The Bulldogs are headed to the NCAA Regional Finals for a third-straight year.

In arguably the greatest NCAA First Round test in three seasons, the No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hocket team survived double overtime and a called back overtime goal to defeat the No. 9 University of Connecticut Thursday night at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio. The win sends UMD into a Regional NCAA Final against No. 1 Ohio State University Saturday afternoon.

"Unbelievable hockey game, so, so long," said Bulldog head coach Maura Crowell, whose squads are still perfect in NCAA First Round games. "Perseverance on both sides, and I would like to credit UConn with playing a fantastic game and having a fantastic season, getting to this point and giving us everything they had. I think we got better and better as the game went on and we stuck together through the hard."

While the Huskies outshot UMD 7-6 in the first period, the Bulldogs pummeled UConn in the second and third periods, and after 60 minutes of action, UMD owned a 30-18 shots on goal advantage.

The first overtime was more of the same for the Bulldogs, who outshot the Huskies 12-7 in the period, but were forced to fend off a UConn power play at 17:54 to keep it scoreless into the second overtime.

A goaltending duel for the ages between UMD freshman Ève Gascon and UConn's Tia Chan appeared to finally be over around the 10:37 mark of the second overtime. After Gascon was screened in front of the net, fifth-year Huskies defenseman Claire Peterson scored through traffic to push UConn through. But a challenge by Crowell confirmed what some players on her bench already seemed aware of – the Huskies had been offside prior to the goal. 

No short of a roller coaster of emotions for both sides, the two teams dropped the puck again. Finally, at the 17:13 point of the second overtime, senior defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith flicked a wrist shot from the top of the circle that was tipped by Olivia Wallin outside the crease. The puck fell to a wide open Mannon McMahon on the back doorstep, and McMahon extended her own college career by popping the puck past Chan for the game-winner.

"As soon as they said it wasn't a goal, I grabbed a rag and wiped my tears and set up for the face-off," said McMahon about the whirlwind of emotions after UConn's goal was called offside. "That game was so emotional overall and I am so proud of how we just stuck with it the whole time. The locker room in between periods was high energy, we had so much confidence and we knew that we were going to come out on top. I didn't get much on that shot, but it went in the back of the net and it was an immediate relief".

Gascon, making UMD's first NCAA Tournament start as a freshman for the first time since Jennifer Harss did it in 2010, had 33 saves in 97:13 of action. The rookie now has seven shutouts on the season, which ties her for the third most in program history. It also pushes UMD's total on the season to 13 – which is one shutout shy of a team program record for most shutouts in a single season, set just one year ago (14).

Chan ended the game with 48 saves for the Huskies, who end the best season in program history with a record of 25-8-5.

UMD (21-13-4) will return to the OSU Ice Rink Saturday to take on the Buckeyes in the NCAA Regional Final. The puck is scheduled to drop at 3:00 p.m. CT

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD has now posted back-to-back seasons with 13 shutouts or more (one shy of the program record) ... Gascon becomes just the third UMD goaltender to record a shutout in the NCAA tournament (Kim Martin once and Emma Soderberg, three times) …. The Bulldogs have not allowed a single goal now in three NCAA First Round games in program history.