NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The top power play unit in the nation made all the difference Saturday night at Ridder Arena, as No. 3 Minnesota got three power play goals en route to a 4-1 win over the Yale women's ice hockey team in the second game of the teams' two-game set. And while the Bulldogs come home from the Land of 10,000 Lakes without any wins to show for their efforts, they did give the defending national champions two well-played games -- including Friday, when Yale became just the third team this season to score three goals vs. the Gophers, and Saturday, when they held Minnesota's nation-leading offense below its average.

Minnesota (13-1-0, 9-1-0 WCHA), which has won three of the last four NCAA Championships, entered the game leading the nation in scoring offense at 6.15 goals per game -- a goal more than the second-best team (Wisconsin). Minnesota's goalie Saturday, Sidney Peters, was making just her fifth appearance this season, but she certainly brought impressive individual numbers into the night: a .955 save percentage and a 0.41 goals-against average.

The first period was evenly played, and that in itself showed progress for the Bulldogs. Yale had been outshot 13-4 in the first on Friday, but Minnesota's edge in shots for the first Saturday was just 7-6. Still, the Gophers took advantage of their two power play chances to score two goals, one from forward Hannah Brandt (at 16:18) and one from defenseman Sydney Baldwin (at 19:36). Those were sandwiched around Yale's lone tally. That one came at 17:42, when sophomore defenseman Mallory Souliotis had a shot blocked but grabbed the loose puck and put it back towards the net, where sophomore forward Eden Murray kept it alive and junior forward Phoebe Staenz knocked it in. Yale went into the first intermission down 2-1.

The Gophers had more of a decided shot advantage in the second (16-3), but the Bulldogs held them at bay for most of the period. When Minnesota's potent offense struck, though, it struck in rapid fashion. First, at 12:51, forward Hannah Brandt left a pass behind for defenseman Lee Stecklein and she sniped it past Yale junior goalie Hanna Mandl to make the score 3-1. Two minutes later, the Gophers got another power play goal -- this one from defenseman Milica McMillen off a nice cross-ice pass from Brandt -- and the score was suddenly 4-1.

The third period, unfortunately for the Bulldogs' comeback attempt hopes, was a relatively quiet one. Yale did get a power play with 10:25 remaining, but Peters turned aside a redirect attempt by senior forward Hanna Åström to deny the lone scoring chance during that man-advantage span.

Yale (1-6-1, 1-2-1 ECAC Hockey) got another power play with 3:17 left, but Minnesota nearly turned that into a short-handed goal. Mandl reacted quickly to deny a shot by forward Kelly Pannek on a 2-on-1, and that helped keep the final score at 4-1. This was just the fourth time in 14 games this season Minnesota was held to four or fewer goals in a game. Mandl finished with 35 saves, while Peters had 14. 

Yale returns home to host the Nutmeg Classic next weekend, starting with a game vs. Merrimack Friday at 4:00 p.m.

Report by Sam Rubin '95, Yale Sports Publicity