Minnesota Places Fourth at NCAA
March 23, 2003
DULUTH, Minn. - Three goals in a span of 1:29 during the first period by Dartmouth sent the Big Green to a 4-2 victory over Minnesota in the third-place game at the 2003 NCAA Women's Frozen Four.
Minnesota had the first good chance of the contest near the 9:30 mark when frosh Natalie Darwitz hit pipe with a wrist shot while streaking up the middle. But it was Dartmouth that scored first when Sarah Clark scored at 11:36 of the first period. Louise Pietrangelo and Amy Catlin recorded assists.
Forty-four seconds later, at 12:20, Tiffany Hagge scored to make it 2-0. With a delayed penalty against the Gophers, Tiffany Hagge skated down the left side and fanned on a shot, but the puck still beat goaltender Brenda Reinan. The puck may have deflected of a Gopher defender before traveling past the netminder.
The Big Green completed their outburst at 13:05 when Katie Weatherston forced a Minnesota turnover deep in the Gopher end. Weatherston centered to Catlin, who tapped it in for the 3-0 lead.
The Gophers called timeout at that point and switched to Jody Horak in goal. The teams skated scoreless the rest of the period, but Dartmouth made it 4-0 at 4:42 of the second period. Clark scored with a slap shot from the left dot that trickled between Horak's left arm and body and over the goal line as the referee blew his whistle stopping play.
Minnesota finally broke the Big Green's shutout when Krissy Wendell converted at 15:25 on a breakaway. Melissa Coulombe and Winny Brodt set up the play.
The Gophers pulled to 4-2 at 16:41 with a power-play goal from Darwitz. The rookie sat to the right of DC goalie Amy Ferguson and redirected Wendell's pass from the far point behind Ferguson for the score. Ronda Curtin also assisted on the play.
The UM pulled Horak with approximately 1:30 left in the game, but got no closer.
"We are disappointed with our results this weekend," said Minnesota head coach Laura Halldorson. "No one comes to the national championships planning to lose two games, but somebody has to. We couldn't generate enough offense today. I thought the bright spot was we were able to come back for a couple of goals there late in the game, but it was too little, too late."
Minnesota records a fourth-place result after finishing in a tie for third during their first NCAA appearance during the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four. The Gophers tied Niagara in the third-place contest in Durham, N.H.
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