WINONA, Minn. — There's no better way to celebrate Senior Day than with a win at home — and that's exactly what the Cardinals did.
In addition to celebrating all 10 of its graduating seniors, the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team handed visiting Hamline a 2-0 thumping in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup at Ochrymowycz Field on Saturday.
The Cardinals turned on the heat on Senior Day, but it wasn't the seniors who provided the offensive spark.
Sophomore
Brooklyn McKinney (Thornton, Colo.) scored in the 20th minute, assisted by
Malerie Williams (Osseo, Minn.), to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead, a lead they never relinquished.
But heading into the half 1-0 wasn't a big enough lead for freshman
Ella Lahart (Sherwood, Ore.), who nabbed her second goal of the season with less than a minute remaining until the break, to give the Cardinals a two-goal cushion heading into halftime.
SMU came back from the break determined to defend their lead — and that's exactly what they did.
The Pipers never found the back of the net, which was well-protected by SMU goalkeeper
Alexis Nguyen (West Covina, Calif.). Nguyen stopped all five shots she faced in tallying her fifth shutout of the season and 14th in her collegiate career.
The Cardinals dominated the field throughout the game, leading the Pipers 14-7 in shot attempts and 8-5 in shots on goal.
The Cardinals (4-3-2 MIAC, 9-5-2 overall) — winners of four straight — will be back in action at Ochrymowycz Field on Tuesday at 4 p.m., as they host Macalester in another MIAC matchup.
