Add frigid weather and goal-mouth skirmishes to the list of obstacles that haven’t slowed Minnesota this season. On this night, neither could the Brown Bears, who fell by an 8-2 score.
The top line of Natalie Darwitz, Krissy Wendell, and Kelly Stephens had its usual sterling effort with five goals and nine assists. Eleven Gophers earned points, with Erica McKenzie, Allie Sanchez and Liz Palkie adding goals.
Darwitz alone had two goals and three assists for the Gophers (18-1-2). The three helpers pushed her career total to 113, a new team record.
“It’s an honor,” Darwitz said of her record, before quickly shifting focus. “My top priority is that our team plays well, and we have a successful season, and hopefully win a national championship. When I look back on my career, the thing I’m going to remember most is last year winning a national championship.”
With the aid of three power plays and strong play in net from freshman O’Hara Shipe, Brown (10-7-1) kept the contest even through most of the first period. The Bears had chances early, including a 4-on-1 break in the first minute of play, and a 5-on-3 soon after. But they were unable to beat Jody Horak until the game had been decided.
“It’s been our nemesis all year – we’re just not putting the puck in the net,” said Brown coach Digit Murphy. “Against a team this good, you really have to bury the puck.”
Darwitz gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission when she redirected a Krissy Wendell pass by Shipe at 17:03.
Minnesota put the game away with a four-goal burst midway through the second period. Murphy attributed the barrage to a lull in her team’s play.
“We had that five-minute breakdown in the second period that just let them get all of the momentum,” Murphy said.
Minnesota attributed the barrage to exceptional shooting. Minnesota goaltending coach Jeff Moen noted to Halldorson that when the Gophers scored, it looked like they were shooting to score.
“It wasn’t just throwing the puck at the net,” Halldorson said. “McKenzie just rifled it top shelf. A great pass by Natalie over to Krissy and she went high. I also really liked the Sanchez goal where Kelly saw her coming in late, and made the pass across, and Allie had her head up and buried it.”
The Bears staged a brief rally with consecutive goals in the third off the sticks of senior Jessica Link and frosh Rylee Olewinski, who scored for the first time in her Brown career.
“It was good to get some confidence at the end and put two in and know that we can put a few in [the net],” Link said.
The game took a nasty turn with 5:53 left while Minnesota was in command by a 6-1 margin. A scuffle broke out after Horak froze the puck in the crease, and the Gophers took exception to some late contact. When order was restored, a total of 23 minutes in penalties had been assessed, most notably a major and game disqualification to Brown captain Katie Guay for a shot she gave to Horak.
Murphy wasn’t sure the settlement was equitable.
“I really have a hard time figuring out why my kid got DQ’d and no one from [Minnesota] did,” she said. “The tape will show what happened.”
Wendell, who was in the middle of the altercation along with Stephens, shrugged it off.
“They’re a tough team, and they play physical,” she said.
Darwitz hopes that emphasis in Saturday’s rematch is on hockey.
“I don’t know what that was,” Darwitz said of the roughness. “It was unfortunate that it happened.”
Link could only hope that Brown has better luck tomorrow
“We didn’t get the bounces, but hopefully we will tomorrow,” she said. “They’re a fast, quick team. You just got to try and contain them, and take advantage of your opportunities.”
