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Huskies shutout by Bulldogs
Women’s hockey team finished a four-game stretch against the nation’s top three teams
 Media Credit: Christine Johnson/Editor SCSU forward Jennifer Swanson skates past UMD player Saturday afternoon at the National Hockey Center. The Huskies were shut out in both games this weekend.
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While the men’s hockey team was busy with the number one University of Minnesota Gophers, the women also skated against the nation’s best this weekend at the National Hockey Center.
SCSU was shut out in two consecutive games by the number one ranked University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs Friday and Saturday afternoon.
The Huskies could not cross the goal line against UMD and they surrendered 18 goals to the best Division I women’s hockey team in the country.
“UMD is a very strong team and a very good team,” said head coach Kerry Brodt-Wethington. “They are also very big. Their average height is five-foot-nine and ours is around five-foot-five. They capitalize on most of their scoring opportunities.”
Friday afternoon the Huskies came out strong and battled hard against UMD in the first period, allowing two goals just before midway through. SCSU managed to put five shots on net during the first stanza, while UMD had 16.
UMD opened the floodgates in the second period, putting five goals in the net to put them up 7-0. Only one goal was scored on the power play. SCSU did make the game a little more interesting in the period by making UMD goaltender Tuula Puputti stop 15 shots and creating more scoring chances with their aggressive play.
SCSU junior goaltender Laura Gieselman was lifted after the second period. Gieselman stopped 24 out of 31 UMD shots during the first two frames.
In the third period, sophomore goaltender Ellen Brinkman started off well and only allowed one goal with two and a half minutes remaining in the game. She made nine saves on 10 shots. SCSU failed to get on the scoreboard during the final period and put only two shots on net.
For the game, each team had seven penalties for 14 minutes but UMD had the advantage on the face-offs winning 35 versus SCSU’s 25. SCSU only allowed one goal on UMD’s five power plays and they did set up very well during their five power plays racking up half of their 22 total shots on net during their advantage.
“We are now starting to bond together, even though it took a while, but it didn’t show much on the ice tonight,” said senior captain and defender Tara McNamara. “Sometimes that happens, though, when you face the best team in the country. As a team, we are coming together, as friends, and out on the ice things are starting to come together.”
On Saturday afternoon, SCSU again came out strong against the nation’s best allowing only two goals in the first two periods of play.
One goal came just before the midway point of the first period and the other goal was scored at 7:02 into the second. SCSU played strong during the first 46 minutes of the game, killing off two UMD power plays during that time frame.
However, UMD finally broke down the Huskies at the 6:29 mark in the third period. UMD hammered five goals past SCSU goaltenders within a window of just under seven minutes to put SCSU away, 7-0.
SCSU was badly outshot in the second game by a 61-18 margin. The Huskies allowed the Bulldogs to convert on one of six power plays, but were unable to capitalize on their four power play opportunities.
“What happens sometimes on a power play, let’s say our first or second line is out there, we keep them out there sometimes and sometimes they are mentally and physically tired,” Brodt-Wethington said. “These are decisions coaches have to make and most of the time you want your best power play line out there right away because you have no idea how much time is going to be wasted.”
Even though UMD (9-0-3) is undefeated, SCSU remains the last team to defeat them. UMD’s last loss came last season on Feb. 17, versus the Huskies.
The two losses drop SCSU’s record to 3-8-1 and 3-6-1 in the WCHA placing them in a tie with Ohio State University for fifth place.
SCSU will face off against the University of Connecticut Friday and Saturday night at the National Hockey Center. Both games start at 7:05 p.m. UConn (6-6-1) is coming off a split with the University of New Hampshire.
“After the (Christmas) break, we come back and we will feel better,” McNamara said. “Maybe we just need a little break. I mean we are here nonstop every single day and weekends everyday. We should come back with fresh legs and be ready to play hockey.”
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