By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's tennis team kicked off its spring trip in eerily similar fashion to its male counterparts Tuesday evening.
 
While the Cardinal men were dropping a 6-3 decision to Hanover in its spring trip opener, the Saint Mary's women found themselves in the same predicament, also falling to the Panthers by a 6-3 count.
 
"It was two tough losses tonight," said Saint Mary's coach Jeff Halberg. "Hanover is a very good team, and we battled them from start to finish—we were close, just didn't have enough."
 
Laura Sonday (West St. Paul, Minn.) had a hand in two of the Cardinals' three wins, teaming with Colleen Lois (Green Bay, Wis.) for an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles, while also adding a 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 1 singles.
 
Despite the win by Sonday/Lois at No. 1 doubles, the Cardinals trailed 2-1 after the three doubles matches, as Cassandra Barr (Eau Claire, Wis.)/Julia Boeve (St. James, Minn.) fell 9-7 at No. 2, and Ashley Frederickson (St. James, Minn.)/Marissa Kinzer (Aitkin, Minn.) fell 8-5 at No. 3.
 
Lois collected the Cardinals' other singles win, outlasting Hanover's Susie Winternheimer 1-6, 6-3, 10-5 at No. 3. Hanover, however, grabbed straight-set singles wins at the other four spots to seal the win.
 
The Cardinals (4-6 overall) are right back in action Wednesday morning, squaring off against Adrian in a 10 a.m. (EST) nonconference match at the USTA National Training Center in Orlando, Fla.