No. 2 Minnesota Slides By No. 9 Harvard
| 0:00 - 3rd | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota (13-2-0, 8-2-0) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Harvard (5-3-0, 5-2-0) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Scoring Summary | |
|---|---|
| 1st - 18:06 | Emily West (Minnesota) |
| 3rd - 12:03 | PP - Anne Schleper (Minnesota) |
| 3rd - 14:25 | Gedman, Marissa (Harvard) |
| Minnesota | Harvard |
|---|---|
|
G:
2 Players (#17, #22 - 1)
A: 4 Players (#4, #8, #9, #24 - 1) Sh: Emily West - 7 Sv: Noora Raty - 26 |
G:
Marissa Gedman - 1
A: Kalley Armstrong - 1 Sh: Jillian Dempsey - 7 Sv: Laura Bellamy - 29 |
| TEAM STATISTICS | Minnesota | Harvard |
|---|---|---|
| Power Plays | 1 for 4 | 0 for 3 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 3 (6) | 4 (8) |
| Shots on Goal | 31 | 27 |
| Face Offs Won | 30 | 26 |
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In a showdown between two of the
nation’s top teams, the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers’
pair of scores was just enough to get past the No. 9 Harvard
women’s hockey team, as the Crimson fell, 2-1, Saturday
afternoon at Bright Hockey Center. Harvard dips to 5-3-0 overall
with Minnesota being its first non-conference opponent of the
season.
Down, 2-0, past the halfway point of the third period, Harvard
finally capitalized on a prime scoring chance as Marissa Gedman put
the hosts on the board with 14:25 gone in the final frame.
Sophomore Kalley Armstrong won a faceoff in the Minnesota zone back
to Gedman, and the defenseman teed up a blast from the right point
that found its way through a crowd in front of the net and past
Gopher goalie Noora Raty, cutting the deficit in half.
Harvard had its best chance to put in the equalizer with just over
two minutes to play in the game as a Minnesota penalty put Harvard
on the power play. A handful of looks right at the goalmouth at the
start of the skater advantage were turned away and the Minnesota
penalty kill proved too strong as the Gophers sealed the 2-1
win.
It was a physical matchup from the get-go and both squads looked
aggressive on offense and defense through the whole first period.
The Gophers got in a bit of trouble as a two players were sent to
the box just three minutes apart on the first frame, but the
Crimson was unable to capitalize on two power plays. Minnesota
broke the scoreless tie with just under two minutes to play in the
opening stanza, when Emily West converted off passes from Sarah
Davis and Sarah Erickson at 18:06.
A scoreless second period saw the Crimson kill a pair of penalties,
extending its penalties-killed streak to 19. However, the kill was
unable to withstand back-to-back infractions just past the halfway
point of the third as Minnesota scored promptly after going on a
5-on-3 advantage. Anne Schleper wristed a shot past Laura Bellamy
off passes from Amanda Kessel and Jen Schoullis for the eventual
game-winner at 12:03 of the third.
Bellamy was stellar once again in net for Harvard, notching 29
saves in the game and keeping the Crimson in contention despite a
number of great Minnesota looks right on the doorstep. Her
counterpart Raty collected 26 saves in the game.
Harvard and Minnesota wrap up the two-game series tomorrow in a
1:00 p.m. contest.
