at the hands of Carleton — getting first-half goals from Haddy Falkman (Waconia, Minn.) and Dakota Leonard (Lincolnshire, Ill.) in cruising to a 2-0 nonconference victory.
 
Falkman gave the Cardinals all the offense they would need just 17 minutes into the first half, as the junior netted her team-leading fourth goal of the season for an early 1-0 SMU lead.
 
But the Cardinals weren't finished.
 
Leonard pushed the Saint Mary's lead to 2-0, netting her first collegiate goal in the 35th minute, giving SMU a two-goal advantage heading into the halftime break.
 
And two goals was more than enough for Saint Mary's to secure its third straight win — and improve to 6-1-2 in its last nine contests — as the Cardinals held Grinnell to just two shots on goal over the game's final 45 minutes to seal the win.
 
Alexis Nguyen (West Corvina, Calif.) stopped the lone shot she faced in the first half and Megan Nadal (Chino, Calif.) stopped both Pioneer shots she faced in the second half to combine on the shutout. Their Pioneer counterpart, Elinor Arneson, meanwhile, stopped four of SMU's six shots on goal.
 
The Cardinals (8-5-2 overall) return to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Saturday, when they return home to Ochrymowycz Field for a 1 p.m. showdown against Hamline.
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