University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Minnesota Whitecaps
Gophers Top Whitecaps, 5-4 in OT
1/6/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Jan. 6, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS - Lee Stecklein scored the game-winner with 38.9 seconds remaining in overtime to secure a 5-4 win for the Golden Gopher women's hockey team over the Minnesota Whitecaps in an exhibition game at Ridder Arena Friday night.
Stecklein sealed the back-and-forth game in extra time after Taylor Williamson score a power-play goal to tie the game at 4-4 with just over 12 minutes remaining. Stecklein and Williamson both had one goal and one assist, and Sydney Baldwin tallied two helpers as the trio led Minnesota in scoring.
The Whitecaps were led by two points each from 2016 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Kendall Coyne (Northeastern '16) and Winny Brown (Minnesota '03).
Each of Minnesota's three goaltenders saw one period of action in the exhibition game. Sidney Peters made 13 saves on 14 shots in the first period before Serena D'Angelo came in for the second period and stopped nine of 11 shots by the Whitecaps. Emma May then made five saves on six shots during the third period and overtime. Alex Rigsby (Wisconsin '14) finished with 32 saves as the Gophers outshot the Whitecaps, 37-31, for the game.
"Well, what a great atmosphere and another great game against the Minnesota Whitecaps," head coach Brad Frost said. "We have played them four times in the last two years, and it was the fourth time it was a 5-4 game. It was really exciting for the fans, and it was great to have so many alumni back in the building on the Whitecaps.
"I'm really proud of the team. It was our first game back in three weeks, so to be able to really compete and battle there and play a simple game was fun to see. We're really happy and looking forward to Sunday and getting out to Braemar Arena and playing Minnesota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum game."
The back-and-forth game saw the Whitecaps get on the board first when they took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Coyne at the 6:46 mark of the first period. Open on the back door, Coyne solved Peters off a feed from Monique Lamoureux-Morando (North Dakota '13) to give the visitors the early lead.
The Gophers responded with a goal by Nicole Schammel just 2:56 later. Williamson won a faceoff in the Whitecaps' end and found Stecklein, who fed Schammel for a shot from the faceoff dot. Rigsby stopped Schammel's initial shot, but Schammel got her own rebound and knocked the puck back on net to tie the score at 1-1 with 10:18 to play in the opening frame.
Cara Piazza then gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission with an unassisted goal at the 14:03 mark of the first period. Piazza broke into the Whitecaps' zone, beat two players, and got a shot past Rigsby on the rush.
Two University of Minnesota alumni teamed up to tie the score at 2-2 early in the second period when Becky Kortum (Minnesota '13) buried a feed from Meaghan Pezon (St. Cloud State '10) and fellow Gopher alum Brown at the 4:44 mark of the middle frame.
The Whitecaps regained the lead at 3-2 as two more former Gophers combined for a goal midway through the game. Chelsey Rosenthal (Minnesota '06) scored at the 10:22 mark of the second period with assists credited to Hannah Brandt (Minnesota '16) and Coyne.
The teams exchanged a pair of quick goals in the opening two minutes of the third period. Stephanie Anderson (Bemidji State '16) scored off a feed from Rose Alleva (Princeton '14) 1:25 into the period, and Kippin Keller responded with an unassisted goal for the Gophers just seven seconds later to make it 4-3 Whitecaps.
Williamson then convered on the only power play of the game with 12:20 remaining. She tied the game at 4-4 off a feed from Baldwin after Kelly Pannek drew the tripping penalty on the Whitecaps' Brooke White-Lancette (Northeastern '03).
The Gophers are 3-1-0 against the Whitecaps in the last two years with all four games ending in scores of 5-4. Minnesota has two wins against the Whitecaps this season after splitting two meetings last year.
The Gophers resume NCAA competition against Minnesota State in a non-conference meeting for this year's U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic on Sunday at Braemer Arena in Edina, Minn. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m. CT, and tickets are available at MyGopherSports.com. Youth hockey players wearing their jerseys will receive $1 admission, and members of both teams will sign autographs following the game.
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