Gopher Women Skate Past Huskies 4-1

MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 1 Minnesota women's hockey team skated to a 4-1 win over visiting St. Cloud State in game one of the WCHA first round best-of-three series at Ridder Arena Friday night.

Junior Meghan Lorence (Mounds View, Minn.) led Minnesota (33-1-1) with three points on a goal and two assists, while Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalists Rachael Bona (Coon Rapids, Minn.) andHannah Brandt (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) each recorded two assists.

Prior to Friday's game, the Gophers welcomed 2014 Olympians Lee Stecklein and Anne Schleper back to Ridder Arena. The duo earned silver medals with Team USA in Sochi, Russia, along with fellow Gophers Megan Bozek,Amanda Kessel and Gigi Marvin. Finnish Gophers Noora Raty and Mira Jalosuo also competed in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Minnesota and St. Cloud State face off at 4:07 p.m. Saturday in game two of the best-of-three series. If necessary, game three will be played at 4:07 p.m. Sunday. The winner of the series advances to the 2014 WCHA Final Face-off March 7-8 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.