![Rochester Lourdes' Emma Schmitzwing (7) stuffed the puck past South St. Paul Packers goaltender Delaney Norman at 53 seconds into overtime to give the Eagles the win. ] JEFF WHEELER • Jeff.Wheeler@startribune.com Rochester Lourdes squeaked past South St. Paul 2-1 in overtime in an MSHSL Girls' Hockey State Tournament Class A quarterfinal game Wednesday night, February 19, 2020 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/5JYHZEK66SRKP54QEAPYU7CKBQ.jpg?&w=1080)
Emma Schmitz doesn't remember exactly what she did and frankly, who can blame her? It's not often a player scores an overtime game-winner in the state tournament.
The senior forward's second goal of the game 53 seconds into overtime lifted Rochester Lourdes to a 2-1 victory over South St. Paul on Wednesday night in the Class 1A girls' hockey state quarterfinals.
"Honestly, I don't know what I really did," Schmitz said. "I was kind of in a zone. I just went down and made a move."
Schmitz, following coach Jeff True's advice, knew enough to target the gap between the South St. Paul goalie's legs and that's what she did, slipping the puck through and giving the Eagles their first-ever state tournament win.
"I've never loved Emma so much in my life," said Lourdes goalie Corrin Hanson, who stopped 27 shots and kept the Eagles in the game when South St. Paul was buzzing. "I think overtime just made it that much better."
South St. Paul (19-8-1) had routed Lourdes 8-2 on Feb. 4. Packers coach Dave Palmquist admitted that may have played a role in his team's loss.
"Maybe, in the back of our heads, we thought it was going to be an easier game," Palmquist said. "I just feel like we were a little bit lifeless in the first two periods."
Schmitz had staked Lourdes (18-10-0) to a 1-0 lead in the first period. It stood until South St. Paul senior Brynn Sexauer tied it with 3:34 left in the third.
