The St. Catherine University hockey team struggled to score in its season opener against one of the top-10 teams in Division III, but rebounded to settle for a tie and hoped things would be a bit different in week two of the season against the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Though the Wildcats had a similar story in that they couldn't put any goals on the board, they didn't give any up either in settling for a scoreless 0-0 tie with the Blugolds Saturday afternoon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 

"This was a game of momentum changes," said Head Coach Brad Marshall. "We had a pretty good first 15 minutes, but then stopped our feet for the next 15 minutes. The final period was better. We had the puck a lot, but we were unable to finad a lane to the net." 

One thing that was consistent for the Wildcats, though, was the solid play of goalie Kristen Pechacek (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon). For the second time in as many games, Pechacek made over 30 saves to help the Wildcats earn a tie. Against the Blugolds, the sophomore stopped all 31 shots that came her way earning her first shutout of the season. 

For the third game in a row, the Wildcats were outshot by double digits – this time the Blugolds had a 31-17 advantage. Each team also came up short on power play opportunities, which leaves the Wildcats 0-for-5 through three games. 

Leading the Wildcats' offensive attack was Alex Pederson (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids) who recorded a game-high seven shots on goal. Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew) and Zoe Verkerke (Menominee, Mich./Menominee) also added two shots a piece. 

With the tie, the Wildcats move to 0-1-2 on the season. They begin Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play Friday evening against Augsburg College. The Wildcats' home opener scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Drake Arena. 

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