University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
9-1-0, 7-1-0-0WCHA
North Dakota
6-2-2, 4-2-2-1WCHA
Gophers Split at UND
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Oct. 30, 2015
GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- A third-period rally was not enough as the Minnesota women's hockey team dropped its first game of the season with a 4-3 road loss at No. 7 North Dakota Friday night.
The Gophers (9-1-0, 7-1-0-0 WCHA) fell in game two of the series after earning a 5-1 win over North Dakota (6-2-2, 4-2-2-1 WCHA) on Thursday night. Dani Cameranesi (1g-1a) and Hannah Brandt (2a) each had multiple points in the loss, and Minnesota also received goals from Brook Garzone and Kelly Pannek.
Amanda Leveille made a season-high 27 saves, and shots on goal were even at 31 each. UND netminder Shelby Amsley-Benzie made 28 saves, and North Dakota was led by Meghan Dufault's three-point night (2g-1a) while Amy Menke also scored twice, including the game-winner.
"Well, tough one here tonight," head coach Brad Frost said. "It just felt like right from the drop of the puck we didn't have the jump that we did last night, in particular, in the first and second.
"A great attempt at a comeback there in the third, we finally got back to playing the way we know we can and were pursuing the puck and getting it to the net. It was too little too late. Hopefully this is something we can learn from as we go forward."
Garzone put Minnesota on the board at the 16:40 mark of the first period, and the Gophers took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. UND scored three second-period goals, including two by Dufault in a nine-second span.
"They came out strong," Lee Stecklein said between the second and third period. "We have to find something inside of us. There are obviously a lot of technical adjustments, but it's really just finding a way to work hard and put everything on the ice. We figured out how to do it against UMD, and we need to figure out how to do it here."
Trailing 3-1 heading into the third, the Gophers cut UND's lead to one with a goal by Pannek, her 10th of the season, at the 7:01 mark of the final stanza. However, Menke responded for North Dakota just 1:45 later. Cameranesi netted her 10th goal of the season wit 2:39 remaining and the Gophers pulled Leveille for the extra attacker but could not tally the equalizer.
"You never like to lose a game, but when you lose you have to learn from it and get better from it," Frost said. "So, we will definitely do that. North Dakota played a great game and competed really hard and did enough to get the win."
Both teams were scoreless on the power play with Minnesota going 0-for-3 while going a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. The Gophers could not capitalize on a five-minute power play just 3:13 into the game when UND's Tanja Eisenschmid took a five-minute major and a game misconduct penalty for checking from behind.
In the first period, it appeared as though Brandt had scored her 100th career goal. She was originally credited with Minnesota's first goal of the game, but it was credited to Garzone on a tip after review. Brandt remains fourth in Minnesota history with 99 career goals along with ranking second all-time with 242 points and 143 assists.
Minnesota is off next weekend while Sarah Potomak and several Minnesota alumni represent their countries 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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