College Sports
“This crew, all year long, had a ton of resiliency and handled a variety of challenges.”
For the fourth time in program historical past, the Northeastern girls’s hockey crew is heading to the Frozen 4.
The No. 5 Huskies used a three-goal opening interval to defeat No. 4 Minnesota, 4-2, on Saturday afternoon at Ridder Area within the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Sophomore netminder Lisa Jönsson led the best way with 45 saves within the victory, whereas Éloïse Caron, Stryker Zablocki, Mia Langlois, and Morgan Jackson all lit the lamp.
With the victory, the Huskies will transfer on to the 2026 Frozen 4 — hosted by Penn State at Pegula Ice Area — the place they may tackle No. 1 Ohio State on Friday, March 20. Puck drop is ready for 4 p.m.
“Clearly, very excited for our group, they put out an ideal effort from the purpose line out,” Northeastern coach Dave Flint stated after the win. “This crew, all year long, had a ton of resiliency and handled a variety of challenges and I’m simply completely happy that they obtained rewarded tonight with a win and a visit to the Frozen 4.”
The Huskies constructed themselves loads of respiration room within the early going of Saturday’s win.
Caron opened the scoring for Northeastern with a pointy shot from the faceoff circle simply over 5 minutes into the sport — beating Minnesota sophomore goaltender Hannah Clark.
After the Huskies negated a Gophers energy play, Zablocki doubled Northeastern’s lead — taking the puck down the ice and snapping the biscuit previous Clark at 8:53. Langlois closed out her crew’s first-period scoring salvo with a power-play tally at 14:31, cleansing up a rebound generated off a shot from the blue line by freshman defender Alessia Baechler.
Clark was pulled after Northeastern took that three-goal benefit, however the Huskies capitalized as soon as once more in opposition to freshman netminder Layla Hemp within the second interval. Jackson closed out Northeastern’s scoring at 12:21 within the second body, cashing in on a back-door shot off an help from junior ahead Allie Lalonde.
The Gophers did handle to claw again within the third interval with a pair of tallies, however Minnesota’s heavy shot quantity didn’t deter Jönsson, who stemmed the tide and helped the Huskies punch their ticket to Pennsylvania.
”I really feel prefer it’s truthfully simpler once you face a variety of photographs,” Jönsson stated. “Particularly after they simply maintain coming. It’s simple to maintain your momentum all through the sport. And I all the time simply assume — simply take the subsequent shot, subsequent shot, after which hopefully my crew can get it out of the zone and we are able to go on offense.”
The Huskies will face one other daunting take a look at subsequent week in opposition to the top-ranked Buckeyes. However Flint believes this present roster is battle-tested — particularly after leaving Minnesota’s barn with a victory.
“It’s particular. I imply, I simply instructed the group that I’ve been at Northeastern for 18 years now, and we’ve received some actually large video games and had success,” Flint stated. “However this ranks proper up there with with one of many largest ones.
“I imply, that’s a very, actually good hockey crew — and to come back into their constructing, in a strain state of affairs, and the best way the crew dealt with it and the composure that they had. I’m actually pleased with the group for a way they dealt with the state of affairs.”
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