Duluth, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's hockey team tied #10 Minnesota Duluth 2-2 before giving up a goal in the second overtime that allowed the Bulldogs to advance to the Minnesota Cup Championship Saturday night at AMSOIL Arena.
 
The host Bulldogs went up 2-0 over the Mavericks after two first period goals. Sophomore winger Taylor Anderson was credited with the first goal 4:48 into the game after she pushed the puck into the net in a scrum in front of the net. Sophomore forward Gabbie Hughes extended the UMD lead at the 9:35 mark, shooting from just inside the right face-off circle and beating sophomore netminder Abigail Levy to the low left corner of the net.

The second period went scoreless, but Minnesota State had a crucial penalty kill to gain momentum as the penalty kill team did not surrender a goal on a five-minute major late in the period.

The Mavericks took that momentum and stormed back to score two goals in the third period to send the game to overtime. Minnesota State converted on a power play opportunity at the 7:07 mark when junior blueliner Jessica Kondas got the puck off a face-off win by sophomore winger Brooke Bryant and buried a wrister from the blue line to the low left corner for her first goal of the season. With time winding down in the period, Bryant gathered a rebound off a saved shot from senior defenseman McKenzie Sederberg and scored her third goal of the season on an open net at the 18:33 mark.
 
The first overtime period went scoreless, meaning the game ended in a tie. To see who would advance to the Minnesota Cup Championship, the game moved to a three-on-three second overtime period. The Bulldogs got a second goal from Hughes to advance to the championship game against Bemidji State.
 
Sophomore Abigail Levy (3-7-2) made 37 saves in the tie and was perfect after allowing two goals early in the first period.

The Mavericks were outshot by the Bulldogs 39-24 in the game. Minnesota State went one-for-two on the power play and Minnesota Duluth was zero-for-two with the man advantage.
 
Now standing with a 7-10-3 (2-8-2-2 WCHA) record, Minnesota State will play St. Cloud State in the third place game of the Minnesota Cup tomorrow at 1:07 p.m.

Head coach John Harrington commented following the game.