In two years, Maple Grove’s Tristana Tatur and Hill-Murray’s Nina Steigauf may be donning the same sweater at Quinnipiac. But, on Thursday night, Tatur was just a Crimson junior forward who helped knock off Steigauf’s Pioneers in the Class 2A State Tournament quarterfinals. 

The rugged Crimson (21-6-1) completed a come-from-behind 3-2 win to secure a date with No. 1 seed Edina in Friday night’s semifinal round thanks in part to a bruising third period. 

“It was a good period,” the junior forward Tatur said of her team’s performance in the third. “Everyone put their best foot forward, and it was just great. I think everyone in (the locker room) has like, six ice packs.”

Tatur scored the eventual game-winning goal with 4:01 to play in regulation, tapping the puck between a Hill-Murray defender’s legs and then flipping it over goaltender Rachel Kennedy’s shoulder. 

The play was executed, at least in part, through the relentless physicality by the Crimson, an area that coach Amber Hegland said her team thrives. 

“When they play that style and choose to go there and not play (with too much) finesse, yes absolutely (we thrive),” Hegland said. “I think one of our strengths is to be aggressive and play intense.”

The intensity wasn’t lacking for Maple Grove, but goals were until the third period, as Hill-Murray took a 2-1 lead into the final stanza on goals by Nina Steigauf and Olivia Boyer. 

Sam Stelljes tied the game for the Crimson at the 5:54 mark of the third, setting the stage for Tatur’s game-winner.

“A team’s got to win, and it just so happens Maple Grove scored more goals than us by one,” Hill-Murray co-Head Coach Caesare Engstrom said. 

Steigauf, a senior, said that the game was an example of teams stretching themselves to the limit in pursuit of a goal. 

“I think both teams just knew it was on the line, and both teams were ready to play physical and do whatever it took,” Steigauf said.