University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 3 Gophers to Host No. 2 Badgers
2/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| No. 3 Minnesota (27-3-1) vs. No. 2 Wisconsin (30-1-1) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, Feb. 19 | 7:07 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, Feb. 20 | 3:03 p.m. |
| Location | Ridder Arena | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| Game 1 | Game Day Live | BTN Plus Video | Free Audio | |
| Game 2 | Game Day Live | Big Ten Network | BTN Plus Video | Free Audio | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Wisconsin |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
Feb. 15, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS - No. 3 Minnesota (27-3-1, 22-3-1-0 WCHA) wraps up the regular season by hosting No. 2 Wisconsin (30-1-1, 24-1-1-1 WCHA) in a border battle series this weekend. The Gophers and Badgers face off at 7:07 p.m. CT Friday and 3:03 p.m. CT Saturday at Ridder Arena.
Fans can follow the action with free audio and live stats at GopherSports.com. Friday's game will be streamed online via BTN Plus, and Saturday's game will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Gophers to Celebrate Senior Class
Minnesota will recognize its five seniors, Hannah Brandt, Amanda Kessel, Brook Garzone, Amanda Leveille, and Milica McMillen, as part of its senior celebration this weekend. These five Gophers have combined to record 680 points on 268 goals and 412 assists. From 2012-13 to 2015-16, Minnesota is 140-8-6 for a .929 winning percentage and has a 98-6-6 mark in WCHA games. The Gophers have outscored their opponents 750-173 during the seniors' four years in Maroon and Gold.
Senior Weekend, VIP Giveaways, Season Ticket Holder Appreciation
Minnesota will recognize its five seniors prior to Saturday's game. As part of the Gophers' Senior Weekend, all fans will receive special commemorative senior posters while supplies last. In addition, Gopher women's hockey youth VIP season pass members are invited back for the final two regular season home games and will receive free, exclusive giveaways both games: bag tags on Friday and team autographed mugs on Saturday.
Gopher women's hockey season ticket holders should bring their Gopher golden ticket to this weekend's games in order to receive their 2015-16 season ticket holder puck as well. One puck per season ticket. Pucks will be given out to Gopher Golden ticket holders following the games.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Minnesota is 45-28-9 all-time against Wisconsin. The series dates back to the first meeting on Feb. 7, 1998. The Gophers were unbeaten in 18-straight meetings with the Badgers, going 16-0-2, until Minnesota dropped two games on the road in Madison earlier this season. The Gophers fell 3-2 (OT) and 3-1 to Wisconsin. Minnesota was 4-0-1 against UW last year, led by Hannah Brandt (5g-5a) and Dani Cameranesi (4g-3a).
Scouting the Opponent: Wisconsin
Under the direction of 13th-year head coach Mark Johnson, No. 2 Wisconsin (30-1-1, 24-1-1-1 WCHA) enters this weekend's series after clinching the WCHA regular season title with a sweep over Minnesota State last weekend. The Badgers defeated the Mavericks, 4-0 and 8-1, at home in Madison. UW brings a 13-game unbeaten streak (12-0-1) into this weekend's border battle series.
In 32 games this season, sophomore forward Annie Pankowski (19g-31a) leads the Badgers and ranks eighth in the nation with 1.56 points per game. Sophomore forward Emily Clark (20-18a), junior forward Sarah Nurse (21g-10a), and senior defenseman Courtney Burks (4g-27a) round out the Badgers' top four scoring leaders. Pankowski and Nurse each have three shorthanded goals on the year, and Clark is tied for fourth in the nation with six game-winners.
Wisconsin has only allowed 18 goals against this season and has only surrendered multiple goals in three games (4-2 win at Minnesota Duluth, 3-2 OT win over Minnesota, and 3-0 loss at North Dakota). Junior goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens leads the NCAA with a 0.61 goals against average, a .966 save percentage, and 16 shutouts. The Badgers average 3.97 goals per game, outscoring their opposition, 127-18, on the year.
