SAINT PETER, Minn. – A pair of late goals sealed a 2-1 Hamline upset of the No. 3 Gustavus women's hockey team to open the final MIAC regular season series of the year on Friday night, Feb. 21, at Don Roberts Ice Rink.
Hamline goaltender Kendra Nordick held the Gusties (19-5-0, 14-3-0 MIAC) scoreless through the first period, coming up with a number of big saves, including two on
Brooke Power (5th, Lakeville, Minn.). A well-placed pass from
Avery Braunshausen (So., Lake Elmo, Minn.) ended up on the stick of Power in front of the net, who was robbed of an open net by the toe of Nordick's pad. The fifth-year, who tied the MIAC record for all-time game-winning goals the weekend before, found herself on a breakaway toward the end of the period by Nordick once more, heading into the first intermission with a 0-0 deadlock between the two teams.
Nordick and Gustie goalie
Lily Timmons (Fy., Stillwater, Minn.) continued to run the show through the second period, saving every shot that came across their crease through the second 20. The Gusties continued to out-shoot Hamline (16-8-0, 11-6-0 MIAC), but came up empty and couldn't manage a shot on goal through their first of three power play opportunities of the game.
All three goals of the game were scored in the third period, led by
Kaitlyn Holland's (Sr., Aberdeen, S.D.) 13th of the season and NCAA-leading eighth on the power play, as the senior slammed home a rebound from
Abby Elliott (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) and
Lily Mortenson (Jr., Champlin, Minn.) to break Nordick's shutout.
The Pipers responded with one of their own less than three minutes later, as Cailey McLaughlin converted on a 2-on-1 attempt that bounced off the Gusties out front and behind Timmons to even the score at 1-1. With just 32 seconds to play in regulation, Hamline captain Nikki Olund collected a blocked shot of the Gusties and went bar-down on Timmons to seal the victory for the Pipers.
Gustavus out-shot Hamline by a total of 50-21, ,including 32-17 in shots on goal, but managed just one past Nordick. Timmons made 15 saves between the pipes, half of which came in the second half of the final period. Mortenson and
Kylie Ligday (So., Lake Elmo, Minn.) led the Gusties with five shots apiece, while Power and Holland each chipped in four.
The two teams wrap up their regular seasons against each other tomorrow evening at 6 p.m. at TRIA Rink in St. Paul.
