Box Score After settling for a tie with Hamline University last weekend, the St. Catherine University hockey looked to get back on the winning track against an Augsburg College squad that gave up 10 goals to Bethel University in the opening weekend of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play. Thanks to two power play goals from leading scorer Bailey Rasmussen (Grand Rapids, Minn.), the Wildcats were able to pull off a narrow 4-3 victory over the Auggies Friday evening at Drake Arena in St. Paul. 

"We had a great second period," said Head Coach Brad Marshall, "but Augsburg kept battling and it was an interesting finish. I would expect a similar game tomorrow night." 

In a game that saw a total of four special teams goals between both teams, the Wildcats were able to come away with the win thanks to a 24-save performance from Samantha Geissler (Elk River, Minn.) and the hot hand of Rasmussen who now leads the Wildcats with five points. The junior is one of league's leading goal scorers with five and turned in her second two-goal performance of the season against the Auggies. 

Though the Wildcats came away with the upper hand in the end, the Auggies came out strong in the first period as they held a 12-6 advantage in shots on goal. They also got on the board first less than four minutes into the game when Ashley Kloncz beat Geissler for her first goal of the season. Zoe Verkerke (Menominee, Mich.) helped the Wildcats respond at the 5:06 mark when she picked up a loose puck in front and beat Auggie goalie Kristine Fonti for her first of the season.

With less than four minutes to play in the first, the Wildcats were able to take a 2-1 lead into the break when Jordan Solheim (Thief River Falls, Minn.) netted her first collegiate goal with a Hannah Okerstrom (Bayport, Minn.) assist.  

The Auggies didn't allow the Wildcats to hold a lead for long, though, as Kayla Fuechtmann scored a power play goal at 3:10 in the second to tie the game up at 2-2. But less than eight minutes later Rasmussen and Megan Killmer (Savage, Minn.) would help the Wildcats take the lead with two power play scores that came within a minute and a half of each other to give the Wildcats a 4-2 lead heading into the third period. 

Just when it looked as though the Wildcats might pull away comfortably, the Auggies responded early in the third when Callen Naasz scored an unassisted short-handed goal to pull the Auggies within one. But that is as close as they would come to the Wildcats who now boast an undefeated 2-0-1 record in MIAC play. 

Annie Buttermore (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Randi Fabsits (Tinley Park, Ill.) also picked up assists in the game, while Fonti recorded 30 saves in goal for the Auggies. The two teams will face off against tomorrow night at the Augsburg Ice Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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