The No. 2 Gophers womenâÄôs hockey team split its series with Bemidji State this weekend. Minnesota won 4-1 on Friday, but fell 2-1 on Saturday.
On Friday, Beavers forward Sadie Lundquist scored to give Bemidji State a 1-0 lead, which would last for a little more than eight minutes.
Gophers forward Jen Schoullis knotted the game up at 1-1, scored her second goal of the game three minutes later, and Minnesota held a 2-1 lead after the first period.
âÄú[SchoullisâÄô] whole line played really well on Friday. They were moving the puck and communicating,âÄù Minnesota head coach Brad Frost said. âÄúIt was good to see Jen get rewarded with a hat trick.âÄù
Neither team scored in the second frame, and this marked just the fourth time this season that Minnesota was held scoreless in a period.
The Gophers used a third-period goal by Sarah Erickson to extend the lead and Schoullis added an empty net goal in the gameâÄôs final minute to record the first hat trick of her career.
Minnesota recorded 50 shots on goal Friday âÄî the fifth time this season that the Gophers have taken 50 or more shots.
Bemidji State ended MinnesotaâÄôs four-game winning streak Saturday, however.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first period, and the Gophers blew an early power-play chance in the second period.
Rachael Kelly of the Beavers scored the gameâÄôs first goal five minutes and 36 seconds into the second period. A Megan Bozek roughing penalty afforded Bemidji State another power play, and the Beavers capitalized when Lundquist scored her second goal of weekend.
Emily West halved the deficit in the third, but the Gophers were unable to tie the game and the Beavers held on for the victory.
âÄúI wasnâÄôt happy with how our team played for the first two periods. It ended up costing us the hockey game,âÄù Frost said.
He later added that he was disappointed with the teamâÄôs intensity level and will look to make some adjustments in the upcoming week.
âÄúOn Friday night we did a lot of good things. We were up on our toes and we were moving, and it almost seemed like the opposite happened Saturday âĦ Overall we didnâÄôt bring a great effort.âÄù
Minnesota will play No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth next Friday and Saturday at Ridder Arena.
Muzerall named womenâÄôs hockey assistant coach
Former Gophers womenâÄôs hockey player Nadine Muzerall will join the Minnesota coaching staff as an assistant coach. Muzerall played for the Gophers from 1997 to 2001 and was a two-time All-American in that time.
âÄúAs an alum, I feel a tremendous pride in being given the opportunity to coach college hockey at the University of Minnesota,âÄù Muzerall said in a release.
âÄúThere couldnâÄôt be a better place for me to coach a game I love, for a team I have honored since the beginning, with coaches for whom I have the utmost respect and in a place I have felt as home since I was 18.âÄù
Muzerall helped lead Minnesota to the AWCHA National Championship in 2000. She is the GophersâÄô all-time leader in career goals scored with 139 and is third on the all-time points list with 235.
MuzerallâÄôs previous coaching experience came at a boarding school for high school students, Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. She coached the girlsâÄô varsity team from 2002 to 2009.
âÄúShe will be a great addition to our staff and program,âÄù head coach Brad Frost said in a release. âÄúNadine brings a wealth of experience both as a player and coach. Our players will love learning from her as she brings a tremendous passion for Gopher hockey and the University of Minnesota.âÄù
