Box Score
Heading into Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play, the St. Catherine University hockey team desperately needed to find a way to capitalize on scoring opportunities after suffering a 2-0 setback in its first game of the season, last Saturday.
 
The Wildcats just got what they needed as they scored three power play goals en route to a narrow 3-2 victory over Augsburg College, Friday night in Minneapolis.
 
“I'm happy the team hung on to get the first win of the season,” said Head Coach Brad Marshall. “They killed off penalties when we were back on our heels a bit and they didn't quit.”
 
It didn't take long for the Wildcats to get into a groove as Bailey Rasmussen (Grand Rapids, Minn.) tipped in a shot from Mallory Ryan (Cottage Grove, Minn.) to net her first goal as a Wildcat and put her team up 1-0 early.
 
The Wildcats built their lead with just over five minutes to go in the first as Ryan recorded her second assist of the game, this time setting up Megan Killmer (Savage, Minn.) who beat Augsburg goaltender Brianna Schulz on another power play opportunity.
 
Despite taking an early 2-0 lead in the first, the Wildcats faltered a bit as Kayla Fuechtmann beat Samantha Geissler (Elk River, Minn.) to cut the Wildcat lead in half less than two minutes into the second period.
 
Augsburg used another quick strike from Claire Cripps, this time on the power play, to tie up the game 2-2 just over five minutes later.
 
Both teams would continue to battle back-and-forth until junior Katie Jirik (Northfield, Minn.) scored the third Wildcat power play goal of the night on a tip that just trickled into the back of the net to seal the win.
 
Before closing the deal, the Wildcats had to fight through a tough 5-on-3 situation where the Auggies had four shots on goal, but couldn't find a way to beat junior Alex Hall (Burnsville, Minn.). In her first game as a Wildcat, Hall recorded 19 saves and picked up the win.
 
Rachel Gasperetti (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Maureen Ryan (St. Paul, Minn.) set up Jirik's game-winner, while Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill.) and Killmer also had assists in the game.  
 
“Tomorrow is a new day,” said Marshall. “Augsburg will come at us hard again, so we need to be ready.”
 
The Wildcats take the ice at their new home, St. Paul Academy's Drake Arena, tomorrow for the second game of the opening MIAC series against Augsburg at 2 p.m.
 
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