WINONA, Minn. — There's a reason the Macalester men's soccer team has won six of the last seven Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.

And there's a reason the Scots have only given up one goal in conference play since a 4-1 win over Saint Mary's on Nov. 3, 2001.

They're good — very good.

The Scots extended their conference unbeaten streak to 22 straight Wednesday afternoon, getting a pair of second-half goals from Joe Wertz en route to a 3-0 victory.

"(Macalester) doesn't make any mistakes," said SMU coach Eric Luzzi, whose team dropped its sixth straight. "I wouldn't say they are a dangerous team on an individual basis, but they play so well as a team. They wait for you to make a mistake, and when you do, they're their to take advantage."

Which is exactly what the Scots did against the Cardinals.

One mistake in the first half resulted in Robb Swick's game-winning goal 15 minutes into the half, and two mistakes during a six-minute stretch early in the second half, resulted in Wertz's two goals.

The Cardinals managed just four shots on goal against the Scots, who have not lost an MIAC game since a 3-2 overtime loss to Gustavus in the teams' regular-season finale in 2000.

But each of those shots had the potential to end SMU's 525-minute scoreless drought.

Mike Lardner (Perryton, Texas) and Brian Reddish (Crystal Lake, Ill.) both had point-blank first-half shots turned away by Macalester goalie Tyler Morken-Simmers, while Reddish's near-breakaway early in the second half was also thwarted by Morken-Simmers.

Yet, it was the shot that Morken-Simmers didn't have to make – on a cross that sailed just over Reddish's outstretched leg — that has summed up the season thus far for SMU.

"That play, that's been our season in a nutshell," said Luzzi of the cross, which would have been a sure goal had Reddish managed to get a leg on it. "We do a great job of getting the ball to the middle, but we just can't finish.

"It's tough when you're struggling offensively and you have to open your (MIAC) schedule against a team like Macalester, but that's the way it goes — you've got to play them sometime," Luzzi continued. "Our goal is still to finish in the top four (and qualify for the conference playoffs) — and that certainly hasn't changed.

"But now we've got to put this game behind us and focus on (today's) game against St. Olaf."