University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
21-3-0, 16-3-0WCHA
St. Cloud State
11-10-3, 7-9-3WCHA
Minnesota Shuts Out Huskies, 7-0
1/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Jan. 22, 2016
ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Seven Gophers got on the score sheet and Amanda Leveille earned an 18-save shutout as the No. 3 University of Minnesota women's hockey team skated to a 7-0 win over St. Cloud State at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Friday afternoon.
With the win, head coach Brad Frost surpassed Laura Halldorson as the winningest coach in Gopher women's hockey history. In his ninth season leading the Gophers, Frost's coaching record now stands at 279-44-21 while Halldorson posted a career record of 278-67-22 from 1997-98 to 2006-07.
"It's an honor. Certainly Laura Halldorson has built a great program and my goal was to continue to try and exude the values she set up and try and keep the program heading in the right direction," Frost said. "One thing I've learned about being successful and awards and those types of things is surrounding yourself with great people. I've had some great assistant coaches and staff members and had a lot of great players along the way. So it's certainly a staff award and a program award."
The line of Sarah Potomak, Dani Cameranesi, and Hannah Brandt led Minnesota (21-3-0, 16-3-0 WCHA) against the Huskies as the trio combined for 12 points. Potomak led all players with five points on two goals and three assists, while Cameranesi had four points (one goal, three assists), and Brandt had a three-point night (one goal, two assists) in her return to the lineup after missing four games.
Kelly Pannek added three points on a goal and two assists, and defensemen Kelsey Cline (one goal, two assists) and Sophie Skarzynski (two assists) also had multi-point games for the Maroon & Gold.
Leveille earned her 27th career shutout and her 85th career win (85-8-4) with 18 saves, and Minnesota outshot the Huskies, 33-18. St. Cloud State (11-10-3, 7-9-3-3 WCHA) received 26 saves from goaltender Katie Fitzgerald.
"Well, a really good win on the road. We came out of the gates extremely quickly getting a couple within the first five minutes," Frost said. "We were able to extend the lead there, and I thought our team was really disciplined and did some nice things. Amanda Leveille with the shutout, and overall it was just a great night and we're excited about getting back after it tomorrow."
The Gophers took a 4-0 lead into the first intermission. Potomak contributed to all four first-period goals, and Cameranesi picked up three assists in the opening stanza. Brandt put the Gophers on the board just 3:25 into the game, scoring her 21st goal of the season, and Potomak made it 2-0 just 18 seconds later.
Pannek scored from Potomak and Cline midway through the first period to extend the Gophers' lead to three, and Potomak scored her second of the game and 11th of the season with 4:52 remaining in the first period when she buried a rebound off a shot by Cameranesi.
Minnesota recorded two more goals in the second period. Cameranesi added a goal to her three-assist game, making it 5-0 at 4:26 of the middle frame before Skarzynski sent a cross-ice pass to Cline on the doorstep and she one-timed it past Fitzgerald to put the Maroon & Gold up 6-0.
Kate Schipper scored the lone third-period tally off a feed from Cline and Pannek with 9:53 remaining to seal the 7-0 win.
The Gophers and Huskies wrap up this weekend's series at 3 p.m. CT Saturday afternoon in St. Cloud.
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