North Dakota played a complete hockey game both offensively and defensively on the way to a 4-0 shutout victory over visiting Bemidji State.
UND (3-12-2, 1-10-2 WCHA) dominated BSU (3-12-2, 2-11-0 WCHA) in the offensive zone and suffocated in the defensive zone, holding a 40-11 shot advantage in the game. The shot total at the first intermission was 12-1 in favor of UND, but the Sioux had only a 1-0 lead to show for it due to the great play of BSU sophmore goalie Emily Brookshaw.
“Emily had a fantastic game, you can’t say anything bad about her tonight,” said BSU assistant coach Sis Paulsen of Brookshaw. “She definitely kept us in the game.”
Brookshaw finished the game with 36 save in the loss, that dropped her record
to 1-7-1 this season.
The Fighting Sioux got on the board late in the first period when freshman Samantha Bowers took a shot from just inside the blue line that found its way through traffic in front and past Brookshaw. The goal was Bowers’ fifth of the season.
“It feels good to put the puck in the net,” Bowers said.
Bowers, who has spent most of her career playing forward, has been moved to defense in recent weeks and has adjusted well to the new position.
“I like playing,” Bowers said. “Defense, forward, whatever position they decide to put me at.”
UND’s sophomore twins Cami and Cara Wooster would take care of the remaining Sioux scoring. Two goals would come on the power play, of which they finished 2-for-6 on the night, and the last, Cami’s second, would come at even strength.
At 17:12 of the second Cara tipped a shot by Cami past Brookshaw for her
seventh goal of the season.
“We were just having fun and it was working for us,” Cara said of her and Cami’s effort.
Cami would get both of her goals in the third period, the first at 1:32 was a tip of Bowers’ shot with Cara also assisting on the goal. The second came at 10:39 when she blocked a clearing pass and skated the puck around a sprawled Brookshaw and put it in the net for her tenth goal of the season.
“It was kind of frustrating in the first period, we had a lot of chances and nothing seemed to be going in, but as the game went on we kept working hard and the chances started going in,” said Cami.
“They were on fire today,” said UND coach Shantel Rivard of the twins. “A lot of pretty plays and it was just the Woosters that you come to expect and love to see.”
The Sioux defense was very efficient on the penalty kill, killing off all four Beaver power plays, while limiting them to just one shot with the man advantage.
UND senior goalie Margret-Ann Hinkley was solid when she needed to be stopping all 11 Beaver shots for her first shutout of the year. The win moved her record to 1-3-0.
“Those are the hardest games to stay focused in mentally, when you’re not
getting many shots, and Maggie did a great job,” Rivard said.
The two teams rematch Sunday at 2:05 pm.
