After an impressive 5-1 start to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) season, making the conference playoffs appeared it might be a sure thing for the St. Catherine University hockey team in 2012-13.
But with a schedule that included playing the top-four teams in the second half of the season, clinching its first MIAC berth since 2009-10 seemed to become an increasingly tall order for the young Wildcat squad as the weeks went on.
The Wildcats persevered, though, to decide their own fate against St. Olaf College in the final weekend of the season. The Wildcats needed at least a win and a tie to knock the Oles out of contention.
Instead, the Wildcats came away with the series sweep with a 6-2 win on the road Friday and a stunning 3-2 win at home on Saturday to claim the fifth-and-final playoff spot.
Hallie Paschke (New Prague, Minn.) was the unlikely hero for the Wildcats – having scored just one goal all season – as she snuck in a power play goal with less than four minutes to play to help seal the win and eliminate the Oles from the playoffs.
The Wildcats head into Tuesday evening's road contest on a three-game winning streak against a No. 4 seed Bethel University that lost its final game of the season to Saint Mary's University 4-3. With the loss, the Royals fell out of the No. 3 spot in the standings and will play host to the Wildcats at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
Heading into the postseason, the Wildcats boast several players at the top of multiple statistical categories. But lately, the Wildcats have surged to victory thanks to scoring contributions from a handful of different players.
In the two-game series with the Oles, eight different Wildcats scored the team's nine goals and 12 players had at least a point. Last week against Hamline University, 10 Wildcats had a hand in just six goals against the Pipers.
In net,
Alex Hall (Burnsville, Minn.) has been spectacular and boasts the top save percentage (.937) in the MIAC. Against the Oles, she stopped 35 shots on Friday and then matched that mark on Saturday to help the Wildcats to victory.
Sophomore
Megan Killmer (Savage, Minn.) has had an outstanding season for the Wildcats and will likely be involved in fueling the offense against the Royals. Killmer leads the Wildcats in shots on goal (105) and points (20), while her 16 assists leads the MIAC.
Against the Oles,
Bailey Rasmussen (Grand Rapids, Minn.) was the only two-goal scorer in the two-game series and broke into double-digits in goals with 11 – which ranks eighth in the MIAC. The sophomore will continue to be an important part of the Wildcat offense and special teams attack.
Senior
Becky Clifton (Imperial, Mo.) has been a threat for the Wildcats all season playing both offense and defense. She is second on the team behind Killmer in points with 16 and is seventh in the MIAC in assists (12).
The Wildcats' success against the Royals will come down to stopping MIAC leading scorer Christina Masten and finding a way to put the puck in the net early and often.
Masten leads the MIAC in points (34) and goals (22) this season and has boasted 17 points throughout the month of February. The two-time All-MIAC selection has had five-straight multiple point outings, but scored just one goal in the Wildcats' first two matchups this season.
The Royals will be less predictable in net, though, as Erika Allen and Jess Newstrom have split starts in the latter half of the season. Allen, a first-year for the Royals, is currently third in the MIAC in save percentage (.936) and has a 1.80 goals against average. Newstrom, a veteran senior, ranks sixth in save percentage (.920).
Tomorrow's game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. in Rink No. 5 at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine, Minn. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for students and children five and under are free. There are no senior discounts.
Webcast will be provided for fans who are unable to attend by TJ Broadcast Services. There will also be Twitter updates from
@SCUathletics. Fans are encouraged to join the conversation using hash tags MakeItCount and MIACPlayoffs.
Should the Wildcats pull off a win against the Royals in quarterfinal action, they will advance to the semifinals and take on MIAC regular season Gustavus Adolphus College on Thrusday at 7 p.m. in St. Peter, Minn.
Directions
MIAC Women's Hockey Playoffs Tournament Site
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