Gophers fall to Clarkson in 4-overtime NCAA Tournament thriller

Heartbreak for the Gophers, who finish the season 27-10-2.

It took seven periods to settle Saturday's NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Tournament quarterfinal game between No. 4 Clarkson and No. 5 Minnesota, and it was heartbreak for the Gophers as they fell 3-2 to the Golden Knights in what goes down as one of the longest games in women's college hockey history. 

They played three 20-minute regulation periods and three 20-minute overtimes before Clarkson won on a power play goal by Dominique Petrie at 14:16 of the fourth overtime. 

The total time of the game was 123 minutes, 44 seconds. It's officially the second-longest game in NCAA Tournament history. The puck dropped at 1 p.m. CT and the winning goal was scored just before 6:30 p.m. CT. 

The longest game in women's college hockey history was played in 2020 between Saint Anselm College and Franklin Pierce University. That game lasted 147 minutes, 24 seconds. 

Minnesota struck first with a pair of goals in a span of one minute, 21 seconds in the opening period Saturday. Josefin Bouveng broke the ice and Ella Huber made it 2-0 at 8:46 of the first period. 

Our first two goals of the day from Josefin Bouveng and Ella Huber! pic.twitter.com/cz2mOPIekj

— Minnesota Women's Hockey (@GopherWHockey) March 16, 2024

A power play goal by Haley Winn cut Minnesota's lead in half late in the first period. 

The Gophers appeared to take a 3-1 lead with 2:04 left in the second period but Huber's second of the day was erased when officials reviewed the play and ruled goaltender interference. 

Clarkson pulled the goalie with two minutes to go and it paid off as they tied the game with 1:51 remaining on a goal by Dominique Petrie. 

Joining Clarkson in the Frozen Four – on March 22 in Durham, N.H. – are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Wisconsin and No. 3 Colgate. Ohio State crushed Minnesota-Duluth 9-0, Wisconsin blanked St. Lawrence 4-0, and Colgate beat Cornell 3-1 to move on. 

Ohio State will play Clarkson in one national semifinal and Wisconsin will face Colgate in the other. 

Credit: Minnesota Women's Hockey