Gophers Women’s Hockey Team Beats OSU Again

COLUMBUS, Ohio (gophersports.com) - Senior assistant captain Meghan Lorence (Mounds View, Minn.) scored her first career hat trick as the Gophers topped Ohio State, 5-3, to complete a road sweep at OSU Ice Rink Saturday afternoon.

Four Gophers recorded multiple points in the win as Minnesota (9-1-2, 7-1-2-0 WCHA) received two assists each from senior Rachael Bona (Coon Rapids, Minn.) and junior Milica McMillen (St. Paul, Minn.) in addition to Lorence's three-goal effort. Sophomore Kate Schipper (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) also had two points on one goal and one assist.

Ohio State (7-6-0, 5-5-0-0 WCHA) tied the game twice, including midway through the second period, but the Gophers scored twice in the third period to seal the win and the series sweep after earning a 4-2 win on Friday night.

Minnesota was one-for-five on the power play and held the Buckeyes to one goal on three power-play opportunities. The Gophers held a 35-21 advantage in shots on goal, and junior Amanda Leveille (Kingston, Ont.) finished with 18 saves.

Lorence gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead on the power play midway through the first period. She scored her second goal of the weekend 32 seconds into Minnesota's first power play of the game.

The Buckeyes tied the game twice in the second period, but Minnesota responded each time. OSU first evened the score at 1-1 with a goal by Sara Schmitt early in the period, but Lorence responded less than two minutes later and gave the Gophers a 2-1 lead with 16:43 remaining in the period.

The Buckeyes then tied it up at 2-2 with 7:27 remaining in the middle frame when Taylor Kuehl sent a puck past Leveille, who had lost her stick and her blocker prior to the scoring play.

Senior Rachel Ramsey (Chanhassen, Minn.) then gave Minnesota a lead it would not relinquish, scoring her second goal of the season with 14.9 seconds remaining in the period. Bona collected the puck along the boards and found sophomore Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.), who quickly fed Ramsey at the top of the slot to set up the Gophers' third goal.

Schipper and Lorence each found the back of the net in the third period to put Minnesota up, 5-2. Schipper netted her second goal of the series early in the period before Lorence completed her hat trick with a shorthanded goal at the 7:27 mark of the frame. OSU's Kepler scored with 5:12 remaining to cut Minnesota's lead to two, but the Gophers held on for the 5-3 win.

Minnesota and Minnesota State will face off in a home-and-home series next weekend. Friday's game at All Seasons Arena in Mankato, Minn., is set for 7 p.m., before the teams face off at Ridder Arena at 4 p.m. CT Saturday.