University of Minnesota Athletics
HARVARD TOP LINE TOO MUCH FOR GOPHER WOMEN TO HANDLE
11/7/1999 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
The top-ranked Crimson jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period as Shewchuk scored twice and helped set up another goal while Botterill had a goal and two assists in the period.
Botterill and Tracy Catlin each scored early in the second period and, by the nine-minute mark of the period, Harvard had the game well in hand with a 6-0 lead.
Winny Brodt got the Gophers on the board at 9:48 of the period, stealing the puck at the Harvard blueline and skating in all along on Crimson goalie Crystal Springer to score her fourth goal of the season.
With just under five minutes left in the second period, Betsey Kukowski jammed home a loose puck to cut the lead to 6-2 but Shewchuk scored before the period was over and she and Ronda Curtin traded third-period goals to finish the scoring.
Harvard had a 36-28 advantage in shots on goal. The Crimson finished 2-for-6 on the power play, converting their first two chances of the game, while Minnesota was 1-for-7.
"They showed why they're the national champions," said Minnesota head coach Laura Halldorson. "That line has a lot of speed and we weren't able to keep up with them."
Shewchuk had four goals and six points for the game while Botterill had two goals and two assists and Francisco had four assists.
Minnesota returns to WCHA-Women's League action next weekend, Nov. 12-13, when they will be at Ohio State for a pair of games, both of which get underway at 7 p.m. EST.
