University of Minnesota Athletics
Border Battle Pits No. 1 vs. No. 2
11/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| No. 2 Minnesota (13-1-2) at No. 1 Wisconsin (14-1-1) | |
| Game 1 | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 3:30 p.m. CT |
| Game 2 | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 2:00 p.m. CT |
| Location | LaBahn Arena | Madison, Wis. |
| Game 1 | Game Day Live | BTN Plus Video | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Game 2 | Game Day Live | FOX Sports North | FOX Sports GO | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Wisconsin |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Nov. 28, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS - The back-to-back defending national champion University of Minnesota women's hockey team faces off against top-ranked Wisconsin on the road this weekend. The Border Battle series is set for 3:30 p.m. CT Saturday, Dec. 3 and 2 p.m. CT Sunday, Dec. 4 at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wis.
Game two will air live on FOX Sports North/FOX Sports Wisconsin and will be streamed online via FOX Sports GO. Game one video is available at via BTNPlus at BTN2go.com. Free audio is available at GopherSports.com, and live stats for both games are linked at UWBadgers.com. Fans can also follow live updates for both games via Gopher Women's Hockey Game Day Live at GopherSports.com.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Minnesota owns an all-time record of 48-29-9 against the Badgers. The team has gone 16-3-1 during their last 20 games against Wisconsin, three of which were victories in the postseason.
Minnesota and Wisconsin split their 2015-16 series with each team taking home three wins in six meetings. Kelly Pannek (1g-4a), Taylor Williamson (1g-3a), Hannah Brandt (4a), and Sarah Potomak (3g-1a) led the Gophers to their success against the Badgers last season. Minnesota outscored Wisconsin 14-12 in three games a year ago.
Both teams have been ranked among the nation's top three, including four No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups, in the last 14-straight games between the border rivals -- a stretch dating back to February 2014.
Scouting the Opponent: Wisconsin
Top-ranked Wisconsin (14-1-1, 10-1-1-1 WCHA) heads into this weekend's series on a three-game winning streak. The Badgers come off a non-conference sweep over Cornell with 3-0 and 5-2 wins and prior to that split a series at Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 18-19), falling 4-1 and winning 4-1. The only other blemish on UW's 2016-17 slate so far is a 1-1 overtime tie (1-0 shootout win) with Ohio State. Head coach Mark Johnson is in his 14th season leading the Badgers and earned his 400th career coaching win earlier this year.
Through 16 games this season, senior forwards Sarah Nurse (12g-7a) and Sydney McKibbon (4g-10a) lead Wisconsin in scoring. Seven Badgers are in double-figures for points, and 19 different players have at least one point on the year. Senior Ann-Renee Desbiens has played 12 games in net for the Badgers and leads the WCHA with a 0.74 goals against average, .953 save percentage, and six shutouts. Desbiens has missed Wisconsin's last four games; freshman goaltender Nikki Cece is 3-1-0 in those games with a 1.75 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.
Wisconsin finished the 2015-16 season on top of the WCHA, edging the Gophers by a single point in the league's regular season standings. The Badgers finished the season with an overall record of 35-4-1 (24-3-1-1 WCHA) after falling to Minnesota in 3-2 in overtime in the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four semifinal.
The Badgers returned 15 of 23 players from last year's squad, including six seniors. Meanwhile, UW has seven newcomers on its roster, including freshmen Alyson Baldwin (Richmond, Texas), Presley Norby (Minnetonka, Minn.), Maddie Rowe (River Falls, Wis.), Alexis Mauermann (Janesville, Wis.), Abby Roque (Sault St. Marie, Mich.), Mekenzie Steffen (Centerville, Minn.), and Nicole Cece (Oakville, Ont.).
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Beavers
Minnesota (13-1-2, 11-1-2-2 WCHA) earned a sweep over Bemidji State with 4-0 and 4-1 victories at home at Ridder Arena last weekend. Kelly Pannek (3g-4a), Dani Cameranesi (4g-2a), Kate Schipper (1g-1a), and Sarah Potomak (2a) led the Gophers, and Sidney Peters made 36 saves on 37 shots faced in the series.
Home, Sweet Home
Including 10 wins in 2016-17, the Gophers have compiled a record of 105-4-7 in home games at Ridder Arena dating back to the 2011-12 season. Since 2011-12, Minnesota has a .935 winning percentage at home.
Road Tripping
The Gophers close out the first half of the season with a pair of road trips at Wisconsin (Dec. 3-4) and Boston University (Dec. 9-10). The Gophers do not return to Ridder Arena for a regular-season game until Friday, Jan. 20 - a stretch of 54 days. Minnesota hosts the Minnesota Whitecaps in an exhibition game on its home ice on Friday, Jan. 6, but does not resume WCHA action until hosting Ohio State on Friday, Jan. 20.
Team-Best Point Streak
Junior Kelly Pannek enters this week's games on a team-best 12-game point streak. She has 27 points (8g-19a) in the last 12 games, including at least one assist in all 12 games.
Gophers Rank Among NCAA's Best
Junior Kelly Pannek (8g-24a), senior Dani Cameranesi (18g-12a), and sophomore Sarah Potomak (11g-16a) rank first, second, and tied for third in the NCAA in points per game, respectively. Cameranesi's 18 goals and 1.12 goals per game are an NCAA-best, and Pannek leads the NCAA with 24 assists and 1.50 assists per game. Potomak's five game-winning goals are tied for the NCAA lead.
