University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers to Face Bulldogs in WCHA Semifinal
2/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
| 2017 WCHA Final Face-Off | |
| Semifinal 1 | Saturday, March 4 | 2:07 p.m. | Wisconsin vs. North Dakota |
| Semifinal 2 | Saturday, March 4 | 5:07 p.m. | Minnesota vs. Minnesota Duluth |
| Championship | Sunday, March 5 | 2:07 p.m. | Semifinal Winners |
| Location | Ridder Arena | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Travel | Local Weather | Parking | Preferred Hotels |
| Semifinal 1 | Free Video | |
| Semifinal 2 | Game Day Live | Free Video | Free Audio | Live Stats |
| Championship | Live on FOX Sports North | FOX Sports GO |
| Tournament Info | Championship Central | WCHA.com | @WCHA_WHockey |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Minnesota Duluth | North Dakota | Wisconsin |
| Social Media | @GopherWHockey | Facebook | Instagram | #GWH | #WeAreWCHA |
Feb. 28, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota continues its quest for a third-straight NCAA national championship at the 2017 WCHA Final Face-Off this weekend. The No. 2 seed Gophers take on No. 3 seed Minnesota Duluth in Saturday's second semifinal game at 5:07 p.m. CT at Ridder Arena in search of a place in the WCHA title game on Sunday.
About the WCHA Final Face-Off
The 2017 WCHA Final Face-Off is set for this Saturday and Sunday at Ridder Arena. The league's top four teams, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, and North Dakota, will battle for the WCHA postseason crown and the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.
Two semifinal games are scheduled for 2:07 p.m. CT and 5:07 p.m. CT on Saturday. No. 1 Wisconsin (29-2-4) takes on North Dakota (16-15-6) in Saturday's first semifinal before national No. 2 and No. 3 seed Minnesota Duluth (24-5-5) faces national No. 5 and No. 2 seed Minnesota (25-6-5). The two semifinal winners will meet at 2:07 p.m. CT Sunday for the WCHA crown.
All-tournament packages and single-session tickets are available for purchase directly through the Gopher Sales & Service Department; in-person at Mariucci Arena (during regular office hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, Monday-Friday), via phone at 612-624-8080 (Option 2) or online at MyGopherSports.com.
WCHA Final Face-Off Coverage
Saturday's semifinal games will be streamed for free online at WCHA.com and GopherSports.com with play-by-play from Jack Swanson and color commentary from Natalie Darwitz. Sunday's championship game will air live on FOX Sports North as well as online via FOX Sports GO. Both Gopher games will feature free audio on GopherSports.com, and live stats will be available for all three games through GopherSports.com and WCHA.com.
How They Got Here
Two of the four WCHA First Round best-of-three series were decided in two games. Top-seeded Wisconsin swept No. 8 seed Minnesota State with 7-0 and 6-0 wins while No. 3 seed Minnesota Duluth knocked off No. 6 seed St. Cloud State, 5-0 and 6-2.
No. 2 seed Minnesota and No. 4 seed North Dakota won their respective series with No. 7 seed Bemidji State and No. 5 seed Ohio State in three games. The Gophers defeated BSU 3-1 in game one before falling 2-1 in game two; Minnesota won game three, 3-2, to advance to its 18th-straight WCHA Final Face-Off. The Fighting Hawks saw two of their best-of-three games go to overtime. UND fell 3-2 in overtime in game one before winning 4-1 in game two. North Dakota then won 2-1 in overtime to seal the series.
About the WCHA Final Face-Off Field
The WCHA Final Face-Off field mirrors the 2016 field. Minnesota is making its 18th-consecutive appearance in the WCHA semifinal round while WCHA regular-season champion Wisconsin is playing in its seventh-straight WCHA Final Face-Off and looks for its third-straight postseason crown. North Dakota is back for the seventh-straight year, and Minnesota Duluth returns for a second-straight year and makes its 17th overall appearance at the WCHA Final Face-Off.
Wisconsin and Minnesota share the WCHA record with six league playoff championships apiece, while Minnesota Duluth has won the other five. North Dakota is seeking its first WCHA Final Face-Off title.
About the Match-Up: Minnesota vs. Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota is 51-26-7 in 84 games all-time against Minnesota Duluth in a series dating back to November 1998. The Gophers had a 21-game unbeaten streak (20-0-1) against the Bulldogs from Jan. 2012 to Oct. 2016 until UMD earned a series sweep over Minnesota in the teams' most recent meeting. The teams are 2-2-0 this season with each team earning a sweep on its home ice.
