After struggling to find the net again Friday evening, the St. Catherine University hockey team took full advantage of their scoring opportunities in game two of a weekend series against Concordia University Wisconsin.
Jordan Solheim (Thief River Falls, Minn./Thief River Falls) came up big for the Wildcats scoring both Wildcat goals leading the WIldcats to their first win of 2015 by a score of 2-1 Saturday at the Ozaukee Ice Center in Mequon, Wisconsin.
"We challenged a few players this morning to get us going and provide some offense and all of them responded," said Head Coach
Brad Marshall. "Solheim buried her chances and played some of her best offensive hockey in awhile.
Bailey Rasmussen (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids) played well today, and
Annie Buttermore (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi) and
Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew) were much better today. And after being pretty sick,
Kristen Pechacek (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) and
Megan Killmer (Savage, Minn./Burnsville) bounced back nicely today.
Pechaceck finished with 37 saves in her first appearance since playing both games in the
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) series against Saint Mary's University. This is her second win of the season in goal for the Wildcats. The first-year has also now made 30 or more saves in each of her starts this season. The game opened up in favor of the Wildcats as they scored the first tally of the game – a first since their last win over Saint Mary's Unviersity on Dec. 5 – when Solheim scored her second power play goal in as many games when she beat Falcon goalie Andrea Mizanskey at 6:13 of the first period on a set up from
Mallory Ryan (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park). The Falcons responded less than 10 minutes later, though, when Baylee Darling beat Wildcat goalie Pechacek at 15:45 to event the score at 1-1 heading into the second period.
The two teams skated to a scoreless second period and the game appeared as if it might approach extra minutes. However, Solheim came up big again scoring her third goal of the weekend with less than five minutes remaining on a set up from
Alex Pederson (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids) to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead they never surrendered en route to their fourth win of the season.
Fabsits finished the game with six shots on goal to lead the Wildcats, while Solheim had five and Killmer added three. Solheim now leads the Wildcats with seven points and is tied for the team lead in goals with Killmer at four a piece. Ryan's assist on Killmer's first goal also brings her to a tie for team-lead in assists with four along with Fabsits and Buttermore.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 4-6-2 overall. They reopen MIAC play next weekend with a two-game series against (RV) University of St. Thomas beginning Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Then, the Wildcats play host to the defending MIAC champion Saturday at 2 p.m. at Drake Arena in St. Paul.
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