ERIE, Pa. -- Skylar Fontaine, the highest-scoring defenseman in the NCAA this season, scored at 19 minutes, 34 seconds of overtime on Thursday, and Northeastern overcame its first two-goal deficit of the season to defeat Minnesota Duluth 3-2 in the Frozen Four.
Fontaine stole a pass inside the blue line on the right, worked her way across ice and beat Emma Soderberg with a wrist shot from the lower left circle.
It was the 14th goal of the season for Fontaine, sending top-seeded Northeastern into Saturday's championship game against second-seeded Wisconsin. The Huskies (22-1-1) ran their unbeaten streak to 22 games.
Northeastern, trailing after two periods for just the second time this season, scored twice in the third period to force overtime.
Starting the third period with a 5-on-3 advantage, Northeastern was patient until Maureen Murphy broke through with her seventh goal 42 seconds into the period. Katy Knoll tied it at 14:30, banging in her own rebound for her 12th goal.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the second period, starting with Mannon McMahon in the right place at the right time to notch her first goal of the season into a wide-open net midway through the period. Minnesota Duluth made it 2-0 on Taylor Anderson's fourth goal at 4:30, just 13 seconds after killing off the first penalty of the game.
After being outshot 13-4 in the opening period, the Huskies ended up with a 47-28 advantage in shots, including 12-5 in overtime. All four penalties, three on Minnesota Duluth, were called in the second period. Northwestern goalie Aerin Frankel increased her program record for wins to 78.
Northwestern defeated eighth-seeded Robert Morris 5-1 in the quarterfinals for its first-ever win in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies were 32-4-2 last year heading into their third straight and fourth overall NCAA tourney when COVID-19 led to the cancellation of the event.
The Bulldogs (12-7) were in their eighth Frozen Four but the first since 2010 when they won their fifth tittle. They also won three straight through 2003, and after a loss in the 2007 championship game, they won again in 2008.
Minnesota Duluth received an at-large bid, and in the quarterfinals it gave coach Maura Crowell her 100th victory with the Bulldogs in a 1-0 win over her alma mater, Colgate.
In the later game, Casey O'Brien and Caitlin Schneider both had a goal and two assists as Wisconsin's third line staked the Badgers to a 3-0 lead, and they held on to defeat rival Ohio State 4-2.
Senior captain Daryl Watts had a steal and scored into an empty net with 13.9 seconds to play for the second-seeded Badgers, who are the defending champions since the NCAA tournament was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Badgers (16-3-1) struck early as O'Brien and Schneider assisted on Makenna Webster's seventh goal of the season just 1:19 into the game.
They also struck early in the second period with O'Brien getting her second goal and then Schneider netting her third, with Webster also picking up an assist.
With six minutes to play in the second period, Gabby Rosenthal put Ohio State (13-7) on the board with her fifth goal. Sara Saekkinen's second goal with 12:05 left in the third period made it 3-2.
That would be it, as Wisconsin goalie Kennedy Blair matched her season high with 37 assists.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.