BURLINGTON, Vermont – The Marquette Sentinels City Insurance girls needed overtime, but they got the result they wanted in their opening game of the USA Hockey Under-19 Tier II National Championship tournament on Thursday evening.

Libbie Doney scored her second goal of the game just 1:21 into the extra period to lift Michigan’s representative at this tournament to a 2-1 victory over the Sabres of Naperville, Illinois.

This was the first of three pool games that will whittle the 12-team field down to eight for knockout rounds that begin with the quarterfinals on Saturday morning, all in Burlington, Vermont, according to the USA Hockey website, nationals.usahockey.com/page/show/2153800-2016-girls-tier-ii.

The Sabres’ Briana Carlson opened the scoring about a minute before the midpoint of the first period at 7:37 to make it 1-0. But Marquette goalie Hannah Riesland wouldn’t let in another goal as she made 31 saves.

Doney tied it up with an unassisted goal with 2:58 gone in the second period, setting up her own heroics after regulation finished tied 1-1.

Doney’s game-winner, the Sentinels’ 32nd shot of the game, was assisted by defensemen Sydney Cornock.

Doney was the team’s second-leading scorer this season entering this event with 36 points that included 23 goals.

Coach Jeff Cornock said his team doesn’t have the prolific scoring it has had in the past, scoring just 53 goals in 40 regular-season games while going a modest 10-27-3 against a rugged schedule.

But his 11-member team erupted for 25 goals in just three games to sweep the Michigan state tournament three weeks ago in Dearborn.

In this week’s nationals, the Sentinels face the Massachusetts Spitfires at 2 p.m. today with its final pool game against Team South Dakota at 10 a.m. Saturday.

If Marquette makes the cut, which would be likely with one more win, the quarterfinal round is set for noon Sunday, semifinals at 7 p.m. Sunday and the national championship game at 10 a.m. Monday.

The Sentinels are in the Pool D, also known as the Liberty Pool. But their opponents all come from Pool C as their Pool D cohorts, the Pittsburgh Steel City Selects and Florida Lady Vipers, also play the same Pool C teams.

In games involving their pool on Thursday, the Steel City Selects lost to Massachusetts 4-0 while the Lady Vipers beat South Dakota 7-2.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.