Hopkins coach Chris Erickson said Grace Bizal is the Royals’ most reliable player.

And it’s easy to see why. The senior defender has a team-leading 23 goals, including the first score for fourth-seeded Hopkins in a 2-1 win over fifth-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret’s in a Class 2A, Section 6 quarterfinal game at Parade Ice Gardens on Saturday.

Bizal took a wrist shot halfway past the Red Knight’s blue line that bounced off of a stick in front of the net. The puck then bounced off the back of Benilde-St. Margaret’s goaltender Anna DeGiulio and found twine for a 1-0 lead at the 9:27 mark of the first period. 

Bizal, who is a Boston College commit, honed her skills playing with USA Hockey's Under-18 Women's team. She scored a goal in a 2-1 victory over Canada in the preliminary round of the International Ice Hockey Federation's Under-18 Women's World Championships in Buffalo, N.Y., on Jan. 5-12. Bizal and Team USA later defeated Canada 3-2 in to win the gold medal.

With Bizal's goal on the score board, the Royals continued to build on their lead less than 5 minutes later. Hopkins congregated in front of the Benilde-St. Margaret’s net and created confusion for the defense, resulting in the Red Knights scoring an own-goal credited to Hopkins sophomore forward Stella Haberman.

“That’s what that line is for,” Erickson said. “They played a fantastic first period and used their speed and energy. We have told them all along, ‘It doesn't have to be pretty, just throw it on the net.’ They’re hard workers and diggers and that’s why they are on that line.” 

The Royals ended the first period outshooting Benilde-St. Margaret’s 14-1, which Bizal said is all part of Hopkins’ regular game plan. 

“Outshooting the other team is for sure a big emphasis,” Bizal said. “Our coach has been stressing to get a lot of shots each period and each shift, so I think we did a good job of that.” 

The two teams played to a standstill in the second period, and it looked as though the Royals would coast to a win in the third. But Red Knights junior forward Crystal Sorem used a screen in front of the Hopkins’ net to put a wrist shot just past the left shoulder of Royals goalie Molly Dionne with 5 minutes left in the game. It was the last shot on goal Benilde-St. Margaret’s would get, and Dionne breathed easy the rest of the way. 

The Royals ended the game outshooting the Red Knights 33-17, making for a relatively easy day for Dionne. The goaltending position has been a bit of a question mark all season for Hopkins, but Dionne looked to be the right one for the job against the Benilde-St. Margaret’s. 

Dionne said it’s a little bit tougher to gain momentum as a goaltender in a game where opposing shots are so limited, but seeing her teammates keep the score in the Royals’ favor helps balance those emotions out. 

“When your teammates score, it’s supposed to make you feel better, but it gives you fire and makes you want to work harder,” Dionne said. “But having so many more shots puts up the energy and gives me confidence. The lulls are definitely harder to work with because your mind is kind of out of it, it takes more mental strength to keep your head in the game. But there’s nothing you can do about it because it’s in the past, and we’re moving forward from here.” 

Hopkins advances to the section semifinals, where the Royals face Lake Conference rival and top seed Minnetonka at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Parade Ice Gardens.

Grace Bizal scored midway through the first period, helping fourth-seeded Hopkins pull out a 2-1 victory over fifth-seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's in a Class 2A, Section 6 quarterfinal game at Parade Ice Arena on Saturday.

Bizal's goal, her 23rd of the season, came at 9:27 of the first period, where the Royals asserted their dominance over the Red Knights on the offensive end. Bizal took a wrist shot halfway past the blue line, and the puck bounced in front of Benilde-St. Margaret’s goaltender Anna DeGiulio, onto her back and into the net for a 1-0 lead. 

Stella Haberman was credited with Hopkins' second goal 5 minutes later when Benilde-St. Margaret’s poked the puck into its own net. The entire first period seemed to be played in front of the Red Knights’ net, and Hopkins won the battle in shots on goal 14-1. 

The Royals outshot Benilde-St. Margaret’s 33-17 in the contest. 

The teams played to a standstill in the second period, and it looked as though Hopkins would skate away with a shutout until Crystal Sorem put the Red Knights on the board with 4 minutes remaining in the game when her zooming wrist shot went just over the left shoulder of Royals goaltender Molly Dionne and into the net. 

Benilde-St. Margaret’s increased its offensive pressure and pulled its goalie with almost 2 minutes to play in the game. The Royals stayed tough in front of Dionne, however, and held on for the victory.

Hopkins advances to face top-seeded Minnetonka in the section semifinals at Parade Ice Gardens on Feb. 11.

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