2021 NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament: Semifinal Recap

#1 Northeastern Huskies 3 - #5 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs 2 OT

After what could charitably be called a terrible start to the game Northeastern was able to get going. The first period had both teams held scoreless but Duluth clearly carried the flow of play.

The second period saw the Huskies start to carry play with a definite slant in the ice as the shot margin was 16-5, but the Bulldogs would score on two of those shots. One goal was reviewed and left to stand when a Duluth player was tangled up with Northeastern goalie Aerin Frankel.

Throughout the game only four penalties were called all with in six minutes of each other at the end of the second. Northeastern would carry over a 5 on 3 power play into the third period that saw them get on the board moments after the first penalty expired. The refs would go on to swallow the whistle despite some rough play that would eventually draw the ire of both sides. Minutes later Veronika Pettey hustled on the forecheck and set up the tying goal.

Overtime saw the ice continue to be slanted in favor of the Huskies but both side had opportunities slip by. Notably Duluth pinged a few posts but were unable to solve Frankel a third time. In the end Skylar Fontaine would step up and intercept an attempt by the Bulldogs to clear the zone with less than a minute remaining in the first OT period. Fontaine held onto the puck and put a shot off of the Duluth goalie that bounced over her and into the back of the net to seal the Huskies first ever trip to a national championship game.

#2 Wisconsin Badgers 4 - #3 Ohio State Buckeyes 2

This game seemed to be in hand a lot sooner than the first game of the day when Wisconsin crashed the net to put themselves up in the second minute of play. The rest of the first saw a few more chances for the Badgers but nothing found the back of the net.

The second period started out the same way as the Badgers were able to piece together some amazing passes to go up 2-0 also in the second minute. Around midway through the period Wisconsin would tally a third goal that felt like a back breaker, and was the eventual game winning goal, but OSU was not done yet.

Late in the second after the only penalty against the Buckeyes was part of a 4 on 4 situation Ohio State scored off the face-off to breathe life into the game. In the third they added another to leave the last 12 minutes of play being a one goal game.

In the end though Patty Kaz finalist Darryl Watts blocked a shot with an empty net and had an easy goal to make the game final.