1
Three second period power play goals by Minnesota’s former
Olympians were the difference as the Golden Gophers downed the Wisconsin Badgers
3-0 in WCHA women’s hockey action today at the Kohl Center.
After a scoreless first period where the Gophers’ Natalie
Darwitz hit a pipe and a crossbar, the Gopher power play unit went to work.
In a scramble in front of Wisconsin goaltender Meghan Horras, Darwitz put home a rebound for the Gophers’ first score at the 5:19 mark
of the second period.
Just under ten minutes later and with just nine seconds to
go in a Wisconsin holding penalty to Meghan Mikkelson, Darwitz again found the
back of the net. With Wisconsin’s two forwards out of position on the top of the
defensive box, Darwitz got a clean shot from the slot and beat Horras for the
second power play goal at 15:01 of the period. Another former US Olympian,
Lyndsay Wall, assisted on both goals.
The final goal of the third period came just seven seconds
into a Wisconsin interference penalty on Molly Engstrom. Wall shot the puck from
the high slot and beat Horras over the shoulder. Darwitz had the assist on the
goal.
When the Badgers and Gophers were even strength, the
Badgers were able to play with the No. 1 ranked team in the country. But it
proved difficult for the Badgers to stop a power play that went three for five
on the day. The Badgers went zero for four on the power play including a
five-minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind that took
Minnesota’s other Olympian, Krissy Wendell, out of the game at 16:01 of the
first period.
The Badgers (4-1 overall, 0-1 WCHA) and Gophers (3-0
overall, 3-0 WCHA) face off again tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. at the Kohl Center in
the concluding game of their two-game WCHA series.
Scoring summary
First period
None
Second period
UM 1: Natalie Darwitz (2) from Danielle Ashley (1) and
Lyndsay Wall (4), PP, at 5:19.
UM 2: Darwitz (3) from Wall (5) and Kelly Stephens (4), PP,
at 15:01.
UM 3: Wall (1) from Darwitz (4), PP, at 16:16.
Third period
None
Score by period
| 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|
| Minnesota | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Shots on goal by period
| 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|
| Minnesota | 7 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 8 | 8 | 27 |
Saves
UM: Jody Horak 27
UW: Meghan Horras 24