Minnesota
Top-ranked Minnesota got first-period goals from Hannah Brandt and Mira Jalosuo in a 2-0 win at Wisconsin on Friday. The shutout was Noora Räty’s 10th of the season, and it stretched the Gophers’ unbeaten string to 33 games, bettering the streak of 32 achieved twice by the Badgers. On Sunday, the spotlight was on the Finnish goaltender, as she earned the victory in Minnesota’s 5-1 triumph, the 100th win in her college career. That ties the NCAA mark established last year by Hillary Pattenden of Mercyhurst.
Welcome back, Clarkson
The No. 7 Golden Knights had seemed to be fighting the current in recent weeks, but they came through with two huge wins over the weekend to keep their ECAC title hopes healthy. Junior Carly Mercer netted a hat trick to supply the offense in a 3-1 win over first-place Harvard. Jamie Lee Rattray assisted on all three goals, two of which came on the power play. Clarkson followed up in strong fashion on Saturday with a 5-0 blanking of Dartmouth. Erica Howe earned her fourth shutout of the year along with her 19th win, and Shannon MacAulay scored twice.
North Country travails
The No. 2 Crimson entered the week with a perfect ECAC mark, but had to battle to avoid falling on consecutive days in their trip to upstate New York. Kayla Raniwsky staked St. Lawrence to a 2-1 lead at 8:48 of the third period, but Jillian Dempsey answered five minutes later. Kalley Armstrong delivered the game-winner on Harvard’s only shot of overtime. The Saints called timeout 10 seconds earlier; it’s safe to say that whatever strategy the coaches discussed unfolded better for the Crimson, leading to their bus ride home with a 3-2 victory.
Raider-proof goalie
Yale hasn’t had a lot to celebrate, but the Bulldogs earned their first sweep of a season series in two years by stopping Colgate, 2-0, on Saturday. Jaimie Leonoff now has matching 31-save shutouts over the Raiders. The win moves Yale into a tie with Colgate for the eighth and final ECAC playoff spot.
Saturday’s game was also the Bulldogs’ “White Out for Mandi.” The event, attended by 851 fans, was estimated to have raised over $10,000 in support of the Mandi Schwartz Foundation.
After you
Of late, Northeastern games look like basketball games where teams alternate baskets or go on runs. Sunday, it was the latter; the Huskies spotted Vermont the first three goals before wrapping up the scoring with six unanswered. Included in that burst was a pure hat trick for Kendall Coyne.
How the rest of the top 10 fared
No. 6 Mercyhurst had some problems with a broken water main that forced its games versus Lindenwood to be relocated, but the Lakers had little trouble from the Lions in 10-0 and 5-1 wins. Jenna Dingeldein, Emily Janiga, and Christine Bestland all had six-point weekends, with Dingeldein setting the pace with four goals.
No. 10 North Dakota got the job done on the road at St. Cloud State with a sweep by scores of 6-2 and 3-0. Monique Lamoureux poured in a hat trick in the opener, and sister Jocelyne had a seven-point series.
Minnesota-Duluth looks poised to supplant No. 9 Ohio State in the polls after the Bulldogs emerged on top in back-to-back battles in Columbus. Shannon Miller has long professed a distrust of two-goal leads, and her team displayed why on Friday. UMD twice frittered away two-goal advantages before making the third stand up for a 7-5 victory. Sophomore Brigette Lacquette was a one-woman wrecking crew, enjoying her first career hat trick and adding a couple of helpers. Seven different Bulldogs chipped in a point in a tamer 3-2 triumph on Saturday.
No. 4 Cornell handled Yale easily by a 5-0 score. Brianne Jenner and Cassandra Poudrier each found the net twice, with Jillian Saulnier dishing out four assists. Brown mounted a bit more resistance, but ultimately fell to the Big Red, 4-2. Jenner had another big game, supplying three helpers along with a goal.
The No. 3 Boston College Eagles squandered a two-goal lead at Providence, but Melissa Bizzari’s goal in the final minutes proved decisive in a 4-3 Boston College win. Corinne Buie tallied twice for the Friars. Back home to face Connecticut, Alex Carpenter exploded for a hat trick and two assists in an 8-0 thrashing.
Freshman Jordan Juron skated on the top line for No. 5 Boston University in place of Jenelle Kohanchuk, and responded with two goals and an assist to spur a 5-2 win at Vermont. On Sunday, Isabel Menard connected for the game-winner on a second-period power play in a 3-2 win for the Terriers over New Hampshire.
