University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Take on Bulldogs to Close Home Season
2/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
- Click Here For the Full Minnesota/Minnesota-Duluth Notes
Gophers Take On WCHA Rival Minnesota-Duluth
The No. 2 University of Minnesota will host Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival, Minnesota-Duluth, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Saturday's game will be played in Mariucci Arena, while Sunday's contest is back in Ridder Arena. The two teams tangle at 2:05 p.m. both days.
Second UMD Game Televised
Fox Sports Net North will televise the Feb. 29th game vs. Minnesota-Duluth at 2 p.m. Gopher men's hockey announcers, Frank Mazzocco and Doug Woog will provide the play-by-play and color commentating.
Winding Down the Season
The Golden Gophers travel to St. Cloud State to close out the regular season, March 5-6. Friday's game is slated for a 4:05 p.m. start, while Saturday's contest is at 7:05 p.m. Both games will be played at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
Golden Gophers to Host WCHA Final Five
The University of Minnesota will host the 2004 WCHA Women's Final Five, March 12-14 at Ridder Arena. It is the first time since the start of the WCHA-Women's League in 1999-2000 that a member of the conference is the host institution for the league tournament. Tickets are available for the three-day tournament. Fans can purchase an all-session pass as well as single-game tickets. For general admission, all-session tickets are $18, while single session are priced at $10. For more information, call the ticket office at (612) 624-8080 or 1-800-UGOPHER.
Welcome Back Natalie
After missing 10 games due to an elbow injury, Natalie Darwitz returned to the Golden Gophers lineup for the Ohio State series last weekend. In her first game back, Darwitz returned to the nation's best power-play unit and was on the ice for Minnesota's lone goal. The Gophers and Buckeyes tied, 1-1. Darwitz returned to her old habits scoring three goals and assisting on another for a four-point night to help Minnesota win, 6-0. A 2003 and 2004 Patty Kazmaier finalist, Darwitz scored a four-on-four goal, a power-play goal and completed the hat trick with an unassisted short-handed tally. The trio marked her third hat trick of the season and seventh of her career. For her performance, she was awarded WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors along with UMD's Caroline Ouellette. Although missing 10 games, Darwitz currently ranks third on the team in scoring with 45 points. Krissy Wendell (52) and Kelly Stephens (47) leads the team in points.
Thanks for the Memories
Sunday's game marks the final home contest for Minnesota's seniors. Kelsey Bills, La Toya Clarke, Melissa Coulombe and Jerilyn Glenn will be honored at center ice before Sunday's game. The senior class has combined for 21 goals and 27 assists for 51 points this season.
