ROCHESTER – When Rochester Mayo scored the tying goal at the 9:47 mark of the third period, Albert Lea High School girls’ hockey coach Mike Miller got that sinking feeling.

Friday, December 21, 2001

ROCHESTER – When Rochester Mayo scored the tying goal at the 9:47 mark of the third period, Albert Lea High School girls’ hockey coach Mike Miller got that sinking feeling.

&uot;I thought, ‘Oh great, we’ve got a chance to lose in overtime at Rochester twice in one week.’&uot;

Instead, they took advantage of what turned out to be probably the final chance of the night.

The Tigers scored with 12 seconds left in overtime to win 3-2 at Graham Arena Thursday.

&uot;This was a must-win game if we want to compete in the Big Nine,&uot; said Tigers coach Mike Miller. &uot;Owatonna is running away with first, but after that it’s anybody’s game.&uot;

So was Thursday’s.

The Spartans scored first, at 10:52 of the opening period, but Laura Hillman answered for the Tigers just six seconds later.

Jasey Porter netted the lone goal of the second period, assisted by Brittany Arendt and Frances O’Donnell. It came on a power play.

The Spartans tied it at the end of a long Tiger shift, according to Miller, catching the defense out of position.

The Tigers established control early in overtime but, despite outshooting the Spartans 5-0, didn’t score until a backhanded shot by Hillman was saved but bounced off the pipe and into the net for the winning goal.

For the game, Mayo outshot Albert Lea 23-20.

The Tigers, 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the Big Nine, return to action Wednesday, Dec. 26 in the Faribault Invitational, facing Waseca at 5:30 in the opening round.