University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Hockey Advances to WCHA Championship Game
3/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Minnesota's Ronda Curtin started the run with a power-play goal at 14:44 of the first period. Curtin scored her 12th goal on a slap shot at the point. Curtin leads the team and the WCHA with 46 points. Curtin was named the WCHA Player and Defensive Player of the Year. La Toya Clarke and Kelly Stephens tallied assists on the power-play mark.
Clarke then added Minnesota's second goal at 18:38 with the assist going again to Stephens. Clarke won the faceoff and passed the puck to Stephens. Once clearing the back of the net, Stephens passed it to Clarke, who put it on the short-side and over the shoulder of the Buckeye goalie Melissa Glaser. Minnesota had two goals in nine shots on goal, holding the Buckeyes to five shots on goal.
"That line played very well, Buckeye head coach Jackie Barto said. "I thought the goal they scored at the end of the first period was a big momentum builder."
Stephens and Clarke teammed together for the third straight goal. Stephens beat a OSU defender, putting the puck past Glaser. The Gophers then added a Sutton goal at 10:06 of the third, her seventh goal of the season, her 10th point of the 2001-02 campaign. Jody Horak played in her 17th game of the year, posting a 14-1-2. She had five saves in the first, six saves in the second and 17 saves in the third for a game-total of 28.
"I was happy with our effort and I thought we played well and we are looking forward to playing Wisconsin tomorrow, Gopher head coach Laura Halldorson said. "Last year's game outcome was brought up. There were similarities with us being the No. 1 seed and playing Ohio State in the semifinal game. But we are a different team and are playing more consistently. I'm happy with the outcome."
The matchup was the fifth time that the Gophers have defeated Ohio State this season. Minnesota swept the Buckeyes in November (Nov. 2-3) and the last regular season series, at Columbus, Ohio.
Wisconsin defeated Minnesota-Duluth in the earlier semifinal, 4-1. With the win, the Badgers will face Minnesota, at 7:05 p.m. The Gophers have gone 3-1-0 against the Badgers, going two of the four games into overtime. In the last meeting, the Badgers defeated Minnesota, 2-0, but the Gophers avoided the sweep with a 3-2 overtime victory, Sunday.
WCHA Women's League Semifinal
Minnesota (1) vs. Ohio State (4)
From Fogerty Arena, Blaine, Minn.
Pregame Notes
Minnesota (26-3-5) enters the game as the tournament's top seed and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Ohio State (18-13-4) in the fourth seed in the WCHA tourney. The Golden Gophers captured the WCHA regular-season title with a record of 19-2-3. Minnesota won all four regular-season meetings with Ohio State. The Buckeyes, however, dealt Minnesota a 4-0 loss in last year's WCHA tournament.
The winner of the Minnesota/Ohio State game will play Wisconsin on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in the championship game. The Badgers defeated Minnesota-Duluth, 4-1, in today's first semifinal. The Duluth loss means that the WCHA will have a new tournament champion for the first time in its three-year history.
Game underway: 7:05 p.m.
Starting in goal for Minnesota: Jody Horak (Fr.)
Starting in goal for Ohio State: Melissa Glaser (So.)
Ohio State penalty: Lindsey Ogren (cross checking at 3:33)
Minnesota three shots during power play, 0-2.
14:00
Ohio State 0, Minnesota 0
Penalty at 9:32
Minnesota: Kelly Stephens (high sticking)
Ohio State: Katie Frohreich (high sticking)
Equal strength on the ice.
Back to full strength for both teams, no shots for each team during the penalty.
7:53 left in first period
Ohio State peanlty at 13:48
Lindsey Steblen (roughing)
Minnesota goes into power play for the second time in the game
GOAL for Minnesota at 14:44
Ronda Curtin from the point, with assists to LaToya Clarke and Kelly Stephens
Minnesota now 1-2 on the power play. Curtin, the WCHA Player of the Year, scores her 12th goal and seventh power play goal of the season.
Minnesota 1, Ohio State 0
1:30 left in the period
GOAL for Minnesota at 18:38
LaToya Clarke with an assist to Kelly Stephens
Minnesota 2, Ohio State 0
Stephens skates behind the Ohio State net, then flips the puck to Clarke in front of the net. The goal is Clarke's 14th of the season. Stephens tallies her second assist of the game.
End of Period 1
Minnesota 2, Ohio State 0
First period stats
Shots on goal: Minnesota (9), Ohio State (5)
Saves: Horak, Minnesota (5), Glaser, Ohio State (7)
Power Play Shots on Goal: Minnesota (3), Ohio State (0)
Notes: Minnesota is a perfect 15-0-0 when leading after the first period. Ohio State is 4-5-4 when trailing after one period. The Gophers have not lost when scoring the game's first goal, going 16-0-1.
Second Period Underway
GOAL for Minnesota at 8:10
Kelly Stephens off assists from LaToya Clarke and Melissa Couloumbe
Minnesota 3, Ohio State 0
Stephens collects puck at the red line and breaks away beating a Buckeye defender one-on-one and pushing the puck past Glaser. The goal is Stephens' 21st of the season. Stephens now has a goal and two assists in the game.
Minnesota penalty at 9:34, Laura Slominski (holding)
Ohio State's first power play opportunity
Buckeyes now 0-1 on the power play.
Ohio State penalty at 13:54, Emily Hudak (charging)
Ohio State penalty at 14:50, Erin O?Grady (roughing)
Minnesota unable to score with 2-player advantage
Minnesota now 1-5 on the power play
End of period 2
Minnesota 3, Ohio State 0
Stats after 2 periods
Shots on goal: Minnesota 22 (13 in second period), Ohio State 11 (6 in second period)
Saves: Horak, Minnesota (11, 6 in second period); Glaser, Ohio State (19, 11 in second period)
Power play shots on goal: Minnesota 10 (7 in second period), Ohio State 1 (1 in second period)
Period 3 underway GOAL for Minnesota at 10:06
Noelle Sutton off an assist by Gwen Anderson
Minnesota 4, Ohio State 0
Anderson gathers puck at center ice and hits a streaking Sutton at the blue line. Sutton drives past a Buckeye defender and nets the goal. It is Sutton's seventh goal of the season.
Minnesota penalty at 10:44, Melissa Couloumbe at 10:44 (body checking)
Ohio State's second power play, Buckeyes go 0-02. Horak makes four saves in the power play to keep the shutout intact.
5 minutes remaining in period 3
Minnesota 4, Ohio State 0
GOAL for Ohio State at 17:12
Jeanne Chapple off assists by Emma Laaksonen and Erin O'Grady
Minnesota 4, Ohio State 1
The puck is tipped around in front of the Gopher net, Chapple sneaks it by Horak to break up the shut out. It's Chapple's 10th goal of the season.
1 minute remaining
FINAL
Minnesota 4
Ohio State 1
Minnesota advances to play Wisconsin at 7:05 on Saturday in the championship game of the WCHA Tournament
Stars of the Game:
First Star: LaToya Clarke, Minnesota Second Star: Kelly Stephens, Minnesota Third Star: Jody Horak, Minnesota
