WINONA, Minn. — In their first four meetings with St. Olaf, the Saint Mary's University women's hockey team had little trouble posting a perfect 4-0 record.

No, make that, the Cardinals manhandled the Oles in the teams' first four meetings.

After all, the Cardinals outshot the Oles 230-33 — and outscored them 30-0.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that was then, and this is now.

Jennifer Welch scored less than two minutes into overtime as St. Olaf not only scored once against SMU, but the Oles scored three times — including Welch's overtime game-winner — as St. Olaf shocked the Cardinals 3-2 Saturday afternoon at the SMU Ice Arena.

And it didn't get much better in the rematch as SMU needed a pair of goals from Christy Hicks (Bloomington Minn.) — the second midway through the third period as SMU salvaged a 2-2 tie.

"We went into the weekend hoping to come away with at least three points, which would have put us in good position for getting a playoff berth," said SMU coach Duncan Ryhorchuk. "We didn't think about where we would be if we only got one point."

Where they'd be is hanging on for their playoff lives.

The Cardinals are currently holding down the fifth and final playoff spot, but they are just one point ahead of sixth-place Augsburg — and SMU must face league-leading St. Thomas this weekend in the teams' final conference series.

"We've kind of put our backs to the wall," said Ryhorchuk. "We didn't play that poorly, but we made some mistakes in the first period of both games, and it cost us."

St. Olaf scored a pair of powerplay goals two minutes apart midway through the first period of Friday's game, then — after Hicks had netted the first of her two goals with four minutes remaining in the first period of Saturday's game — scored back-to-back goals a minute apart to take a 2-1 lead into the lockerroom after the first period of Saturday's game.

"Everyone's a little disappointed," admitted Ryhorchuk. "When we were five-on-five, we controlled the play for most of the weekend, but (St. Olaf) did a nice job to get two power play goals on Saturday, and they jumped on the two mistakes we made on Sunday.

"And really, that was the difference."

The difference between SMU sitting in third place — all but assured of a spot in the MIAC's five-team post-season tournament — and their current position.

"We've got our work cut out for us," said Ryhorchuk, whose team must sweep the Tommies — or get a little help from St. Benedict in its series against Augsburg — if they hope to make the playoffs. "One win puts us in that fifth spot, but if Augsburg sweeps St. Ben's, no less than two wins will do.

"It all comes down to two games against the best team in the league, which may be a good thing," continued Ryhorchuk. "If we can get points off the league's best, we deserve to be in the playoffs, if we don't, maybe we don't deserve to be there."

* THIS AND THAT: Emily Kearns (Hopkins, Minn.) accounted for all of SMU's goals in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss, while Christy Hicks (Bloomington, Minn.) accounted for both goals in Sunday's tie. … Kearns has now scored 12 of SMU's last 24 goals and leads the team in both goals (20) and points (22). … SMU has now played in seven OT games, with Saturday's loss the first one that has not ended in a tie. … Saturday's loss snapped SMU's six-game MIAC unbeaten streak (5-0-1).