University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers to Face Wisconsin in WCHA Final Face-Off
3/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Minnesota and Wisconsin are no strangers to the WCHA postseason and have seen plenty of each other as well. Saturday’s semifinal game is a rematch of the championship game from the past three seasons. Wisconsin is the event’s two-time defending champion and Minnesota beat the Badgers in the final in 2004-05. The Badgers and Gophers have played in the WCHA postseason a total of seven times in its eight-year history with Minnesota winning four of the seven encounters. Minnesota leads the all-time series 25-15-4, though Wisconsin is 9-1-2 in the past 12 meetings.
AT STAKE
The winner of this weekend’s event earns an automatic berth to the eight-team NCAA tournament, which begins the following weekend (March 14 or 15) with four first round games on campus sites. Minnesota is currently fourth in the PairWise rankings, which are a major determinant in the NCAA selections. The top four seeds in the tournament earn first-round home games.
FOLLOWING THE GOPHERS
Minnesota’s games in the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF can be found on the radio at 1220 AM KLBB as well as on gophersports.com. Fans who wish to listen to the games online can do so by signing up for the Gold Zone on the Minnesota website. Curt Carstensen will provide the play-by-play for the Gopher games. A live video webcast will be available at wcha.tv with Jack Swanson on the play-by-play and former Gophers’ coach Laura Halldorson providing the color.
WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
Tickets for the 2008 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF are on sale now at the University of Minnesota Duluth Ticket Office and may be purchased by calling (218) 726-8595. They are also available at the WCHA store icon on the league website at wcha.cstv.com.
MINNESOTA IN THE WCHA POSTSEASON
Minnesota has won three previous WCHA playoff championships in 2005, 2004 and 2002. The Gophers have played in the WCHA semifinals in all seven previous tournaments and are 6-1 all-time, having advanced to the finals six consecutive years. Minnesota has played either Wisconsin or Minnesota Duluth in each of its previous WCHA finals appearances. Including first-round games, the Gophers are 18-6 all-time in the WCHA postseason. Minnesota hosted the tournament the past four years, so including last weekend’s sweep of North Dakota, the Gophers have played their past 15 WCHA postseason games at Ridder Arena. Duluth is hosting the WCHA finals for the first time.
MARVIN NAMED A PATTY KAZMAIER FINALIST
Gigi Marvin has been named a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, announced by USA Hockey. It is Marvin’s first honor and the Golden Gophers' first finalist since the 2004-05 campaign. In its 11th year, the award annually recognizes the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. On March 12, three finalists will be named, while the winner will be announced at the banquet on March 21, in conjunction with the NCAA Frozen Four in Duluth, Minn.
ROSS TO SHOW HER SKILLS
The NCAA has announced that Minnesota senior forward Bobbi Ross has been voted to compete at the third annual Frozen Four Skills Challenge, held on April 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Ross, hailing from Verwood, Sask., is one of four women from the WCHA to compete in the event. The competitions will include puck control relay, fastest skater, hardest shot, rapid fire shooting, accuracy shooting and penalty shot.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Wisconsin advanced to the FINAL FACE-OFF with a pair of wins over Minnesota State 4-2 and 5-0 last weekend. The Badgers enter the weekend with a six-game unbeaten streak and are 16-1-1 over their last 18 games with the only loss coming Feb. 9 at Minnesota Duluth. Wisconsin’s hot stretch has come following a 10-6-2 start to the season. The Badgers rank third nationally in defense at 1.19 goals per game and third on the penalty kill at 92.4 percent. Meghan Duggan leads the Badgers with 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points. Jessie Vetter is ranked fourth nationally with a 1.30 goals against average and seventh in the country with a .930 save percentage.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA DULUTH
The Bulldogs won the WCHA regular season championship and have won five straight games entering the weekend. They are 21-1 over the past 22 games with the only setback coming in a 3-2 loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 8. Three of Minnesota Duluth’s four losses came to Minnesota in November. The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals with a sweep of Bemidji State by 6-0 and 5-1 scores last weekend. They rank second in the country in scoring at 4.12 goals per game and fifth in defense at 1.41 goals per game. The Bulldogs’ penalty kill ranks second nationally at 92.5 percent. Freshman Hailey Irwin is the team’s leading scorer with 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points. Kim Martin owns a 1.34 goals against average and is second in the nation with a .951 save percentage.
SCOUTING ST. CLOUD STATE
The Huskies were pushed to three games by Ohio State in the opening round, but hung on for a 5-3 victory on Sunday as the Buckeyes scored three goals in the third period to close to within 4-3 before St. Cloud State’s Caitlin Hogan scored shorthanded with 37 seconds left to seal the win. The Huskies struggled down the stretch with a 3-9-1 record after opening the year with a 15-5-4 mark. Felicia Nelson leads the squad with 15 goals and 10 assists for 25 points. Senior Kendall Newell has a 2.39 goals against average and .916 save percentage.
TURNING TRICKS
Gophers’ senior Anya Miller recorded the first hat trick by a Minnesota defenseman since Brittny Ralph scored three times against Gustavus Adolphus on Nov. 23, 1997. Miller notched her three goals in the first 22 minutes of Saturday’s win over North Dakota. It was the second multiple-goal game of her career after tallying twice in a win at Minnesota State earlier this season. Her 32 points this season ranks third nationally among all Division I defensemen. She also moved into fourth place in school history for goals and points by a defenseman with 22 goals and 77 points.
