Green Knights win overtime, advance to national tournament

DE PERE – For the first time in a dozen years, the St. Norbert College Women’s Hockey team is returning to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.

Tristan Wicklund’s goal 14 minutes into sudden-death overtime lifted the Green Knights to a 3-2 victory over Adrian College in the Slaats Cup Finals in front of a packed house at the Resch Olympic Pavilion on March 8.

The victory helped St. Norbert clinch both the regular season and postseason Northern Collegiate Hockey Association titles.

St. Norbert (24-4-1), ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com Division III poll, won its second-ever conference tournament title and clinched its second-ever bid to the national tournament.

Wicklund’s goal came on a five-on-three power play after Adrian took a high-sticking penalty, followed by an unsportsmanlike call.

“We knew when Adrian got called for the two penalties, we had to take advantage of it,” Wicklund said. “We wanted to keep the puck moving — it was kind of a bang-bang play, and that’s what we worked on in practice.”

After a scoreless opening period, St. Norbert went up 1-0 when Claire Healy scored on the power play 19 seconds into the second period off assists from Wicklund and Natalie Hogan.

The Bulldogs tied the game 1-1 later in the second period, setting up an exciting final frame.

Things looked bleak for the Green Knights after Adrian took a 2-1 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the game, only to see N. Hogan score with 57.3  seconds showing on the clock to tie the contest.

Hogan’s goal came after St. Norbert pulled goalie Kiera Markell for the extra attacker.

N. Hogan had two assists to go along with her goal, while Wicklund and Courtnie Hogan each had two points.

Markell was stout in net, recording 36 saves for St. Norbert.

“I’m so proud of the girls,” St. Norbert Assistant Coach Ally Johnson said. “I thought we played with heart and stuck to the game plan. Any time you have a five-on-three power play, the mentality is you have to score – we were fortunate to do so.”

All three St. Norbert-Adrian games this season were decided in overtime.