ST. PETER, Minn.---  Following a tough start to the season, the St. Catherine University hockey team proved its ability to compete with any team in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) when it tied Gustavus Adolphus College in a series-opening game Friday. Despite showing promise, the Wildcats couldn't keep that momentum going in allowing the Gusties three goals in the second period before suffering a 3-0 loss in game two Saturday afternoon on the road. 

Unlike Friday, the Wildcats managed to hold the Gusties to a more limited amount of shots, but they couldn't get anything going offensively as they tallied just 15 shots on Amanda DiNella. Kristen Pechacek (Park Falls, Wis./Chequamegon) was again solid in goal turning away 30 Gustie shots between the pipes for the Wildcats. 

Much like Friday, the first period ended with a 0-0 score despite two quality opportunities for the Gusties including a shot off the pipe by Erika Power. The difference, though, came in the second period where the Gusties were nearly unstoppable ant outshot the Wildcats 15-8. 

At the 5:48 mark of the second, Allison Eder-Zdechlik scored on a loose puck in front of the net to give the Gusties a 1-0 lead. Eder-Zdechlik provided the Gusties with the offensive spark when she tallied her second of the game just eight seconds later on a rebound off a Laura Johnson shot. 

Less than 10 minutes later, Eder-Zdechlik helped get the Gusties on the board for a third time when Marina Chapman scored a shorthanded tally off a shot from Eder-Zdechlik. That was enough to help the Gusties control play in the third and escape with their third MIAC win of the season. 

Leading the way offensively for the Wildcats was Annie Buttermore (Grant, Minn./Mahtomedi) with three shots on goal, while Tori Thompson (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall), Alex Pederson (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids) and Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew) each had two. 

With the loss, the Wildcats move to 1-10-4 on the season and 0-7-1 in the MIAC. They return to action Friday for home MIAC action against the University of St. Thomas at 7:30 p.m. before playing at the St. Thomas Arena Saturday at 2 p.m. in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. 

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