University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 2 Gophers Travel to No. 1 Wisconsin This Weekend
10/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
GOPHERS TRAVEL TO NO. 1 WISCONSIN
The University of Minnesota women’s hockey team travels to Madison, Wis., as the Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers compete in a border battle this weekend. The Gophers play at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon, take Saturday off due to Wisconsin’s homecoming, and play again Sunday at 2 p.m. All games are at the Kohl Center. It’s a battle between the top two teams in the nation in No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 2 Minnesota.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
Fans who wish to listen to the games online can do so by signing up for the Gold Zone on the Minnesota website. Dan Hamann will provide the play-by-play for the Gopher games. Minnesota’s road games this weekend can be found on www.gophersports.com via audio broadcast.
GOPHER TRAVEL BLOG
The University of Minnesota will hold a travel blog for this weekend’s trip to Madison and the Kohl Center. The blog, which will be located on www.gophersports.com, will be updated throughout the course of the weekend.
ON THE DOCKET
The Gophers then return to Ridder Arena Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. when the Gophers and St. Cloud State compete in a home-and-home series. Minnesota will then compete at the National Hockey Center on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
DID YOU KNOW?
Along with the Minnesota women’s team facing Wisconsin, the Gopher men’s hockey program plays the Badgers, Friday and Saturday night, 7 p.m., at the Kohl Center. Along with both hockey programs at Madison, the Gopher soccer team faces Wisconsin in St. Paul, Minn.
OFFENSIVE ATTACK
In just six games into the season, every Minnesota forward has already tallied a point and 16 of 19 skaters for the Gophers have scored points. One of the players who has not scored a point is Dagney Willey, who has sat out of the lineup for five straight games due to an injury. Last weekend against Ohio State, 17 skaters earned points against the Badgers. In each game against the Buckeyes, Minnesota had 13 players tally a point.
THE SERIES
The meeting between Minnesota and Wisconsin is the 47th and 48th times the two teams have faced each other dating back to November of 1999. Last year alone, the Gophers and Badgers faced each other six times, including twice in the playoffs. Although the Badgers have dominated Minnesota at Ridder Arena, the Gophers have been able to escape Madison with at least one point over the last three years.
THE WISCONSIN BADGERS
Wisconsin enters the Minnesota series with an 8-0-0 overall record and a 4-0-0 mark in WCHA competition. UW opened the season at Quinnipiac and Syracuse and started their conference season at Ohio State and Bemidji State. In their eight wins, six games have been shutout wins for the Badgers. Arguably one of the deepest teams in the nation, the Badgers are led in scoring by sophomore Hilary Knight (12-4-16) and freshman Brooke Ammerman (10-5-15). Of Wisconsin’s 18 skaters, 17 hold points, including nine with double-digits.
Playing in seven games this season, senior goalie Jessie Vetter holds a 0.63 goals against average and a .965 save percentage. A member of the U.S. Select Team, Vetter was a first-team All-WCHA honoree last season.
SOME OF THE BEST IN THE NATION
Along with being the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, Minnesota and Wisconsin have some of the best point producers in the country. UW’s Hilary Knight leads the nation in points per game (2.67), while Brooke Ammerman is ranked third, (1.88) and Gopher point leader Monique Lamoureux ranks fourth nationally in ppg (1.83). Both Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux rank second in the nation in assists per game (1.17), while Knight leads the country in goals, power-play goals (5) and game-winning goals (3). This weekend’s matchup also holds the top two scoring offensive teams in the nation. The Badgers average 6.50 goals per game, while Minnesota averages 5.17, which ranks No. 1, 2 in the nation.
Between the pipes is just as impressive. Badgers’ Jessie Vetter holds the lowest GAA nationally, while Minnesota’s Jenny Lura is fifth overall. They are tied for the nation’s best winning percentage.
Between the two teams, 12 either current or former members of the Minnesota and Wisconsin teams will represent Team USA at the Four Nation’s Cup in two weeks. From Minnesota, current members Rachael Drazan, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Gigi Marvin and Anne Schleper, along with former Gophers Natalie Darwitz and Erica McKenzie will all compete in Lake Placid, N.Y. From Wisconsin, current members Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Erica Lawler and Jessie Vetter, along with former members Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland will compete for Team USA.
