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2006 Records:
2-3-3 MIAC, 8-3-3 Overall
Last Week's Results:
Saint Mary's 0, St. Olaf 0 / Details
Augsburg 2, Saint Mary's 1 / Details
Upcoming Events:
Sat., Oct. 21: Saint Benedict at SMU, 1 p.m.
This and That:
After playing to just two ties in its first three seasons under coach Tony Guinn, SMU has now tied three of its last five games. … SMU's three ties are the most since 1997, when the Cardinals went 8-7-3. … Last Tuesday's 0-0 decision vs. St. Olaf was the first scoreless contest since a 0-0 tie vs. Hamline on Nov. 1, 2003. … Jennifer Johnson (Racine, Wis.) stopped a career-high 19 shtos vs. St. Olaf. Johnson posted her second shutout of the season and the eighth of her career. … Johnson followed up her 19-save effort vs. St. Olaf with a 10-save showing in SMU's loss to Augsburg. … Abbey D'Acquisto (Racine, Wis.) scored SMU's lone goal last week on a penalty kick vs. Augsburg. It was SMU's first PK of the season. … Tuesday's game vs. St. Olaf marked just the third time in SMU's 14 games that the Cardinals have been held without at least one goal. … Saturday's loss to Augsburg extended SMU's season-high winless streak to four (0-2-2). … Augsburg's two goals marked just the second time in SMU's first 14 games that the Cardinals have given up more than one goal in a game. … The Cardinals close out their home season on Saturday vs. Saint Benedict. SMU is 2-1-2 on its home turf.


Cardinals' MIAC playoff hopes take serious hit as
second-half penalty kick lifts Augsburg past SMU

Jennifer
Johnson
29 saves in
SMU's tie,
loss last week
WINONA, Minn. — With the temperatures in the high 30s — and dropping fast — and the wind howling out of the west, the weather conditions were less than ideal last Friday night.

Unfortunately for the Saint Mary's University women's soccer team, so was the final outcome.

Augsburg's Kristi Castelic converted a penalty kick with 11 minutes remaining in regulation to break a 1-1 tie and send the Auggies to a 2-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Cardinals.

"It was a tough loss," said SMU assistant coach Jeff Halberg. "These ladies played their hearts out — it's just unfortunate that it had to end the way it did."

Augsburg took an early lead in the first half, on a goal by Kelsey Watsabaugh in the eighth minute. Watsabaugh fired the ball from deep in the left side of the penalty box, the ball caught up in the strong wind and carried across the goal mouth, past the outstretched arms of SMU goalkeeper Jennifer Johnson (Racine, Wis.) and into the top right corner of the net.

The Cardinals pulled even in the game's 20th minute, as Abbey D'Acquisto (Racine, Wis.) converted a penalty kick — SMU's first penalty kick goal of the season.

That would be all the offense the Cardinals would muster, however, and — despite the 10-save effort of Johnson — it was not enough as Castelic's penalty kick goal late in the second half sealed SMU's fate.

"It was a physical game and I thought we played very hard — we just came up short," said SMU coach Tony Guinn, whose team is now winless in its last four games (0-2-2). "We still have a lot to play for in our last four games, hopefully we can be at our best."

With the win, Augsburg improved to 5-2-1 in MIAC play, while the Cardinals fell to 2-3-3 in MIAC play — and, more importantly, dropped four points behind the Auggies in the chase for the fourth and final MIAC conference playoff spot.

"This was one of those games that could have gone either way — both teams played very well, especially considering the tough weather conditions," said Halberg. "We knew there was a lot at stake, and we played well enough to win — we just got unlucky on a PK call in the second half and that was the difference.

"We still have a shot at making the conference tournament, but this game certainly didn't help us."