MINNEAPOLIS — In a game where each team had three power-play opportunities, Minnesota converted while holding Yale scoreless with the advantage in winning, 4-1.
“Power play was clicking,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “It was obviously a big factor in the game going three for three.”
Three of the goals for the Gophers (13-1-0, 9-1-0-0 WCHA) came from defensemen.
“Two of those on the power play, which is great, but that goal by Lee [Stecklein] was exactly how you draw it up, with a three-on-two and have our ‘D’ join the rush there to make it a four-on-two with a nice shot,” Frost said.
Stecklein and Hannah Brandt, the team’s captains, each had a goal and two assists, and defensemen Sydney Baldwin and Milica McMillen also hit the back of the net.
The lone goal for Yale (1-6-1, 1-2-1 ECAC Hockey) came from Phoebe Staenz, who banged home a tally in each game of the series. She tied the game at 17:42 of a competitive first period, just 84 seconds after Brandt had opened the scoring.
“We certainly felt that we did a better job with our start today,” Bulldogs coach Joakim Flygh said.
Shots were only seven to six in favor of the hosts in the opening frame, although Baldwin put the Gophers on top to stay when she crashed down to bury a loose puck 24 seconds before the first intermission.
“Second period, they probably took it to us a little bit,” Flygh said. “We got on our heels a little bit and had a hard time withstanding that pressure they kept up the whole 20 minutes in the second period.”
Minnesota owned a 16-3 shot advantage in the middle stanza, and it eventually paid off with a pair of goals a couple minutes apart.
“I thought we played real well, really from the start here tonight in all three zones,” Frost said. “Sid Peters played really well in net, particularly on our penalty kill, and it was nice to see us shore that up here tonight.”
Peters made 14 saves in improving her record to 3-0-0, while Hanna Mandl was kept far busier, finishing with 35 stops for Yale.
“This is probably by far her best game of the year,” Flygh said of Mandl. “She made some key saves, and I told her right after the game, if she keeps playing like this, we’re going to have some success in our league.”
The Bulldogs host Merrimack in the first round of the Nutmeg Classic on Friday, while the Gophers return to WCHA action with a Friday and Saturday series at Minnesota State.
“Really happy overall with the weekend against a real good team,” Frost said.
