University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 3 Gophers Travel to No. 7 Beavers
1/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| No. 3 Minnesota (22-3-0) at No. 7 Bemidji State (17-7-2) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, Jan. 29 | 7 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, Jan. 30 | 4 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 | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Bemidji State |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Jan. 26, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS -- No. 3 Minnesota (22-3-0, 17-3-0 WCHA) goes back on the road for a WCHA series at No. 7 Bemidji State (17-7-2, 12-7-1-0 WCHA) this weekend. The Gophers and Beavers face off at 7 p.m. CT Friday and 4 p.m. CT Saturday at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn. Fans can follow the action with free audio at GopherSports.com, along with live stats and subscription video at BSUBeavers.com.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Bemidji State
The Gophers are 62-6-7 all-time against Bemidji State, including a home sweep earlier this season. Minnesota defeated BSU, 4-0 and 8-3, at home at Ridder Arena Nov. 13-14. Kate Schipper led Minnesota with three points (1g-2a) in game one of the series before Hannah Brandt tied a Gopher women's hockey program record with five goals in Minnesota's 8-3 win in game two. For the series, Dani Cameranesi led the Gophers with seven points (2g-5a).
Scouting the Opponent: Bemidji State
No. 7 Bemidji State (17-7-2, 12-7-1-0 WCHA) enters this weekend's series after securing a road sweep at Minnesota Duluth last weekend. The Beavers defeated the Bulldogs, 3-2 and 2-0, after dropping a series against Wisconsin the previous week. BSU opened 2016 with a home sweep over Lindenwood and brings a 4-2-0 record in the second half of the regular season into this weekend's series.
The Beavers are currently third in the WCHA regular season standings, trailing only Wisconsin and Minnesota. BSU was picked to finish fourth in the 2015 WCHA preseason poll under second-year head coach Jim Scanlan. Last season, the Beavers set a new school record with 21 wins at 21-17-1 overall, posting a 13-14-1-1 WCHA mark to finish fifth in the regular season standings.
In 26 games this season, Kaitlyn Tougas leads BSU with 19 points (4g-15a), while Kristin Huber's eight goals are a team-high (8g-6a). Behind Tougas and Huber, sophomore defenseman Alexis Joyce (4g-9a) and senior defenseman Ivana Bilic (2g-11a) each have 13 points. The Beavers' defense is anchored by All-American goaltender junior Brittni Mowat. She is seventh in the nation with a 1.57 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. Mowat has five shutouts on the season and is 17-7-1.
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Huskies
The Gophers swept St. Cloud State with 7-0 and 4-2 wins over the weekend. Hannah Brandt (1g-4a), Dani Cameranesi (2g-3a), Kelly Pannek (1g-4a) and Sarah Potomak (2g-3a) led the Gophers with five points each in the series. Amanda Leveille and Sidney Peters each picked up one win on the weekend.
Sarah Potomak led the Gophers with five points in the Gophers' 7-0 win in game one of the series. Hannah Brandt scored the game-winning goal, and Amanda Leveille earned an 18-save shutout to improve to 16-3-0 on the year.
In game two against the Huskies, Minnesota scored three power-play goals to secure a 4-2 win. The Gophers took a 3-0 lead on goals by Milica McMillen, Cara Piazza, and Taylor Williamson before SCSU got on the board in the second minute of the third period. Dani Cameranesi then scored a power-play goal to regain the three-goal lead. The Huskies made it a two-goal game midway through the third, but the Gophers prevailed for the series sweep. Sidney Peters made 12 saves on 14 shots and improved to 6-0-0 this year.
Frost Surpasses Coaching Milestone
With last Friday's win, head coach Brad Frost became the winningest coach in Gopher women's hockey history, surpassing Laura Halldorson (278-67-22) for career coaching wins. Frost owns an all-time mark of 280-44-21 heading into this weekend's series at BSU.
Gophers Secure Home Ice
With its sweep at St. Cloud State last weekend, Minnesota has secured home ice for the WCHA First Round. Minnesota cannot finish lower than fourth in the regular season league standings and will host a best-of-three first-round series at Ridder Arena Friday-Sunday, Feb. 26-29. Game times and ticket information are not yet available.
Leveille Makes Mark in Recordbooks
With one win over the weekend, Amanda Leveille is 16-3-0 this season with five shutouts, bringing her career totals to 27 shutouts and an 85-8-4 mark. She ranks second in Minnesota history in both career shutouts and career wins, trailing only Noora Raty. Leveille's 27 shutouts and 85 wins both rank seventh in the NCAA career ranks.
McMillen Closing in on Scoring Record
Milica McMillen is closing in on the Gophers' program record for career goals by a defenseman. She currently ranks second all-time with 43 goals, trailing only Megan Bozek's total of 47 career goals. Earlier this season, McMillen became the sixth Gopher defensemen in program history to surpass 100-career points, joining Megan Bozek (146), Winny Brodt (134), Rachel Ramsey (130), Anne Schleper (114), and Courtney Kennedy (112). She recorded her 100th-career point in Minnesota's 5-2 win over Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 23). Among all-time Gopher defensemen, McMillen is second in career goals (43), tied for fifth in career points (112) and sixth in career assists (69).