Redshirt junior Sidney Peters ranks second in the WCHA and third in the NCAA with a 1.15 goals against average and is one of two goalies in the country with an NCAA-best 13 wins already this season.
Special Teams Play
After going 1-for-10 on the power play to open the season, Minnesota's power play leads the NCAA at 13-for-49 (26.5 percent) and the Gophers' penalty kill leads the WCHA and ranks fifth in the NCAA at 44-for-48 (91.7 percent). Minnesota also leads the nation in fewest penalty minutes per game at 6.2 minutes per game in 16 games.
Cameranesi on the Brink of 200 Points
Senior forward Dani Cameranesi is Gophers' active career scoring leader with 199 career points (93g-106a) to rank eighth in Minnesota history. She trails seventh-ranked Ambria Thomas (89g-112a) by two points, and she is one point away from becoming the eighth Gopher in program history to reach 200 career points. Cameranesi's 93 goals are seventh in Gopher women's hockey history, her 106 assists rank ninth, and her 32 power-play goals are tied for third all-time.
Century Mark Scoring
Junior forward Kelly Pannek became the 32nd player in Gophers history to surpass 100 career points with two points (1g-1a) against Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 15). Pannek currently has 125 career points (45g-80a). Senior forward Kate Schipper is closing in on 100 career points, currently at 99 points (30-69a).
Frost Secures 300th Win
Head coach Brad Frost secured his 300th career coaching victory with the Gophers' road sweep at Ohio State (Oct. 21-22). He enters this week's series with an all-time mark of 306-46-24. This year marks Frost's 10th season at the helm of the Gophers. Last season Frost became the winningest coach in Gopher women's hockey history, surpassing Laura Halldorson (278-67-22) for career coaching wins.
Gopher Rookies See First Action
All six of Minnesota's freshmen have suited up for the Maroon & Gold this season. Freshman goaltender Serena D'Angelo made her third career appearance in the third period against Minnesota State (Nov. 6). Katie Robinson has played in eight games after seeing her first action on the road at Ohio State (Oct. 21). Lindsay Agnew (2g-2a) and Patti Marshall (1g-6a) have played in all 16 games this season, and Alex Woken (1g-3a) has appeared in 15 games. Kippin Keller has been in the lineup for 14 games, including most recently playing on the Gophers' second line with Cara Piazza and Kate Schipper for the sweep over Bemidji State (Nov. 26-27).
Six Gophers Medal at Four Nations Cup
All six Golden Gopher representatives took home medals at the 2016 Four Nations Cup. Lee Stecklein, Hannah Brandt, Megan Bozek, and Anne Schleper won gold with the U.S. Women's National Team while Sarah Davis took home silver with Canada's National Women's Team as the rivals met in the gold-medal game. Meanwhile, Noora Raty and Finland won 2-1 over Sweden for bronze in Vierumäki, Finland.
Nine Alumni Continue Careers
Nine Gopher alumni are continuing their hockey careers by playing professional hockey in the NWHL and CWHL this season: Gigi Marvin (Boston Pride, NWHL), Megan Bozek (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Anne Schleper (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Jordyn Burns (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Amanda Leveille (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Amanda Kessel (New York Riveters, NWHL), Milica McMillen (New York Riveters, NWHL), Sarah Davis (Calgary Inferno, CWHL), and Kelly Terry (Toronto Furies, CWHL).
Gopher Women's Hockey Youth VIP Season Pass Returns
The Gopher Women's Hockey Youth VIP Season Pass is back for its fifth season. The pass 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 is available at GopherSports.com now.
WCHA Tabs Minnesota to Finish Second
The Gophers were chosen to finish second in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's preseason poll of the league's eight head coaches. The Gophers collected two first-place votes and 44 points in the annual preseason poll. Wisconsin led the way with four first-place votes and 48 points, and North Dakota (36 points) and Minnesota Duluth (30 points) rounded out the top four teams in third and fourth place, respectively.
Trio Set to Captain Minnesota
Senior Lee Stecklein continues her duties from last season as captain, while seniors Kate Schipper and Dani Cameranesi are serving as assistant captains.
Minnesota Caps 2016 Season with Seventh National Title
Minnesota won back-to-back titles for the third time in program history by defeating Boston College, 3-1, in the 2016 NCAA championship game. The game marked the Gophers' fifth-straight appearance in the NCAA title game. Minnesota has won four of the last five national titles and seven national titles overall (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016).
Gopher Fans are Nation's Best
Minnesota led the nation in attendance for the fourth straight year last season, averaging 1,671 fans per game. At home at Ridder Arena, the Gophers also led the NCAA with 2,125 fans per game.
Season tickets, pick-your-packs, and single-game tickets for the 2016-17 chapter of Gopher women's hockey are on sale now through MyGopherSports.com. Minnesota looks to lead the nation in attendance for the fifth-straight year on its quest for the program's eighth national championship.
Up Next: Non-Conference Trip to BU
Minnesota wraps up the 2016 calendar year with a non-conference series on the road at Boston University next weekend. The Gophers and Terriers face off at 6 p.m. CT Friday, Dec. 9 and 2 p.m. CT Saturday, Dec. 10.
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