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WINONA, Minn. — St. Scholastica headed into Tuesday's nonconference game against the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team boasting rather impressive offensive numbers.

The Saints took the ice against the Cardinals averaging nearly six goals a game. CSS had already recorded a pair of 10-goal games — and boasted four players who had already recorded 10 or more points on the season — led by Isabel Waidacher with 27 and sister Nina with 25.

The Cardinals, however, clamped down on the high-flying Saints, holding St. Scholastica to a season-low two goals.

Unfortunately, two goals was enough, as the eighth-ranked Saints scored a power-play goal midway through the third period to break a 1-1 tie and hand the Cardinals a 2-1 setback at the SMU Ice Arena.

"I didn't think we played all that poorly — but I thought we did play a bit tentative," said SMU coach Terry Mannor. "It was like we were intimidated by (CSS's) offensive numbers and their national ranking.

"This was one of those games that came down to who would capitalize on that one mistake — and, unfortunately, we made that mistake (in the third period) and they made us pay."

The two teams skated to a 0-0 deadlock after the first periodAfter a scoreless — thanks in large part to SMU goalie Sarah Gustafson (Esko, Minn.), who made nine saves in the opening 20 minutes, none bigger than thwarting the Saints' Nina Waidacher on a breakaway with just over a minute left.

Nina Waidacher got the better of Gustafson early in the second period, as she slipped behind the SMU defense and broke in alone, lifting a backhander past the Cardinal goaltender for the game's first goal.

The Saints' lead lasted all of 11 seconds, however, as Heidi Martin (Ankeny, Iowa) grabbed a loose puck in front of the St. Scholastica net and flipped a shot past CSS goalie Sheridan Friesen to knot the game at 1-1.

SMU would continue to stymie the high-powered Saints offense — until the 11-minute mark of the third period, when Nina Waidacher slid a pass across the front of the net to sister Isabel, who rifled a shot past Gustafson on the power play to give St. Scholastica the lead for good.

Gustafson, who was named the MIAC Player of the Week after stopping 42 of 43 shots in SMU's sweep of Saint Benedict last weekend, finished with 25 saves — including 12 in the third period — while Friesen kicked out 16 Cardinal shots.

The Cardinals (2-4-0 overall) are now off until Dec. 6, when they travel to Drake Arena in St. Paul, Minn., for a 7 p.m. MIAC game against St. Catherine. SMU will then host the Wildcats in a 2 p.m. conference contest on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the SMU Ice Arena.