Last Time Out: Gophers Eliminate Beavers in Three Games
Minnesota (25-6-5) advanced to its 18th-straight WCHA Final Face-Off with a WCHA First Round win over No. 7 seed Bemidji State. The Gophers defeated the Beavers, 3-1, in game one before falling, 2-1, in game two. Minnesota won a decisive game three by a score of 3-2 to move on in the WCHA postseason. The Gophers were led by Sarah Potomak (1g-3a), Kelly Pannek (2g-1a), and Cara Piazza (3a) in the series against BSU.
2017 Senior Class
The Gophers are led by six seniors: Dani Cameranesi, Kelsey Cline, Paige Haley, Kate Schipper, Lee Stecklein, and Megan Wolfe. From 2013-14 to 2016-17, the Gophers have an overall record of 132-15-11, which is good for a .870 winning percentage, as well as a WCHA record of 91-10-11. The senior class has combined for a total of 540 points during their time at the University of Minnesota, scoring 176 goals and adding 364 assists.
Home, Sweet Home
Including a mark of 15-1-3 in 2016-17, the Gophers have compiled a record of 110-5-10 in home games at Ridder Arena dating back to the 2011-12 season. Since 2011-12, Minnesota has a .920 winning percentage at home.
Gophers in the WCHA Postseason
Minnesota has never not advanced to the league's postseason tournament, and the Gophers are tied with Wisconsin with a league-high six league playoff championships apiece, while Minnesota Duluth has won the other five. The Gophers last won the WCHA Final Face-Off in 2014, having won three-straight titles from 2012-2014; the Maroon & Gold also won WCHA postseason titles in 2002, 2004, and 2005.
The Gophers own a 44-13-0 all-time mark in WCHA postseason games, including last weekend's three-game series with Bemidji State. Minnesota finished as WCHA Final Face-Off runners-up a year ago, falling to Wisconsin 1-0 in the championship game.
Night Owls
Minnesota remains undefeated in night games this season, going 12-0-1 in games beginning later than 4:07 p.m. Meanwhile, the Gophers are 13-6-4 in games beginning at 4:07 p.m. and earlier.
Pannek and Potomak Up for Patty
Junior forward Kelly Pannek and sophomore forward Sarah Potomak are among the top-10 finalists for the 2017 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Pannek leads the NCAA with 60 points, 1.67 points per game, 41 assists, and 1.14 assists per game. Seven of her 19 goals are game-winners. She has at least one point in 30 of Minnesota's 36 games this season and recorded 44 points (14g-30a) during a 20-game point streak from Oct. 14 to Jan. 20. Meanwhile, Potomak (18g-32a) is eighth in the NCAA with 1.43 points per game, and her 0.91 assists per game ranks seventh.
Offensive Defensemen
Seniors Lee Stecklein (4g-20a) and Megan Wolfe (6g-17a) are the WCHA's top two scoring defensemen. Stecklein ranks fourth in the nation and leads WCHA blue-liners with 0.73 points per game while Wolfe is tied for sixth in the NCAA and second in the WCHA at 0.68 points per game.
Special Teams Play
Minnesota's power play leads the WCHA and is second in the NCAA at 25-for-100 (25.0 percent) this season. Kelly Pannek's team-high six power-play goals are tied for fourth in the NCAA and lead the WCHA. Minnesota leads the nation in fewest penalty minutes per game at 5.8 minutes per game in 36 games. Minnesota's penalty kill ranks third in the NCAA at 89-for-98 for 90.8 percent as well.
First Goal, Best Goal
The Gophers are 19-1-2 when scoring the first goal of the game this season. In addition, Minnesota is 18-0-2 when leading after two periods.
Gopher Rookies Contribute
All six of Minnesota's freshmen have found their way on to the scoresheet for the Maroon & Gold this season. Kippin Keller (1g-1a) scored her first career goal in the Gophers' 2-1 win at St. Cloud State (Jan. 27). Patti Marshall (2g-10a) has played in all 36 games this season, and Katie Robinson (3g-1a) scored her first career goal against Minnesota State (Jan. 8). Lindsay Agnew (3g-4a) has played in 35 games, missing one game while competing with Canada's National Women's Development Team. Freshman goaltender Serena D'Angelo has appeared in five games, and Alex Woken (1g-3a) appeared in the first 15 games of the year before being sidelined due to injury.
Cameranesi Reaches 200 Career Points
Senior Dani Cameranesi became the eighth Gopher all-time to reach 200 career points this season, reaching the milestone on Dec. 3. She is Gophers' active career scoring leader with 201 career points (93g-108a) to tie for seventh in Minnesota history. Cameranesi's 93 goals are seventh in Gopher women's hockey history, her 108 assists are tied for seventh, and her 32 power-play goals are tied for third all-time.
