MINNEAPOLIS (Ridder Arena) -- Minnesota's Bobbi Ross recorded three points to lead the Golden Gophers to a 5-1 victory over the Beavers in the first game of a best of three game series in the quarterfinals of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament at Ridder Arena Friday night.
Minnesota scored four goals in the first period to take a 4-1 lead over the Beavers into the first intermission. The four goals scored by Minnesota were the most goals the Beavers have given up in a period since Oct. 20, 2006 when the Beavers let in five goals against Minnesota Duluth.
Minnesota got on the board just :53 seconds into the contest. Bemidji State's Brooke Collins was called for cross-checking at the 33 second mark of the first period. Melanie Gagnon fired a shot from the point that beat Bemidji State goaltender Emily Brookshaw to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead just 20 seconds later. Erica McKenzie and Bobbi Ross picked up the helpers on Gagnon's goal.
Bemidji State tied the game at 1-1 at 3:25 of the period on Haley Balcom's second goal of the season. Balcom took a pass from Nikki Eckebrecht and fired a slap shot that found the upper right hand corner.
After Bemidji State's game tying goal Minnesota took control and recorded three unanswered goals to push it's lead to 4-1.
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Erica McKenzie scored the Golden Gopher's second goal at 4:09 with help from Gigi Marvin and Alexandra Zebro. Brittany Francis recorded her eight goal of the season just 2:08 after McKenzie's goal to give the Golden Gophers a two-goal advantage at 6:17 of the period.
The Golden Gophers took advantageof a BSU penalty and added it's fourth goal of the period at the 13 minute mark coming off the stick of Dagney Willey with help from Anya Miller and Whitney Graft.
Minnesota outshot the Beavers 13-to-5 in the opening period.
Minnesota added to it's lead in the second period when Ross skated in on Brookshaw and snipped a short-handed shot glove side to push the Golden Gopher's lead to 5-1.
Minnesota out-shot Bemidji State 25 to 17 in the contest.
Brookshaw took the loss for the Beavers, stopping 20 of 25 shots in 59:55 minutes of work dropping her record to 10-19-5 on the season.
Hanlon stopped 17 of 18 shots faced in 59:52 minutes of work, improving her record to 9-6-0.
Bemidji State (11-19-5, 9-15-4 WCHA) and Minnesota (21-11-1, 17-10-1 WCHA) will play the second game of the series tonight in a 6:07 p.m. start.
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BSU 1 0 0 -- 1
UM 4 1 0 -- 5
First Period -- 1, UM, Melanie Gagnon 4 (Erica McKenzie, Bobbi Ross), :53 (pp). 2, BSU, Haley Balcom 2 (Nikki Eckebrecht), 3:25. 3, UM, McKenzie (Gigi Marvin, Alexandra Zebro), 4:09. 4, UM, Brittany Francis 8 (Ross), 6:17. 5, UM, Dagney Willey 4 (Anya Miller, Whitney Graft), 13:00. Penalties -- Brooke Collins, BSU (cross-checking), :33, Marvin, UM (elbowing), 7:18, Farnces Dorr, UM (hooking), 11:44, Jenelle Phillipczyk, UM (interference), 15:15
Second Period -- 6, UM, Ross 16 (unassisted), 13:04 (sh). Penalties -- Miller, UM (interference), 5:46, Willey, UM (interference), 12:24, Jessica Tyra, BSU (roughing), 14:43, Zebro, UM (checking), 7:10, Maggie Souba, UM (interference), 10:58
Third period -- no scoring. Penalties -- Zebro, UM (checking), 7:10, Souba, UM (interference), 10:58
Shots -- BSU 5-6-6 17, UM 13-9-3 25. Saves -- BSU-Emily Brookshaw (25 shots-20 saves), UM-Kim Hanlon (17 shots-16 saves). Power play -- BSU 0 of 6, UM 2 of 3
Referee -- Robert Ludwig, assistant referees -- Dan Kovarik, Joe Harris. A -- 385
