Final Score From Thursday, March 12th
Yale 1
UMD 0
Battle Of The Bulldogs: Yale Prevails
The Battle of the Bulldogs proved to be a tight battle between two evenly matched teams. Shots on Goal? Dead even at 37 apiece. Face-Off Wins? 29 for UMD; 28 for Yale. For all intents & purposes, another dead heat.
Quality scoring chances were scarce for most of the game. Most the shots came from the outside. Both goalies were formidable indeed. The combined efforts of both squads generated only a single goal. That tally propelled Yale to the Region Final.
Three Stars of the Game: Decidedly Unofficial & Just For Fun
Honorable Mention: (tie) Gracie Gilkyson, Yale; and Mary Kate O'Brien, Minnesota-Duluth
When every player on the ice is a Bulldog, you've got to expect stubborn defense. From Forwards & Defenders alike. Both squads delivered.
For Duluth, 1st Line Left Wing O'Brien contributed 3 Blocked Shots to lead her team in that category. Proving she's a well-rounded player, Mary Kate added 4 SOGs to the Score Sheet.
For Yale, Gillkyson skated on the Right Side for the 1st 'D' Pair. She also contributed 3 Blocked to lead her team in that category. Another well-rounded player, Gracie added 5 SOGs to the Score Sheet.
Hats off to the stingy team defenses, led by the two players identified in this Mention.
#3 Star: Eve Gascon, Minnesota-Duluth
Just back from an Olympic appearance with Team Canada, Eve put her considerable skills on display. Most notably. Gascon's magical glove hand snared puck after puck.
Ironically, the lone goal of the game beat Gascon on the glove side. But there's a story within the story here. One of the UMD Defenders tried to block the successful shot with her glove hand. The puck glanced off that glove downward, if only a little. The redirection proved to be just enough to get the job done.
At the end of the day, Eve made 36 Saves on 37 Shots. Usually that's good enough to win. But not this time.
#2 Star: Molly Boyle, Yale
So who took the one successful shot? That would be Molly.
Stephanie Stainton started the play down on the goal line.
Sophia Levering received that pass at the left point. Levering sent a pass across the top to Boyle, who had pinched in just a little. Boyle's boiling hot blast blew into the UMD net, with just the tiny bit of help mentioned above.
Molly's name is all over the Score Sheet. Her 7 SOGs topped all Yale players. She took Yale's only penalty. (Thanks to BowWowWow for correctly identifying the cross-checker.) Boyle was also on the receiving end of a hard, illegal check that gave Yale their only PP.
A remarkable game. Molly was the offensive difference-maker -- playing Right 'D' on the 2nd Pair. In a match filled with good two-way players.
#1 Star: Samson Frey, Yale
Frey's staunch performance culminated in perfection: 37 Saves on 37 Shots. Congratulations on the Shutout, Samson! A shutout in NCAA play. It doesn't get much better than that.
Things really came to a head halfway through the 3rd Period. One of the UMD Defenders took a slashing penalty. A chance for Yale to salt the game away, right? Not so fast. During that "advantage," Yale gave up two clean breakaways, plus an additional partial breakaway. Note that UMD's
Caitlin Kraemer created great danger on these counter-attacks.
Through it all, Samson stood tall, calm & proud. She turned away the entire onslaught with seeming ease. Ice water in her veins? Only Frey and the Yale Team Physician know for sure. But what we can say is that Samson was the defensive difference-maker, and that she won the game for Yale. See you Saturday!
Next Stargazing: Ohio State & Yale Face-Off In The Region Final Saturday @ 6:02 PM. Maybe The Game Is Sold Out; Maybe It Isn't. There Have Been Multiple Ticket Releases During The Week. If You're Currently On The Outside Looking In, Keep Checking Back. But One Thing Is For Sure. If You Have Your Ticket, This Game Is A Can't Miss!