University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
18-5-3, 14-4-3WCHA
St. Cloud State
7-17-3, 5-14-2WCHA
Gophers Top Huskies, 2-1
1/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Jan. 27, 2017
ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Kippin Keller and Nicole Schammel scored goals and Megan Wolfe had a two-point night with a pair of assists as the No. 4 Golden Gopher women's hockey team skated to a 2-1 win over St. Cloud State on the road at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center Friday night.
Keller scored her first collegiate goal with a short-handed tally to give Minnesota an early lead before the Huskies tied the game in the second period with a goal by Payge Pena. Schammel broke the 1-1 tie by netting the game-winner midway through the third period.
"It wasn't the prettiest game by any stretch, but I'm proud of our kids in finding a way," head coach Brad Frost said. "It was nice for Kippin Keller to get her first goal as a Gopher on the PK there. Nicole Schammel has been a little snake-bitten, but she was able to find the back of the net as well in the third period to give us the victory. Sidney Peters played really well, and I'm happy for her and our team. We'll take these three points and see if we can be a little better tomorrow."
Minnesota (18-5-3, 14-4-3-2 WCHA) took an early lead with a tally by Keller at the 4:06 mark of the first period with Sydney Baldwin in the box for checking. Wolfe sent a long pass to Kelly Pannek, who moved into the SCSU zone. Pannek stick-handled her way to a shot just outside of the goal crease, got her own rebound, and fed Keller in the slot where she beat SCSU netminder Madeleine Dahl on her glove side.
"It felt great to get my first goal," Keller said. "I have been battling up and down through the line-ups, and I've just been trying to work hard and so it kind of relieved to get my first goal as a Gopher."
SCSU solved Peters at the 7:31 mark of the second period with Pena's fourth tally of the year. Kayla Friesen picked up the assist on the play.
The teams remained locked in a 1-1 tie until the 7:29 mark of the third period when Schammel scored her fourth goal of the year off assists from Wolfe and Lee Stecklein.
St. Cloud State (7-17-3, 5-14-2-2 WCHA) pulled Dahl for the extra attacker with 1:16 remaining but could not solve Peters again despite chances for Pena and Hannah Potrykus in the final minute.
"I thought it was definitely a harder game because we are battling through a lot of adversity, missing four of our top six forwards," Keller said. "But I think we played hard and we got a dirty win and that's what we need to do."
Minnesota outshot the Huskies 24-13, including an 11-5 advantage in the third period. A slow start saw both teams put just five shots on goal each in the first period. Peters made 12 saves while Dahl had 22 for St. Cloud State.
The nation's top power play went scoreless for the fourth-straight game as the Gophers were 0-for-2 with the man advantage while holding St. Cloud State scoreless on three opportunities on the power play.
The Gophers and Huskies wrap up this weekend's series with game two at 3 p.m. CT Saturday afternoon.
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