Erica Power protects the puck from a St. Thomas defender. (Photo courtesy of Roisen Granlund '17, Gustavus Sports Information)
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s hockey team fell by a score of 3-2 in the overtime period to the University of St. Thomas Saturday afternoon in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoff Semifinals.
After Gustavus established a two-goal lead early into the second frame, St. Thomas three unanswered goals including the game-winner 12:24 into the overtime period to advance to the MIAC Playoff Championship.
The home team took control early into the first period. At the 4:13 minute mark, Kaitlyn Klein (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) found Emily Gustafson (Sr., Esko, Minn.) open in the slot who buried her ninth goal of the season to give Gustavus a 1-0 lead. The Gusties maintained the lead heading into the first intermission, outshooting the Tommies 8-5.
Early into the second frame, Gustavus added on to its lead with a goal from Erica Power (Jr., Lakeville, Minn.). After receiving a pass from Amelia Vosen (Fy., Nowthen, Minn.), Power snuck a shot past the glove of the Tommie goaltender Mackenzie Torpy to give the Black and Gold a 2-0 lead.
St. Thomas stole away the momentum not long after the second Gustavus goal, adding two more in the second frame. Becca Zarembinski scored just two minutes after Power’s goal and Anna Williams added another to knot the score at 2-2 with just over three minutes remaining in the period.
Each team tallied 10 shots on net in the second period before the Gusties played a strong third. They outshot the Tommies 10-2 while they couldn’t find a way to put one past St. Thomas goalie Torpy, forcing a 20-minute overtime regulation period with the score still knotted a two a piece.
Neither team was penalized in the first 60 minutes, until Hannah Bird of St. Thomas was called for hooking 3:32 into the overtime frame to give Gustavus the first power play opportunity of the game. 1:20 into the man advantage, the Gusties’ were penalized with a roughing call to negate the power play, giving the Tommies their first power play chance. Neither team was successful on the man advantage.
The overtime game-winner came at 12:24 when a Gustie turnover in the defensive zone caused an open look in the slot that Rachel Werdin put past Gustavus goaltender Amanda DiNella (So., Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.) to give the Tommies the 3-2 win.
Gustavus outshot St. Thomas in the game by a margin of 38-28. DiNella made 25 saves in goal, suffering just her third loss of the season, her first in 12 games played dating back to Dec. 7.
The Gusties finish the season with an overall record of 17-6-3.
“I’m proud of the team overall this season in the way that they hung together and kept improving,” said Head Coach Mike Carroll. “It is rewarding because there were a lot of gut checks going on in the locker room at the end of last season. It was a journey and when we started clicking, it was fun to see. That is what is great about sports.”
As grandparents of two Gustavus hockey players, one graduating in 2015 and the other a current a junior, we have watched and cheered the program against stiff competition and this year rise from the lower half of the MIAC ranks to the very top ranking and an overtime loss in the MIAC Championship game to St. Thomas. The long history of exceptional effort, play-making, and accomplishment in Gustavus Women Hockey goes back many, many years and shall continue also under strong student leadership and competence in coaching. The fact that the academic program provided to Gustavus students is superlative makes for a winning combination, every way you look at a college experience.