Brandt Continues Climbing in NCAA, WCHA, & Minnesota Ranks
Hannah Brandt is the NCAA's active career scoring leader with 267 career points (111 goals, 156 assists). She is Minnesota's career leader in both points and assists and is second in Gopher history in career goals, trailing only Nadine Muzerall (139). Among all-time WCHA players, Brandt is second in career points chasing Jocelyne Lamoureux (285), sixth in career goals, and second in career assists also chasing Jocelyne Lamoureux (160). Among all-time NCAA players, she fourth in points, 11th in goals, and third in assists.
Second-Period Scoring
For the season, Minnesota has scored 60 second-period goals, compared to 42 in the first period and 33 in the third period. The Gophers have outscored their opponents 60-12 in the middle frame.
Scoring Leaders
Linemates Hannah Brandt (21g-25a), Dani Cameranesi (24g-27a) and Sarah Potomak (11g-34a) are among the nation's top five leading scorers, ranked third, fourth, and fifth in points per game, respectively. Minnesota's offense leads the NCAA at 5.40 goals per game. Sarah Potomak leads the nation's rookies in scoring with 1.96 points per game. She leads the nation with 1.48 assists per game as well.
Offensive Defense
As a defensive unit, the Gophers are second in the nation in scoring among defensemen averaging 3.76 points per game. Megan Wolfe ranks seventh in the nation among defensemen with 0.88 points per game and Milica McMillen is ninth at 0.83 points per game.
Power-Play Leaders
The Gophers were 3-for-6 on the power play for the second-straight series last weekend, and Minnesota continues to lead the nation at .472 (34/72) on the power play. Dani Cameranesi leads the nation with 11 power-play goals, which is tied for fifth in Gopher all-time single-season records.
Gopher Fans are Nation's Best
Minnesota maintains its hold on the national attendance lead, averaging 1,453 fans per game. At home at Ridder Arena, the Gophers average an NCAA-best 1,944 fans per game as well.
Home, Sweet Home
Minnesota is currently on a 29-game home unbeaten streak (27-0-2). The Gophers are 75-2-4 in their last 81 home games, dating back to Feb. 18, 2012.
Winning Ways
Minnesota is 152-9-5 in the team's last 166 games, a stretch that includes an NCAA-record 62-game winning streak (Feb. 28, 2012 through Nov. 17, 2013).
Nine Newcomers Contributing
Minnesota added nine newcomers for the 2015-16 season, made up of seven true freshmen and two transfers. The newest Gophers are Anna Barlow (South St. Paul, Minn.), Tianna Gunderson (Roseau, Minn.), Emma May (Eagan, Minn.), Sarah Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.), Caitlin Reilly (Chanhassen, Minn.), Sophie Skarzynski (Lake Forest, Ill.), Nicole Schammel (Red Wing, Minn.), Sierra Smith (Stillwater, Minn.), and Taylor Williamson (Edina, Minn.). Reilly, a transfer from Penn State, and Schammel, a transfer from Minnesota State, join the Maroon & Gold as sophomores. Schammel will sit out the 2015-16 season due to WCHA in-league transfer rules. Of the nine players, Potomak (11g-34a), Williamson (3g-8a), Reilly (4g-4a), Skarzynski (1g-5a), Barlow (1g-1a), and Gunderson (2a) have all made their way onto the score sheet.
Youth VIP Season Pass Available for 2015-16
The Gopher Women's Hockey Youth VIP Season Pass is again available this season. This program provides girls and boys in eighth grade or under with free admission to all regular season Gopher women's hockey games at Ridder Arena. Registration for the Youth VIP Season Pass is available now.
New perks of being a Gopher Women's Hockey Youth VIP Season Pass holder this season include exclusive in-game giveaways and the opportunity for parents, family members, and others to purchase VIP guest passes for a reduced rate from the standard single-game ticket price. VIP pass holder guests can purchase their ticket at the game or by calling the Gopher Fan Relations Office at 612-624-8080.
WCHA Final Face-off Returns to Ridder Arena
The 2016 WCHA Final Face-Off will be held March 5-6 at Ridder Arena, and all-tournament ticket packages are on sale now. All-tournament packages are priced at $20 (general admission bench for seniors/students and youth), $25 (general admission bench for adults) and $35 (reserved chairback). Packages include two tickets -- one ticket for Saturday, March 5 which includes access to both semifinal games (at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT, respectively) and one ticket for the WCHA championship game Sunday, March 6 (2 p.m. CT).
Up Next: Gophers Return Home to Host Fighting Hawks
No. 3 Minnesota hosts No. 8 North Dakota at Ridder Arena next weekend. The Gophers and Fighting Hawks face off at 6 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 5 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6.
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