Box Score  | GameDay Preview

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University women's soccer coach Neil Cassidy must be wondering what his Cardinals did to upset the soccer gods — they just can't seem to catch a break.

The Cardinals put together one of their best performances of the season, but a pair of shots that clanked off the crossbar decided the outcome Saturday afternoon against Hamline.

With the game tied midway through the second half, SMU's Amanda Rahman (Rochester, Minn.) drilled a shot that tipped off Hamline goalkeeper Liz Stock, hit the crossbar and caromed  right back into the waiting arms of stock.

With the score still tied two minutes into overtime, Hamline's Aileen Scheibner lofted a shot that eluded the outstretched arms of SMU goalkeeper Miranda Halling (Rochester, Minn.) clanked off the crossbar, and bounced — not back into Halling's arms — but into the net to give the Pipers the 2-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory at Ochrymowycz Field.

“I don't know what it is, but we just can't seem to catch a break,” said Cassidy. “I am so proud of the way the ladies played today — at the very least they deserved a tie, but no question I thought they deserved to win this game.

“The game plan all week was to get back to playing our style of soccer — keep the ball and attack with our strengths, and that's the way we played.

“The effort today was nothing short of fantastic.”

Which makes the double-overtime setback than much more heartbreaking.

“What can I say? This group played their hearts out today,” Cassidy said. “Hamline is a very good team, a team that tied two Top 20 teams — and didn't let either score on them. We scored against them and were so close to scoring another.

“It's heartbreaking, no question about that.”

The Pipers got on the board first, as Tania Russell netted her first of the season off a corner kick by Hannah Plagman less than eight minutes before halftime.

The Cardinals got the equalizer in the game's 67th minute, as Rahman converted a penalty kick after Teri Valenzuela (Morton Grove, Ill.) was pulled down in the box.

Halling finished with six saves — two in the first and second halves, and two more in the first overtime — while Stock recorded five saves.

SMU, which falls to 0-6-0 in the MIAC and 1-10-0 overall, returns to action on Wednesday, hosting Carleton in a 7 p.m. conference contest at Ochrymowycz Field.

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