GRAND FORKS, N.D. – With their backs against the wall, the members of the Bemidji State University women’s hockey team completely out-paced No. 8 North Dakota 3-0 in game two of the best-of-three series in the first round of the WCHA playoffs Saturday night at Purpur Arena.
While the BSU offense netted all three goals in the final 25 minutes of play, the biggest key to the victory was the play of junior goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova (Bratislava, Slovakia). Tomcikova literally stole the game away from the Sioux making two monstrous saves while the game was scoreless. In the first period, while on the power play, the Beavers turned over a breakaway to Jocelyne Lamoureux. With a large gap between her and the nearest player, the breakaway for Lamoureux seemed reminiscent of one she had last week that saw her score a spin-o-rama goal against Minnesota. However, Tomcikova stuck with Lamoureux’s dekes and came up with a big toe save to deny the Olympian.
In the second period with the game still scoreless, Tomcikova made arguably her biggest save of the season. On a scramble out to the front right of the net, Lamoureux through a back-door pass to Alyssa Wiebe who had the entire net to shoot out. Off balance, Tomcikova dove over with her glove and snagged the puck while falling to the ice. The referee and goal judge, both expecting the puck to enter the open net, signaled for a goal, but later retracted the decision upon realizing that the puck was in Tomcikova’s trapper.
Later in the same period the Beavers went back on the power play and would find their first special-teams goal of the weekend. The goal started when Sadie Lundquist (So., Fwd., Cloquet, Minn.) played the puck up to Erika Wheelhouse (So., Def., Crookston, Minn.) at the point. Wheelhouse then unloaded a shot that ricocheted off a UND player before banking off the left post and into the back of the net for the sophomore’s first collegiate goal. The goal at the 15:07 mark of the period would give the Beavers a one-goal lead and all the momentum heading into the third period.
Bemidji State had the lead to start the third period the night before when North Dakota scored two goals to claim the comeback win. However, the Beavers were not willing to let history repeat itself. At the 11:41 mark of the final frame BSU would add a second goal to their lead off a great individual effort by Lauren Williams (Jr., Fwd., Eagan, Minn.). Williams forced a turnover in the North Dakota zone and picked up the loose puck, all before firing a snipe past the UND tender.
They say a two-goal lead is the most dangerous in hockey, so Lundquist made sure to add another insurance goal in the final five minutes of the game. A miscommunication by the UND defenders in the Sioux zone led to a turnover that was picked up by Lundquist in the corner. She drove in on net from the side and forced the puck through the short side scoring her seventh goal of the season.
Posting 22 saves in the contest, Tomcikova picked up her 14th career shutout and sixth of the season, breaking her previous record for most shutouts in a single season. It was also her 13th win on the season.
The Beavers (14-16-4; 11-13-4-2 WCHA) and Fighting Sioux (19-12-3; 16-10-2-0 WCHA) will now play in a decisive game three tomorrow night at 7:07 at Purpur Arena. The winner will advance on the 2011 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF to take on heavy weights No. 1 Wisconsin in the conference semifinals, after Wisconsin swept St. Cloud State this weekend. In other first-round playoff action, Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth both punched their tickets to the FINAL FACE-OFF and will play each other in the semifinals.
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