Box Score
After skating to a 1-1 tie against Bethel University Thursday evening, the St. Catherine University hockey team needed to pick up a win in order to stay near the top of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) with just four weeks remaining in the 2012-13 regular season.
 
Though the rematch appeared as it might end in another 1-1 decision after two periods of play, the Royals used two goals in the third period to earn the win and hand the Wildcats a tough 3-1 setback, Saturday afternoon at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.
 
The Royals jumped on the board first as one of the league's top-three scorers, Cristina Masten, buried a pass from Charise Kendrick to beat Wildcat goalie Alex Hall (Burnsville, Minn.) and take the early 1-0 lead less than 12 minutes in.
 
The Wildcats would come out of the break, though, with the momentum as they looked to tie the game. Senior captain Rachael Gasperetti (Milwaukee, Wis.) gave her team the lift they needed as she scored her first goal of the season on a pass from Katie Jirik (Northfield, Minn.) to tie the game at one goal a side at the 2:53 mark.
 
After finding a way to tie up the game, the Wildcats couldn't hold off the Royal attack in the third period as Lindsay Burman and Caroline Kivisto would each score to seal the win for the Royals.
 
Hall stopped 31 shots as opposed to just 21 saves for Royal goalkeeper Erika Allen who helped the Royals improve to 5-3-2 in MIAC play.
 
Megan Killmer (Savage, Minn.) led the Wildcats with six shots on goal and an assist, while Hallie Paschke (New Prague, Minn.) and Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill.) each had three.
 
With the loss the Wildcats fall to 5-4-1 in MIAC play and hold steady at 11 points in the playoff hunt. The Wildcats will host Concordia College for a two-game home series beginning Friday night at 7:30 p.m., at Drake Arena.
 
Wildcats on Twitter
Wildcats on Facebook