Minnesota Duluth coach Maura Crowell was happy to take five out of six points from Bemidji State in the schools’ WCHA series this weekend at Amsoil Arena.
But she also couldn’t help but wonder ‘What if?’ after following up Friday’s 2-1 victory over the No. 10-ranked Beavers with a 3-3 tie and shootout win Saturday in the series finale.
The No. 4 Bulldogs (4-2-2 overall, 3-2-1 WCHA) had 2-0 and 3-1 leads over the Beavers (4-3-1, 2-3-1), but were forced into a shootout where senior forward Lara Stalder buried the lone goal and sophomore goaltender Maddie Rooney made three stops.
“Our first period was fantastic and had we strung 60 minutes together like that, we would have taken all six (points),” Crowell said. “We played gritty just like they played gritty. We put the puck in the net plenty of times to win. Unfortunately it doesn’t always go your way, but we took care of business in the shootout. We’re happy about that.”
When Crowell says “we put the puck in the net plenty of times to win,” she’s referring to the Bulldogs’ disallowed goal with 8:52 to play in the third period. UMD junior wing Maria Lindh appeared to finish off a rebound that came off the shot of senior defenseman Sidney Morin to put UMD ahead 4-3.
Lindh had some help on the play via a screen by UMD senior forward Katherine McGovern and video review determined McGovern provided a little too much help. Lindh’s goal was waved off for goaltender obstruction, though McGovern said she never made contact at the top of the crease with all-league goaltender Brittni Mowat.
Contact isn’t necessary, however, for goalie interference.
“I was just trying to get in the goalie’s eyes,” McGovern said. “She’s a good goalie, so we wanted to take away her vision. It was a good rebound goal. I don’t think it was too much interference, but I guess so.”
McGovern and redshirt junior forward Katerina Mzazova gave UMD a 2-0 lead in the first period and freshman forward Brooklyn Schugel put UMD ahead by a two-goal margin again midway through the second.
Beavers junior forward Emma Terres, who assisted on a goal by junior defenseman Alexis Joyce five minutes into the second period, restarted the rally by scoring on a 5-on-3 power play with 2:10 to play in the second. Terres struck again 7:13 into the third period for her third point of the afternoon to tie the game at 3-3.
“Getting the 5-on-3 and capitalizing on it was big,” Beavers coach Jim Scanlan said. “At 3-1, it could have been real easy the way Duluth was playing, it could have gotten ugly there. Obviously with (Mowat) in goal, that always helps. Getting that 5-on-3 goal was huge. Because now you go into the third and it was a one-shot game.”
Mowat finished with 38 saves; Rooney stopped 26 shots.
Bemidji State 0-2-1-0-3
Minnesota Duluth 2-1-0-0-3
Minnesota Duluth wins shootout 1-0
First period - 1. UMD, Katherine McGovern 2 (Sydney Brodt) 5:09; 2. UMD, Katerina Mrazova 4 (Ashleigh Brykaliuk, Demi Crossman), 19:52.
Second period - 3. BSU, Alexis Joyce 2 (Natalie Stanwood, Emma Terres), 5:00; 4. UMD, Brooklyn Schugel 2 (McGovern, Lynn Astrup), 12:13; 5. BSU, Terres 2 (Madison Hutchins, Emily Berglund), 17:50 (pp).
Third period - 6. BSU, Terres 3 (Joyce, Standwood), 7:15.
Overtime - No scoring.
Saves - Brittni Mowat, BSU, 8-17-10-3-38; Maddie Rooney, UMD, 3-11-9-3-26.
