NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Scoring goals against Carleton has been virtually impossible this season — and the Saint Mary's University men's soccer team learned that first-hand on Saturday.
 
The fourth-ranked Knights — who entered Saturday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup against the Cardinals having allowed just four goals in its first 15 games — made Saint Mary's its 12th shutout victim of the season, scoring solo goals in each half in dealing SMU a 2-0 setback at Bell Field.
 
Carleton flexed its offensive muscles early, scoring in the 16th minute when Owen Flanagan blasted a shot that beat SMU goalkeeper Daniel Sessler (Brookfield, Ill.) and found the lower left-hand corner of the goal for a 1-0 Knights' lead.
 
The Knights continued to pelt Sessler with shots over the final 38:10 of the half, but the Cardinals' senior goalkeeper was up to the challenge, finishing the opening frame with five saves, while SMU was unable to register a shot on Carleton's Daniel Linder at the other end of the field.
 
Carleton padded its advantage to 2-0 11 minutes into the second half on a goal by Briggs Priem —and with a stifling defense that limited Saint Mary's to just one shot on goal, a two-goal advantage was too much for the Cardinals to overcome.
 
Sessler did his best to keep the Cardinals close, posting his fourth double-digit save performance of the season, stopping 10 of the Knights' 12 shtos on goal.
 
The Cardinals (2-4-2 MIAC, 6-5-4 overall) are back in action — and back on the road — on Tuesday, as they head to St. Paul, Minn., for a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Macalester.
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