ST. PETER, Minn. — Special teams were not very special for the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's hockey team Friday evening.
 
The Cardinals gave sixth-ranked and league-leading Gustavus all it could handle in the teams' Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Don Roberts Rink.
 
Unfortunately, the Gusties converted on a pair of third-period power plays in handing Saint Mary's a heartbreaking 3-2 setback.
 
"I thought we played very well," said Saint Mary's coach Terry Mannor. "It was an even, back-and-forth game for the most part—we hurt ourselves in the third period giving up those two power play goals.

"There's certainly nothing for us to hang our heads about—but we shouldn't be satisfied, either."

Mary DeBartolo (Chicago, Ill.) got the Cardinals on the board first, as the senior netted her third of the season—on the power play—at 7:05 of the opening period. DeBartolo's tally marked just the seventh time this season Gustavus had not netted the opening goal of the game.
 
And, thanks to the shutout goaltending of Tori Herrmann, who blanked the Gusties on nine shots in the opening 20 minutes—marking the fourth straight period in which the Saint Mary's junior had not allowed a goal—the Cardinals took that 1-0 lead into the locker room after one period of play.
 
The high-powered Gusties pulled even early in the second period—finally finding a way to get one past Herrmann, as Allison Eder-Zdechlik netted her ninth goal of the season at 6:48 to account for the lone goal of the middle period.
 
Gustavus took its first lead of the game seven minutes into the third period, as Erica Power netted the first of GAC's two third-period power play goals at 7:50.
 
Less than two minutes later, it was all tied at 2-2—thanks to Breanna Peterson's (Macomb, Mich.) unassisted tally.
 
Kaitlyn Klein would end the Cardinals' upset hopes, however, scoring with less than five minutes remaining in regulation to seal the win.
 
Herrmann—the reigning MIAC Athlete of the Week—finished with 26 saves in goal for the Cardinals, while Lindsey Hibbard made 17 saves between the pipes for the Gusties.
 
The Cardinals (5-3-1 MIAC, 7-7-2 overall) and Gusties head to the Saint Mary's Ice Arena on Saturday for Game 2 of their conference series. Game time is set for 2 p.m.