University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Whitecaps
Gophers Top Whitecaps 5-4 in Exhibition
9/25/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
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Sept. 25, 2015
Box Score 
MINNEAPOLIS – Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) and Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn.) each scored twice, and Kate Schipper (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) netted the game-winning goal as the University of Minnesota women's hockey team defeated the Minnesota Whitecaps, 5-4, in an exhibition game at Ridder Arena Friday night.
Brandt (2g-1a), Pannek (2g-1a) and Schipper (1g-2a) led all players with three points each. Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.) also had a multi-point game in her first outing as a Gopher with a pair of assists. The Whitecaps were led by Boston College alum Allie Thunstrom's two goals.
"It was an exciting game for us," head coach Brad Frost said. "We needed something like this, just to not play against each other. We've had a good few days of practice, but it's good for our freshmen and others to see what good, strong competition is all about. It was exactly what we needed, from working on our forecheck to our d-zone, penalty kill and power play.
"Everything worked out well for us here tonight. I think our freshmen showed some things, and they can also learn some things. We have some great things on video now that we can show the team to hopefully be better next week against Penn State."
The exhibition game pitted many Minnesota alumni against the current Maroon & Gold squad as the Whitecaps' roster included 11 former Gophers: Rachael Bona (1a), Bethany Brausen, Sarah Erickson (1a), Meghan Lorence (1a), Katie Frischmann, Winny Brown (1a), Mira Jalosuo, Anne Schleper, Chelsey Rosenthal, Kelly Seeler, and Noora Raty.
Amanda Leveille (Kingston, Ont.) and Sidney Peters (Geneva, Ill.) split time in net for Minnesota, while Raty made 24 saves on 29 shots for the Whitecaps. Leveille made 10 saves on 11 shots on goal over the first 29:32 of the game before Peters made three saves on six shots in 29:48 in net.
Thunstrom gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, but Pannek and Brandt responded in the final five minutes of the opening frame to give the Gophers a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. Pannek tipped a shot from Milica McMillen (St. Paul, Minn.) past Raty to tie it before Brandt deflected a puck into the goal off a feed from Potomak.
The duo struck again in the first half of the second period to put Minnesota ahead 4-1. Brandt scored at 5:24 of the middle frame when she poked a rebound on the doorstep past Raty. Schipper found Potomak, who rung a shot off the post, and Brandt finished the rebound. Pannek then scored on the power play just 4:19 later.
However, the Whitecaps cut the Gophers' lead to two when Thunstrom scored her second of the game at 12:04 of the second period. Former Gophers Brown and Bona assisted on the play, and the teams headed into the second intermission with Minnesota leading 4-2.
The Whitecaps scored twice in the third period. Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson netted a power-play goal at 5:13 when Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.) was in the penalty box, but Schipper then scored the eventual game-winner with 9:28 remaining off a feed from Pannek. With an empty net for an extra attacker, the Whitecaps solved Peters with five seconds remaining as Lorence set up Brooke White to make it a one-goal game at 5-4.
Minnesota had the chance to practice its special teams units in a game setting, and there Gophers were 1-for-2 on the power play while going 1-for-2 on the penalty kill as well. Minnesota outshot the Whitecaps, 29-17.
The Gophers officially open the 2015-16 season on the road at Penn State next week. The series marks a rematch of last year’s season-opener, which the Gophers won by a score of 8-0.
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