Third-ranked Minnesota scored three times in the third and got two goals from Nadine Muzerall en route to a 4-0 victory over fourth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth.
After a scoreless first period, Muzerall scored her third goal of the season at 8:10 of the second. She grabbed a loose puck in the right faceoff circle and beat Bulldog goalie Riana Burke on the short side.
Muzerall kicked off the Gophers’ three-goal third period when she scored at the 5:43 mark. Laura Slominski scored with 6:03 to play with a delayed penalty on Minnesota-Duluth and Ronda Curtin’s unassisted goal with 47.2 seconds to play finished the scoring.
Despite missing their top six scorers and dressing only 15 players, the Bulldogs hung with the Minnesota through two periods, with shots on goal tied at 18. However, the Gophers finished with a 27-23 advantage as Erica Killewald recorded her first shutout of the season.
The two teams are slated to meet again Saturday at 7:05 p.m. to conclude their two-game series at Mariucci Arena.
