College Hockey: Gophers drop series opener with Wolverines

Minnesota (13-11-1 overall, 4-8-1-1 Big Ten) picked up goals from Casey Mittelstadt, Scott Reedy and Brannon McManus in the contest.

Things started fast in the series opener with Michigan (9-10-2, 4-7-2-1) jumping out to an early lead with Dexter Dancs scored 14 seconds in on the game's first shot on goal. Mittelstadt found the net soon after at 2:21 with his sixth of the year off a feed from Jack Sadek and Ryan Lindgren, but Michigan added two more later in the period when Michael Pastujov scored at 8:13 and Cooper Maroody made it 3-1 at 18:10.

The Big Ten rivals would trade goals in the second and again in the third.

Reedy broke Minnesota's power-play slump at 3:37 of the second period when he knocked home a loose puck for his fourth goal as a Gopher. Leon Bristedt and Tyler Nanne added assists on the goal. But Brendan Warren reclaimed a two-goal lead for the visitors at 18:01.

McManus pulled the Maroon & Gold back to within one with his fifth of the year at 16:22 of the third period when Tyler Sheehy and Ryan Lindgren set up the Gophers rookie. Warren added his second of the game on a short-handed, empty-net tally at 19:31 to seal the win for the Wolverines.

The Gophers outshot Michigan 27-19 on the night while the power play went 1-for-5 and the penalty kill was 2-for-2. Mat Robson made three saves on six shots to start for Minnesota before Eric Schierhorn came in for a relief appearance. In two periods of play, Schierhorn made eight saves on nine shots to take the loss for the home team.

Gophers Fall 4-2 to Catamounts

MINNEAPOLIS — The No. 5 University of Minnesota women's hockey team made it a two-goal game late in the third period but could not complete a comeback as the Golden Gophers dropped a 4-2 decision to Hockey East foe Vermont in the first-ever meeting between the two teams Friday night at Ridder Arena.

Minnesota (16-6-2, 10-4-2-0 WCHA) found itself trailing 4-0 after 50 minutes of play. Nicole Schammel and Sydney Baldwin scored for the Gophers in the game's final six minutes, but it was not enough.

Vermont (6-13-4, 3-9-3 Hockey East) was led by Alyssa Holmes' two-goal effort, including the eventual game-winner. She added an assist for a three-point night, and Eve-Audrey Picard also recorded two points (1g-1a) for the Catamounts.

For the game, Minnesota outshot Vermont 26-11. The first period saw the teams start slow with each posting only four shots on goal in the opening 20 minutes. Vermont's Sydney Scobee made 24 saves in the win while Sidney Peters (three saves) and Alex Gulstene (four saves) split time for the Maroon & Gold.

The Catamounts led 2-0 after two periods on goals by Taylor Flaherty and Picard and then extended their lead to four on two second-period goals by Holmes. The visitors then killed off nearly a full two minutes of a 5-on-3 advantage for the Gophers and took a 4-0 lead into the locker room at the second intermission.

Minnesota scored two late goals as Schammel buried a feed from Taylor Wente at the 14:12 mark of the third period. The Gophers pulled Gulstene for an extra attacker with 2:45 remaining and Baldwin capitalized with the extra attacker, scoring her fifth of the season with 1:13 on the clock.

The NCAA's fourth-ranked power play was 0-for-5 against Vermont while holding the Catamounts to 0-for-2 with the advantage.

--(GopherSports.com)