University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
32-3-1
North Dakota
18-12-5
Gophers Advance to WCHA Title Game
3/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
March 5, 2016
MINNEAPOLIS - Sydney Baldwin and Amanda Kessel scored goals and Amanda Leveille made 21 saves as the No. 2 Golden Gopher women's hockey team punched its ticket to the 2016 WCHA Final Face-off championship game with a 2-0 semifinal win over No. 8 North Dakota at Ridder Arena Saturday evening.
Minnesota (32-3-1) scored one goal in each of the first two periods and held the Fighting Hawks (18-12-5) scoreless on three power play opportunities, including a five-on-three advantage to start the third period. Meanwhile, the Gophers' NCAA-leading power play was one-for-four.
"I thought it was a real solid game from the net out here today," Minnesota head coach Brad Frost said. "Being able to get that goal on the power play and being able to extend the lead in the second to get up 2-0 was big. There were a couple key moments in the game - obviously the 5-on-3 kill at the start of the third was huge. I don't think we gave up a shot, and our players did a remarkable job with that and created a lot of energy in the building and momentum for us."
Baldwin gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead on the power play off a feed from Kessel and Kate Schipper. She fired a shot through traffic that got past UND netminder Shelby Amsley-Benzie with 13:16 remaining in the first period.
Kessel then extended Minnesota's lead to two goals with her sixth goal of the season at the 9:04 mark of the second period. Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein set up the play, and the Gophers took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.
The Gophers started the third period with a five-on-three penalty kill for 1:42 with Megan Wolfe and Milica McMillen in the penalty box, but UND was unable to get a shot on goal as Brandt, Kessel and Stecklein began the kill before Kelly Pannek, Brook Garzone, and Dani Cameranesi finished it off.
"I am very confident in the team in front of me," Leveille said. "So knowing that I have three players, or four players, or five players in front of me, I am always excited to play because I know my team is going to be there for me. I did not get a shot in the five-on-three, and that just speaks volumes to how talented our team is this year."
"I thought in the third period we were able to just lock it down, really, and not give up much in regards to quality chances," Frost said. "Overall, we're really excited to be moving on and playing for a championship tomorrow."
It appeared that North Dakota cut the Gophers' lead to one with 44 seconds remaining, but the UND extra-attacker goal was waived off due to a North Dakota player in the Minnesota goal crease.
Leveille earned her second consecutive shutout and her 10th of the season with 21 saves as the Gophers outshot the Fighting Hawks, 34-21. Amsley-Benzie finished with 32 saves for UND.
Wisconsin defeated Minnesota Duluth, 5-0, in the first WCHA semifinal. The Gophers and Badgers will meet in Sunday's WCHA championship game at 2:07 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports North.
###
