WINONA, Minn. — The last time the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team played a conference game, the Cardinals squared off against Saint Benedict, a team that reached the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff title game.
 
Saturday afternoon, seven days after dropping a 3-0 decision to the Bennies, the Cardinals were back in conference play, this time taking the field against St. Catherine — the defending conference and playoff champions.
 
And the Cardinals proved they were every bit as good as the league's defending champs — thanks in large part to the play of goalkeeper Alexis Nguyen (West Corvina, Calif.).
 
Nguyen made a career-high 12 saves — including nine in the second half — and Malerie Williams (Osseo, Minn.) netted her first collegiate goal late in the first half, as the Cardinals battled St. Catherine to a 1-1 draw at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
St. Catherine grabbed the early lead 17 minutes into the opening half, when Amanda Elton took a feed from Sofia Campbell at the top of the box and blistered a shot high over Nguyen's outstretched arms and into the upper right-hand corner for a 1-0 SCU lead.
 
The Cardinals struggled to solve the Wildcats' stifling defense, failing to record a shot in the game's first 33 minutes. That all changed in 34th minute, however, as SMU netted the equalizer — on their first shot on goal of the half, a floater off the foot of Williams that tucked inside the left goal post — to knot the game at 1-1.
 
And with Nguyen doing a picture-perfect impersonation of a brick wall the rest of the way, the Cardinals were able to hold the Wildcats at bay and earn a critical conference point.
 
The Cardinals (0-2-1 MIAC, 2-4-1 overall) are right back in action on Tuesday, welcoming Gustavus to Ochrymowycz Field for a 4 p.m. MIAC showdown.