#6 Minnesota, #10 Western Michigan play thriller, Gophers advance!
Bensenville, IL - In the most exciting game of the tournament thus far, the #6-seeded University of Minnesota, scored a pair of late goals to pin a disappointing 5-3 loss on never-say-die #10 Western Michigan in the final day of pool play at the ACHA Women's Division I National Championship on March 7, 2008, at the Edge Ice Arena in Bensenville, IL.
The two teams played a scoreless first period, and neither team could score in the second until the 3:24 mark when the Golden Gophers' Tori Nelson (Burnsville, MN) found the net on the power play, assisted by Callie Larsen (Mahtomedi, MN).
Minnesota added to that slim lead with another player-up goal five minutes into the third. This was an unassisted tally by Kelli Mattson (Maple Grove, MN).
The Mustangs then showed their mettle, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead with a little more than four minutes left in the game. The first score came at the 7:52 mark as Beth Cannon (River Rouge, MI) gathered in a pass from Rachael Deneau (Portage, MI) and fired into the back of the net. Laura Polk (Huntington Hills, MI) followed that with a score when the puck popped out of a scrum in front of the Minnesota crease. Polk was Judy-on-the-spot and flipped it over the prone Gophers goalie for a tying score.
The lead goal came just 36 seconds later as Cannon scored again, this time on an assist by Amy Schoenborn (Sterling, MI).
The Mustangs knuckled down on defense, led by their goaltender Adrienne Ratti (Washington Township, MI) who made a trio of spectacular saves to stymie the Gophers.
But Minnesota was not to be denied. They set a blistering offensive pace and finally got one past Ratti when Amy Cascalenda (West St. Paul, MN) grabbed the puck in the corner and slid in from Ratti's right. She stickhandled past the goaltender and swept the puck into the back of the net for the tying goal.
Just 24 seconds later, the Gophers shocked WMU with the game-winner from Jackie Cameron (Neenah, WI) assisted by Cascalenda.
Minnesota added an empty netter with eleven seconds left when the Mustangs pulled Ratti for the extra attacker. That made the final 5-3.
The win propelled Minnesota into the quarterfinals for a match-up with the undefeated University of Rhode Island. The #2-seeded Rams dispatched their two pool-play opponents to advance to a 4:25 PM Friday, March 7, 2008, match-up with the Golden Gophers.