In a pregame ceremony, the Minnesota Gophers unfurled three banners to commemorate each of their championships won in 2003-2004-WCHA regular season, WCHA tournament and NCAA Frozen Four. With that business accomplished, they turned their attention to St. Cloud State and triumphed over the Huskies by a score of 7-0.
The specialty teams of the Gophers (3-0, 3-0 WCHA) overwhelmed the Huskies (1-2, 1-2 WCHA) with three power-play goals and three shorthanded tallies. Krissy Wendell led the scoring barrage with a hat trick. Kelly Stephens added two goals and two assists. The third member of the line, Natalie Darwitz, tied her own team record with five assists and earned her the game’s No. 1 star.
Lyndsay Wall contributed a power-play goal of her own on a heavy one-timer. Freshman Bobbi Ross notched her first collegiate goal on a shorthanded breakaway.
Wendell scored in nearly every way imaginable. She deposited the rebound of a Wall blast into an open net while on the power play for the game winner. At even strength, she scored from behind the goal line on a wraparound. She saved the best for last. While skating off a 3-on-5 disadvantage, she broke in alone, faked a slap shot to freeze the goalie, then slipped the puck behind her to complete the hat trick just 4:28 into the second period.
As is usually the case, the opposition was impressed.
“If those three on that first line aren’t First Team All Americans,” St. Cloud coach Jason Lesteberg said of the Minnesota trio, “then something’s wrong. Those kids are just at a different level.”
Darwitz and Minnesota coach Laura Halldorson both agreed that all four Minnesota lines played well, even though it did not result in goals in all cases. None of the other three lines scored at even strength.
“I thought we came ready to play tonight,” Halldorson said. “I’m really happy with the effort.”
Jody Horak stopped 12 shots in earning her second straight shutout.
Four first period goals chased St. Cloud starter Lauri St. Jacques. Her replacement, Carmen Lizee was greeted with three quick tallies in her first five minutes. From that point, she kept the Gophers off of the scoreboard.
“I think the first period, we were just intimidated by them,” Lesteberg said. “The last 35 minutes of the game, we didn’t give up any goals.”
When an offense clicks like that of Minnesota has so far this season, the opposition uses a different standard in evaluating their own effectiveness.
“We ended up 3 for 8 [in goals allowed] on the penalty kill, which isn’t bad” the St. Cloud coach said, “But those first few early ones really hurt us.”
When compared to the 8 goals on 12 chances that the Gopher power play converted in week one, limiting the Gophers to 37.5 percent success is indeed an improvement. What makes it so effective?
“They can’t focus on one person,” Halldorson said.
To date Darwitz, Stephens, and Wendell have amassed the majority of the points. But Wall’s big shot and the muscle of Ross down low have been just as instrumental in the unit’s success.
What can St. Cloud do to change the outcome in game two of the series?
“We’ve got to find a way,” Lesteberg said. “We’ll break down the tape and make some adjustments.”
