The No. 5-ranked Adrian College women’s hockey team played its final game of the regular season today, tying Marian 1-1 after overtime to close out Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) play. Special teams proved to be a difference maker for the second night in a row, with both goals being scored on power plays.
The Bulldogs’ four seniors Tory Harshman, Kortney Diaz, Hannah Dalrymple, Shelly Czarnowczan were honored in a pregame ceremony for their time spent as members of the Black and Gold.
The first period showed shades of yesterday’s beginning, with neither team able to find the back of the net and shots low, with Adrian holding a 7-5 lead after one. The Bulldogs were finally able to break the tie 6:52 into the second stanza when Diaz scored her team-leading 14th goal. Harshman got the puck at the point and found junior forward Brianna Buchanan cutting towards the net uncovered off a line change. Buchanan’s shot was stopped but Diaz was on the back door to put the puck in and give AC the lead.
Marian tied the game on a power play of its own, 8:44 into the final frame. Time was winding down on a five-on-three advantage for the Sabres when Ally Fox took a shot that was saved by freshman goaltender Denisa Jandova. Adrian’s first penalty expired as the puck found its way to Marian’s Morgan Bolin, who knocked home the rebound on the five-on-four power play to empty the Bulldog box.
That would be the last goal in the contest as Adrian couldn’t find an answer for the Sabres goaltender in the extra period, outshooting Marian 5-1 in overtime. With the regular season finished, Adrian’s record during its five-year reign as Kronschnabel Trophy winners – given to the NCHA regular season champion – is 80-3-7.
Adrian is the #1 seed in the Slaats Cup Playoff and hosts #6 St. Norbert next weekend in the quarterfinals. Game one is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. with faceoff set for 3 p.m. on Saturday the 23rd. AC swept the Green Knights a week ago, 4-1 and 4-2.
The series is a two-game series with the potential for a mini game tiebreaker. If each team wins one game, there will be a 15-minute intermission after the second game, followed by a 20-minute mini game, played for the entire 20 minutes. If the score remains tied at the end of the mini game, there will be 20-minute sudden victory periods until a team scores.
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