Sunday's Game Story, News Tribune

College women's hockey: Minnesota dogs UMD
Kevin Pates Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, November 19, 2007
Minnesota knows it will be back at the DECC once, maybe twice more this season, so the Gophers wanted to leave Sunday afternoon with a positive feeling.

A 3-0 victory over No. 4-ranked Minnesota Duluth did the trick.

No. 6 Minnesota overpowered the leader in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s standings from start to finish before a crowd of 833.

Minnesota (7-4-1 overall, 5-4-1 WCHA) has beaten UMD in three of four games this season and eight of the past 11 in the series, and likely will return to Duluth for the WCHA Playoff Championships on March 8-9, and possibly the Division I Frozen Four on March 20-22.

The shutout win followed a 5-0 loss Saturday in which Minnesota outshot UMD 50-29.

“We were frustrated after losing, but confident in how we dominated the game at times,” said Minnesota captain Bobbi Ross, a senior center who had two assists. “We needed to tweak a few things and become more focused on the little things. No mistakes and getting to the net were important.”

UMD (8-3-1, 7-3) had a setback even before getting on the ice when senior winger Karine Demeule tore ligaments in her left ankle after stepping awkwardly in the locker room.

Coach Shannon Miller didn’t get any positive vibes from her players.

“I’m really disappointed that we did not at least match the intensity of our opponent,” Miller said. “I could tell before I left the locker room that there was no passion, no desire, no fire in the players’ eyes or in their body language. They were asleep.”

After missing on 50 shots on goal Saturday, the Gophers connected on their 56th shot of the weekend when winger Whitney Graft scored at 7:58 of the first period. UMD’s Emmanuelle Blais hit the crossbar on a breakaway with 8:37 left in the period for the Bulldogs’ best scoring chance of the game.

Left wing Erica McKenzie banked a shot off a UMD defender 41 seconds into the second period for a power-play goal and a 2-0 lead, and a UMD turnover led to a 3-on-1 break at 5:33 which finished with a Jen Schoullis goal.

“We played a complete team game and put the puck away,” said Brad Frost, the first-year Minnesota head coach. “We have some pretty special, gifted forwards.”

There was no scoring in the third period, although Minnesota had chances. There was 84 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play, and Gophers center Gigi Marvin got a puck behind UMD goalie Kim Martin with 7:47 left, but a video replay was inconclusive on whether the puck completely crossed the goal line. UMD’s best chance of the period, a2-on-1 break with 7:10 left, was broken up by Minnesota defender Michelle Maunu, a sophomore from Esko.

“When a team doesn’t step up and get energized before the game, they’re not going to find it on the ice,” said UMD junior center and assistant captain Tawni Mattila. “Coming off such an exciting win, maybe we expected it to come easy [Sunday]. We can’t take any game lightly. Minnesota’s a great team, but we have to be prepared.”

Minnesota has handed UMD its only losses this season and outshot the Bulldogs 83-50 for the weekend, including 33-21 Sunday.

Sunday’s loss was UMD’s first at home (4-1-1). The Bulldogs are back at the DECCon Friday and Saturday against Minnesota State-Mankato (4-5-1).