University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Wisconsin
Rivals Battle to Scoreless Tie
2/19/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Tickets: Gophers Host Bemidji State in WCHA Playoffs
MINNEAPOLIS - Sidney Peters recorded a career-high 38-save shutout performance as No. 4 Minnesota battled No. 1 Wisconsin to a scoreless overtime tie in front of 3,129 fans at Ridder Arena Sunday afternoon. The Gophers won the shootout, 1-0, on a goal by Lee Stecklein and three more saves by Peters.
Both Border Battle games in this weekend's regular-season finale ended in overtime ties as the teams tied 1-1 in game one Saturday afternoon with Wisconsin picking up the extra point with a 2-1 shootout win.
"Well, it was another really exciting hockey game between two great teams," head coach Brad Frost said. "Both goaltenders were tremendous, ours in particular. Sid, another great outing against Wisconsin. Three of the four games she's played against them, she's had two shutouts, and given up one goal.
"Our team is playing differently than the last time we played them, so it's great to see them in back-to-back nights and [have our team] play extremely well. To get the shootout win was the icing on the cake on senior night."
Minnesota (23-5-5, 19-4-5-3 WCHA) honored its six seniors prior to Sunday's game: Dani Cameranesi, Kelsey Cline, Paige Haley, Kate Schipper, Megan Wolfe, and Stecklein.
"Great seniors -- I'm really proud of each and every one of them," Frost said. "They've accepted their roles, and they're great team members, great people, and are going to graduate with great degrees. I love having them be a part of it, and this was a fun night for them."
For the game, the Badgers outshot the Gophers, 38-35, marking just the fourth time this season Minnesota has been outshot. Like game one of the series, the teams played a scoreless first period, and the Gophers outshot the Badgers, 17-6, over the opening 20 minutes. The second period saw the score remain 0-0, but the visitors held the advantage in shots on goal, 20-7.
Minnesota held the Badgers scoreless on three power-play opportunities while going 0-for-3 themselves. The Gophers recorded 10 shots on goal during their three power plays and held Wisconsin to just three.
The game marked Peters' seventh shutout of the season and second against Wisconsin.
"Over the last number of years, our goaltenders have outplayed every other goaltender down the stretch," Frost said. "Sid is finding her groove, playing with a ton of confidence, and this is exactly what we need going into the playoffs."
Wisconsin (27-2-4, 22-2-4-3 WCHA) received 35 saves from goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens in her 51st career shutout.
At the end of regulation, Wisconsin had a 36-32 advantage in shots on goal. Minnesota had three opportunities to end the game in overtime, including back-to-back chances for Schipper and Stecklein but the two goaltenders remained perfect.
Cline and Haley both missed on their shootout attempts for the Gophers, but Peters stopped Wisconsin's Annie Pankowski and Abby Roque on their attempts as well. Stecklein solved Desbiens in the third round, and Peters stopped UW's Sydney McKibbon to seal the 1-0 shootout win.
"It feels really good," Stecklein said of the shootout win, despite the WCHA regular season standings being solidified before Sunday's game. "I think our team played really well both games this weekend. It was great to show ourselves that we could play at that high level again. I'm just really excited about how we've continued to battle through, even though we might have had some lulls, we finished it off in the end."
"There aren't many feelings better than beating Wisconsin," Peters echoed. "Every year, they're one of our biggest rivals. Tonight, even though it wasn't necessarily about the points, it was all about pride.
"It was kind-of a street hockey game. A lot of the girls on our team know a lot of the girls on their team, and we were out there having fun, playing a good game of hockey, playing for our teammates, and because we love the game. When hockey is like that, it's so much fun."
The Gophers begin defense of their back-to-back national championships by kicking off the 2017 postseason against No. 7 seed Bemidji State in the WCHA First Round best-of-three series this weekend at Ridder Arena. Games times are set for 6 p.m. CT Friday and 4 p.m. CT Saturday; game three, if necessary, is slated for 4 p.m. CT Sunday.
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