University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota to Face Boston College in Title Game
3/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| 2016 NCAA National Championship | |
| Semifinal One | Boston College 3, Clarkson 2 (OT) |
| Semifinal Two | Minnesota 3, Wisconsin 2 (OT) |
| Championship | Sunday, March 20 | 1 p.m. CT | Boston College vs. Minnesota |
| Location | Whittemore Center Arena | Durham, N.H. |
| Tickets | Ticketmaster.com |
| Championship Coverage | Game Day Live | NCAA.com Video | Free Audio | |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Clarkson | Boston College |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram |
March 19, 2016
DURHAM, N.H. - Defending national champion Minnesota (34-4-1) is set to play in its fifth-straight national championship game. The No. 3 seed Gophers face top-seeded Boston College (40-0-0) in the NCAA title game at 1 p.m. CT Sunday at the Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, N.H.
Minnesota defeated No. 2 seed Wisconsin (35-4-1) by a score of 3-2 in Friday's semifinal round to advance to the title game. Sarah Potomak scored the game-winning goal in overtime after Taylor Williamson and Amanda Kessel scored for the Gophers during regulation, and Amanda Leveille made 37 saves.
Boston College advanced to the championship game for the first time in program history with a 3-2 overtime win over Clarkson (30-5-5) in the semifinal round. The Eagles rallied from a 2-0 deficit and were led by Haley Skarupa's two-goals, including the game-winner.
Tickets for the championship game are available online via Ticketmaster.com, by calling (603) 862-4000, or in person at the Whittemore Center Box Office.
Frozen Four Coverage
All three games will be streamed live at NCAA.com for free, and free audio and live stats will be available at GopherSports.com. The 2016 national championship game will air on tape-delay on CBS next Sunday, March 27 at 1 p.m. CT as well.
About the 2016 NCAA Frozen Four Field
No. 3 seed Minnesota punched its ticket to the Frozen Four with a 6-2 win over Princeton in the quarterfinal round. The Gophers join Boston College, Wisconsin, and Clarkson to make up this year's Frozen Four field. Boston College advanced to the Frozen Four after knocking off Northeastern, 5-1, in the quarterfinal round, and Clarkson upset No. 4 seed Quinnipiac by a score of 1-0. The Badgers defeated Mercyhurst, 6-0, to round out the Frozen Four field. Minnesota and Clarkson were both chosen as at-large selections into this year's NCAA tournament while Boston College (Hockey East) and Wisconsin (WCHA) advanced as postseason conference tournament winners.
National Title Defense Continues
The Gophers continue their quest for the program's seventh national title and look for back-to-back titles for the third time in program history after winning consecutive titles in 2004 and 2005 and again in 2012 and 2013. Minnesota is playing in its fifth-straight national championship game, having won three of the last four national titles.
This year's NCAA tournament berth marks the program's 14th appearance in the NCAA postseason since 2002, and the Gophers have qualified for the tournament for the ninth consecutive year. The Gophers enter the 2016 NCAA championship game with a 13-1-0 record in NCAA games since 2012 and a 22-9-1 record in the NCAA tournament since 2002.
NCAA Quarterfinal Rewind: Gophers Top Tigers to Advance to Frozen Four
Minnesota advanced on to its 12th NCAA Frozen Four after defeating Princeton, 6-2, in the NCAA quarterfinal round. Amanda Kessel (3g-1a) and Hannah Brandt (1g-2a) led the Gophers, and Sarah Potomak (1g-1a) and Dani Cameranesi also scored goals. Lee Stecklein and Kelsey Cline each added a pair of assists, and Amanda Leveille made 25 saves as the Gophers outshot the Tigers, 43-27. The Gophers were two-for-two on the power play and Kessel's hat trick included a shorthanded goal as Minnesota held Princeton scoreless on two power-play opportunities.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Boston College
Minnesota owns an all-time record of 4-1-1 against Boston College. The six games between the two teams include three-straight NCAA tournament meetings. Most recently, Minnesota earned a 3-2 overtime win in the 2013 national semifinal round. Prior to that, the teams split two NCAA quarterfinal meetings with the Gophers winning 4-3 in 2009 and Boston College winning 4-1 in 2011. The series dates back to a Jan. 1998 meeting, which the Gophers won 4-3, and also includes a series at Ridder Arena during the 2007-08 season, which ended with a 2-2 overtime tie and a 2-1 Minnesota win.
Gophers Senior Class Success Continues
Minnesota's five seniors, Hannah Brandt, Brook Garzone, Amanda Kessel, Amanda Leveille, and Milica McMillen, make up the most successful class in program history with an overall record of 147-9-6 for a .926 winning percentage from 2012-13 to 2015-16. The Gophers have outscored their opponents 779-183 during the seniors' four years in Maroon and Gold.
