University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers to Face BSU in Regular-Season Finale
2/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| No. 2 Minnesota (27-2-4) at Bemidji State (18-13-1) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, Feb. 20 | 2 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, Feb. 21 | 2 p.m. |
| Location | Sanford Center | Bemidji, Minn. |
| Game 1 | Game Day Live | BSU Video ($) | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Game 2 | Game Day Live | BSU Video ($) | 105 FM The Ticket | Live Stats |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Bemidji State |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Feb. 18, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - No. 2 Minnesota (27-2-4, 20-2-4-2 WCHA) wraps up the 2014-15 regular season on the road at Bemidji State (18-13-1, 13-12-1-1 WCHA) this weekend. Puck drop between the Beavers and Gophers is set for 2 p.m. CT Friday and Saturday.
BSU will provide subscription video at BSUBeavers.com, and free audio and live stats will be available at GopherSports.com for both games. Saturday's game will also air live on Sports Radio 105 FM The Ticket in Minneapolis.
ABOUT THE SERIES: MINNESOTA VS. BEMIDJI STATE
The Gophers are 58-5-7 all-time against Bemidji State. This season, Minnesota is 0-1-1 against the Beavers, tying 2-2 in overtime and losing a shootout on Oct. 31 before dropping a 1-0 decision on Nov. 1. Kelly Pannek and Dani Cameranesi scored goals for Minnesota in the opening game of the series before the Beavers became the first team to shut out the Gophers since Dec. 3, 2011.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: BEMIDJI STATE
Bemidji State (18-13-1, 13-12-1-1 WCHA) enters this weekend's series on a four-game winning streak. The Beavers have recorded back-to-back sweeps over St. Cloud State and Minnesota State. BSU has outscored its opponents 12-4 over its last four games. Most recently, the Beavers swept the Mavericks, 4-0 and 4-3, on the road. Bemidji State (41 points) is currently in fifth place in the WCHA standings, one point behind fourth-place Minnesota Duluth (42 points) and one point ahead of sixth-place Ohio State (40 points).
Three junior forwards make up the Beavers' top three scorers: Kaitlyn Tougas (11g-14a), Ivana Bilic (5g-15a) and Stephanie Anderson (11g-8a). Sophomore Brittni Mowat (16-9-1) has seen the most time in net for the Beavers and ranks second in the nation with a .947 save percentage. She also lands eighth in the NCAA with a 1.56 goals against average.
Bemidji State's offense ranks fifth in the WCHA, averaging 2.38 goals per game. Defensively, the Beavers also are fourth in the conference and tied for ninth in the NCAA with a 1.69 goals against average. BSU's penalty kill ranks second in the WCHA and fourth in the NCAA at 96-for-105 (.914), and the team's combined special teams lands fifth in the nation at 112-for-207 (.541).
GOPHER QUICK HITS
- Hannah Brandt leads the WCHA and is second in the nation with 59 points, 26 goals and 33 assists.
- Kelly Pannek leads the nation's rookies with 39 points (12g-27a) and a 1.18 points per game average.
- Meghan Lorence is closing in on her 100th point, entering this weekend's series with 99 career points (48g-51a).
- Amanda Leveille ranks second in the WCHA with a 1.20 goals against average.
LAST TIME OUT: GOPHERS SWEEP UMD, EARN WCHA REGULAR-SEASON CROWN
Minnesota claimed its third-straight and ninth overall WCHA regular season title last weekend. The Gophers secured the league title with a sweep over Minnesota Duluth, winning 7-1 and 2-0. Dani Cameranesi (1g-2a), Meghan Lorence (1g-2a) and Rachel Ramsey (1g-2a) led the way with three points each against the Bulldogs. Amanda Leveille earned her sixth shutout of the season as well.
WCHA FIRST ROUND SERIES PITS GOPHERS VS. MAVERICKS
The WCHA regular-season champion Gophers will host eighth-place Minnesota State in a best-of-three games playoff series at Ridder Arena, Feb. 27 through March 1, and tickets are on sale now. Minnesota and MSU will face off at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28. Game three, if necessary, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, March 1.
The Gophers swept the Mavericks in two home-and-home series this season. Minnesota won 5-1 and 4-0 in November before recording back-to-back seven-goal games 7-3 and 7-1 wins in January.
Second-place Wisconsin will host seventh-place St. Cloud State in a first-round series as well. The remaining two match-ups will be determined by this weekend's final series of the regular season. North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Bemidji State and Ohio State are still battling for home-ice advantage.
FROST REACHES 250 CAREER WINS
Head coach Brad Frost earned his 250th career win at the helm of the program with Friday's 7-1 win over UMD. Frost enters this weekend's series against the Beavers with a career coaching record of 251-40-21 in his eighth season leading the Gophers.
