North Dakota dominated Vermont on Sunday after the second intermission. The Fighting Sioux outshot the Catamounts 27-7 down the stretch and overcame a 1-0 deficit to win the game 2-1 in overtime.
UND (7-12-3) got nothing on 18 shots through two periods against the Catamounts (2-15-3) and goalie Kami Cote before finally figuring her out at 16:29 of the third. Senior Liz Funk scored her seventh goal of the season on a one-timer from freshman Melissa Dianoski that squeaked through a mess of people in front to tie the game at one.
“We had to have hunger and we definitely had it,” said UND coach Shantel Rivard of her team’s great third period and overtime, the series’ second in as many games.
In overtime the Sioux outshot Vermont 7-1, with the final attempt coming off the stick of sophomore Meghan Hopps. She put in the rebound off of Liz Funk’s shot for the win.
“Liz set me up the whole game and finally it came,” Hopps said. “The goalie knocked out her rebound and I was just in the right spot and I put it up.”
The only Vermont goal was scored midway through the first period when sophomore defenseman Ashley Keane gathered a loose puck and found the back of the net through traffic for the 1-0 lead.
Cote finished the weekend with 81 saves on 85 shots.
“We always know she’s ready to go and sometimes we depend on her too much,” said Vermont coach Dennis Miller of Cote. “We’re confident she’s going to make that first save, maybe the second and maybe the third. We need to do a little more in front of her.”
The lack of Vermont’s scoring can be credited to UND junior goalie Amber Hasbargen and her defense, which limited scoring chances and cleared out all rebounds.
“My defense played great today, they did an outstanding job getting the puck out of the front of the net and keeping their players to the outside,” said Hasbargen, who was solid making 20 saves.
The game’s biggest defensive play was a 2-on-1 on which junior Jessica Kovacevich stepped up and knocked the puck away before the pass could be made. That play came inside 2:00 with the score tied 1-1.
Next weekend UND travels to MSU-Mankato for two games, while Vermont travels to New York to play the ECAC travel pairing of St. Lawrence and Clarkson.
