Staff Writer- Alayna Boe
A hard-hitting season for the Gustavus Adolphus Women’s Hockey Team is underway, and their last faceoff against Saint Mary’s was no exception. Both teams tied the game 1-1 after a double overtime; the Gusties fought until the end, and then some. Eventually, the game closed out over Don Roberts Ice Arena, and the fans went home after a hard-fought and fun matchup. While they lost the shootout, the women kept morale up and knew they fought until the very end.
Period one saw three penalties in total, which, on their second of the period, led the Gusties to go down 0-1 by the Cardinals’ power play. While the Cards had one penalty in the period, Gustavus did not capitalize on the power play, even though they had ample shots. Tallying up nine shots within the period, the Gusties hit the net at a good pace, but none slipped through. Killing off one penalty completely, the penalty kill was looking in good shape for the Golden Gusties, but on the second kill, the puck got deflected from a shot at the point and slipped in.
Going into the second period down by one, the Gusties were hungry for a goal, but that was not the outcome. Although there was another power play for the Gusties, their shots did not find the back of the net, but they persisted. There were three shots during the power play and then two more, which were blocked and wide. This power play has been operating well this season, so not capitalizing on the two given during the game posed as a hindrance to the team. While the game-tying goal was not brought forth during this period of play, Gustavus racked up 13 shots on goal and held Saint Mary’s to a measly three. This defense held the period to 0-0 and the game 0-1 with the Golden Gusties trailing.
The last period of regulation saw one goal, making this close game a tie. First-year Kayleigh Olson scored her first collegiate goal, and was assisted by Sophomore Noelle Hemr and Senior Lily Mortenson. This goal not only achieved the three-crowns, but was also Mortenson’s 100th point. She is the 16th player in the program’s history to achieve this threshold and the 4th of the 2023 National Championship-winning team to do so. This was a historical night for Olson’s first goal and Mortenson’s 100th overall point. One chapter is just beginning while one is almost finished, and it has been an accomplished career.
Following the third period of regulation, the game was not even close to being finished. Two sets of 3-on-3 overtime ensued, and there was not a goal to the back of the net for either team. While Saint Mary’s kept the pressure heavy, Sophomore Lily Timmons defended the goal and saved six of the six shots. Having half of the opponents’ shots, the Gusties put three onto the Cardinals, but none of those broke the tie. This double overtime saw a score of 0-0, so a shootout was underway.
In the shootout, four shooters for the Gusties went, shot, and were denied, which was tough for the women, but they kept challenging the next one. Saint Mary’s had slightly better luck in this shootout and went one for four, waiting until the last shot to sneak by the right pad of Timmons. Although they went up one in the shootout, the game was still chalked as a tie, and the Gusties’ record sits at 6-7-2 overall with 3-3-2 for the MIAC.
The MIAC is a tough conference this year. Normally, Gustavus leads the MIAC with ease, but this year has posed a bigger challenge. Being ranked No. 8/11th in the nation, the Golden Gusties are a team that fights until the end and has been doing so all season. The road to the championship is still underway, and the Gusties are in hard pursuit. Their next MIAC matchup is a weekend series against St. Catherine’s, and Gustavus Adolphus will look to take two wins away from the weekend.
While this was a tough and hard-fought matchup that went to two overtimes and one shootout, the Gusties never tired. To be a championship team means to not tire, but to work even harder than expected, and that’s what this team is trying to achieve. Winning the MIAC and then getting to the chip is one more step to becoming a championship team for the second time within four seasons. This will be a grand accomplishment, and with a little perseverance, this team is capable of it. Go Gusties!