COLUMBUS, Ohio - A Minnesota Duluth team that continues to lose players to injuries rallied with three goals in the final 3:16 Friday night to beat Ohio State 5-3 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's game before 505 at the OSU Ice Rink.
UMD scored the only four goals of the third period to come back from a 3-1 deficit.
However, the Bulldogs lost second-leading scorer Jessica Koizumi to what's believed to be a torn knee ligament early in the first period, while freshman defender Heidi Pelttari, in her college debut, left in the third period after blocking a shot with her arm. She was X-rayed after the game for a possible broken elbow, said UMD coach Shannon Miller.
"It's unbelievable what this team has had to go through with all of our injuries,'' said Miller. "I have never been so proud of a team in the last three years. We put together an unbelievable third period to win the game.''
After Emmanuelle Blais got the Bulldogs within 3-2 early in the final period, Saara Tuominen scored with 3:16 to play, Michaela Lanzl with 26 seconds left and Noemie Marin with two seconds remaining (into an empty net) completed the rally. All five goals came from UMD's stock of international players.
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The No. 7-ranked Bulldogs (16-7-2 and 15-5-1 WCHA) extended their unbeaten streak to eight games (7-0-1) and have won six straight. No. 9 Ohio State (14-10-3 and 9-9-3) outshot UMD 35-23, but couldn't get past freshman goalie Kim Martin in the last 39 minutes.
Martin, from Sweden, had been sidelined for two months with knee problems, but made 32 saves for a 7-4 record this season. She has a 1.54 goals-against average and .946 save percentage, and will start in today's 3:07 p.m. game.
Morgan Marziali, Rachel Davis and Erin Keys gave Ohio State a 3-1 lead after two periods. Right winger Blais of Quebec got UMD going with a power-play goal at 2:21 of the third period, then center Tuominen of Finland tied the game. Lanzl, from Germany, put the Bulldogs ahead for the first time with 26 seconds to go on her second goal of the game. Marin, from Quebec, then added her 15th goal of the season to tie for the team lead.
* Summary on D5
