In their final Ridder Arena regular season appearance, Minnesota’s senior class helped lead the Gophers to its 50th consecutive victory over Minnesota State.
Senior forward Cara Piazza scored the game’s opening goal and senior goaltender Sidney Peters made 32 saves in a 2-0 shutout win. Combined with an Ohio State loss, Saturday’s win moved Minnesota (19-8-2, 12-6-2-0 WCHA) up to second place in the WCHA.
The much-needed two-game sweep comes a week after the Gophers were swept by the Buckeyes in Columbus. Minnesota plays its final four regular-season games on the road against St. Cloud State and Wisconsin before likely returning to host a WCHA first-round playoff series at the end of the month.
“It’s hard to win in our league and so to be able to get on the horse so to speak and find our winning ways is big going into the last four games of the regular season,” said Minnesota head coach Brad Frost.
The Gophers honored its four seniors — defender Sydney Baldwin, Piazza, Peters and forward Caitlin Reilly — prior to Minnesota’s 2017-18 home finale.
“I was tearing up even during the national anthem before the game started,” Peters said. “It was a pretty emotional day for me and the other three seniors just because we love this team so much.”
All four seniors started the game. Skating on a line together with redshirt junior Nicole Schammel, Piazza and Reilly each had multiple opportunities in the first period against Mavericks goaltender Chloe Crosby. Piazza was left alone in front of the net in the opening minutes while Reilly’s point-blank tip was stopped by Crosby, who finished with 36 overall.
After a scoreless first where Peters matched Crosby’s effort, Piazza broke through late in the second period when she scored her eighth goal of the season in front of the net.
“To be able to do that (on Senior Day) was a really cool moment. I honestly didn’t know it went in right away,” she said. “To hear the fans cheering it was a really good feeling to be able to go ahead. We talked before the game about getting the first goal and starting out strong. I think we started out strong and to show that on the scoreboard was really cool too.”
Trying to stop the long losing streak, the Mavericks did not go down without a fight in a game that was feisty at times between the two teams. Several stoppages in play ended with post-whistle shoving matches and punches thrown. Minnesota State tested the Gophers defense for much of the third until Alex Woken scored with 1:42 remaining in regulation.
“It’s hard to win in our league and so to be able to get on the horse so to speak and find our winning ways is big going into the last four games of the regular season”
Minnesota State (3-22-1, 1-17-0-0 WCHA) had multiple opportunities during an early second-period power play where the Mavericks put six shots on goal. None tested the Geneva, Illinois native more than the sixth. With Corbin Boyd wide open on the backdoor, Peters went from her right to left to get enough of Boyd’s tap-in opportunity with her glove to keep the game scoreless.
“That was a fun save. Honestly, I thought it went in,” said Peters. “I’m definitely glad it bounced out and didn’t go in.”
With the win, Minnesota keeps itself in position to earn an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers are currently sixth in the Pairwise rankings, which mimic the criteria used to select the teams. Only eight make the tournament. Given the chances of teams outside the top eight earning bids by winning their conference tournaments, the teams near the eighth spot have less breathing room.
Minnesota travels to St. Cloud State next weekend to play the Huskies, who the Gophers have defeated three times this season. Both Friday and Saturday’s games begin at 3 p.m.
Figure out how we’re Gonna do that Hockey with Giles & The Goalie!
