University of Minnesota Athletics
Top-10 Battle Pits Gophers Against UND
10/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| No. 1 Minnesota (8-0-0) at No. 7 North Dakota (5-1-2) | |
| Game 1 | Thursday, Oct. 29 | 7 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Friday, Oct. 30 | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Ralph Engelstad Arena | Grand Forks, N.D. |
| Game 1 | Game Day Live | UND Video | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Game 2 | Game Day Live | UND Video | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | North Dakota |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Oct. 26, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - No. 1 Minnesota (8-0-0, 6-0-0 WCHA) travels to No. 7 North Dakota (5-1-2, 3-1-2-1 WCHA) this week. The Gophers and UND face off at 7 p.m. CT Thursday and Friday nights at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The series marks Minnesota's first nationally ranked opponent of the season.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. North Dakota
Minnesota enters this weekend's series with a 46-7-0 all-time record against North Dakota. The series dates back to Nov. 29, 2003 when the Gophers won the first-ever meeting between the two teams, 6-2. Last season, Minnesota was 3-1-0 against UND, most recently splitting a series on the road in Grand Forks, N.D. The Gophers own a 13-2-0 mark against North Dakota over the last three seasons.
Scouting the Opponent: North Dakota
No. 7 North Dakota (5-1-2, 3-1-2-1 WCHA) enters this weekend's series after a three-point weekend on the road at St. Cloud State. UND earned a 3-0 win before rallying for a 4-4 overtime tie (1-0 shootout loss) with the Huskies. North Dakota opened the season with four-straight wins, sweeping RPI and Minnesota State.
Junior Amy Menke leads UND with 11 points (3g-8a). Seniors Meghan Dufault and Layla Marvin are tied for the team lead with four goals each. In total, nine UND players have scored goals and 16 have recorded at least one point this season. Two goaltenders have split time this year, as senior Shelby Amsley-Benzie is 3-0-1 with a .930 save percentage and a 0.98 goals against average. Meanwhile, junior Lexie Shaw is 2-1-1 with a .873 save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average.
UND posted a 22-12-3 overall record and went 16-9-3 in WCHA play last season. North Dakota returns its top three scorers from a year ago in Dufault (11g-20a), Becca Kohler (11g-19a) and Menke (15g-13a). Amsley-Benzie and Shaw split time last year with Amsley-Benzie playing in 28 games and Shaw seeing action in nine.
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Bulldogs
The Golden Gophers swept Minnesota Duluth at home last weekend, winning 5-2 and 6-1. Kelly Pannek (3g-3a), Dani Cameranesi (3g-1a), Hannah Brandt (3a) and Milica McMillen (3a) led the Gophers against the Bulldogs.
In Friday's 5-2 win, Kelly Pannek (2g-1a) and Milica McMillen (3a) led the Gophers with three points each. Minnesota scored five unanswered goals after the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead on a pair of power-play goals. Dani Cameranesi scored the game-winning goal, and McMillen became the sixth Gopher defenseman all-time to surpass 100 career points.
In Minnesota's 6-1 win, Kelly Pannek (1g-2a) and Dani Cameranesi (2g-1a) led the way with three points each. Cameranesi scored her second-straight game-winning goal, and the Gophers scored four second-period goals.
Second-Period Scoring
For the season, Minnesota has scored 29 second-period goals, compared to 11 in the first period and 14 in the third period. The Gophers have outscored their opponents, 29-2, in the middle frame.
Career Record Watch: Brandt Poised to Make History
Hannah Brandt is the NCAA's active career scoring leader with 239 career points (99 goals, 140 assists). She ranks second in Minnesota history and ninth in NCAA history. Brandt needs just eight more points to surpass Natalie Darwitz (246 points) as the Gophers' all-time career points leader and five more assists to surpass Darwitz (144 assists) as the Gophers' all-time career assists leader. She is one goal away from becoming the fourth Gopher all-time to reach 100-career goals (Nadine Muzerall, 139; Krissy Wendell, 106; Natalie Darwitz, 102) as well.
McMillen Sets Scoring Milestone
Milica McMillen became the sixth Gopher defensemen in program history to surpass 100-career points, joining Megan Bozek (146), Winny Brodt (134), Rachel Ramsey (130), Anne Schleper (114), and Courtney Kennedy (112). She recorded her 100th-career point in Minnesota's 5-2 win over Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 23). Among all-time Gopher defensemen, McMillen ranks third in career goals (38), sixth in career points (101) and tied for seventh in career assists (63).
Offensive Defense
Megan Wolfe is tied for the national lead in scoring among defensemen, averaging 1.25 points per game. Her nine assists are tied for second on the team, and her 1.12 assists per game rank tied for seventh in the NCAA. As a defensive unit, the Gophers lead the nation in scoring among defensemen averaging 4.62 points per game.
Point Streaks
Kelly Pannek extended her team-leading point streak to 10 games, dating back to the 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four semifinal game against Wisconsin on March 20, 2015. Meanwhile, Cara Piazza and Sarah Potomak also have points in each of Minnesota's eight games so far this season.
