University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Wisconsin
Gophers Fall 5-3 to Wisconsin in Championship Game
3/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
The No. 1 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team fell in the WCHA championship game to No. 2 Wisconsin, 5-3, today at Ridder Arena. With the loss, the Golden Gophers drop to 31-4-3 on the season, while Wisconsin improved to 31-2-5 on the year.
After a scoreless first period, Wisconsin struck twice in a little over a minute and a half when it netted two goals at 9:46 and 10:43. Jasmine Giles scored on a five-on-three attempt at 9:46 with Angie Keseley and Hilary Knight on the assists. Meghan Duggan lit the lamp just as a Gopher penalty expired at 10:43. Rachael Drazan lost her stick during the penalty kill. As she was trying to defend Duggan without a stick, Duggan fired in a shot past Grogan for her 22nd goal of the season.
However, Minnesota cut Wisconsin’s lead to one heading into the final period of play. Terra Rasmussen scored her seventh goal of the season at 15:27 in the second when she fired the puck through Jessie Vetter’s five-hole. Sarah Erickson started the play when she won the faceoff and Michelle Maunu tipped the puck in from the blueline and Rasmussen brought it through the left circle for the goal.
However, Wisconsin jumped out to a 5-1 lead scoring three goals in the third. Erika Lawler scored an even-strength goal at 7:10 in the third period, while Hilary Knight and Malee Windmeier assisted on the play. Rachel Bible and Knight each netted power-play goals at 14:52 and 15:13 in the third to give the Badgers a four-goal lead. Minnesota retaliated when Dagney Willey scored her first goal in two years at 17:08 in the third. Willey threw the puck at the net and it went off Alycia Matthews’ skate and into the net. Brittany Francis scored a short-handed goal at 19:28 when she capitalized on a rebound attempt. Michelle Maunu put the first shot on net, while Francis followed as she crashed the net. Gigi Marvin tallied the second assist.
The Gophers will await to hear who they will face in the NCAA quarterfinals next weekend. The announcement will be made at 5 p.m. tonight.
WCHA Championships Quotes:
University of Minnesota Head Coach Brad Frost:
Opening statement...
“We are obviously disappointed in the outcome of today’s game. I thought we did some good things early on, but we are not going to win too many games here if we are taking eleven penalties. They were 3-11 on power-plays and we were 0-5 and that is the difference in the game. We competed and we battled, but we became a little undisciplined at times and it is a good learning tool for us. I think going forward here, you can make some mistakes against teams that maybe you should beat, but when you play a team with the caliber like Wisconsin and others that we are going to face next week, we have to be at our best and do what is necessary to win hockey games and we didn’t do it tonight. I credit Wisconsin too, they played very well. They wanted it just as bad as we did and they did what was necessary to win.”
Senior defenseman Melaine Gagnon
On Wisconsin’s offense...
“They are a great team. They bottled up the neutral zone and we didn’t play our game. We didn’t play heads up hockey. We thought that maybe if they are that aggressive we could chip it by them but we were trying to do the fancy plays. I don’t know if it was because it was the WCHA final and we wanted to look good on paper but we didn’t do the little things and that what was the game maker. They wanted it more than us. They pushed and we weren’t smart enough to push behind them.”
University of Wisconsin Head Coach Mark Johnson:
Opening Statement...
“I guess every game has its own story. As a coach and players, you try to figure out how the game will go in the back off your mind. I don’t think anyone anticipated the first 10 to 12 minutes of the game where both teams played five on three situations. I am very happy for our team. I thought that they competed very hard today as they did yesterday. We certainly had a short turn around. They played hard and earned the victory today and that is what I told them after the game. They came out and played six good periods. The beginning of the third period was probably as well as we have played all season. In regards to taking care of the puck, we did the things that we needed to have a chance to win the hockey game. It was fun to watch the kids do that at this time in the year.”
Senior Goaltender, Jessie Vetter
On Wisconsin’s defense as a whole...
“I think that this whole weekend, the defense has done a good job of not giving teams second opportunities. What could be an opportunity for a team, our defense shuts the door and stop them. Our defense played really well this weekend. Our team all together as a defense played very well. They made my job a little easier today. I had some fluky goals towards the end but I know that’s what happens in the game.”
