DE PERE - St. Norbert College wrapped up a sweep of its Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Slaats Cup Playoffs quarterfinal series against Marian University with a 3-2 win over Marian University.
The Green Knights (19-5-3) will face Aurora University on Friday, March 3, in Adrian, Mich., in a NCHA semifinal game.
Following a scoreless first period, St. Norbert got a pair of goals from
Erin Huerta to forge a 2-0 lead. Huerta scored off an
Ava Jaschke assist at 3:09, and then registered her second marker at 6:06 off helpers from
Lexi Bonfe and
Courtnie Hogan. Marian's Brynn Weaver scored at 10:06 to cut the deficit to 2-1, but
Natalie Hogan responded with a power-play goal with
Bailey Brunnhoelzl assisting at 17:01 for a 3-1 lead at second intermission.
Hogan's goal gave her 15 on the season and was her 32nd point of the year, setting a new St. Norbert single-season record.
Marian cut its deficit in half with a goal by Jadyn Gorski at 1:30 of the third period. The Green Knights kept the Sabres off the scoreboard the rest of the way, including 44 seconds of extra-attacker time in the game's waning moments.
Huerta had St. Norbert's only multi-point game with two goals.
St. Norbert outshot Marian 38-17.
Brynn Waisman made 15 stops for the Green Knights, while Kayla Kolpitcke turned away 35 shots for the Sabres.
St. Norbert was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Marian was 0-for-2.