This Saturday’s NCAA quarterfinal matchup with Boston University was a win-or-go-home situation for Minnesota.
It seemed like going home wasn’t an option for Gophers senior forward Kelly Terry.
Terry extended her collegiate career for at least another game with a hat trick in Minnesota’s 5-1 win over Boston University.
“I definitely wanted to make this a win for our team,” Terry said. “My roommates — they’re all seniors — and [we] were all talking about how amazing our experience has been and this is just the cherry on top of our fantastic career.”
With the win, the Gophers will head to their third-straight Frozen Four, where they will attempt to defend their back-to-back national championships.
“[I’m] just very excited and proud of our team,” head coach Brad Frost said. “We’re excited to be advancing on to the Frozen Four.”
Terry, the star of the night, got the scoring started with an even-strength goal 12:56 into the first period.
BU netted the equalizer that less than 30 seconds later, when Sarah Lefort, the nation’s leader in goals, put the puck past Gophers sophomore goaltender Amanda Leveille.
Frost said the Terriers’ first line, which includes Lefort, caused his team “fits early on.”
The Gophers were able to move past that, though, and hold the line quiet for the rest of the night.
Minnesota junior defenseman Rachel Ramsey scored a power-play goal in the second period on a 5-on-3. That goal was the game-winner.
“It wasn’t exactly how we drew it up but we just continued to maintain possession there and eventually wore them down and a hockey player made a play,” Frost said.
The Gophers broke out in the third period with three goals, two of which came from Terry.
“I think our team just does a really good job stepping up in the big games,” Terry said. “It seems like we only get better when we play tougher opponents.”
The Gophers will put that theory to the test next weekend in Hamden, Conn.
Minnesota will play the winner of Harvard/Wisconsin.
The Gophers have gone 4-0 against Wisconsin this season and have yet to play Harvard.
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Frost said. “We need to play at our best. Whether it’s Harvard or Wisconsin, they can both beat us if we don’t play extremely well.”