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Bulldogs
The Gophers enter this weekend's series after earning a road sweep at Minnesota Duluth last weekend, picking up 7-3 and 6-2 wins. Dani Cameranesi (3g-2a), Milica McMillen (1g-4a), and Kate Schipper (1g-3a) led the Gophers against the Bulldogs, and Amanda Leveille earned both wins in net.
Two WCHA First Round Series Set
No. 2 seed Minnesota (67 points) will host No. 7 seed Ohio State (17 points) in the WCHA First Round best-of-three series next weekend at Ridder Arena. The Gophers have locked up second place in the WCHA regular-season standings, and Ohio State cannot move from seventh place. Tickets are on sale now, and game times are set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 28 (if necessary).
WCHA regular-season champion Wisconsin (74 points) has secured a first-round meeting with No. 8 seed Minnesota State (three points) as well. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Bemidji State (48 points), North Dakota (44 points), St. Cloud State (31 points), and Minnesota Duluth (28 points) can still change positions in the regular-season standings.
Frost Surpasses Coaching Milestone
With Minnesota's 7-0 win over St. Cloud State (Jan. 22), 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 285-44-22 heading into this weekend's series against Wisconsin.
Leveille Makes Mark in Recordbooks
With two wins over the weekend, Amanda Leveille is 21-3-1 this season with seven shutouts, bringing her career totals to 29 shutouts and a 90-8-5 mark. She ranks second in Minnesota history in both career shutouts and career wins, trailing only Noora Raty (114-17-8 with 43 shutouts). Leveille's 90 wins are tied for fifth in the NCAA career ranks while her 29 shutouts are tied for sixth in NCAA history.
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 44 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 (44), fourth in career points (119) and sixth in career assists (75).
Brandt Continues Climbing in NCAA, WCHA, & Minnesota Ranks
Hannah Brandt is the NCAA's active career scoring leader with 273 career points (114 goals, 159 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), fifth in career goals, and second in career assists also chasing Jocelyne Lamoureux (160). Among all-time NCAA players, she fourth in points, ninth in goals, and third in assists.
Second-Period Scoring
For the season, Minnesota has scored 66 second-period goals, compared to 48 in the first period and 40 in the third period. The Gophers have outscored their opponents 66-13 in the middle frame.
Scoring Leaders
Hannah Brandt (24-28), Dani Cameranesi (28g-31a) and Sarah Potomak (11g-36a) are among the nation's top six leading scorers, ranked third, fourth, and sixth in points per game, respectively. Minnesota's offense ranks second in the NCAA at 5.00 goals per game. Potomak leads the nation's rookies in scoring with 1.62 points per game. She leads the nation with 36 total assists and 1.24 assists per game as well.
Offensive Defense
As a defensive unit, the Gophers are second in the nation in scoring among defensemen averaging 3.68 points per game. Milica McMillen ranks fifth in the nation among defensemen with 0.93 points per game in 29 games and Megan Wolfe is ninth at 0.77 points per game in 31 games.
Power-Play Leaders
The Gophers continue to lead the nation at .506 (41/81) on the power play. Dani Cameranesi leads the nation with 12 power-play goals, which is tied for fourth in Gopher all-time single-season records.
Gopher Fans are Nation's Best
Minnesota maintains its hold on the national attendance lead, averaging 1,470 fans per game. At home at Ridder Arena, the Gophers also lead the NCAA with 2,045 fans per game.
Home, Sweet Home
Minnesota is currently on a 31-game home unbeaten streak (28-0-3). The Gophers are 76-2-5 in their last 83 home games, dating back to Feb. 18, 2012.
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-36a), Williamson (4g-8a), Reilly (5g-5a), Skarzynski (2g-6a), Barlow (2g-1a), and Gunderson (2a) have all made their way onto the score sheet.
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: WCHA First Round
Minnesota and Ohio State face off at Ridder Arena in a best-of-three series next weekend. Games times are set for 7 p.m. CT Friday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m. CT Saturday, Feb. 27, and if necessary, 4 p.m. CT Sunday, Feb. 28.
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