ERIE, Pa. — The nation’s highest-scoring defender has her team playing for a national title.
Northeastern blueliner Skylar Fontaine’s goal with 26 seconds remaining in overtime sent the No. 1 Huskies over No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth in the 2021 Frozen Four at Erie Insurance Arena and into the team’s first national title game.
Fontaine intercepted a UMD breakout pass from her position on the right point, deked around a Bulldog while skating over to the left-wing faceoff circle that deflected over Duluth goaltender Emma Soderberg, who had 44 saves in the losing effort.
Fontaine also had scored two goals, including the game-winner, against eighth-seeded Robert Morris in the quarterfinals on Monday. She now has 12 goals on the season, leading NCAA defenders.
Katy Knoll scored her 12th goal of the season for Northeastern to tie the game in the third period.
Minnesota-Duluth had a territorial advantage in the first period, but was unable to solve Northeastern goaltender Aerin Frankel.
But in the second, the Bulldogs were able to make that advantage show up on the scoreboard. Mannon McMahon scored at 10:03 of the second frame and Anderson Taylor added another at 15:30 of the period, with both players finishing rebounds around the crease.
The Huskies got back into the game with special teams. Two Bulldogs took penalties 28 seconds apart at the very end of the second period, and after the carryover on fresh ice at the start of the third Maureen Murphy finally lit the lamp for Northeastern.
Northeastern kept up the pressure back at 5-on-5 and owned a 15-5 shot advantage in the third period, in the midst of which came Knoll’s game-tying goal.
Northeastern will advance to the national championship game on Saturday, where they will face the winner of Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Huskies had never advanced beyond the quarterfinal round before this season.
