MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The road certainly didn't get any easier for the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team.
 
Just days after dropping a 2-0 decision to St. Catherine — a team that had not allowed goal in its four wins this season — the Cardinals were once again squaring off against another formidable conference foe in Augsburg.
 
The host Auggies stepped onto the Edor Nelson Field turf unbeaten in their first five games — having outscored their first five opponents 15-5.
 
Saint Mary's had an answer for Augsburg's high-octane offense, using a smothering defense to limit the Auggies to just a single, second-half goal.
 
That goal, however, would be the only one scored in the 90-minute battle, as the Auggies — fueled by a goal off the foot of McKenna Nachreiner with less than three minutes remaining in regulation — handed the Cardinals a 1-0 MIAC setback at Edor Nelson Field.
 
Statistically, the Cardinals held an 11-7 advantage in shots, with both teams owning four shots on goal, but it would be the Auggies who made one of those shots count, as Nachreiner's late second-half laser eluded the outstretched arms of SMU goalkeeper Anna Peckosh and settled in the upper right-hand corner of the goal.
 
Peckosh finished with three saves for the Cardinals, while Auggie goalkeeper Iz Shuster stopped all four Saint Mary's shots on goal in recording the shutout.
 
The Cardinals (0-2-0 MIAC, 3-3-0 overall) are now off until next weekend. Saint Mary's will play host to Saint Benedict in a 3:30 p.m. conference matchup on Saturday at Ochrymowycz Field, before heading to Menomonie, Wis., for a 3 p.m. nonconference contest against UW-Stout the following afternoon.
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