ST. PAUL, Minn. – The No. 3 Gustavus women's hockey team completed the regular season in dramatic fashion, scoring three late goals, including one in overtime, to earn a series split with Hamline, 4-3, at TRIA Rink on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Trailing 3-1 with under two minutes to play, the Gusties (20-5-0, 15-3-0 MIAC) scored a pair of goals, including one in the final seconds of play, followed by an
Avery Braunshausen (So., Lake Elmo, Minn.) overtime winner.
Hamline (16-9-0, 11-7-0 MIAC) opened the scoring in the second period, capitalizing on a giveaway in the Gustavus defensive zone for a mini-breakaway that Emme Nelson sent behind
Claire Bronson (Fy., Lakeville, Minn.).
Kylie Scott (So., Dayton, Minn.) evened the score three minutes later, scoring on the power play off a rebound out front.
Eva Nelson (Fy., Buffalo, Minn.) sent a shot toward the net from the point, followed by another attempt from
Brooke Power (5th, Lakeville, Minn.) out front, that Scott was able to send home for her third of the year.
Hamline scored two more before the end of the period, just 12 seconds apart, to end the frame with a 3-1 lead over the nationally-ranked Gusties.
Despite playing from behind for the entire third period, the two goal deficit was nothing to worry about, as the Gusties waited until the final minutes of the game to turn the offense on.
Abby Elliott (Sr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) grabbed a loose puck from the Pipers and roofed it with 1:14 remaining in regulation.
As time ticked down in the third period, Head Coach
Mike Carroll pulled Bronson for the extra skater. After a failed empty net attempt from the Pipers, the Gusties won possession off the offensive zone faceoff and overloaded the Hamline net following a shot from the point, with
Noelle Hemr (Fy., Blaine, Minn.) getting the final touch to tie things up 3-3.
Braunshausen scored 2:12 into the extra period, taking a feed from Scott in front of the net and tucking it between the five-hole of the Piper goaltender to seal the victory in the team's final regular season game of the year.
The Gusties totaled 40 shots to the Pipers' 26, with
Lily Mortenson (Jr., Champlin, Minn.), Power, and Elliott each contributing six. Bronson finished with 23 saves in her first start of the season.
The Gusties finished second in the conference standings behind Augsburg, which clinched the MIAC Regular Season title with a 3-2 win at Saint Mary's Saturday afternoon. Playoff seeding gives both the Auggies and Gusties home ice advantage and a first-round bye to next Saturday's semifinal. The Gusties will host the No. 3 seed Hamline for the two teams' third consecutive match-up on Saturday, March 1.
Next Saturday's semifinal is tentatively set for a 2 p.m. puck drop at Don Roberts Ice Rink, while Augsburg will host the winner of the quarterfinal between No. 4 seed Saint Mary's and No. 5 St. Olaf at 7 p.m. that night. The highest seed remaining after semifinals will host the MIAC Playoff Championship on March 7.