GOPHER SENIORS LEAVING LEGACY
The four Gopher seniors, Rachael Bona, Meghan Lorence, Rachel Ramsey and Shyler Sletta, have a program-record .920 winning percentage during their time in Maroon & Gold with a 140-9-7 record. Their 140 wins is the most in program history.
The four seniors have combined for 367 points (138 goals, 229 assists), and Bona and Ramsey have never missed a game. The most decorated class of Gophers to come through the program, they have three appearances in the national championship game, three WCHA Final Face-off titles, three WCHA regular-season crowns and two NCAA national titles.
FROZEN FOUR RETURNS TO RIDDER ARENA
The 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four will be held at Ridder Arena March 20 and 22, and tickets are entirely sold out. Fans interested in being put on a waitlist should additional tickets be made available should contact the Gopher Sales & Service Department at 612-624-8080 (option 2).
OFFENSIVE DEFENSE
The Gophers' defensemen lead the nation's blue-liners in scoring, averaging 3.45 points per game. Rachel Ramsey (8g-22) leads the WCHA and ranks third in the nation with 0.91 points per game, and Milica McMillen (10g-13a) is third in the WCHA and seventh in the nation with 0.77 points per game.
BALANCED SCORING
Seven Gophers have hit the 30-point mark this season, led by Hannah Brandt (26g-33a), Dani Cameranesi (19g-32a) and Kelly Pannek (12g-27a). Maryanne Menefee (17g-16a) and Rachael Bona (12g-21a) round out the Gophers' top-five scorers. Thirteen Gophers are in double-figures for scoring, and all 18 skaters have at least one point. Furthermore, 16 players have scored at least one goal.
With 149 goals in 33 games, the Gophers' offense leads the WCHA and ranks second in the nation, averaging 4.52 goals per game behind Boston College (5.29). Meanwhile, Minnesota's 1.15 goals against average is second in the WCHA and ranks fourth in the NCAA behind Quinnipiac (1.09), Wisconsin (1.12) and Boston College (1.13).
LEVEILLE LEADS WCHA GOALTENDERS
Amanda Leveille ranks second in the WCHA and fourth in the nation with a 1.20 goals against average. She is also third in the NCAA and the WCHA with a .944 save percentage. Leveille leads the WCHA and ranks second in the nation with a .870 winning percentage (22-2-3) as well.
SPECIAL TEAMS LEADERS
Milica McMillen and Dani Cameranesi are tied for fifth in the nation with seven power-play goals this season, and the Gophers have the nation's top power-play unit, converting on 36 of 117 opportunities for a .308 percentage.
ROAD UNBEATEN STREAK ENDS AT 56 GAMES
Minnesota's 3-0 loss to North Dakota (Feb. 6) was the team's first road loss since a 4-2 loss at Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 13, 2012. The Gophers were unbeaten (55-0-1) in 56-straight true road games (not including neutral-site games). Minnesota travels to Bemidji, Minn., with 63-2-1 record in games away from Ridder Arena since Jan. 14, 2012.
BRANDT, GOPHERS REACH SCORING MILESTONES
Hannah Brandt became the seventh Gopher to surpass the 200-career point mark, registering her 200th point on an assist in the Gophers' 4-0 win over St. Cloud State (Jan. 23). She enters this weekend's series against Bemidji State ranked sixth among all-time Gophers with 206 points on 82 goals and 124 assists.
NATIONAL TEAM ACTION
USA Hockey recently announced that Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Lee Stecklein and alum Anne Schleper have been named to the U.S. Women's National Team roster for the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in Malmo, Sweden, March 28 to April 4.
WINNING WAYS
Minnesota is 123-5-5 in the team's last 133 games, a stretch that includes an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak (Feb. 28, 2012 through Nov. 17, 2013). The Gophers are 58-2-4 in their last 64 home games, dating back to Feb. 18, 2012.
POSTSEASON ON THE HORIZON
The WCHA First Round winners advance to the 2015 WCHA FINAL FACEOFF hosted by North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D., March 7-8. The NCAA quarterfinal round is set for March 13-15, and the 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four returns to Ridder Arena March 20 and 22.
ROOKIES FINDING THEIR WAY
All four Gopher freshmen have recorded their first collegiate points. Kelly Pannek leads the nation's rookies with 39 points (12g-27a) and a 1.18 points per game average. Cara Piazza (10g-3a), Sydney Baldwin (3g-5a) and Nina Rodgers (4g-2a) have made their way onto the score sheet as well.
UP NEXT: GOPHERS HOST MAVERICKS FOR WCHA FIRST ROUND
Minnesota returns to Ridder Arena to begin the 2015 postseason with a WCHA First Round best-of-three series with Minnesota State at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 27 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28. Game three, if necessary, is set for 4 p.m. CT Sunday, March 1.
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