University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
12-1-0, 9-1-0
Yale
1-5-1, 1-2-1
Gophers Win 6-3 Over Yale
11/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Nov. 20, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - Dani Cameranesi scored a hat trick and Hannah Brandt became Minnesota's all-time career assists leader as the No. 3 Golden Gopher women's hockey team earned a 6-3 non-conference win over Yale University Friday night at Ridder Arena.
Cameranesi led Minnesota (12-1-0, 9-1-0 WCHA) with three goals while her linemates Brandt (1g-2a) and Sarah Potomak (1g-2a) also had three points each. Kate Schipper had a multi-point game with a pair of assists as well.
Brandt's second assist of the game made her the Gopher women's hockey program record-holder for career assists. She surpassed Natalie Darwitz's total of 144 career assists and now stands at 145 career assists, which ranks fifth in NCAA history.
Two of Yale's three goals came on the power play as the Bulldogs (1-5-1, 1-2-1 ECAC Hockey) received goals from Courtney Pensavalle and Eden Murray, along with an even-strength tally by Phoebe Staenz. Amanda Leveille finished with 14 saves while Hanna Mandl made 31 saves for the visitors. The Gophers outshot Yale, 37-17.
Minnesota scored three-straight goals before Yale got on the board in the 18th minute of the opening period. Kelly Pannek scored at 7:25 of the opening frame before Cameranesi scored back-to-back goals three minutes apart at 11:11 and 14:11. Pensavalle then put the Bulldogs on the board with 2:11 remaining in the period.
"It was a good win here tonight," head coach Brad Frost said. "Yale is a new team for us that we don't play a whole lot. To play a team from the east is always fun. I thought we came out of the gates fairly quickly there, which was pretty important to get them on their heels right away and extend that lead.
"Obviously not real happy about giving up three here tonight, but there are some things that we'll continue to clean up and continue to get better at. Overall, a real good win here tonight against a very good club, so we're excited about it."
Potomak scored her fifth goal as a Gopher at 7:07 of the second period, and Cameranesi completed her third career hat trick just under five minutes later to give Minnesota a 5-1 lead. The Bulldogs again scored the final goal of the period as Murray made it 5-2 on the power-play at 16:21 of the second period.
The Bulldogs cut the Gophers' lead to two with a goal by Staenz 2:25 into the third period, but Brandt extended Minnesota's lead back to three with her 15th goal of the season at 6:45 of the third and sealed the 6-3 win.
Minnesota was one-for-two on the power play while Yale was a perfect two-for-two with the man advantage.
The Gophers and Bulldogs meet in game two of the non-conference series at 7 p.m. CT Saturday night at Ridder Arena.
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