Re: WCHA Thread III
Final From Friday, February 10th
Minnesota 5
Ohio State 0
Gopher Stars Shine
There may not be a formula for beating this Gopher team. But we established one thing tonight: Giving up two goals in the first two minutes isn't the ticket. To the Buckeyes credit, they didn't quit. They even outshot the Gophers in the 3rd Period 14-7. Nevertheless, Minnesota took control right at the start, and never really let Ohio State back in the game.
The Gophers excelled on offense, in the nets, and most especially on defense. The big name players lived up to their billing. The Buckeyes were by no means awful, but I can't rightfully claim that they earned any stars tonight.
3 Stars of the Game: Decidedly Unofficial and Just For Fun
Honorable Mention: Amanda Kessel, Minnesota
Amanda collected two assists, perhaps a modest output by her standards. But her precision passing led to 4x4 and 5x4 goals. Her crisp feed to
Anne Schleper was particularly impressive on the 4x4 tally. Give the Gopher stars space to operate, and they'll produce.
Less noticed but just as important, Kessel made some nice plays on the backcheck. Early on she hustled back to break up a high quality Buckeye chance. Had OSU scored at that point, maybe the game plays out differently. But Amanda K. said no. When your leading scorer is buying into the importance of defense, you've got a good thing going.
#3 Star: Jen Schoullis, Minnesota
Jen led all scorers with a goal and two assists. She put the exclamation mark the Gophers' offensive effort. Camped out down low, Schoullis slammed home a diagonal pass from
Sarah Erickson to close the scoring. Jen was also effective on face-offs, winning 14 and losing only 8.
#2 Star: Noora Raty, Minnesota
With a 5 goal cushion work with, it can't be said that Raty single-handedly won the game. But she more than did her part! Simultaneously aggressive and relaxed, she was a dominant force in both the crease and the surrounding real estate. She's eager to play the puck, and does so with considerable skill. The Buckeyes had relatively few high quality chances. But when they came Noora was more than equal to the task. Congratulations to Raty for her 25 save shutout.
#1 Star: Anne Schleper, Minnesota
This edition of the Gopher defense is impressive. They have size, smarts and skill. We have great defenders in the Women's WCHA, but it's been a while since a 'D' Corps has been has been this effective disrupting the Buckeye attack. As happens with some regularity with my lists, it becomes necessary to pick one player to represent her unit. Tonight we'll go with Anne Schleper. Along with 'D' partner
Rachel Ramsey, she led all players with a +3.
In the middle period, a pair of Gopher goals really sealed the deal. On the first, while anchoring the left point, Anne fed a D2D pass to
Megan Bozek, who drilled the puck into the net from the right point. Let's quickly mention Sarah Erickson again, who provided a nice screen on the play. On the second, Schelper moved into open space just to the left of the slot, and convincingly finished the beautiful Kessel feed mentioned above.
Up Next: Buckeyes Bounce Back on Senior Day! Face-off at 4:07 PM
