January 6 – 8, was an AWESOME weekend to be a D1 Women’s Hockey team in Minnesota as the University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State University (SCSU), Minnesota State University Mankato and St. Thomas all earned sweeps.  The only team missing was Bemidji State University, which had the weekend off.

The West swept the East this weekend as the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University faced off with Merrimack College (MC) and the University of New Hampshire (UNH).  

SCSU  3 UNH 0

St. Cloud State University began their sweep with a Friday afternoon win over New Hampshire 3-0.  Goals by Klara Hymlarova (assist Cortney Hall) and two goals by Allie Cornelius (assist Hall on one, Hall and Tatum Geier on the second, second goal was EN) lifted the Huskies over the Wildcats.  Huskies Jojo Chobak had 24 saves in the win and New Hamphsire’s Nicky Harnett had 20 saves in the loss.

SCSU 3 Merrimack 1

After a scoreless first period, SCSU finally lit the lamp in the second period with a goal by Hymlarova on the powerplay (assists Bailey Burton, Grace Wolfe) to be followed by a second goal only 8 seconds later by Addi Scribner (assist Mackenzie Bourgerie).  Hymlarova scored her second powerplay goal of the game (Assists Emma Gentry, Jenniina Nylund) to make it 3-0 Huskies after two periods of play.  Merrimack avoided the shut out with 2:08 left to play on a powerplay goal by Katie Kaufman (assists Raice Szott, Peyten Evans). Huskies Sanni Ahola had 16 saves in the win and Merrimack’s Emma Gorski had 26 saves in the loss.

Gophers 9  Merrimack 2

The Gophers absolutely dominated the weekend scoring 17 goals in two games.  The Gophers started off the scoring in the first period on goals by Nelli Laitinen (assists Audrey Wethington, Sadie Lindsay), Taylor Heise (assists Abigail Boreen, Emily Oden) and Abigail Boreen (assists Madeline Wethington, Laitinen).  Merrimack answered with a goal on the powerplay by Katie Kaufman (assist Evans, Sam Lessick) to make it 3-1 after two periods of play.  The third period started fast and furious for the Gophers who went on a scoring binge netting 4 goals in 77 seconds (not a team record). Goals were scored by Catie Skaja (assist Abbey Murphy, Boreen), Taylor Heise (assists Allie Franco, Skaja), Grace Zumwinkle (assist Ella Huber) and Madison Kaiser (assist Laitinen, Peyton Hemp).  The Gophers added two more goals later in the third period by Hemp (assist Josefin Bouveng and Oden) and the hattrick by Heise with 1:02 left in the game (assist Skaja, Oden).  Merrimack added a second goal by Alexa Pongo (assist Lessick and Teghan Inglis).  Gopher’s Skylar Vetter had 12 saves in the win and Merrimack’s Emma Gorsky had 15 saves and Calli Hogarth had 9 saves, respectively in the loss.

Gophers 8 New Hampshire 1 – Grace Zumwinkle nets #100

Minnesota rolled over their second opponent on Saturday with a 8-1 win over New Hampshire.  Skaja opened up the score in the first (assists Boreen, Emily Zumwinkle) followed by. Grace Zumwinkle (assists, Huber, Makayla Pahl) and Madeline Wethington (assist Crystalyn Hengler, E. Zumwinkle)  In the second period the Gophers added two goals scored by Huber (assists Murphy, G. Zumwinkle) and Murphey (assist G. Zumwinkle).  New Hampshire avoided the shut out with a goal by Emily Pinto (assists Brianna Brooks, Kira Juodikis) in the second. The third period saw goals by Heise on the powerplay (assist G. Zumwinkle, Murphy), Murphy (assist G. Zumwinkle, Huber) and Grace Zumwinkle, who scored #100 (assist M. Wethington and E. Zumwinkle).  Gopher’s Makaya Pahl had 14 saves in the win and New Hampshire’s Ava Boutilier had 24 saves in the loss.

The Bulldogs swept the Badgers for the first time since 2012 in the weekend series. 

University of Minnesota Duluth 3   Wisconsin 1

Wisconsin scored their only goal for the weekend in game 1 when Casey O’Brien (assists Caroline Harvey, Maddi Wheeler) lit the lamp at 8:42 in the first period.  The Bulldogs answered with goals by Anneke Linser (assists Taylor Anderson, Maggie Flaherty), Katie Davis (assist Mannon McMahon) and Gabbie Hughes (assists Nina Jobst-Smith, Lindser).  Bulldogs Emma Soderberg had 43 saves in the win while Badgers Cami Kronish had 25 saves in the loss.

University of Minnesota Duluth 1   Wisconsin 0

After two scoreless periods of play, Anneka Linser found the back of the net on a strange bounce that slid through the five-hole of Badger netminder Jane Gervais at 7:47.  Bulldogs Soderberg stopped 28 pucks in the win and Gervais stopped 24 pucks in the loss.

Minnesota State Mankato had a phenomenal weekend sweeping Lindenwood and improving their record to .500 (11-11)

Minnesota State Mankato 8  Lindenwood 0

The Mavericks dominated Lindenwood with and 8-0 win.  goals by Shelbi Guttormson (assists Syndey Langseth, Claire Butorak), Sydney Shearen (assist Charlotte Akervik), Kianna Roeske (assist Madison Mashuga, Taylor Otremba), Butorak (assists Otremba, Mashuga), Mashuga (assist Otremba), Langseth (assist Akervik, Kennedy Bobyck), Otremba (assist Mashuga), Otremba (Alexis Paddington, Shearen).  Maverick’s Lauren Barbro had 37 saves in the win, while Lindenwood’s Natalie Ferenc had 19 saves and Julia Maguire had 11 saves in the loss.

Minnesota State Mankato 5  Lindenwood 2

Although not the scoring frenzy of Friday night’s game, Mankato was solid in a 5-2 win on Saturday to sweep the weekend.  Goals by Jessica Boland (assists Witney Tuttle, Kelsey King), Paddington (assists Akervik, Lilie Ramirez), Brooke Bryant (unassisted), Bryant (assist Guttormson) and Tuttle (assists King, Bryant; EN).  Lindenwood added two goals by Rachel Goff (assist Morgan Nietzke, Chloe Corbin) and Nietzke (assists Corbin, Goff).  Maverick’s Alexa Berg had 22 saves in the win and Lindenwood’s Maguire had 40 saves in the loss

Tommies earn their third sweep of the season in wins over RIT.

UST 5 RIT 1

The Tommies started their weekend sweep with a 5-1 win over RIT.  The Tommies started the scoring with a goal by Lauren Stenslie (assist Kate Haug).  The game winning goal came on an unassisted short-handed goal by Gabby Billing.  The Tommies added three more goals in the third period from Allie Monrean (assist Haley Maxwell), Billing (assist Anna Solheim) and Maddy Clough (unassisted).  RIT’s lone goal was scored in the second period by Emma Roland (assists Jordyn Bear, Kylie Aquaro).  Tommies Alexa Dobchuk stopped 17 shots in the win. RIT’s Sarah Coe stopped 24 pucks and Sophia Bellina stopped 3 shots in the loss.

UST 3  RIT 0

St. Thomas scored one goal per period to earn the weekend sweep.  Monrean (unassisted) started the scoring in the first period, followed by Luci Bianchi (unassisted) in the second period and  Stenslie (assist Clough) in the third. Thommies Saskia Maurer had 24 saves in the win and Coe had 28 saves in the loss.