Fourth-ranked Minnesota Duluth forced No. 3 Minnesota to the brink before falling 4-3 in a WCHA women’s game Friday night at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.
Sarah Potomak scored her second goal of the game 13:20 into the third period to break a 3-3 tie and hand the Bulldogs (3-1-1 overall, 2-1 WCHA) their first loss of the season. The Gophers are 4-1 and 2-1.
Sydney Brodt gave UMD a 1-0 lead 4:25 into the game before Minnesota scored twice in the latter half of the period.
Jalyn Elmes tied the score 8:41 into the second period on a power play, but Potomak put the Gophers back up by a goal at 10:04 on another power play.
UMD tied it at 14:07 on a power-play goal by Ashleigh Brykaliuk, setting the stage for Potomak’s game-winner.
UMD goalkeeper Maddie Rooney made 32 saves, 12 more than Minnesota goalie Sidney Peters.
The teams conclude their series at 4 p.m. today at Ridder Arena.
-- UMD landed a versatile forward-defenseman from Orono High School on Thursday as junior Lizi Norton verbally committed to the Bulldogs on Twitter.
Norton, a native of Long Lake, Minn., only appeared in 19 games for Orono last season as a sophomore, tallying six goals and eight assists. She also took part this summer in USA Hockey’s 2016 Girls Select Under-18 Player Development Camp, the 2016 Women’s National Festival and was a member of the 2016 U.S. Women’s Under-18 Select Team that took two of three games in a series against Canada.
Minnesota Duluth 1-2-0-3
Minnesota 2-1-1-4
First period - 1. UMD, Sydney Brodt 1 (Demi Crosman), 4:25; 2. Minn, Patti Marshall 1 (Sydney Baldwin, Kate Schipper), 12:09 (pp); 3. Minn, Lindsay Agnew 2 (Taylor Williamson, Megan Wolfe), 16:47.
Second period - 4. UMD, Jalyn Elmes 2 (Brodt, Michelle Lowenhielm), 8:41 (pp); 5. Minn, Sarah Potomak 2 (Dani Cameranesi, Lee Steicklein), 10:04 (pp); 6. UMD, Ashleigh Brykaliuk 5 (Lara Stalder, Katherine McGovern), 14;07 (pp).
Third period - 7. Minn, Potomak 3 (Kelly Pannek, Steicklein), 13:20.
Saves - Maddie Rooney, UMD, 5-10-17-32; Sidney Peters, Minn, 6-10-4-20.
