ST. PAUL, MINN. – It's been a bit of a roller coaster season for the St. Catherine University hockey team in 2016-17. The Wildcats have demonstrated they can play with both the top teams in the nation and in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). After a disappointing loss to St. Olaf College on Friday night, St. Kate's was looking to bounce back and avenge that loss with a win over the Oles on Saturday. Sadly, that tale was not meant to be, as two late empty net goals by St. Olaf sealed the 4-1 loss for the Wildcats.

The beginning of the game was eerily similar to Friday, as neither team was able to score in the opening 20 minutes of play. In fact, defensive play ruled the first period, as the Oles and Wildcats combined for just 13 shots on goal, all of which were saved by each team's respective goalie. Junior Kristen Pechacek (Park Falls, Wis. / Chequamegon) made six saves in the first period while St. Olaf goalie Cassie Alexander kept St. Kate's off the board with seven saves of her own.

In the second period, it was déjà vu, only this time, it was the Oles who managed to break through first. At the end of the first period, Cassie Thomas (Northfield, Minn./ Northfield) took a penalty for high sticking. Unfortunately, that proved costly for the Wildcats at the start of the second period. Xandi Sweberg deflected a slap shot behind a diving Pechacek, making it 1-0 St. Olaf 35 seconds into the period.

Fortunately, St. Kate's managed to even the score seven minutes later on a power play of their own. After Jordan Solheim's (Thief River Falls, Minn. / Thief River Falls) shot went wide of the net, Thomas picked up the puck and avenged her earlier penalty with a back door goal, tying the game 1-1 with a little over half the period remaining.

After Thomas' goal, the Wildcats and Oles fought for both possession of the puck and the outright lead. Pechacek and Alexander continued to be stingy in the net, while the defenses in front of them continued to block shot after shot. However, the physicality of the game eventually took its toll as St. Kate's was called for yet another penalty less than one minute after scoring the game tying goal. Lexi Muller (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) was sent to the box for interference, and just like in earlier in the period, that penalty proved costly. After the Wildcats managed to kill one minute of the penalty, the Oles managed to take a 2-1 lead by scoring their second power play goal of the game.

Down 2-1 with over 10 minutes remaining in the second period, St. Kate's fought valiantly to tie the game again. Unfortunately, the Wildcats only managed to get three shots on goal in the second period, and Alexander made every save. Things went no better in the third, as St. Kate's players continued to be sent to the penalty box, leaving the team a skater down for most of the period.

However, the Wildcats finally had a chance to even the score with under two minutes remaining in the game. As soon as the team cleared the puck from the zone, head coach Brad Marshall pulled Pechacek for an extra skater. After a Wildcat shot went awry, it was picked up by an Ole skater and viciously flung back to St. Kate's zone. Unfortunately, the puck went right in the back of the Wildcats net, putting St. Olaf up 3-1 with under one minute remaining. Fifteen seconds later, the Oles again managed to find the back of St. Kate's empty net to seal the 4-1 victory.  

The Wildcats were one for five on the power play but suffered eight penalties in the loss to St. Olaf. Pechacek faced 36 shots and made 34 saves in 59 minutes of work, while Thomas scored her third goal of the season.

With the loss, St. Kate's overall record falls to 7-13-1 and the team is now 3-8-1 in MIAC play. The Wildcats will return to the ice next Friday, when it hosts the College of Saint Benedict at 7:30 p.m. in Drake Arena.