ST. PAUL, MINN. – The St. Catherine University hockey team has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows during the 2016-17 season. On Friday, the Wildcats were hoping to experience another high this season by preventing the Hamline University Pipers from clinching a spot in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) playoffs. Unfortunately, St. Kate's comeback was short lived, as Hamline managed to come out on top 3-2 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In arguably the most physical game of the year, it was the Wildcats who struck first as forward Allie Guzy (Blaine, Minn. / Spring Lake Park) scored the opening goal of the game. After St. Kate's managed to gain control of the puck in the neutral zone, Anna Carmen (Lutsen, Minn. / Lutsen) set up a play in the left corner, passing the puck over to a waiting Tori Thompson (Rochester, Minn. / John Marshall) at the top of the circle. Rather than shoot, though, Thompson saw Guzy open at the edge of the right circle, passed the puck, and watched as Guzy's shot deflected off the Hamline goalie's glove and into the back of the net.

Thanks to Guzy's goal, the Wildcats had an early 1-0 lead 1:22 into the game. However, that left 18 minutes and 38 seconds for the Pipers to tie the score. The Hamline forwards peppered St. Kate's starting goalie Kristen Pechacek (Park Falls, Wis. / Chequamegon) with 18 shots in the first period, but she was there to make every save, including a few miraculous ones along the way.

The Pipers eventually managed to pull even with the Wildcats midway through the second period. Melanie Bartenstein managed to hit a slap shot over the glove of a diving Pechacek, evening the score at 1-1. Then with under three minutes remaining before the second intermission, Hamline took the lead on an unassisted goal by Jena Kosley.\

Down 2-1 with one period of hockey remaining, St. Kate's found itself with a skater advantage after Lindsey Jackman took a penalty for boarding with seconds remaining in the second period. Although the Wildcats looked slightly sluggish to open the power play, they were eventually firing on all cylinders. Literally. With 10 seconds remaining in the power play, Thompson's slap shoot zoomed past a bewildered Annie Juergens in net to tie the game at 2-2.

Unfortunately, less than a minute later, the Pipers took the lead on a fluke play in St. Kate's zone. Morgan Tentis (Victoria, Minn. / Chanhassen) tried to clear the puck from the zone but broke her stick in the process, giving Bartenstein a one-on-one opportunity against Pechacek. Although the junior goalie had made several miraculous saves earlier in the game, she was unable to stop Bartenstein's shot over her glove hand, and Hamline once again found itself on top 3-2.

The remaining 17 minutes proved to be the most physical of the game, as both team's worked to gain an advantage offensively. St. Kate's Lexi Muller (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) was charged with a penalty for interference at 13:27, but Pechacek and the defense did not allow another Hamline shot to find the back of the net and successfully killed the penalty. However, the Wildcats were unable to gain an advantage in the Piper zone, until head coach Brad Marshall pulled Pechacek for an extra skater with one minute remaining in regulation. St. Kate's forwards sent a flurry of shots Juergens way and seemed to score the game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining. Sadly, Juergens made the save and three more, preserving the 3-2 victory for her team.

Pechacek made 36 saves in over 58 minutes of work while Juergens faced 23 shots from Wildcat skaters, 15 of which came in the final period.
With the loss, St. Kate's overall record falls to 7-13-2 and the team has a 3-10-3 mark in MIAC play. The Wildcats will return to the ice Saturday for the second game of the series against the Pipers. Puck drop is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Oscar Johnson Arena.