3/3 RECAP: Gophers Advance to WCHA Final Faceoff Championship

Needing a win, Minnesota got its biggest victory of the season. The Gophers will continue theirs.

Freshman Grace Zumwinkle scored both goals Saturday in a 2-0 win over Ohio State. Minnesota (23-10-3) will face Wisconsin for the WCHA Final Faceoff championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

“It was a great game here tonight. I thought we played extremely hard and battled and competed,” said head coach Brad Frost. “(Gophers redshirt senior goaltender) Sid(ney) Peters was fantastic obviously and Zummy and her line, in particular, played a really big role.”

Entering Saturday on the outside of the NCAA Tournament and having gone 0-3-1 against the opponent, Peters stopped all 33 shots she faced.

Ohio State (23-10-4) appeared to have scored in the opening 90 seconds, but Charly Dahlquist’s shot was waved off when the net came off first. Referees reviewed the play and confirmed the call.

“I had no idea. I was praying that it hadn’t gone in first”

“I skated to the bench during the break in play when the refs were looking at the replay and I asked Emma (May) did that puck go in? She was like, yeah you’re good,” said Peters. “I had no idea. I was praying that it hadn’t gone in first.”

Neither team was able to score in the opening twenty minutes. Tatum Skaggs hit a post on a breakaway, taking advantage of a lax Minnesota defense, but the Gophers were able to settle in after the first 10 minutes and begin creating chances.

Peters and Buckeyes goaltender Amanda Zeglen were tested with back-and-forth play in a game Saturday where neither team took a penalty.

Zumwinkle got the Gophers on the board 2:26 into the second period on a shot the freshman believed came as a result of hitting the puck out of midair.

“It was a harder shot to read on the left side, the left pad. (Zumwinkle) has a great shot and is a great player,” said Zeglen, who finished with 25 saves.

Ohio State tested Peters in the third period, putting up 16 shots in order to get the game-tying goal. The Buckeyes took a timeout with 2:01 remaining and pulled Zeglen to get an extra attacker, however, Zumwinkle got the empty netter, skating in all alone for her 17th goal of the season.

While Minnesota needs to defeat another team it hasn’t this season in Wisconsin to keep its season alive, Ohio State appears to be in the NCAA Tournament despite losing. For Buckeyes head coach Nadine Muzerall, she hopes Saturday is a lesson her team can take for next weekend.

“Hopefully they learn from this,” she said. “If anything, you grow a little more when you lose than if you win. I told them to pause and reflect; reflect on what this feeling is because you never want to have it again. The next time it’s over. Prepare.”

Sunday’s championship game will be at 2 p.m. and air on Fox Sports North Plus.

Wisconsin 4, Bemidji State 1

In the opening semifinal, Wisconsin senior forward Baylee Wellhausen scored a hat trick to send the WCHA regular-season champion Badgers to the Final Faceoff Championship.

Wellhausen opened the scoring 41 seconds into the game. While Emma Terres tied the game late in the first period for Bemidji State, Wisconsin pulled away over the final forty minutes.

Of Wellhausen’s 10 goals this season, five have come at Ridder Arena.

“There is something about being in Minnesota, it’s a huge rival for us. Being in this rink is always an extra energy boost for myself,” said Wellhausen, who has played three games at Ridder this year.

“The team was having a lot of fun in the locker room, we were getting loose and I think that got us really relaxed to play here. We went out there and definitely had a lot of fun.”


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