Top-Scoring Trio
Minnesota's roster includes three of the program's all-time top 10 scorers: Hannah Brandt leads the way, as the program's career leader with 284 career points, followed by Amanda Kessel ranked second with 247 career points. Dani Cameranesi has moved into the program's top-10 list as well, ranked ninth with 169 career points. The trio also ranks among the top-10 all-time Gophers in career goals.
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 292-45-22 heading into the NCAA title game.
Leveille Makes Mark in Recordbooks
Amanda Leveille is 28-4-1 this season with 10 shutouts, bringing her career totals to 32 shutouts and a 97-9-5 mark. She ranks second in Minnesota history in both career shutouts and career wins, trailing only Noora Raty (114-17-8 with 43 shutouts). Her 1.18 career goals against average is the best in Minnesota history, and her .946 career save percentage ties Noora Raty for the program record. Leveille's 97 wins and 32 shutouts both rank fourth 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 (120) and sixth in career assists (76).
Brandt Continues Climbing in NCAA, WCHA, & Minnesota Ranks
Hannah Brandt is the NCAA's active career scoring leader with 284 career points (115 goals, 169 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 the all-time assists leader and ranks second in career points chasing Jocelyne Lamoureux (285); she is tied for fourth in career goals. Among all-time NCAA players, she is second in assists, fourth in points, and tied for ninth in goals.
Second-Period Scoring
For the season, Minnesota has scored 77 second-period goals, compared to 58 in the first period and 46 in the third period. The Gophers have outscored their opponents 77-17 in the middle frame.
Scoring Leaders
Hannah Brandt (25g-38a), Dani Cameranesi (33g-35a), Sarah Potomak (14g-38a), and Kelly Pannek (22g-26a) are among the nation's top 15 leading scorers, ranked fourth, fifth, tied for eighth, and tied for 14th in points per game, respectively. Minnesota's offense ranks second in the NCAA at 4.72 goals per game. Potomak leads the nation's rookies in scoring with 1.41 points per game as well.
Offensive Defense
As a defensive unit, the Gophers are second in the nation in scoring among defensemen averaging 3.41 points per game. Milica McMillen ranks 10th in the nation among defensemen with 0.76 points per game in 37 games, followed by Lee Stecklein ranked 11th (0.74) and Megan Wolfe ranked 12th (0.72).
Power-Play Leaders
The Gophers enter the NCAA Frozen Four with the nation's top power play at .434 (46/106). Dani Cameranesi leads the nation with 13 power-play goals, which ranks fourth in Gopher all-time single-season records.
Gopher Fans are Nation's Best
Minnesota maintains its hold on the national attendance lead, averaging 1,631 fans per game. At home at Ridder Arena, the Gophers also lead the NCAA with 2,125 fans per game.
Gophers Sign Six for 2016-17
Minnesota announced the addition of six new student-athletes for the 2016-17 season in Lindsay Agnew (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Jr. Chiefs), Serena D'Angelo (Stoney Creek, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres), Kippin Keller (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka HS), Patti Marshall (Thief River Falls, Minn./Shattuck-St. Mary's), Katie Robinson (Kasson, Minn./Dodge County Wildcats), and Alex Woken (Fargo, N.D./Shattuck-St. Mary's).
Home, Sweet Home
Minnesota is 82-3-5 in its last 90 home games, dating back to Feb. 18, 2012.
Winning Ways
Minnesota is 164-10-6 in the team's last 180 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 (14g-38a), Williamson (5g-10a), Reilly (5g-5a), Skarzynski (2g-7a), Barlow (2g-1a), and Gunderson (2a) have all made their way onto the score sheet.
Duo Serving as Team Captains
Senior Hannah Brandt and junior Lee Stecklein have been named Minnesota's captains this season. Brandt is in her first season as a team captain, and Stecklein was an assistant captain last year.
Looking Back at Minnesota's Sixth National Title
Minnesota capped the 2014-15 season by winning the program's third NCAA title in the last four years and its sixth overall national crown. The Gophers finished the season with an overall record of 34-3-4. Last season's Gophers also captured the program's ninth WCHA regular-season title.
Top-seeded Minnesota defeated No. 3 seed Harvard by a score of 4-1 in the 2015 NCAA Women's Frozen Four national championship game at Ridder Arena. Minnesota advanced to its fourth-straight NCAA title game with a 3-1 win over fourth-seeded Wisconsin in front of a sold-out crowd at Ridder Arena in the Frozen Four semifinal round.
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