WINONA, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's hockey team seemed to do everything right this weekend in its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series against Gustavus.

Everything, that is, except win a game.

The Cardinals put together what coach Duncan Ryhorchuk called, "our best performances of the year," yet all the Cardinals had to show for their efforts was an 0-1-1 record against the Gusties.

After failing to determine a winner in Friday's opening game, which ended in a 3-3 tie, Gustavus' Ann Katz scored 13 minutes into the first period and Gustie goalie Anne Kautzer made it stand up as GAC picked up the 1-0 victory in Saturday's rematch at the SMU ice arena.

"Our work ethic this weekend was outstanding," said Ryhorchuk, who saw his team equal its highest offensive output in its last seven games in Friday's 3-3 tie. "These two games were by far the best we've played all season. It's just unfortunate that we were only able to get one of the four points."

Part of that can be attributed to the play of the Gusties' Kautzer, who stopped all 22 shots the Cardinals put on her Saturday — including several point-blank shots in the third period.

"We had a couple of very good scoring opportunities, we just couldn't put the puck in the net," said Ryhorchuk, whose team is in the midst of a 1-2-3 run. "Gustavus really only had one great scoring opportunity, and they put it in."

Katz completed a pretty three-way passing play with Laura Stypulkowski and Josefin Petterssson, beating SMU goalie Missie Meemken (St. Cloud, Minn.) with a wrist shot from the slot.

That was the only goal Meemken would allow, as the two-time All-American thwarted the Gusties the rest of the way, finishing with 28 saves.

Unfortunately, one goal proved to be more than enough for the Gusties, who improved to 9-5-3 all-time vs. the Cardinals.

"We knew coming into the weekend that it was going to be a real good series — it's always a nailbiter when these two teams meet," said Ryhorchuk, whose team faced the Gusties four times a year ago, going 1-3 in those four meetings — including a 2-1 win in the championship game of the MIAC Tournament that earned SMU an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III national tournament. "I thought we were solid the entire weekend — we worked hard, our skating and puck movement were much-improved, and our systems play is starting to come around.

"The only thing we didn't do was score enough goals — but that will come, I guarantee it."

* THIS AND THAT: SMU's Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.) scored two of the Cardinals' three goals in Friday's 3-3 tie, pushing her team-leading totals to eight goals and nine points. … Jaimie Mussehl (South St. Paul, Minn.) netted SMU's other goal in Friday's tie. … Goalie Missie Meemken (St. Cloud, Minn.) stopped 60 of the 64 shots she faced, dropping her goals-against average to 2.88 and improving her save percentage to .903. … SMU has won just once since Dec. 6 (1-2-3) and has posted ties in two of its last three games (2-2 vs. Lake Forest and 3-3 vs. Gustavus). … Two of SMU's three wins and three of its four ties have come on its home ice. … The Cardinals have been outscored 17-3 in the first period. … Saturday's 1-0 loss to Gustavus was the fifth time the Cardinals have been shut out this season.