The University of Minnesota women’s hockey team travels to Madison, Wis., as the Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers compete in a border battle this weekend. The Gophers play at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon, take Saturday off due to Wisconsin’s homecoming, and play again Sunday at 2 p.m. All games are at the Kohl Center. It’s a battle between the top two teams in the nation in No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 2 Minnesota.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
Fans who wish to listen to the games online can do so by signing up for the Gold Zone on the Minnesota website. Dan Hamann will provide the play-by-play for the Gopher games. Minnesota’s road games this weekend can be found on www.gophersports.com via audio broadcast.
GOPHER TRAVEL BLOG
The University of Minnesota will hold a travel blog for this weekend’s trip to Madison and the Kohl Center. The blog, which will be located on www.gophersports.com, will be updated throughout the course of the weekend.
ON THE DOCKET
The Gophers then return to Ridder Arena Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. when the Gophers and St. Cloud State compete in a home-and-home series. Minnesota will then compete at the National Hockey Center on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
DID YOU KNOW?
Along with the Minnesota women’s team facing Wisconsin, the Gopher men’s hockey program plays the Badgers, Friday and Saturday night, 7 p.m., at the Kohl Center. Along with both hockey programs at Madison, the Gopher soccer team faces Wisconsin in St. Paul, Minn.
OFFENSIVE ATTACK
In just six games into the season, every Minnesota forward has already tallied a point and 16 of 19 skaters for the Gophers have scored points. One of the players who has not scored a point is Dagney Willey, who has sat out of the lineup for five straight games due to an injury. Last weekend against Ohio State, 17 skaters earned points against the Badgers. In each game against the Buckeyes, Minnesota had 13 players tally a point.
THE SERIES
The meeting between Minnesota and Wisconsin is the 47th and 48th times the two teams have faced each other dating back to November of 1999. Last year alone, the Gophers and Badgers faced each other six times, including twice in the playoffs. Although the Badgers have dominated Minnesota at Ridder Arena, the Gophers have been able to escape Madison with at least one point over the last three years.
THE WISCONSIN BADGERS
Wisconsin enters the Minnesota series with an 8-0-0 overall record and a 4-0-0 mark in WCHA competition. UW opened the season at Quinnipiac and Syracuse and started their conference season at Ohio State and Bemidji State. In their eight wins, six games have been shutout wins for the Badgers. Arguably one of the deepest teams in the nation, the Badgers are led in scoring by sophomore Hilary Knight (12-4-16) and freshman Brooke Ammerman (10-5-15). Of Wisconsin’s 18 skaters, 17 hold points, including nine with double-digits.
Playing in seven games this season, senior goalie Jessie Vetter holds a 0.63 goals against average and a .965 save percentage. A member of the U.S. Select Team, Vetter was a first-team All-WCHA honoree last season.
SOME OF THE BEST IN THE NATION
Along with being the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, Minnesota and Wisconsin have some of the best point producers in the country. UW’s Hilary Knight leads the nation in points per game (2.67), while Brooke Ammerman is ranked third, (1.88) and Gopher point leader Monique Lamoureux ranks fourth nationally in ppg (1.83). Both Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux rank second in the nation in assists per game (1.17), while Knight leads the country in goals, power-play goals (5) and game-winning goals (3). This weekend’s matchup also holds the top two scoring offensive teams in the nation. The Badgers average 6.50 goals per game, while Minnesota averages 5.17, which ranks No. 1, 2 in the nation.
Between the pipes is just as impressive. Badgers’ Jessie Vetter holds the lowest GAA nationally, while Minnesota’s Jenny Lura is fifth overall. They are tied for the nation’s best winning percentage.
Between the two teams, 12 either current or former members of the Minnesota and Wisconsin teams will represent Team USA at the Four Nation’s Cup in two weeks. From Minnesota, current members Rachael Drazan, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Gigi Marvin and Anne Schleper, along with former Gophers Natalie Darwitz and Erica McKenzie will all compete in Lake Placid, N.Y. From Wisconsin, current members Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Erica Lawler and Jessie Vetter, along with former members Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland will compete for Team USA.
Players Mentioned
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