Power-Play Leaders
The Gophers lead the nation at .500 (13/26) on the power play. Dani Cameranesi is tied for the national lead with four power-play goals, and Kelly Pannek is tied for third in the NCAA with three.
Skate with the Gophers on Nov. 14
Fans have the opportunity to take the ice with the defending national champion Minnesota women's hockey at the program's annual Skate with the Gophers event on Saturday, Nov. 14. The event will follow the Gophers' game against Bemidji State at Ridder Arena. Registration for Skate with the Gophers is now open.
Youth VIP Season Pass Returns for 2015-16
The Gopher Women's Hockey Youth VIP Season Pass is again available this season. This program provides girls and boys in eighth grade or under with free admission to all regular season Gopher women's hockey games at Ridder Arena. Registration for the Youth VIP Season Pass is available now.
New perks of being a Gopher Women's Hockey Youth VIP Season Pass holder this season include exclusive in-game giveaways and the opportunity for parents, family members, and others to purchase VIP guest passes for a reduced rate from the standard single-game ticket price. VIP pass holder guests can purchase their ticket at the game or by calling the Gopher Fan Relations Office at 612-624-8080.
WCHA Final Face-off Returns to Ridder Arena
The 2016 WCHA Final Face-Off will be held March 5-6 at Ridder Arena, and all-tournament ticket packages are on sale now. All-tournament packages are priced at $20 (general admission bench for seniors/students and youth), $25 (general admission bench for adults) and $35 (reserved chairback). Packages include two tickets - one ticket for Saturday, March 5 which includes access to both semifinal games (at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT, respectively) and one ticket for the WCHA championship game Sunday, March 6 (2 p.m. CT).
Gophers Named to Four Nations Cup Rosters
Sarah Potomak will join four Minnesota alumni in representing their respective countries at the upcoming Four Nations Cup. Potomak and former Gopher Sarah Davis will represent Canada, while alumni Megan Bozek, Gigi Marvin and Anne Schleper will skate for the U.S. at the upcoming tournament. The 20th annual Four Nations Cup will bring together four of the world's top women's hockey countries - Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States. The tournament is scheduled for Nov. 4-8 at the Sundsvall Energi Arena in Sundsvall, Sweden.
Maroon & Gold Roster Breakdown
Minnesota returns 16 players from its 2015 national championship team, including seven of its top 10 scorers from a year ago led by senior Hannah Brandt and junior Dani Cameranesi. Brandt led the Gophers and ranked second in the nation with 74 points (34 goals, 40 assists), while Cameranesi posted her career-best 65 points (23 goals, 42 assists) as a sophomore in 2014-15.
The Gophers also return All-American defensemen Lee Stecklein and Milica McMillen to strengthen the blue line. The team will look to Megan Wolfe and Sydney Baldwin along with the addition of freshmen Sophie Skarzynski and Anna Barlow to further bolster the defensive corps.
Senior goaltender Amanda Leveille suits up for her final season in Maroon & Gold, following a junior season with a 1.18 GAA and a .946 save percentage. Leveille's goals against average ranked third in the national rankings, while her save percentage ranked second in the NCAA in 2014-15.
The 2015-16 season marks Brad Frost's ninth season as the head coach of the Gophers. Frost began his ninth year at the helm with an overall record of 258-41-21 (.839). At 8-0-0 so far this season, Frost needs just 13 more wins to surpass Laura Halldorson (278-67-22) as the winningest coach in Gopher women's hockey history.
A Look at the 2015-16 Schedule
Minnesota's 2015-16 schedule features two exhibition games against the Minnesota Whitecaps, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, an always-challenging WCHA slate, and the return of the WCHA Final Face-off to Ridder Arena. In addition to Penn State, the Gophers' non-conference schedule also includes a series against Yale at Ridder Arena Nov. 20-21.
Duo Serving as Team Captains
Senior Hannah Brandt and junior Lee Stecklein have been named Minnesota's captains this season. Brandt is in her first season as a team captain, and Stecklein was an assistant captain last year.
Looking Back at Minnesota's Sixth National Title
Minnesota capped its 2014-15 season by winning the program's third NCAA title in the last four years and its sixth overall national crown. The Gophers finished the season with an overall record of 34-3-4. Last season's Gophers also captured the program's ninth WCHA regular-season title.
Top-seeded Minnesota defeated No. 3 seed Harvard by a score of 4-1 in the 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four national championship game at Ridder Arena. Minnesota advanced to its fourth-straight NCAA title game with a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Wisconsin in front of a sold-out crowd at Ridder Arena in the Frozen Four semifinal round.
Up Next: Four Nations Cup Bye Week
Minnesota is off next weekend while Sarah Potomak represents Canada in the Four Nations Cup in Sundsvall, Sweden. The Gophers are back in action when they host Bemidji State at Ridder Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. CT Friday, Nov. 13 and 4 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 14.
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