Minnesota-Duluth Gets Chance to Win Third-Straight NCAA Title
March 21, 2003
DULUTH, Minn. - WCHA regular-season and playoff-champion Minnesota-Duluth earned a chance at its third-consecutive NCAA championship when it defeated Dartmouth, 5-2, Friday at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.
In front of a partisan crowd, Minnesota-Duluth dominated the start of the game, taking the first seven shots of the contest. The pressure paid off in the form of a goal from Larissa Luther at 3:57. Luther scored her fourth of the season from Caroline Ouellette and Krista McArthur to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
A UMD penalty at 6:53 slowed things down for UMD and Dartmouth closed the shot gap to 13-10 before the first period expired.
At 5:34 of the second, Dartmouth scored the equalizer from the stick of Krista Dornfield. With Dartmouth controlling the puck deep in the UMD end, Sarah Clark centered to Dornfield open in the slot for a one-timer. The goal was the sophomore's ninth of the year.
Luther put UMD back on top at 7:30 when the Big Green turned the puck over along the boards in their own zone. Hanne Sikio blocked Dartmouth's clear attempt along the left boards, fed Jenny Potter in the slot, who tapped it to Luther at the right of Dartmouth goaltender Amy Ferguson. The sophomore one-timed it past the goalie for her second of the night and fifth of the year.
Erika Holst added to the lead at 9:38 after taking a pass from Ouellette. Ouellette skated down the right side and past a DC defender before centering to Holst. The senior used a one-timer her 34th of the season.
Ouellette scored one for herself at 15:21 while the Bulldogs were short-handed, her 30th goal this year. The rookie skated down the left side, first on a two-on-two, then a two-on-one when a DC defender fell down. Ouellette kept the puck anyway and smacked a slap shot, while on the fly, that hit the far upper corner. The goal gave UMD a 4-1 lead.
The Big Green climbed back in the game at 16:20 when Alana BreMiller tallied her fourth of the season. Just after their power-play expired, BreMiller took the puck at her own blue line and skated along the left side, stick-handled past two Bulldogs and found UMD goaltender Patricia Sautter's five-hole with a slapper that made it a 4-2 contest.
Forty-seconds later, Sautter stopped Tiffany Hagge on a breakaway to keep UMD's two-goal lead. Then before the period ended, the Bulldogs found themselves on a 1:41 two-skater advantage that carried over into the third period, but failed to score.
At 4:40 of the third, UMD got a second chance with a two-minute five-on-three. Thirty seconds in, Sikio deflected McArthur's point shot and beat Ferguson for her 23rd. Potter made the original pass to McArthur along the blue line for the second assist. The goal put the Bulldogs up 5-2.
Near the 8:30 mark, Dartmouth's Gillian Apps went in for her team's second breakaway, but missed wide on her backhand. That would be the Big Green's last chance.
Minnesota-Duluth outshot Dartmouth by a commanding 51-30 margin and converted on two of its six power-play chances. Dartmouth failed on its six power-play chances.
"It was a really fast, physical, intense hockey game," commented UMD head coach Shannon Miller. "I think both teams were very, very good. I think both teams came out tonight and played with a lot of emotion and really laid it on the line for the win. Fortunately for us, we got a lot of opportunities tonight and capitalized on five of them. Obviously, we're very proud to win and be in the big game on Sunday, playing at home in front of 5,000 fans."
The Bulldogs advance to their third-consecutive NCAA title game when they meet Harvard on Sunday. The Bulldogs and Crimson meet at 4 p.m.
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