Gophers Sweep UMD

Due to some issues with the Gopher Women's page on MyFoxHockey.com, here are the game recaps from this past Friday and Saturday, but as soon as the tech guys decide to fix the issues check back at the site for the post-game comments and audio.


FRIDAY OCTOBER 16TH


Gophers Down UMD
Marc Christopher, Sophomore Writer


MINNEAPOLIS -- The Number Two Ranked University of Minnesota Women's Hockey Team hosted their first WCHA home series of the year Friday night against interstate rival and Number Five Ranked University of Minnesota Duluth at Ridder Arena, which meant that the Northern Star traveling trophy was on the line.

Minnesota, 4-0-0, is coming off a weekend sweep over Ohio State in which 15 Gophers earned a point led by Sophomore Sarah Erickson and Junior Emily West who each tallied five points. Erickson earned WCHA Player of the Week honors scoring a natural hat trick in Friday's 6-5 win and two goals in Saturday's 6-1 victory for five on the weekend. With that natural hat trick, the Sophomore centre from Roseau became the first Gopher to accomplish the feat since Sarah McKenzie did so in 2005 against Brown. Emily West scored two goals and added three assists, and Freshman Noora Raty became the first Minnesota goaltender to register two assists in a game.

Minnesota Duluth, 3-1-0, is coming off a sweep over St. Cloud State last weekend 5-3 and 2-0. The Bulldogs had five players record two or more points in Friday's 5-3, led by WCHA Rookie of the Week Katie Wilson's goal and two assists, as she finished the weekend with two goals and two assists. UMD also has five olympians missing from it's roster this season as Haley Irwin and Jocelyne Larocque are with Team Canada while Kim Martin, Elin Holmlov, Pernila Winberg, and Jenni Asserholt are training with Team Sweden.

It appeared as those UMD scored the game's first goal at 11:24 of the first period, but about two-seconds before Katie's Wilson's wrister got past Gopher freshman netmider Noora Raty, the net was knocked off it's mornings. Minnesota did take advantage of this as just over a minute later at 12:53 when Senior Kelli Blankenship fed Anne Schleper's who's wrister from the high slot gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead. That goal was the fourth of the season for the Sophomore who scored seven as a freshman last year.

The Bulldogs had a few chances early in the second period to tie the game up, including Junior Tara Gray's breakaway after the Gophers power play expired, but Raty was able to stonewall her to keep it a 1-0 Minnesota lead.

Minnesota upped the lead 2-0 when Junior Terra Rasmussen scored her second goal of the season at 16:38, and along with the two goal lead the Gophers took a 25-13 shots on goal advantage into the second intermission.

Sarah Erickson converted the Gophers forth power play chance of the game 2:53 into the third period to up the lead 3-0. The sophomore now has six goals on the season which she's scored in the last three games.

UMD did get on the board at 10:51 of the third period off a rebound goal from Senior Emmanuelle Blais, but it wasn't enough as the Gophers took the first game of the weekend series from the Bulldogs 3-1.

Freshman Finnish goaltender Noora Raty made 22 saves and improved to 3-0-0 on the season for the Gophers.

The weekend series wraps up Saturday afternoon at 4pm at Ridder Arena.


Game Note: Former NHL Number One Overall Pick Pierre Turgeon and his daughter were in attendance for Friday nights game.


THREE STARS:

1--MIN--Noora Raty : The Freshman made 22 saves look easy.

2--MIN--Kelly Seeler : The Defenceman set up two of the Gophers goals.

3--MIN--Anne Schleper : Scored the all important first goal of the game and her forth of the season.


SCORING:

UMD 0-0-1 1
MIN 1-1-1 3

1--12:53--MIN--EV--Anne Schleper/4 (Kelli Blakenship/1, Chelsey Jones/4)

2--16:38--MIN--EV--Terra Rasmussen/2 (Kelly Seeler/3)

3--2:53--MIN--PP--Sara Erickson/6 (Kelly Seeler/4, Megan Bozek/3)
3--10:51--UMD--EV--Emmanuelle Blais/3 (Saara Tuominen/1)


GOALIE STATS:

MIN--Noora Raty (Win, 3-0-0) 59:46-Min, 1-GA, 22-SV (8-5-9)
MIN--Empty Net 0:14

UMD--Jennifer Harss (Loss, 3-2-0) 60-Min, 3-GA, 35-SV (14-9-12)


