Wendell Scores A Hat Trick To Advance Gophers To National Championship
March 26, 2004
Krissy Wendell scored three goals and assisted on another to lead the Golden Gophers to a 5-1 win over Dartmouth, today at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. With the win, the Maroon and Gold move on to the national championship, Sunday, March 28 at 4 p.m. EST. The Gophers will face Harvard in the title game. St. Lawrence will face Dartmouth in third place game at 12:30 p.m. EST.
The Big Green struck first when they scored at 12:08 of the first period by Krista Dornfried. The puck was deflected in front of the net and krept past the line. Minnesota's best opportunity came in the second half of the period when Andrea Nichols and Natalie Darwitz each had breakaways, but was stuffed by Dartmouth goalie Kate Lane. The Gophers, who was down 10-4 in shots, came back to fire 10 after the goal for the 14-13 lead going into the intermission.
Wendell scored her first goal of the game when she tied the game at 12:11 of the second period. Natalie Darwitz fed a streaking Wendell at the blueline. Wendell skated in on the breakaway and backhanded it past Lane. Minnesota fired 11 shots, while holding the Big Green to seven.
Minnesota exploded in the third period to score four unanswered goals. Wendell then put the game up, 2-1 when she scored at 7:29 of the third period. Darwitz again started the play when she flipped the puck in front of the net, where Wendell was out in front of the net to score her second goal of the game. The Gophers then put the Gophers' lead to two when Kelly Stephens scored a goal at 12:57 of the third. Allie Sanchez started the play passing it behind the net to Chelsey Brodt. Brodt found Kelly Stephens waiting for the puck to cross the blueline. Stephens rifled a shot, top-shelf, for her 20th goal of the season.
Wendell completed the hat trick with a goal at 15:04 of the third. Wendell won the faceoff and scored her 35th goal of the season. It is only the second time that a player has scored a hat trick in the NCAA Frozen Four. The first came in the semifinal game against Harvard, March 23, 2001, by Minnesota-Duluth's Mari Rooth. The Gophers tacked on their fifth goal of the game, fourth of the third period at 17:04 of the third. Stephens scored her second goal of the game, while Wendell added the assist. Wendell also finished the game with a plus/minus rating of +5.
Jody Horak earned her 21st win of the season, stopping 21 Dartmouth shots on goal. After Dartmouth's goal at 12:08, she held the Big Green scoreless for 48:52.
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