PENALTY KILLING PROWESS
Minnesota’s penalty kill ranks sixth in the country at 88.2 percent and has especially been on a roll of late, having killed off 23 consecutive opponent power plays since St. Cloud State scored in the second period on Feb. 16. The Gophers held North Dakota to 0-for-9 on the man-advantage last week and Wisconsin was 0-for-10 the previous weekend.
SCORING FRENZY
The Gophers’ nine-goal outburst against North Dakota on Saturday was their highest-scoring effort in a postseason contest since their very first WCHA postseason game when they routed Minnesota State 10-0 on March 2, 1999. It was the most goals Minnesota has scored in any game since a 9-5 affair against Ohio State on Nov. 3, 2005. Against North Dakota, Minnesota erupted for six goals in the first period, which was one short of the school record for goals in a period. The record came in a regular season win over St. Cloud State in 1999.
POWER SURGE
Minnesota has scored power play goals in 11 of its last 12 games and went 3-for-11 on the man-advantage against North Dakota. The Gophers were 2-for-5 in Friday’s game, marking the 13th time this season they have recorded multiple power play goals in a game. Minnesota leads the WCHA and ranks third in the country on the power play at 24.6 percent.
BACK ON TRACK
Minnesota’s shutout on Saturday was the Gophers’ first shutout since beating Minnesota State on Dec. 8. The streak of 17 games without a shutout was the longest in school history. The Gophers went 16 games without a shutout during the 2000-01 and 2002-03 seasons. Minnesota allowed one goal eight times during the recent span.
SHORTHANDED SUCCESS
Minnesota has notched eight shorthanded goals this season, which is the third-highest total in the country. Mercyhurst has scored a national-best 10 shorthanders and Holy Cross has scored nine times on the opponents’ power play.
KEY TO VICTORY
Getting points from junior forward Gigi Marvin has been key to Minnesota’s success this season as the Gophers are 22-1-4 when Marvin scores a point. She has scored in 13 of the team’s last 14 games with the only game she failed to score coming in the 5-1 loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago.
NIFTY FIFTY
Marvin recorded her 50th point of the season with a third period assist in the Saturday win over North Dakota. Erica McKenzie was the last Gophers’ player to reach the milestone when she notched 53 points in 2005-06. Marvin’s previous career best was a 46-point output during her freshman year in 2005-06.
ROSS REACHES MILESTONE
Bobbi Ross scored two goals in Friday’s win over North Dakota, giving her 150 points for her career and making her the ninth Gopher player to reach that milestone. Ross has been equally proficient at passing and shooting the puck during her career with 75 goals and 75 assists. She became the sixth player in school history to reach the 75-goal plateau.
QUICK STARTS
Minnesota has jumped all over its opponents this season with a 56-22 scoring advantage in the first period, including a 446-250 advantage in shots. The Gophers have led after the first period 23 times in 36 games and are 20-0-3 when holding the lead at the first intermission. Minnesota has continued its dominance into the second period with a 45-18 scoring margin, though it has only outscored teams 29-28 in the third stanza. The Gophers have trailed only 295 of a possible 2,180 minutes (13.5 percent of the time).
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES
The Gophers have been especially tough in close games this year with a 6-1 record in one-goal contests and a 7-0 record in two-goal games. The only setback was a 3-2 loss at St. Cloud State in the second weekend of the season. The Gophers were only 5-4 in one-goal contests last season.
HOLDING STEADY
Minnesota holds a fourth-place ranking in both the U.S. College Hockey Online and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls. It marks the eighth consecutive week that the Gophers have held down the No. 4 position in the polls. In fact, the top five teams in the poll: Harvard, New Hampshire, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota and Wisconsin have not changed positions in any of the last six polls.
GOPHERS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS
The Golden Gophers hold a 6-4-2 record against ranked teams this season. The Gophers split with then-ranked Ohio State (10/19-20), swept then-No. 1 UMD (10/26-27) and followed with splits against No. 1 Wisconsin (11/2-3) and No. 3 UMD (11/17-18). The Gophers tied, then-No. 10 Boston College, 2-2, in the first game and won, 2-1, to close out the series. Minnesota fell to Wisconsin, 5-1 and battled back for a 2-2 tie the following day.
BREAKING IN
Minnesota freshman Terra Rasmussen broke into the scoring column for the first time in her career in Saturday’s win over North Dakota. She picked up her first career point when scoring unassisted for the fourth goal of the Gophers’ six-goal outburst in the first period.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMEN
All six of the Gopher defensemen have earned points this season, including four who are in double digits. Anya Miller leads the blueliners with 32 points, followed by Rachael Drazan with 27. Melanie Gagnon has 14 points, followed by Michelle Maunu with 13, Dagney Willey has eight and Alexandra Zebro has three Drazan also leads the team with the best plus/minus rating of plus-21.
FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET
Since the beginning of the season half, the Gophers have received scoring from all three lines as well as from the defensemen. Besides, Miller’s hat trick on Saturday, the team’s other six goals were scored by six different players. Of Minnesota’s 18 skaters, 17 have earned a point in the 2007-08 season. Marvin leads the charge with 50, followed by McKenzie with 41, Ross with 39 and Miller with 32. Minnesota also has 13 players who have double-digit point totals.
HOLDING THE LEAD
Minnesota holds a 19-0-3 record when leading a game after the first period and a 23-0-2 mark with the lead after the second period. In fact, when the Gophers score first in a game, Minnesota has an 20-0-3 record against their opponents.
