University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota to Battle RIT for Frozen Four Berth
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| NCAA Quarterfinal: Minnesota (31-3-4) vs. RIT (15-18-5) | |
| Game Info | Saturday, March 14 | 4 p.m. |
| Location | Ridder Arena | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com | $10 Chairback | $5 Bench |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| Coverage | Game Day Live| Free Video| Free Audio | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | RIT |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
March 11, 2015
MINNEAPOLIS - Top-seeded Minnesota (31-3-4) will host CHA champion RIT (15-18-5) in the quarterfinals of the 2015 National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship at 4 p.m. this Saturday at Ridder Arena. The Gophers secured the top seed in the championship for the third-straight season.
ABOUT THE 2015 NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Gophers received one of four at-large berths to the national tournament after falling to No. 10 Bemidji State 1-0 in the semifinal round of the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF last weekend. WCHA champion and No. 4 seed Wisconsin, Hockey East champion Boston University and ECAC champion and No. 3 seed Harvard joined CHA champion RIT in securing automatic berths, and No. 2 seed Boston College, Clarkson, Quinnipiac and Minnesota were selected to fill the remaining four places.
All four quarterfinal games are set for Saturday afternoon. No. 2 seed Boston College hosts Clarkson at noon CT, followed by No. 4 seed Wisconsin hosting Boston University at 2 p.m. CT. No. 3 seed Harvard hosts Quinnipiac at 3 p.m. CT, and the Gophers-Tigers matchup is set for 4 p.m. CT.
The four quarterfinal winners advance to the 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four at Ridder Arena March 20 and 22. Tickets are currently 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).
ABOUT THE SERIES: MINNESOTA VS. RIT
Saturday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Minnesota and RIT. The Tigers are making their first appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament in just their third season as a DI program. RIT won the 2012 NCAA Division III national championship and enters Saturday's game on a five-game winning streak.
GOPHERS IN THE NCAA POSTSEASON
Minnesota is making its 13th appearance in the NCAA postseason and has qualified for the tournament for the eighth consecutive year. The Gophers look to advance to their 11th overall NCAA Frozen Four and make a fourth-straight appearance in the national championship game, having won two of the last three national titles. Minnesota is 7-2-0 in NCAA quarterfinal games since the NCAA tournament expanded to eight teams in 2005.
GOPHER QUICK HITS
- Hannah Brandt is a top-three finalist for the 2015 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.
- Kelly Pannek leads the nation's rookies with 42 points (13g-29a) and 1.11 points per game.
- Dani Cameranesi is closing in on her 100th career point with 98 points (42g-56a).
- Rachel Ramsey needs four assists to tie Megan Bozek (99a) for the most assists by a defenseman in program history.
LAST TIME OUT: GOPHERS FALL TO BEAVERS IN WCHA SEMIFINAL
The Gophers suffered just their third loss of the season when they fell to No. 10 Bemidji State, 1-0, in the WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF semifinal round last weekend. BSU's Stephanie Anderson broke a scoreless tie with 8:14 to play on a solo effort. Despite outshooting the Beavers 37-18, Minnesota could not solve BSU netminder Brittni Mowat.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSE
The Gophers rank third in the nation with a 1.16 goals against average, and Minnesota defensemen lead the nation's blue-liners in scoring, averaging 3.55 points per game. Rachel Ramsey (8g-23a) leads the WCHA and ranks fourth in the nation with 0.82 points per game.
SCORING LEADERS
Four Gophers have hit the 40-point mark this season in Hannah Brandt (31g-36a), Dani Cameranesi (23g-39a), Kelly Pannek (13g-29a) and Maryanne Menefee (21g-20a). The Gophers' top-nine scorers all have at least 25 points, and all 18 skaters have at least one point on the year.
Brandt is second in the nation with 67 points. Her 1.81 points per game is third in the NCAA. Cameranesi is ranked fourth with 62 points and sixth with 1.68 points per game. Meanwhile, Pannek ranks 16th in the nation among all players and leads the nation's rookies with 1.11 points per game.
With 171 goals in 38 games, the Gophers' offense ranks second in the nation, averaging 4.50 goals per game behind Boston College (5.11). Meanwhile, Minnesota's 1.16 goals against average is third in the NCAA behind Wisconsin (1.08) and Quinnipiac (1.08).
LEVEILLE AMONG NATION'S TOP GOALTENDERS
Amanda Leveille ranks second in the nation with a .946 save percentage and a .855 winning percentage (25-3-3). She also ranks fourth in the NCAA with a 1.16 goals against average.
POWER PLAY LEADERS
The Gophers have the nation's top power-play unit, converting on 38 of 126 opportunities for a .302 percentage. Milica McMillen and Dani Cameranesi are tied for seventh in the nation with seven power-play goals each.
HOME, SWEET HOME
The Gophers return to Ridder Arena this weekend on a 14-game home unbeaten streak (12-0-2). Minnesota is 127-6-5 in the team's last 138 games, a stretch that includes an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak (Feb. 28, 2012 through Nov. 17, 2013). The Gophers are 60-2-4 in their last 66 home games, dating back to Feb. 18, 2012. This season, Minnesota is 16-1-3 at home and ranks second in the nation in home attendance, averaging 1,913 fans per game in 20 home games.
FROST REACHES 250 CAREER WINS
Head coach Brad Frost earned his 250th career win at the helm of the program with a 7-1 win over Minnesota Duluth (Feb. 13). Frost enters this weekend's NCAA quarterfinal with a career coaching record of 255-41-21 in his eighth season leading the Gophers.
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). Meanwhile, Meghan Lorence registered her 100th career point with a power-play goal against Bemidji State (Feb. 21). Dani Cameranesi (42g-56a) and Milica McMillen (34g-56a) are also approaching the century mark for career scoring.
ROOKIES MAKING AN IMPACT
Kelly Pannek leads the nation's rookies with 42 points (13g-29a) and 1.11 points per game, and all four Gopher freshman have made their way onto the score sheet this season. Cara Piazza (11g-5a), Sydney Baldwin (5g-6a) and Nina Rodgers (4g-2a) join Pannek to make up the nation's fourth-highest scoring rookie class.
UP NEXT: NCAA FROZEN FOUR
The four NCAA quarterfinal winners advance to the 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four at Ridder Arena March 20 and 22.
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