SAINT PAUL, MINN - The Hamline University women's hockey team welcomed the Bethel Royals to Tria Rink for the opening round in the MIAC playoffs. The Pipers come into the game as the four seed with the royals being the five seed. It was a defensive battle from the second the puck dropped til the final buzzer. Bethel gets a last second power play goal to get the victory over the Pipers 1-0.
Hamline falls to 18-8, 13-5 in MIAC play to end the season, while Bethel improves to 15-10-1, 8-9-1 in the conference.
#5 Bethel 1, #4 Hamline 0
The opening period of the MIAC playoffs were headlined by solid defensive play and waiting for each team to find their footing. The goalies came away with a clean sheet after the first period concluded. Goalie Kendra Nordic for the Pipers made seven saves while her counterpart Anna Hanson for the Royals made 10. Either team had a player in the penalty box throughout the period resulting in zero power plays. The Pipers and Royals head into the first intermission tied up at 0-0.
The second period looked a lot like the first with both teams coming up with big time defensive plays. Hamline outshot Bethel nine to six in the period with none of those shots finding the back of the net. Hanson for the Royals has recorded 19 saves while Nordic has 13 of her own after the first two periods are complete. The Pipers had one power play in the period that resulted in a power play kill for the Royals giving them some momentum heading into the final period of play with the game still tied at 0-0.
Both teams kept the competitiveness of this game up throughout the final period with each side having players step up making huge defensive plays. The Pipers had 30 shots on goal compared to the Royals 16 heading into overtime. Heading into the final minute of the game the Pipers commit a penalty and have to fend off a power play in order to head to overtime. Each team had some great penalty kills until Bethel broke the tie with 10 seconds remaining. Number 18 for the Royals scored the game decider to send them to the semi-finals to play Gustavus.
