Coming off a close opening game to the 2014-15 season against the College of Saint Benedict Friday evening, the St. Catherine University hockey team was ready to put the early season loss behind it and show what the team is capable of in its opening weekend of non-conference play before beginning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) competition next weekend. And after a strong showing on the power play Friday, the Wildcats used that same momentum in a non-conference contest against UW-Eau Claire scoring three power play goals en route to a 4-1 win Saturday evening in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 

"It's nice when you have upper class players who take charge and lead," said Head Coach Brad Marshall. "Megan Killmer (Savage, Minn./Bursville) and Bailey Rasmussen (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) have done that on the score sheet the last two nights. Our younger players are learning and chipping in as well. We played pretty well at even strength, and we'll need to continue that into MIAC play next weekend."

After collecting two assists Friday evening on both power play goals for the Wildcats, senior Killmer showed she was back to the form she'd been in her first two seasons when she started off the Wildcat scoring for the evening just 6:57 into the opening period. She beat Blugold goalie Kim Van Brunt for her first goal of the season on a set up from Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew) and goalie Abbi White (Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake) to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead they would carry into the second period. 

In the second period, the Blugolds brought the pressure early. However, the Wildcats were able to beat Van Brunt again when Alex Pederson (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids) tallied her first collegiate goal with just 1:30 remaining in the second period. Fabsits recorded her second assist of the evening, while Annie Buttermore (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi) grabbed her first point of the season with the second. 

Heading into the third period, the Wildcats were in control of the game. That was until UW-Eau Claire cut the Wildcat lead to 2-1 thanks to a short-handed goal off the stick of Lauren Norgren just 3:07 into the final 20 minutes of play.

But the Wildcats were just getting started in the third period as they managed to tally two power play goals for a total of four over a two-day span.  First, Killmer tallied her second goal of the evening at the 15:51 mark of the third on assist from Rasmussen, before Rasmussen added her second goal in as many games with 1:04 left to play in regulation on an assist from Mallory Ryan (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park). 

White stopped 25 of the Blugolds' 16 shots for her first collegiate win in goal for the Wildcats. The Wildcats finished the game outshooting the Blugolds 32-26 with Van Brunt recording 28 saves for UW-Eau Claire. Killmer and Rasmussen both finished the game with two points a piece and four points over the weekend. 

With the win the Wildcats move to 1-1 to start the season. The Wildcat season opener will take place Friday against Hamline University with game time scheduled for 7 p.m. at Drake Arena in St. Paul. 

Wildcat Hockey on Twitter
Wildcat Hockey on Facebook
Wildcats on Twitter
Wildcats on Facebook