University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
15-1-2, 10-1-2-0
St. Cloud State
5-12-1, 2-8-1-1
Gophers Roll Past Huskies, 12-0
12/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
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Dec. 5, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS - Junior Hannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) had a career-high seven points and both Paige Haley (Red Wing, Minn.) and Nina Rodgers (Minnetonka, Minn.) scored their first collegiate goals as the No. 2 Minnesota women's hockey team blanked St. Cloud State, 12-0, at Ridder Arena Friday night.
Ten Gophers had at least one point and four players scored multiple goals as the Gophers' offense erupted in Minnesota's 15th win of the season. Along with Brandt's seven-point effort (one goal, six assists), sophomore Dani Cameranesi's (Plymouth, Minn.) also recorded a career-best six assists.
"I thought right away we had a great jump, and all of the lines were clicking," head coach Brad Frost said. "Paige Haley got her first real opportunity at forward and played extremely well. Nina got many shifts and did a great job, too. I think anytime you have the balance up and down the lineup like we had tonight, it's going to lead to success."
Seniors Rachael Bona (Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Meghan Lorence (Mounds View, Minn.), junior Maryanne Menefee (Lansing, Mich.) and Rodgers each scored twice. Freshman Kelly Pannek (Plymouth, Minn.) recorded four assists, and Bona added two helpers to her two-goal effort to finish with four points as well.
Minnesota (15-1-2, 10-1-2-0 WCHA) went a perfect four-for-four on the power play while holding the Huskies scoreless on their lone opportunity with the man advantage.
Redshirt freshman Sidney Peters (Geneva, Ill.) made 18 saves in her fourth career game to improve to 3-0-1. St. Cloud State (5-12-1, 2-8-1-1 WCHA) received 26 saves from goaltender Julie Friend in the first two periods before Katie Fitzgerald finished the game with 10 saves. Minnesota outshot the Huskies, 48-18.
The Gophers scored three times in the opening period, including two power-play tallies. Pannek set up all three goals as Haley scored her first goal as a Gopher between power-play goals from Menefee and senior Rachel Ramsey (Chanhassen, Minn.).
Menefee put Minnesota on the board at the 5:14 mark on the team's first power play of the game. Eight minutes later, Pannek slid a pass across the slot to Haley, who poked it past Friend to give the Gophers a 2-0 lead. Minnesota scored again on its second power play when Ramsey's blast from the point found its way through traffic past Friend to make it 3-0.
"When we scored those two power-play goals, that was obviously big," Frost said. "Then to get two more - anytime you go 100 percent on the PP and it's more than one power play, that's a really good thing. It was really clicking tonight."
Minnesota then put up six goals in the second period to a take 9-0 lead into the second intermission. Bona and Lorence each scored twice, freshman Cara Piazza (Darien, Ill.) netted her fourth of the year on an unassisted effort, and Menefee scored her second of the game.
The Gophers added three more goals in the third period, including two by Rodgers. Brandt and Cameranesi contributed to all three third-period goals as Cameranesi had three assists and Brandt scored once and set up the other two tallies.
Minnesota's 12-goal effort tied the Gophers' program record for most goals in a single game, a record dating back to a 12-1 win at Ohio State on Jan. 10, 2009. The Gophers' six-goal second period was the most scoring in a single period since a 10-0 win over Bemidji State last February when the Gophers also scored six goals in the second period.
The Gophers look to close out 2014 with a sweep over the Huskies when they wrap up this weekend's series at 4 p.m. CT Saturday afternoon. Minnesota will hold its annual Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday; fans are encouraged to bring teddy bears to donate to the Gophers' annual toy drive by throwing them on the ice after the first Gopher goal.
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