WINONA, MINN. – After suffering a loss last weekend, the St. Catherine University hockey team was hoping to finish the season strong against Saint Mary's University this weekend. The Wildcats did that and more Friday night against the Cardinals. Despite trailing 1-0 after the first period, St. Kate's scored four goals in the final two periods and to beat Saint Mary's 4-2 on the road.

"The last 40 minutes was some of our best offensive hockey in a few weeks," Wildcat Head Coach Brad Marshall said after the game. "Everyone on the bench played solid hockey for those 40 minutes."

St. Kate's offensive ignition could not have come at a better time for the team. After finding themselves in a 1-0 hole after the first period, the Wildcats needed a quick goal to even the score at one. A quick goal is exactly what they got, as Mallory Ryan (Cottage Grove, Minn. / Park) tied the score just one minute and 37 seconds into the period.

Less than two minutes later, Ryan struck again. The senior captain scored her second goal of the evening, and seventh overall, off a pass from teammate Jordan Solheim (Thief River Falls, Minn. / Thief River Falls). The Wildcats held their first lead of the game less than five minutes into the second period. This time, it was a lead they would never relinquish.

The Wildcats certainly weren't satisfied with just a 2-1 lead and continued to put pressure on the Cardinal defenders throughout the second period. St. Kate's outshot Saint Mary's 12-5 in the second period, but Cardinal goalie Tori Herrman stopped every save after giving up the initial two goals.
In the last twenty minutes of play, the Wildcats were as aggressive on the offensive end as they were in the second period. Still, the Cardinals had a chance to tie the game halfway through the final period after St. Kate's was assessed a penalty around the nine minute mark. However, it was on that very penalty that the Wildcats extended their lead. First year Laken Muller (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) scored her first shorthanded goal of the season to give St. Kate's a 3-1 lead with a little over 10 minutes left to play in the game.

Saint Mary's did manage to tie the score seconds after the Wildcats killed the power play. With under two minutes left to play, the Cardinals pulled their goalie for an extra skater. Muller, though, scored the empty net dagger with 19 seconds left in regulation, helping St. Kate's leave Winona with their fifth win in the last seven games. In that same stretch, the Wildcats only suffered one loss to Hamline and surrendered a tie to Saint Benedict two weeks ago.

Sophomore Kristen Pechacek (Park Falls, Wis. / Chequamegon) earned her fourth win of the season for St. Kate's for an overall record of 4-5-4. She made 16 saves in the effort, including seven in the third period.

With the 4-2 win, the Wildcats now improve to 6-13-5 overall and have a 5-10-2 record in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play.  The return home to Drake Arena at 2 p.m. tomorrow to face the Cardinals in their final game of the 2015-16 season.