Two games. Two game-winning goals. At moments during the Harvard women’s hockey team’s 0-0 tie with No. 2 Minnesota (13-3-2) at Bright Hockey Center on Saturday, it looked like junior forward Liza Ryabkina would get a third.

“I wasn’t disappointed at all that I didn’t score,” Ryabkina said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t score overall. It’s sad to end up with a tie when we should have won this game because our heart and effort were there.”

But though it was unable to put the puck in the net, the Crimson (7-3-2, 6-3 ECAC) twice shut out a Golden Gopher team that hadn’t been shut out since Nov. 17, 2007. Harvard goaltender Christina Kessler made 29 saves Saturday to follow up her 24-save effort Friday.

“It’s always a great feeling to finish a game with a shutout,” the senior said. “Defensively I thought we played really, really well.”

For all of Kessler’s dominance, her Gopher counterpart, Noora Raty, had the tougher job Saturday afternoon, as the Crimson outshot Minnesota, 39-29. It was Harvard that took control of the puck early and repeatedly challenged the net.

“Team effort was incredible,” Ryabkina said. “Everyone was so excited to play both of these games.”

The Crimson doubled the Gophers’ shots in the first period, 14-7, but was unable to capitalize.

“We did control the puck a lot,” Ryabkina said. “But you know it’s a game, sometimes the pucks go in and sometimes they don’t.”

This season, not too many pucks have gotten past Raty, who came into the doubleheader with a 0.99 goals-against average.

The Minnesota freshman has been on the Finnish National Team since she was 15 and made 78 saves in the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships to help Finland take bronze. Raty held off 14 shots from eight different players in the first period alone. The freshman’s net play gave her teammates time to adjust to the aggressive Crimson attack.

“We had plenty of chances,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said. “Their goalie was tremendous.”

And it seemed that every time the Gophers took possession from the Crimson, it got a shot off shortly after. No matter where the turnover occurred, the puck somehow found its way to Minnesota forward Emily West, the nation’s seventh-leading point scorer. The junior lived up to expectations, always a threat with the puck and registering five shots on the night.

But Kessler was always there.

“Kessler did a great job,” Stone said. “We try to play stingy defense. We did it really well last night. We did it pretty well tonight.”

Stingy defense became crucial in the third period, when the Gophers finally outshot Harvard, 13-11. On the other end of the ice, the Crimson nearly got goals from freshman Kaitlin Spurling and junior Kate Buesser, the team’s leading scorer. But both shots missed the net.