No. 1 Minnesota won its first Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament championship Saturday, defeating the Wisconsin Badgers, 3-2. The Gophers (28-3-5) swept the WCHA titles, winning the regular season for the second time in the three-year history of the league.
The Golden Gophers avoided Wisconsin’s best chance of scoring in the first period when the Badgers had a five-on-three opportunity. Minnesota allowed four shots on goal during the power play and blocked six shots.
Minnesota took advantage of its own power-play opportunity when Melissa Coulombe scored at 13:01 of the first. Coulombe took a shot from the top of the right circle after Noelle Sutton won the faceoff.
The Gophers then added a goal at the 17:21 mark from Ronda Curtin. Brenda Reinen cleared the puck to Curtin, who scored her 13th goal of the season, her fourth in four games.
Kelly Stephens added Minnesota’s third goal at 9:31 of the second stanza. La Toya Clarke passed the puck off the boards and Stephens put it passed Badger goalie Jackie MacMillian.
Wisconsin drew within two when Kerry Weiland scored a power-play goal off a slapshot that Minnesota goalie Brenda Reinen couldn’t quite stop with her stick.
The Gophers went scoreless in the third and were outshot 14-4 in the final period of play. The Badgers had their first penalty shot in history when Sis Paulsen earned a spot at 7:30 of the third.
Paulsen started to Reinen’s right, but cut back to her left, but Reinen stopped the shot just short of the goal line. It was the first penalty shot against Minnesota in five years of play.
However, the Badgers would cut the Gophers lead to one at 16:36 of the third. Weiland scored her second goal of the night, setting the game at 3-2.
With 1:08 left on the clock, Wisconsin pulled MacMillan for the extra attacker. Eight seconds into the extra person, Minnesota was called for a high-sticking penalty, leaving Wisconsin with a six-on-four advantage, but the Gophers and Reinen held the Badgers off the board.
For the game, Wisconsin outshot the Gophers 40-20.
“I’m so proud of the effort that every player made,” Gopher coach Laura Halldorson said. “They showed heart like we have all season. It’s a great reward to win our first WCHA tournament.”
WCHA All-Tournament Team
Goalie — Brenda Reinen, Fr., Minnesota
Defense — Kerry Weiland, Jr., Wisconsin
Defense — Carla MacLeod, Fr., Wisconsin
Forward — Hanne Sikio, Jr., Minnesota-Duluth
Forward — La Toya Clarke, So., Minnesota
Forward — Kelly Stephens, Fr., Minnesota
Tournament MVP: Ronda Curtin, Jr., D, Minnesota
