With time running out, Grace Zumwinkle sent a slap shot to the back of the net off of a one-timer in overtime to lift the Gophers to a win in game one against Bemidji State on Friday.
However, the team could not repeat that success in the next game.
The No. 6 Gophers (14-5-1) beat Bemidji State (6-10-2) 3-2 in a tightly contested battle on Friday night at Ridder Arena. Minnesota lost 4-2 in its next game against the Beavers on Saturday.
“I thought this was a real entertaining hockey game. There was moments where they had us pinned in, there were moments when we had them pinned in,” head coach Brad Frost said. “Finding a way to pull out there in overtime again was a pretty special feeling for our team.”
Caitlin Reilly and Emily Brown also scored for the Gophers in the win. Sidney Peters made 24 saves, including four in overtime.
Zumwinkle’s game winner came just in front of the blue line with 26 seconds left in overtime. Zumwinkle got a pass from Reilly and she did the rest.
The Gophers took a 2-1 lead in the second period behind the goals of Reilly and Brown. Reilly’s goal came after she lost her glove, but still managed to get the puck in the net. The Gophers’ second goal was from Brown during a 4-on-4 sequence. It was her second goal of her career. Paige Beebe of Bemidji State evened the score late in the period.
“My shot is one of my strong assets, so I think utilizing that more will help me along the way,” Zumwinkle said.
With the score tied 2-2 going into the third period Saturday, Bemidji scored two goals in the third to seal the victory. Jacqueline Kassa scored two goals in the game, including the goal that gave Bemidji State the lead and that they held onto for the rest of the night.
“Going into the third, we were urging our players to get going and bring some emotion, but for one reason or another, we couldn’t do that,” Frost said. “It appeared that Bemidji had a little extra jump in their step compared to ours.”
In Minnesota’s loss to Bemidji State, Alex Woken scored her seventh goal of the season. Zumwinkle added her ninth goal of the season. Peters made 24 saves and the Gophers had 26 shots.
In the first period, Bemidji State and Minnesota scored just 13 seconds apart from each other. Kassa scored Bemidji’s first goal. On the other end, Woken’s goal sent the teddy bears flying in Ridder as it was teddy bear toss night.
Zumwinkle helped the Gophers take a 2-1 lead after she ripped a slap shot past the Beaver goaltender just 2:17 into the second period. However, Bemidji State’s Bailey Wright evened the score. The Beavers outshot the Gophers 14-8 in the period.
In the third period, Kassa put the Beavers up 3-2 five minutes into the third period. Then, Emily Bergland intercepted a pass and scored on a breakaway. Initially, it was ruled a no goal, but after further review, the referees came to the conclusion that it was a good goal.
