Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS - The Bethel Royals have earned a playoff spot, the St. Catherine Wildcats have not ... but with two games left to go, and after upsetting Bethel for the second night in a row, this time by a score of 4-2, they look poised to make a run for the fifth and final postseason berth.

The Royals went up top 1-0 at the 12:05 mark of the first period when Anna Carlson (Fr., Roseville, Minn.) connected with Bethany Murphy-Aultman (Sr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) allowing Bethel's all-time leading scorer to light the lamp. The lead would remain in tact for the duration of the first period and into the sixth minute of the second period. Unfortunately, that's when St. Catherine scored their first of four unanswered goals to go up 4-1 by period's end.

One of the conference's leading scorers, Michaela Michaelson, was the primary culprit, having a hand in three of the four goals. Cassie Rooney and Kelsey Abrahamson were also partners in the crime with two points apiece.

The Carlson/Murphy-Aultman tandem reversed roles and struck again at 7:42 of the third period for Carlson's third goal in as many games to cut the Bethel deficit in half, but that would be the end of the scoring for the Royals despite outshooting the Wildcats 12-6 in the final period.

Fortunately for the Royals, they did not lose any ground in the conference standings with the loss as Concordia was swept by Gustavus. At 10-9-3 overall and 9-5-2 in MIAC play, the Royals are slated to finish the regular season with a two-game series against second place St. Thomas next weekend beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday night in Mendota Heights. St. Catherine improves to 9-11-2 overall and 6-9-1 in the conference and closes out their season against Concordia next weekend.