MINNEAPOLIS — Senior goaltender Amanda Leveille recorded 18 saves as No. 3 Minnesota held off No. 5 Bemidji State 4-0.
Kate Schipper led the attack for the Gophers (10-1-0, 8-1-0-0 WCHA) with a goal and two assists, while Cara Piazza and Dani Cameranesi each scored and added a helper.
Bemidji State (10-3-2, 7-3-1-0 WCHA) twice defeated Minnesota last season by 1-0 scores, but Leveille assured there would be no repeat in the two teams’ first meeting this year.
“Lev was great all night,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “She really earned the shutout tonight.”
Piazza gave the hosts a lead at 6:36 of the first period when she buried a rebound with BSU goalie Brittni Mowat down.
“If you can get a lead on them, it just changes the way they play the game,” coach Jim Scanlan said. “We turned the puck over coming out and lose coverage in front and it happens to bounce right to them.”
With the score stuck on 1-0 for the next 25 minutes, Leveille came up with perhaps her biggest save of the night when she denied Stephanie Anderson on a breakaway.
“We had better Grade-A chances tonight than we had the entire last year in all three games we beat them,” Scanlan said. “I thought she was the player of the game for them.”
The Gophers were able to put the game away with three goals over the final 8:10 of the second period, the last two coming late in power plays.
“Really nice to see our second unit with those two goals,” Frost said. “Those were huge for us.”
Minnesota came in with the nation’s top power play and converted on two of four chances.
After setting up the Piazza goal and the team’s second from Kelly Pannek, Schipper had a tap-in goal to make the final 4-0.
“Obviously scoring goals and making plays, but just her relentless pursuit of the puck,” Frost said. “Matching her line up against Anderson’s line, and Schip can bring that same speed just like their national-team players.”
