University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set For Mercyhurst and Frozen Four
3/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
GOPHERS RETURN TO THE FROZEN FOUR
The No. 2 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team will have a chance at the national title this week as the Golden Gophers will compete in the NCAA Frozen Four, March 20-22 in Boston, Mass. The Gophers will play No. 3 seed Mercyhurst, Friday at 8 p.m. (ET). The winner of the game will then play on Sunday, noon (ET) and will battle the winner of the Minnesota Duluth/Wisconsin game for the national championship.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Friday’s game can be found on gophersports.com with Dan Hamann will providing the Gopher play-by-play. A video webcast can be found on NCAA.com. If the Gophers advance to the championship game, the game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network.
MINNESOTA IN NCAA ACTION
Friday’s game marks the sixth time the Gophers have competed at the NCAA Frozen Four and the first time since 2006. Minnesota has won two NCAA national titles (2004, 2005) and won an AWCHA championship, prior to the NCAA supporting women’s hockey as a sport. Minnesota’s last appearance at the big dance came in 2006 when the University hosted the Frozen Four at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers finished as the national runner-up that year, falling to Wisconsin, 3-0 in the title game. With the NCAA regional games beginning in 2005, Minnesota has competed in NCAA competition seven times. During that time, the Gophers hold an 8-5-1 mark in NCAA action. Should the Gophers advance to Sunday’s championship game, it would be Minnesota’s fourth time playing in the championship game. Minnesota competed for the title in three-straight years (2004, 2005 and 2006) and hold a 2-1 record.
REPRESENTING THE WCHA
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is well represented at the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four with three of the four teams coming from the conference. All three have been highly ranked throughout the season and were all ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation at some point this season. The 2009 Frozen Four marks the first time that three WCHA teams have made it to the national championship. Coincidentally, since the WCHA established the women’s league, the conference has won all nine previous national championships, dating back to 2000 (one AWCHA, eight NCAA).
ABOUT THE LAKERS
Mercyhurst enters the Frozen Four with a 30-5-0 overall record and finished the conference season with a perfect 16-0-0 mark in College Hockey America action. Based out of Erie, Pa., the Lakers are riding on a 16-game win streak, dating back to Jan. 16 when they fell to Connecticut, 3-2. Since their last loss, Mercyhurst has outscored its opponents, 90-24. On the special teams, Mercyhurst holds a 24.2 percent on the power play and have killed off 220 of their 249 penalties for an 88.4 percent. Although the Gophers hold the most penalties in the nation, Mercyhurst is second, committing 272 penalties for 544 minutes. Mercyhurst has arguably one of the best forwards in the nation in Patty Kazmaier finalist Meghan Agosta. Leading the nation in points per game (2.53), goals per game (1.30) and assists per game (1.23), Agosta has 76 points for the Lakers and is a member of the Canadian National Team. Skating on Agosta’s line is the second-leading scorer, Jesse Scanzano, with 59 points, and Jess Jones with 33 points. Valerie Chouinard is an assistant captain and has 43 points, while Vicki Bendus was the CHA Rookie of the Year and a member of the Goaltender Hillary Pattenden has seen action in 25 games and holds a .911 save percentage and a 1.74 goals against average.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Mercyhurst won the College Hockey America championship over Wayne State by a 6-1 margin. The Lakers then received the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted St. Lawrence last Saturday. After St. Lawrence held an early 1-0 lead after one period, Mercyhurst went on to score three unanswered goals for the 3-1 win and a trip to the NCAA championships. Kelley Steadman tied the game at 2:15 in the second period, while Meghan Agosta scored the game-winning, power-play goal at 14:35 in the second. Jess Jones scored an unassisted insurance goal at 3:35 in the third. Hillary Pattenden collected her 23rd win of the season when she stopped 12 of 13 SLU attempts.
Minnesota won the WCHA regular season championship with a 23-2-3 conference record, but fell in the WCHA championship game, 5-3, to Wisconsin. With the loss, the Gophers received the second overall seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted Boston College last Saturday at Ridder Arena. The Gophers jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held onto win 4-3 after BC scored a power-play goal in both the second and the third period to cut the Gopher lead to one. Gigi Marvin had two goals, while Rachael Drazan and Brittany Francis each scored a goal to put the game at 4-3.
THE LAST TIME
Like their last Frozen Four appearance, Minnesota has not faced the Lakers since the 2005-06 season. Overall, the Gophers hold a 6-0-0 record against the Lakers, dating back to January 6, 2001 when the Gophers hosted Mercyhurst at Mariucci Arena. The last series played between the two teams came on Oct. 21-22, 2005 as the Gophers traveled to Erie, Pa. and won, 1-0 and 4-2, respectively.
GOPHERS AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE TEAMS
During the course of the 2008-09 season, Minnesota held a 6-1 record against non-conference teams. The Gophers fell to Robert Morris in the first game of the season, but split against the Colonials with a 7-1 win the next day. The Maroon and Gold later swept Harvard in November and Niagara in January to close out the non-conference, regular season schedule. Boston College was the first Hockey East team Minnesota faced all year and earned a 4-3 win over the Eagles last Saturday.