MISC STATS:

Shots -- UMD 23 (8-5-10), MIN 38 (15-10-13)

Power Play Goals - Attempts (Shots) -- UMD 0-3 (3) MIN 1-5 (13)

Penalties-Minutes -- UMD 5-10 (2-4, 1-2, 2-4) MIN 3-6 (1-2, 1-2, 1-2)



SATURDAY OCTOBER 17TH


Gophers Sweep UMD
Marc Christopher, Sophomore Writer


MINNEAPOLIS -- The Number Two Ranked University of Minnesota Women's hockey team completed the weekend swept of interstate rival and Number Five Ranked University of Minnesota Duluth Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena.

The Bulldogs picked up right where they had left off towards the end of Friday's game in matching the Gophers shot for shot and shift for shift. The first period went scoreless with each team getting one power play chance and UMD with the edge in shots at 9-8.

Both teams had some early scoring chances in the second period with Bulldogs Freshman Audrey Cournoyer hitting the post on UMD's first power play chance of the period and Minnesota Senior Jaimie Horton's breakaway stuffed by Duluth Freshman German goaltender Jennifer Harss.

The Gophers were finally able to break the scoreless tie at 12:10 of the second period when Junior Emily West got a long pass from Senior Brittany Francis and scored her fifth goal of the season shorthanded on the breakaway to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.

Outside of the shorthanded goal, the second period saw several special team situation's as the Gophers had a four-on-three power play for a minute-thirty-eight at the 13:13 mark in which they got three shots on goal, and also a four-on-four chance late in the period.

Minnesota upped the lead 2-0 in the first few minutes of the third period when Senior Kelli Blankenship parked herself on the right side of the net and her wrap around shot found the open part of the left side at 2:04 for her first goal of the season.

Senior Chelsey Jones scored the Gophers second shorthanded goal of the game at 12:38 of the third period when she picked up a lose puck at center ice and beat Harss on the breakaway to up Minnesota's lead to 3-0 and give the Gophers the weekend sweep over UMD.

After allowing one goal in each of her pervious three starts, Finnish Freshman Goaltender Noora Raty picked up her first career shutout making 29 saves.

With the Win Minnesota improves to 6-0-0 and 4-0-0 in the WCHA, while Minnesota Duluth drops to 3-3-0 and 2-2-0 in league play.

Next up for the Gophers is a home and home with St. Cloud State next weekend with Friday's game at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud at 2pm and Saturday's game at Ridder arena at 4pm.


THREE STARS:

1--MIN--Noora Raty : The Freshman picked up her first career shutout.

2--MIN--Emily West : Scored what was the game-winner in the second period and her fifth of the season.

3--MIN--Kelli Blankenship : The Senior scored her first goal of the season.


SCORING:

UMD 0 0-0-0
MIN 3 0-1-2

2--12:10--MIN--SH--Emily West/5 (Brittany Francis/2)

3--2:04--MIN--EV--Kelli Blankenship/1 (Terra Rasmussen/1)
3--12:38--MIN--SH--Chelsey Jones/4 (Terra Rasmussen/2)


GOALIE STATS:

MIN--Noora Raty (Win, 4-0-0) 59:49-Min, 0-GA, 29-SV (9-10-10)
MIN--Empty Net 0:11

UMD--Jennifer Harss (Loss, 3-3-0) 59:48-Min, 3-GA, 34-SV (8-13-13)
UMD--Empty Net 0:12


MISC STATS:

Shots -- UMD 29 (9-10-10), MIN 37 (8-14-15)

Power Play Goals - Attempts (Shots) -- UMD 0-6 (8), MIN 0-4 (9)

Penalties-Minutes -- UMD 5-10 (1-2, 4-8, 0-0) MIN 7-14 (2-4, 4-8, 1-2)

Face Offs --

Team / Player / Won - Loss

MIN / Becky Kortum / 8-5
MIN / Kelli Blankenship / 6-4
MIN / Sarah Erickson / 6-16
MIN / Chelsey Jones / 5-3
MIN / Emily West / 5-6
MIN / Laura May / 1-0

UMD / Saara Tuominen / 22-7
UMD / Gina Dodge / 5-6
UMD / Katherine Wilson / 4-14
UMD / Emmanuelle Blais / 2-2
UMD / Jessica Wong / 1-1
UMD / Audrey Cournoyer / 0-1