Minnesota Wins Second-Straight NCAA Title
March 27, 2005
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MADISON, Wis. - Minnesota held off three comebacks by Harvard to capture its second-straight NCAA Division I Women's Frozen Four Championship. Natalie Darwitz scored the game-winning goal with 1:08 remaining in the third period to lift the Gophers to the 4-3 victory. The win marked the second national title for Minnesota and also marked the sixth time in the six years of the NCAA tournament that a team from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) has won the national title. Minnesota Duluth won the NCAA championship in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Minnesota also captured the 2000 American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) national championship. Minnesota finishes the season with a 36-2-2 record.
Darwitz led the way for the Gophers as she figured in all of Minnesota's scoring with her game-winning goal and three assists. For the tournament, she finished with nine points, earning her the Most Outstanding Player award. With her four points, Darwitz tied Harvard's A.J. Mleczko's all-time single-season point record of 114 set in 1999.
Krissy Wendell, the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, opened the scoring for the Gophers with a goal at 17:24 of the first period. Darwitz had the lone assist. Harvard tied the game at 1-1 with a goal just 45 seconds into the second period. Minnesota regained the lead with Lyndsay Wall's power play goal at 7:58 of the second. Darwitz and Kelly Stephens were credited with the assists. Just two minutes later, Harvard again evened the game with the first of their two power play goals at 10:33. Ashely Albrecht lit the lamp late in the second period to give Minnesota a slim 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission. Wendell and Darwitz assisted on the goal. The Gophers held on to the lead until Harvard capitalized on the power play with a goal at 13:54 to once again tie the game. Darwitz scored on a pass from Stephens to give Minnesota the lead for good at 18:52. Minnesota goaltender Jody Horak made 23 saves in earning the victory.
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