University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
30-3-3, 24-2-3WCHA
Bemidji State
6-25-5, 3-23-3WCHA
Gophers Advance to WCHA Final Faceoff With 5-1 Win
3/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
The No. 1 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team advanced to the WCHA FINAL FACEOFF with a 5-1 win over Bemidji State, this afternoon at Ridder Arena. The Golden Gophers (30-3-3) scored three times in the second and twice in the third for the win.
Minnesota, who is the No. 1 seed in tournament, will play the 1 p.m. game of the championship. The Gophers’ opponent has yet to be determined as the rest of the field plays tonight.
The two teams went scoreless through the first period even after the Gophers put 15 shots on goal against BSU starting goalie Zuzana Tomcikova. Minnesota’s best attempt of the period came just under the 2-minute mark when Tomcikova left the goal to play the puck She skated all the way out to the high slot as Blankenship was streaking in. As Tomcikova misplayed the puck, Terra Rasmussen put on a shot from the blueline and it rang off the left pipe.
However, Tomcikova couldn’t contain the Gophers in the second period as Minnesota scored three times. Jocelyne Lamoureux scored on her own rebound at 3:56 in the second with Rachael Drazan adding the single assist. Monique Lamoureux scored the next two Gopher goals at 7:04 and 17:50 in the second. Monique scored her fifth short-handed goal of the season at 7:04 in the second. On the penalty kill, Jocelyne Lamoureux found Monique at the BSU blueline and scored on a breakaway. Michelle Maunu tallied the second assist. Lamoureux scored her second goal of the period at 17:50 when she used a great back-handed play at the top of the crease to lift the puck just underneath the crossbar for her 36th goal of the season.
Gigi Marvin netted her 25th goal of the season when she went high against Tomcikova at 2:40 in the third with a single assist to Chelsey Jones. BSU got on the board when Erin Johnson scored her 10th goal of the season. However, Jocelyne Lamoureux put the game back to a four-goal deficit when she scored her 26th goal of the season at 14:37 in the third with the assists to Monique Lamoureux and Anne Schleper.
Of Minnesota’s 20 skaters, 16 have produced double-digit point seasons. Monique Lamoureux has 71 points, followed by Jocelyne Lamoureux with 61 and Marvin with 49.
Jenny Lura picked up her 15th win of the season when she had six saves in the first and second and three in the third. Kim Hanlon also saw action in the third period and had seven saves.
