The St. Thomas women’s hockey team hosted the No. 4-ranked UMD Bulldogs in game one of a Thursday, Friday WCHA series. Defeating UMD by a score of 3-2, the Tommies earned their first win against a top-5 opponent.
RECAP
Strong play by St. Thomas’ defense eventually led to offensive opportunities in the first period. The Tommies withstood and early offensive onslaught from UMD, as Dani Strom turned away 10 Bulldogs shots before the 10 minute mark. After the 10 minute mark, it was St. Thomas who eventually struck gold (literally). After winning a faceoff in the UMD zone, Rylee Bartz eventually found the back of the net, going top shelf against Bulldog netminder Ève Gascon to give the Tommies a 1-0 lead at 10:53 in the first.
St. Thomas had a chance to extend its lead late in the period, as UMD was called for slashing with a little over three minutes to go. However, the Bulldog defense held firm and made a late push to try and even the score with the Tommies. Strom, though, was a wall in net, preserving the 1-0 St. Thomas lead by turning away two shots in the closing seconds. UMD, though, did manage to even the score two minutes into the second period, blooping the puck over Strom’s shoulder to tie things up at 1-1.
A shorthanded goal put the Bulldogs up 2-1 with just over five minutes remaining in the second period. That score would stand at the end of the period, though the Tommies were not without chances to tie it. Gascon turned away a breakaway shot by Ilsa Lindaman, which actually would have given St. Thomas the lead before the UMD shorthanded goal. Then, with just under two minutes left in the period, the Tommeis were awarded a penalty shot, as the Bulldogs were called for handling the puck in the crease. However, Gascon turned away Lindaman’s shot yet again, preserving the 2-1 lead for UMD after two periods of play.
Midway through the final frame, St. Thomas tied the game as Madison Brown tipped in a shot from Ellah Hause, tallying her tenth goal of the season.
With under a minute remaining on the clock, the Tommies had a 2-on-1 break towards the net. Recording her first collegiate goal, Ilsa Lindaman found the back of the net to put the Tommies in the lead with 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
Holding onto the lead, the Tommies defeated the No. 4-ranked Bulldogs 3-2 on Thursday night.
TOP TOMMIES
Dani Strom faced 35 shots and made 33 saves Thursday, her 11th 30+ save performance this season. Ilsa Lindaman scored her first collegiate goal in game-winning fashion, lifting the Tommies to a 3-2 victory over UMD. Lauren Stenslie (2 assists) and Rylee Bartz (1 goal, 1 assist) each recorded multi-point games for the Tommies.
UP NEXT
The Tommies host the No. 4-ranked Duluth Bulldogs in game two of the WCHA match up. Puck drop is set for 1:00 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24 at Saint Thomas Ice Arena.
(info and photo courtesy of Tommies Sports)