WINONA, Minn. — For the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team, when it comes to winning games, one thing is a guarantee — the opponent will be held off the scoreboard.
 
Lauren Ashe (Beaverton, Ore.) scored less than three minutes into the opening half, and McKenzie Munson (Plain City, Utah) posted her third shutout of the year, as the Cardinals cruised to a 2-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Bethel Saturday afternoon at Ochrymowycz Field.
 
With the win, the Cardinals have not allowed a goal in their six victories in 2023, adding Bethel to the ever-growing list of shutout victims that also includes UMN Morris (W, 6-0), Beloit (W, 1-0), Lawrence (W, 1-0), UW-Stout (W, 1-0), and Concordia (W, 1-0).
 
Ashe gave Saint Mary's all the offense it would need right out of the gate, scoring her second goal of the season — off an assist from Hannah Bradley — for a quick 1-0 lead.
 
The Cardinals clung to that one-goal advantage until the 72nd minute, when Lauryn Skoruppa (Littleton, Colo.) gave SMU a little breathing room, netting her second of the season on a phenomenal individual effort in the 72nd minute to make it a 2-0 Saint Mary's lead.
 
A lead the Cardinals would not relinquish.
 
Thanks in large part to the play of Munson between the pipes.
 
Munson certainly did her part in earning her third collegiate shutout, stopping everything the Royals' threw at her, including a diving save of what appeared to be a sure goal with less than four minutes to play — to seal the victory.
 
Munson has yet to give up a goal in her five appearances — including that third collegiate shutout in three starts with Saturday's four-save against the Royals. BU goalkeeper Kate Green, meanwhile, stopped two of SMU's four shots on goal.
 
The Cardinals (2-4-0 MIAC, 6-5-1 overall) are right back in action on Sunday, as they head to Grinnell, Iowa, for a 3 p.m. nonconference game against Grinnell.
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