In a game delayed 24 hours by the self-destruction of two Zamboni ice resurfacing machines, No. 2 Minnesota edged No. 5 Harvard 3-2 Monday night thanks to an early third-period goal by Ronda Curtin.
Angie Francisco got the Crimson on the board first with a power-play goal past a screened Erica Killewald at 11:13 of the opening period, but Minnesota’s Nadine Muzerall answered with a power-play goal of her own just 1:01 into the second period to tie the score.
Minnesota then took a 2-1 lead at the 17:01 mark of the period when Tracy Palinsky notched her first career goal, beating Harvard goalie Alison Kuusisto high on her stick side.
The Crimson, playing with only 11 skaters, tied the score at 5:03 of the third period when Vanessa Bazzocchi scored her first career goal, but the Gophers got the winner when Curtin converted Muzerall’s rebound at the 6:49 mark.
Minnesota outshot Harvard 12-6 in the final period and 41-35 for the game. Killewald finished with 33 saves while Kuusisto had 38.
