College women's hockey: Tie should have been win, Bulldogs insist

Pernilla Winberg scored a winning shootout goal, Jennifer Harss had one of her better games in net and Minnesota Duluth limited one of the highest-scoring Division I women's teams for a second straight day.

However, a good day could've been even better Sunday afternoon at Amsoil Arena, said UMD's coaches and players after a 2-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association tie with North Dakota in front of 884 fans.

The No. 7-ranked Bulldogs (4-3-1 overall, 1-2-1 WCHA) appeared to have scored a third goal, 37 seconds into the third period. A shot attempt by Winberg went off the skate of linemate Haley Irwin as Irwin was pulling up to stop in front of the North Dakota goal. The puck eluded goalie Stephanie Ney.

Referees Leah Wrazidlo and Joe Harris reviewed the play and ruled no goal. A score would've put UMD ahead 3-0.

"We were unlucky. We felt like it was a goal. We felt like we should've won," said Winberg, a junior winger from Sweden.

The NCAA Ice Hockey handbook on rules and interpretations for 2010-12: Rule 6, Section 18 on goals and assists states:

"A goal shall not be allowed if the puck has been kicked or directed into the goal off an attacking player's skate or any body part. When in doubt, the goal shall be disallowed. A goal shall be allowed if a puck deflects off an attacking player who is in the act of stopping."

Replays showed Irwin stopping.

No. 6 North Dakota (5-4-1, 2-3-1) made the best of the reprieve and scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation for a tie, including a Michelle Karvinen goal with 17 seconds remaining after Ney had been pulled for an extra attacker.

UMD coach Shannon Miller said she couldn't comment publicly on the rules interpretation but said she'd be talking with WCHA supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd.

What Miller did talk about was a strong weekend following two home losses a week earlier to No. 1 Wisconsin.

"Our players listened and worked hard, and were especially good in back checking and in the defensive zone," said Miller. "Jenny had two excellent games back-to-back which we had to have."

North Dakota came to Duluth with four straight lopsided wins and the highest-scoring line in Division I with Jocelyne Lamoureux centering her twin sister, Monique Lamoureux-Kolls and Karvinen (although freshman Andrea Dalen replaced Karvinen on the line Sunday).

UMD used its own offensive game for a 66-59 edge in shots on goal and 8-3 edge in goals in the series. And the Bulldogs killed 12 of 13 opposing power plays. UMD led in shots 34-31 Sunday.

Freshman star defenseman Brigette Lacquette and junior winger Audrey Cournoyer, on a power play, each scored in the second period for a 2-0 UMD lead.

"On Friday, UMD took it to us. They were more aggressive and hungry," said North Dakota coach Brian Idalski. "Their team is battle tested and has won championships. That's what we're missing. We need games like this, against a good team, to get confidence. Their team speed was a big factor and they're a good transition team."

The Fighting Sioux earned a break with 4:48 to play when a rebound bounced off a UMD skate and past Harss. It was credited to freshman center Josefine Jakobsen of Denmark. After Ney was pulled with 74 seconds left in the third, Karvinen, also from Denmark, found the smallest of spots over Harss' left shoulder to tie the game with her eighth goal of the season.

After a scoreless five-minute overtime, Winberg scored on Ney in the shootout, while Harss stopped Karvinen, Monique Lamoureux-Kolls and Jakobsen. That gave UMD an extra point in the WCHA standings, 13 behind league-leading Minnesota, but having played four fewer games. UMD is on the road against the Gophers this weekend.

"Those were probably our two best games of the season defensively and they came against a good team," said Harss.

North Dakota 0-0-2-0--2

Minnesota Duluth 0-2-0-0--2

First period -- No scoring. Penalties -- Mariia Posa, UMD (hooking), 2:15; Jocelyne Lamoureux, North Dakota (roughing), 3:00; Allison Parizek, North Dakota (holding), 16:59.

Second Period -- 1. UMD, Brigette Lacquette 2 (Auedrey Cournoyer, Katie Wilson), 1:10; 2. UMD, Aournoyer 6 (Tea Villila, Jessica Wong), 13:50 (pp). Penalties -- Gina Doge, UMD (slashing), 6:07; Wong, UMD (tripping), 7:54; Hailey Irwin, UMD (tripping), 11:27; J. Lamoureux, North Dakota (checking), 12:27.

Third period -- 3. North Dakota, Josefine Jakobsen 3 (J. Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux-Kolls), 15:12; 4. North Dakota, Michelle Karvinen 8 (J. Lamoureux, M. Lamoureux-Kolls), 19:43 (ea). Penalties -- Kacy Ambroz, UMD (holding), 1:41; M. Lamoureux-Kolls, North Dakota (hooking), 7:05.

Overtime -- No scoring. Penalties -- Jordan Slavin, North Dakota (tripping), 4:59; Irwin, UMD (roughing), 5:00; J. Lamoureux, North Dakota (roughing).

Shootout -- UMD 1 (goal, Pernilla Winberg); North Dakota 0.

Shots on goal -- North Dakota 7-11-11-2--31, UMD 14-8-9-3--34. Goalies -- Stephanie Ney, North Dakota (4-3-1)), North Dakota (34 shots-32 saves); Jennifer Harss (4-3-1), UMD (31 shots-29 saves). Power plays -- North Dakota 0-of-4, UMD 1-of-5. Referees -- Leah Wrazidlo, Joe Harris. Linesmen -- Sara Anderson, Nick Biondich. A -- 884.