DULUTH, Minn. -- In game three of a best-of-three series Western Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal playoff series between Minnesota State and No. 5-rated Minnesota Duluth, the Bulldogs overcame the Mavericks 2:30 into overtime to advance to the WCHA Final Faceoff, Sunday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena.

After Elizabeth Giguere's game-winning overtime goal, Minnesota State finishes the season with a 15-19-1 (10-17-1 WCHA) record while Minnesota Duluth improves to 24-10-1 (19-8-1 WCHA) with the win.

For the first time in the series, UMD scored the game's first goal when Anna Klein followed up on her initial shot for a rebound goal near the slot that beat MSU's Chantal Burke five-hole at 4:48 to give UMD a 1-0 lead. With a 1-0 advantage after 20 minutes of play, the Bulldogs also led the Mavericks 11-8 in shots.

In the second period, after the Bulldogs took a two-goal lead thanks to Taylor Anderson scoring at 2:08, Maverick forward Brittyn Fleming cut the deficit in half with a five-hole shot the beat Jojo Chobak at 7:45 of the middle period. The period concluded with UMD clinging to the 2-1 lead as well as a 20-19 edge in shots.

Maverick defenseman Jessica Kondas tied the game, 2-2, 2:45 into the third period when she crashed the net from the right point before finding the puck loose and burying it into the open UMD goal. Extra time was needed in Sunday's contest to determine a winner. After regulation with the score tied at 2-2, UMD owned a 27-23 advantage in shots.

Giguere called game 2:30 into the extra period after she toe-dragged around an MSU defender and dangled around Burke in a one-on-one matchup for the game-deciding goal.

Claiming the shots advantage was UMD by a 29-23 margin. While the Mavericks finished the final game of the series 0-2 on the power play, the Bulldogs were 1-3 in the contest.

The Mavericks 15-9-1 (.443) record accumulated throughout this season marks their best showing win-percentage wise since the 2006-07 season, when the team finished 16-17-2 (.486).
 

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