WINONA, Minn. — It was a chilly evening at Ochrymowycz Field as the Saint Mary's men's soccer team (4-7-3, 1-4-1) fell 3-0 to fifth-ranked St. Olaf (12-1-2, 7-0-0) on Wednesday.

The Cardinals established an early presence to kick off the game as Thomas Laaksonen attempted the first shot in the fourth minute, which went out just right. 

Despite a strong defensive showing, including multiple saves by goalkeeper Ryan Horlock, St. Olaf, who is ranked fifth in the nation, broke through in the 20th minute with a goal putting Saint Mary's behind. The Cardinals continued to pressure, with shots from Dylan Goedderz and Hare, but failed to find the back of the net.

The half ended with the Cardinals down 1-0, as Horlock made key saves to keep the deficit to just one goal in what was a tight knit game.

The second half began with the Cardinals striving to overcome a deficit. 

Early attempts by Jaydon Singel for the equalizer came up just short, as his shots were either wide or saved by the Oles goalkeeper, Beckett Carlson.

Adding to their lead, a penalty kick expanded the Oles lead at the 55th minute mark.

Midway through the half, the Cardinals faced further challenges after the Oles scored again after the ball bobbled around in the box, bringing the score to 3-0. 

As the half wound down, the Cardinals kept up the pressure with several corner kicks and shots, but couldn't find the back of the net. 

The game ended with St. Olaf taking a 3-0 win.

Horlock recorded six saves in the match, facing 17 shots. Hare led the Cardinals with seven shots, two of which were on target. Laaksonen contributed with four shots.

The Cardinals will turn around and face Carleton at the Knights stadium on Saturday, October 18th, for a 1:00 p.m. game time.