The No. 4 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team rallied late in the third period to edge the Minnesota Whitecaps, 3-2, in an exhibition game tonight at Ridder Arena. The Golden Gophers will return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Wayne State in a regular-season game. Jen Schoullis scored two goals for the Gophers in the win.
Both teams went scoreless after the first period. Minnesota Whitecaps player and Boston College alum Allie Thunstrom scored a goal at 10:52 in the second to break the tie when she skated in and scored on a breakaway attempt. Schoullis knotted the game at 1-1 when she intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and fired a shot just before the hash marks and placed it glove side of Whitecaps goalie and Gopher alum Kim Hanlon.
The Whitecaps responded when Minnesota-Duluth alum Saara Tuominen scored at 18:40 with a single assist from Thunstrom.
The Gophers added the pressure in the third, outshooting the Whitecaps 13-4 in the period. Sarah Davis recorded her first unofficial collegiate goal at 17:50 in the third on a rebound attempt from Kelly Terry to tie the game up. It looked as if it was headed into overtime, but Schoullis scored her second goal of the game at 18:53 on the third when she placed it five-hole for the game-winning tally. Linemate Sarah Erickson tallied the single assist.
The Whitecaps pulled Hanlon with 46 seconds remaining in the contest, but the Gophers held off the Whitecaps for the win.
Alyssa Grogan had 20 saves for the Gophers in the win.
