The Gopher women’s hockey team faced a big task entering the weekend, with a massive road series against No. 2 Wisconsin standing between them and another WCHA title.
Friday, they took care of business, holding on to defeat the Badgers 3-2 in Madison to extend their undefeated streak to 17 games.
The game-winner came from freshman Dani Cameranesi, her 16th goal of the season with 9:02 left in the third period of a 2-2 game.
The conference regular season title is Minnesota’s second in as many years, the Badgers taking down the crown the two seasons prior to that, and the Gophers seventh since the conference formed in 2000.
Closer to home, the Gopher men opened their series against No. 10 Michigan with a 5-3 win at Mariucci Arena Friday.
Eager to get back to the ice after being swept for the first time in two years last weekend against Wisconsin, Minnesota jumped out to a 1-0 lead via a lamp-lighter from Big Ten freshman scoring leader Justin Kloos, the first period’s only goal.
Hudson Fasching scored Minnesota’s opening goal of the second period, and Michigan would answer midway through the second. But Taylor Cammarata scored just six seconds later to give Minnesota the 3-1 lead, one that would stretch to 4-1 thanks to Seth Ambroz 10th of the year.
Michigan got one back before the second period was over and made it a one-goal game early in the third period, but Gabe Guertler’s first of the year sealed it for Minnesota.
The Gophers take the first Big Ten meeting of the two winningest college hockey programs in NCAA history, and they are now 7-1 against Michigan on Valentine’s Day.
Minnesota honored former Gopher John Mayasich before the game, a former maroon and gold standout and 1960 gold medalist with the U.S. Olympic team. Honoring Mayasich, the only Gopher men’s hockey player to have his number retired, was part of the university recognizing its extremely prevalent part in Olympic hockey over the years. Here’s a 1999 Sports Illustrated article about Mayasich, opining about what could’ve been had he gotten a shot in the NHL.
Here’s his interview with Big Ten Network during the game.
The Gophers and Wolverines conclude their series at Mariucci Saturday at 7 p.m., while the Gopher women will try and take the sweep against Wisconsin at the same time.
