University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers, Huskies to Battle at Braemar Arena
11/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| No. 2 Minnesota (11-1-2) vs. St. Cloud State (5-8-1) | |
| Game Info | 2014 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Women's Faceoff Classic |
| Monday, Nov. 24 | 7 p.m. CT | Braemar Arena | Edina, Minn. | |
| Tickets | $7 Adults | $5 Youth/Seniors | $1 Students wearing hockey jerseys |
| Coverage | Game Day Live | Free Audio | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | St. Cloud State |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Nov. 23, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS - No. 2 Minnesota (11-1-2, 9-1-2-0 WCHA) faces St. Cloud State (5-8-1, 2-5-1-1 WCHA) in a rare Monday night matchup for the 2014 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT at Braemar Arena in Edina, Minn. Free audio and live stats will be available at GopherSports.com.
Tickets for the game are on sale now through Braemar Arena, priced at $7 for adults and $5 for youth and seniors. Kids wearing their youth hockey jerseys will receive $1 admission. All tickets are general admission.
The doors will open at 6 p.m., and fans should plan to arrive early. Those planning to purchase tickets at the door the night of the game should bring cash; credit cards will also be accepted, and an ATM is located in the lobby of Braemar Arena. Parking at Braemar is free.
About the Matchup: Minnesota vs. St. Cloud State
Minnesota is 62-3-2 all-time against St. Cloud State, dating back to Nov. 15, 1997. The Gophers have won the last 20 meetings between the two teams. Minnesota went 6-0-0 against the Huskies last season, including a postseason sweep in the WCHA first round.
The Gophers also swept St. Cloud State twice during the 2012-13 regular season, winning 4-1 and 4-3 in early November and picking up 3-0 and 3-1 victories at Ridder Arena in late January before winning 4-1 and 7-1 in the best two-of-three WCHA series.
Scouting the Opponent: St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State (5-8-1, 2-5-1-1 WCHA) enters Monday night's game looking to snap a four-game losing streak. The Huskies have been shut out in their last three games, most recently being swept by the Badgers, 4-0 and 3-0 in St. Cloud, Minn., last weekend. Before that, SCSU dropped a series to Minnesota Duluth at home, 6-1 and 1-0.
The Huskies are led by junior forward Molly Illikainen's 12 points on eight goals and four assists in 14 games played. Seniors Audrey Hanmer (3g-6a) and Abby Ness (2g-5a) round out SCSU's top three scoring leaders so far this season.
Senior Julie Friend and junior Katie Fitzgerald have split time in net for SCSU. Friend has appeared in eight games with a 4-4-0 record, a .909 save percentage and a 3.14 goals against average. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald is 1-4-1 and ranks eighth in the NCAA with a .938 save percentage and ninth in the nation with a 1.59 goals against average.
Gopher Quick Hits
- Dani Cameranesi scored her second hat trick of the season last weekend against the Mavericks, totaling four goals for the series. She is tied for the national lead with four game-winning goals this year.
- Sydney Baldwin recorded her first collegiate point with an assist in Minnesota's 4-0 win over Minnesota State Saturday.
- Hannah Brandt leads the WCHA and ranks third in the nation with 24 points.
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Minnesota State
Last weekend, the Gophers earned a home-and-home sweep over Minnesota State. Minnesota secured a 5-1 victory on the road last Friday before completing the series sweep with a 4-0 win Saturday at Ridder Arena. Hannah Brandt (2g-3a) and Dani Cameranesi (4g) led the Gophers, combining for nine points in the series. All three Gopher goaltenders saw two periods of action against the Mavericks as well.
Friday's 5-1 win over the Mavericks saw Cameranesi score her second hat trick of the season. Five other Gophers recorded multiple points in Rachel Ramsey (2a), Rachael Bona (2a), Maryanne Menefee (2a), Milica McMillen (1g-1a) and Brandt (1g-1a). The Gophers outshot the Mavericks, 57-16, marking Minnesota's most shots on goal in a single game so far this season.
Brandt led the way with three points (2g-1a), and eight different Gophers had at least one point in Saturday's 4-0 shutout win over Minnesota State. Stecklein recorded two assists, and Minnesota also received goals from Cameranesi and Bona in the win.
Minnesota outshot Minnesota State, 109-29, in the two games. Amanda Leveille started the weekend in net for Minnesota with 14 saves in the first two periods Friday, and Shyler Sletta stopped the lone shot she faced in Friday's third period. Sletta and Sidney Peters then split time in game two of the series as Peters made eight saves in two periods and Sletta made five stops in Saturday's third period.
Home, Sweet Home
The Gophers are 49-2-2 in their last 53 home games, dating back to Feb. 18, 2012. This season, Minnesota ranks second in the nation in home attendance, averaging 1,939 fans per game in six home games.
Offensive Defense
The Gophers' defensemen lead the WCHA blue-liners in scoring, averaging 3.50 points per game. McMillen (7g-8a) ranks fifth in the nation and leads the WCHA defensemen with 15 points on the year. Fellow Gopher blue-liners Rachel Ramsey (2g-9a) and Lee Stecklein (11a) rank among the league's top five defensive scorers as well.
Spreading the Wealth
Seventeen of Minnesota's 18 skaters have registered at least one point this season, including all four of the Gophers' rookies. Freshmen Sydney Baldwin (1a), Kelly Pannek (1g-7a), Cara Piazza (3g-2a) and Nina Rodgers (1a) have all recorded their first collegiate points. Seven Gophers are in double-figures for scoring, led by Hannah Brandt (12g-12a) and Dani Cameranesi (13g-7a).
Brandt (12g-12a) and Cameranesi (13g-7a) rank among the nation's top seven scorers with 1.85 points per game and 1.54 points per game, respectively. Cameranesi's 13 goals lead the WCHA and rank second in the nation.
With 55 goals in 14 games, the Gophers' offense ranks second in the WCHA and fourth in the nation, averaging 3.93 goals per game. Meanwhile, Minnesota's 1.29 goals against average leads the WCHA and ranks fourth in the NCAA.
Leveille Leads WCHA Goaltenders
Goaltender Amanda Leveille leads the WCHA and ranks sixth in the nation with a 1.49 goals against average. She is also third in the league and ninth in the NCAA with a .937 save percentage. Leveille leads the WCHA and ranks third in the nation with a .864 winning percentage (9-1-1) as well.
Special Teams Leaders
The Gophers have the nation's second-ranked power-play unit (trailing only Harvard, which is 2-for-5). Minnesota has converted on 20-of-58 opportunities for a .345 percentage. Dani Cameranesi and Milica McMillen are tied for the NCAA lead with five power-play goals each this season. The Gophers rank fifth in the league and are tied for 10th in the nation with a .882 penalty kill percentage (45-for-51).
Senior Class Boasts Impressive Winning Percentage
Minnesota's senior class of Rachael Bona, Meghan Lorence, Rachel Ramsey, Shyler Sletta owns a 124-8-5 overall record for a .923 winning percentage during their time in Maroon & Gold, including a 11-1-2 mark this season.
Winning Ways
Minnesota is 106-4-4 in the team's last 114 games, a stretch that included an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak (Feb. 28, 2012 through Nov. 17, 2013).
Up Next: Gophers Travel East to Face Tigers
Minnesota travels to Princeton University for a non-conference series this Saturday and Sunday. Puck drop is set for 1 p.m. CT both days. Free audio and live stats will be available at GopherSports.com, and both games will be streamed online via the Ivy League Digital Network (subscription required).
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