The No. 2 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team will have a chance at the national title this week as the Golden Gophers will compete in the NCAA Frozen Four, March 20-22 in Boston, Mass. The Gophers will play No. 3 seed Mercyhurst, Friday at 8 p.m. (ET). The winner of the game will then play on Sunday, noon (ET) and will battle the winner of the Minnesota Duluth/Wisconsin game for the national championship.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS
Friday’s game can be found on gophersports.com with Dan Hamann will providing the Gopher play-by-play. A video webcast can be found on NCAA.com. If the Gophers advance to the championship game, the game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network.
MINNESOTA IN NCAA ACTION
Friday’s game marks the sixth time the Gophers have competed at the NCAA Frozen Four and the first time since 2006. Minnesota has won two NCAA national titles (2004, 2005) and won an AWCHA championship, prior to the NCAA supporting women’s hockey as a sport. Minnesota’s last appearance at the big dance came in 2006 when the University hosted the Frozen Four at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers finished as the national runner-up that year, falling to Wisconsin, 3-0 in the title game. With the NCAA regional games beginning in 2005, Minnesota has competed in NCAA competition seven times. During that time, the Gophers hold an 8-5-1 mark in NCAA action. Should the Gophers advance to Sunday’s championship game, it would be Minnesota’s fourth time playing in the championship game. Minnesota competed for the title in three-straight years (2004, 2005 and 2006) and hold a 2-1 record.
REPRESENTING THE WCHA
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is well represented at the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four with three of the four teams coming from the conference. All three have been highly ranked throughout the season and were all ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation at some point this season. The 2009 Frozen Four marks the first time that three WCHA teams have made it to the national championship. Coincidentally, since the WCHA established the women’s league, the conference has won all nine previous national championships, dating back to 2000 (one AWCHA, eight NCAA).
ABOUT THE LAKERS
Mercyhurst enters the Frozen Four with a 30-5-0 overall record and finished the conference season with a perfect 16-0-0 mark in College Hockey America action. Based out of Erie, Pa., the Lakers are riding on a 16-game win streak, dating back to Jan. 16 when they fell to Connecticut, 3-2. Since their last loss, Mercyhurst has outscored its opponents, 90-24. On the special teams, Mercyhurst holds a 24.2 percent on the power play and have killed off 220 of their 249 penalties for an 88.4 percent. Although the Gophers hold the most penalties in the nation, Mercyhurst is second, committing 272 penalties for 544 minutes. Mercyhurst has arguably one of the best forwards in the nation in Patty Kazmaier finalist Meghan Agosta. Leading the nation in points per game (2.53), goals per game (1.30) and assists per game (1.23), Agosta has 76 points for the Lakers and is a member of the Canadian National Team. Skating on Agosta’s line is the second-leading scorer, Jesse Scanzano, with 59 points, and Jess Jones with 33 points. Valerie Chouinard is an assistant captain and has 43 points, while Vicki Bendus was the CHA Rookie of the Year and a member of the Goaltender Hillary Pattenden has seen action in 25 games and holds a .911 save percentage and a 1.74 goals against average.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Mercyhurst won the College Hockey America championship over Wayne State by a 6-1 margin. The Lakers then received the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted St. Lawrence last Saturday. After St. Lawrence held an early 1-0 lead after one period, Mercyhurst went on to score three unanswered goals for the 3-1 win and a trip to the NCAA championships. Kelley Steadman tied the game at 2:15 in the second period, while Meghan Agosta scored the game-winning, power-play goal at 14:35 in the second. Jess Jones scored an unassisted insurance goal at 3:35 in the third. Hillary Pattenden collected her 23rd win of the season when she stopped 12 of 13 SLU attempts.
Minnesota won the WCHA regular season championship with a 23-2-3 conference record, but fell in the WCHA championship game, 5-3, to Wisconsin. With the loss, the Gophers received the second overall seed in the NCAA tournament and hosted Boston College last Saturday at Ridder Arena. The Gophers jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held onto win 4-3 after BC scored a power-play goal in both the second and the third period to cut the Gopher lead to one. Gigi Marvin had two goals, while Rachael Drazan and Brittany Francis each scored a goal to put the game at 4-3.
THE LAST TIME
Like their last Frozen Four appearance, Minnesota has not faced the Lakers since the 2005-06 season. Overall, the Gophers hold a 6-0-0 record against the Lakers, dating back to January 6, 2001 when the Gophers hosted Mercyhurst at Mariucci Arena. The last series played between the two teams came on Oct. 21-22, 2005 as the Gophers traveled to Erie, Pa. and won, 1-0 and 4-2, respectively.
GOPHERS AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE TEAMS
During the course of the 2008-09 season, Minnesota held a 6-1 record against non-conference teams. The Gophers fell to Robert Morris in the first game of the season, but split against the Colonials with a 7-1 win the next day. The Maroon and Gold later swept Harvard in November and Niagara in January to close out the non-conference, regular season schedule. Boston College was the first Hockey East team Minnesota faced all year and earned a 4-3 win over the Eagles last Saturday.
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