Century Mark Scoring
Three Gophers have reached the 100-career point mark this season: junior Kelly Pannek (Oct. 15), senior Kate Schipper (Dec. 3), and sophomore Sarah Potomak (Feb. 11). The trio makes up the 32nd, 33rd, and 34th Gophers in program history to reach the career scoring milestone. In addition, Lee Stecklein is just seven points away from becoming the 35th Gopher and seventh Gopher defensemen to reach 100 career points.
Frost Secures 300th Win
Head coach Brad Frost secured his 300th career coaching victory with the Gophers' road sweep at Ohio State earlier this season (Oct. 21-22). He enters the WCHA Final Face-Off with an all-time mark of 318-51-27. This year marks Frost's 10th season at the helm of the Gophers. Last season Frost became the winningest coach in Gopher women's hockey history, surpassing Laura Halldorson (278-67-22) for career coaching wins.
Stecklein Named Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominee
Senior defenseman Lee Stecklein is one of 15 nominees for the 2017 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Award is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen - a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
Johnson Honored by AHCA
The American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) has honored Gophers associate head coach Joel Johnson at the 2017 recipient of the AHCA Women's Hockey Assistant Coach Award. Johnson will be recognized during the 2017 AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla., in April. Johnson has been a member of the University of Minnesota women's hockey coaching staff for 12 years, including two stints from 1999-2004 and again in 2010 to the present. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2014 and has been on staff for six of Minnesota's seven national titles. Under Johnson's direction, five Gopher defensemen have represented their countries in the Olympic Games, and he has coached seven Gopher defensemen to All-American accolades. He is one of the top defensive coaches in the country.
Gophers Add Six for 2017-18
The Gophers and head coach Brad Frost have announced the addition of six incoming players to join the University of Minnesota women's hockey team for the 2017-18 season. Emily Brown (Blaine, Minn.), Alex Gulstene (Vancouver, British Columbia), Olivia Knowles (Campbell River, British Columbia), Amy Potomak (Aldergrove British Columbia), Taylor Wente (Maple Grove, Minn.), and Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn.) make up the newest class of Gophers. Zumwinkle was named the 2017 Minnesota Ms. Hockey award recipient, and Brown took home the 2017 Class AA Herb Brooks Award.
Future Gophers Medal at U-18 World Championship
Five future Gophers took home medals at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship in Prerov and Zlin, Czech Republic last week. Alex Gulstene (Vancouver, British Columbia), Taylor Wente (Plymouth, Minn.), and Grace Zumwinkle (Excelsior, Minn.) won gold with the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team under the direction of Gophers associate head coach Joel Johnson, and Amy Potomak (Aldergrove, B.C.) and Olivia Knowles (Campbell River, B.C.) earned silver with Canada's National Women's Under-18 Team.
Five Gophers Representatives Medal at Nations Cup
Gopher alums Mira Jalosuo and Noora Raty won gold with Finland while current Gophers Sarah Potomak and Lindsay Agnew joined Minnesota alumna Sarah Davis in taking home silver with Canada's National Women's Development Team at this year's Nations Cup, which took place in Füssen, Germany and Telfs, Austria.
Six Gophers Medal at Four Nations Cup
All six Golden Gopher representatives took home medals at the 2016 Four Nations Cup. Lee Stecklein, Hannah Brandt, Megan Bozek, and Anne Schleper won gold with the U.S. Women's National Team while Sarah Davis took home silver with Canada's National Women's Team as the rivals met in the gold-medal game. Meanwhile, Noora Raty and Finland won 2-1 over Sweden for bronze in Vierumäki, Finland.
Duo Named to Canada's World Championship Roster
University of Minnesota alum Sarah Davis and sophomore Sarah Potomak have been selected to represent Canada's National Women's Team at the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship this spring.
Nine Alumni Continue Careers
Nine Gopher alumni are continuing their hockey careers by playing professional hockey in the NWHL and CWHL this season: Gigi Marvin (Boston Pride, NWHL), Megan Bozek (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Anne Schleper (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Jordyn Burns (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Amanda Leveille (Buffalo Beauts, NWHL), Amanda Kessel (New York Riveters, NWHL), Milica McMillen (New York Riveters, NWHL), Sarah Davis (Calgary Inferno, CWHL), and Kelly Terry (Toronto Furies, CWHL).
Gopher Fans are Nation's Best
The Gophers have been the nation's attendance leader for four-straight years, most recently averaging 1,671 fans per game last year. At home at Ridder Arena, the Gophers also led the NCAA with 2,125 fans per game in 2015-16. Minnesota looks to lead the nation in attendance for the fifth-straight year on its quest for the program's eighth national championship.
Up Next: NCAA Tournament
The WCHA Final Face-Off champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The entire NCAA field will be announced live on NCAA.com at 8 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 5. Minnesota is in search of its 15th overall and 10th-straight NCAA tournament appearance. The NCAA quarterfinal round id set for March 10-12.
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