ST. PETER, MINN. – Throughout the entire season, the St. Catherine University hockey team has played its best games against both the top teams in the country and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). That trend continued Friday night when St. Kate's took on women's hockey powerhouse Gustavus Adolphus College. Thanks to strong play in goal by senior goalie Abbi White (Wyoming, Minn. / Forest Lake) and a scoring surge from the offense, the Wildcats and Gusties drew to a 3-3 tie after 70 minutes of play.

"Although the shots were one sided, it was nice that we battled back three times," head coach Brad Marshall said of the come-from-behind nature of the game, as his team never actually led in regulation. In fact, St. Kate's was outshot 46-17 in the game, the team's greatest shot margin of the season.

When the Wildcats did manage to shoot the puck, they certainly made it count. However, Gustavus made that virtually impossible in the first period, as the Gusties controlled the puck for the majority of play, which didn't allow for a lot of scoring opportunities for St. Kate's. In the first 20 minutes of play, the Gustavus forwards sent 13 shots White's way and a handful more were blocked by Wildcat defenders. White made 12 saves, but did surrender one goal at 8:53, allowing the Gusties to take a 1-0 lead.

Down 1-0 after the first period, the Wildcats needed to kill off Tori Thompson's (Rochester, Minn. / John Marshall) penalty at the start of the second to keep the game within reach. As the 24 seconds ticked by, the Gusties continued to pelt White with shots, until Thompson finally came out of the box, putting both teams at even strength. However, even with five skates on the ice, Gustavus continued to control the puck in the neutral zone, holding St. Kate's offense at bay in the opening minutes of the second period.

Eventually, the Wildcats managed to gain control of the puck as sophomore forward Laken Muller (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) won the face off against the Gusties Kaitlyn Kline. That small victory allowed St. Kate's its first chance to set up its offense in the second period, and the Wildcats didn't waste it. First year defender Lexi Muller (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) faked a one timer from the blue line then passed the puck over to senior Jordan Solheim (Thief River Falls, Minn. / Thief River Falls). When Solheim didn't have a clear shot on the goal, she quickly passed it inside the crease to Alex Pederson (Park Rapids, Minn. / Park Rapids), setting up the perfect scoring opportunity for the Wildcats. Pederson, as she has all season, slipped the puck past a diving Amanda DiNella to score the equalizer at 4:58 in the second.

With a game tied 1-1, St. Kate's tried to keep control of the puck and give its forwards another chance to take the lead. The Gustavus offense, though, was bound and determined not to let that happen. After the play, the Gusties once again took control of the puck and continued to send it in White's direction. The senior goaltender continued to save shots, until one slipped by her with four minutes remaining, allowing Gustavus to once again take a one goal lead.

However, the Wildcats were not about to give up. Resilient as always, the continued to fight and battle through the remaining minutes of the second period and the start of the third. Still, the Gusties refused to give St. Kate's any chances to put pressure on DiNella. Eventually, though, the Wildcats persistence paid off. At 6:31, Lexi Muller did not pass up on the opportunity to shoot, and her slap shot sailed by a diving DiNella, tying the game at two goals apiece.

Unfortunately, St. Kate's was once again in a come-from-behind situation, as Erica Power put Gustavus up 3-2 with seven minutes remaining in regulation. However, Solheim won the ensuring face off, giving the Wildcats another chance to score, which again, they did not waste. After Sara Brakke's (Rochester, Minn. / Mayo) shot was saved by DiNella, MacKenzie Ess (Burnsville, Minn. / Apple Valley) put the rebound in the back of the net to tie the game less than 30 seconds after the Gusties took the lead.

A frenzy of shots occurred after that, as both team's tried to take the lead for good in the final five minutes of play. White and DiNella were not about to surrender another goal, though, and regulation ended with the score still knotted 3-3. Even five extra minutes weren't enough, as neither team managed to score in overtime, allowing St. Kate's to leave St. Peter, Minnesota with a crucial point in MIAC play.

White made 43 saves on 46 shots in the game, while Pederson, Lexi Muller and Ess supported her with goals. Pederson now has four goals this season, while Muller has three.

With the tie, the Wildcats record improves to 6-7-1 overall and the team now holds a 2-4-1 mark in conference play. St. Kate's will face the same Gustavus team on Saturday, January 14 in the comforts of its home rink, Drake Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota.