The No. 2 Minnesota women’s hockey team (2-0) swept Lindenwood (0-2) in its season-opening home stand.
The Gophers had seven different players score on the weekend, even after altering line combinations in both games.
“Once you find combinations for one line, then it limits your options for the next,” head coach Brad Frost told reporters Saturday. “We don’t have Hannah [Brandt], and we don’t have [Amanda Kessel], but we have a multitude of forwards that are talented, so a lot of people are getting different opportunities.”
Minnesota took control of Friday’s game in the second period after both teams were knotted 0-0 following the first period.
It did not take long for the Gophers to change the pace as sophomore forward Sarah Potomak scored just 1:28 in the second period, assisted by senior forward and assistant captain Dani Cameranesi.
“I think we just needed to have the mindset that [goals] were going to come,” Cameranesi said. “We came into the locker room and had a few words with the coaches and put things together.”
Junior forward Cara Piazza followed with a close-range goal at the 12:43 mark, off of an assist from redshirt senior defenseman Lee Stecklein. Senior defenseman Megan Wolfe netted another with just 16 seconds remaining in the period.
The Gophers goals went unanswered for a 3-0 final score and Minnesota’s first victory of the season.
Redshirt junior goalie Sidney Peters had her first shutout of the season and tallied 10 saves.
The second game started similarly, but this time both teams got on the scoreboard early.
Minnesota struck first on a rebound goal by junior forward Caitlin Reilly — just over five minutes into the game.
Lindenwood bounced back at the 10:41 mark to tie the score 1-1 heading into the second period.
Freshman forward Lindsey Agnew scored her first collegiate goal less than two minutes into the second period off an assist from Cameranesi to regain Minnesota’s lead and give the team a chance to rally.
The Gophers started a five-on-three power play five minutes into the period, and Wolfe capitalized with a goal, her second of the weekend.
Lindenwood tried to resurge and narrowed Minnesota’s lead to one goal by the end of the second period, but Minnesota came out strong in the third.
Cameranesi scored two goals in the final period, one less than a minute in, and freshman forward Alex Woken netted her first collegiate goal less than two minutes after the start of the period to help the Gophers cruise to a 6-3 victory and weekend sweep.
Minnesota’s rookies proved themselves early on. Agnew finished the weekend with one goal while Woken finished her first career games with a goal and an assist.
“My teammates were excited for me, so that helped,” Woken said. “It is really nice to have two games under my belt now.”
