University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
18-8-2, 11-6-2-0
Minnesota State
3-21-1, 1-16-0
Gophers Win 4-2 Over Minnesota State
1/26/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Jan. 26, 2018
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 7 Golden Gopher women's hockey team scored three second-period goals and sealed the victory with a late empty-net tally on the way to a 4-2 win over Minnesota State at Ridder Arena Friday night.
Minnesota (18-8-2, 11-6-2-0 WCHA) allowed one goal in the first and the third period but received second-period goals from Sydney Baldwin, Grace Zumwinkle, and Emily Brown along an empty-netter in the final minute by Taylor Wente. Sidney Peters made 15 saves in the win.
Coach @FrostBrad shares his thoughts on tonight's 4-2 win over the Mavericks. pic.twitter.com/0AToKTWwNX
-- Minnesota W Hockey (@GopherWHockey) January 27, 2018
Minnesota State (3-21-1, 1-16-0 WCHA) took an early 1-0 lead and made it a one-goal game in the third period, but Minnesota came away with the win. The Mavericks were led by Tristen Truax, who scored both goals for MSU. In net, Chloe Crosby made 25 saves as Minnesota outshot the visitors, 29-17.
The Mavericks took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period when Truax scored her first goal of the game and second of the season off a feed from Rebekah Kolstad with 7:49 remaining in the opening frame.
The Gophers responded with a three-goal second period, beginning with Baldwin's eighth goal of the season just 26 seconds into the period. Caitlin Reilly got a hold of the puck in the corner and found Baldwin moving into the zone at the faceoff dot, where she ripped a one-timer past MSU's Crosby to tie the game at 1-1.
Minnesota scored two more goals over a 1:33 span during the second period to go up 3-1 after two periods. Zumwinkle gave the Gophers the lead on an unassisted effort at the 8:53 mark of the second period before Brown scored the eventual game-winner when she put one past Crosby off a faceoff win by Sophie Skarzynski.
MSU made it a one-goal game when Truax scored her second of the night at the 12:19 mark of the third period, but the Gophers held off the Mavericks' attempted comeback and iced the victory with Wente's 10th goal of the year with 33 seconds on the clock.
Both teams were 0-for-1 on the power play.
The Gophers and Mavericks face off in game two of this weekend's series at 4 p.m. CT Saturday. Prior to the game, Minnesota will honor the team's four seniors, Sydney Baldwin, Cara Piazza, Sidney Peters, and Caitlin Reilly, as part of its Senior Day celebration. The game marks Minnesota's final home game of the regular season.
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