Grogan Pushes Shutout String to Three Games
Over the last three games, the Gophers have improved on that formula by not allowing any goals against. The Huskies (1-5-0, 0-4-0 WCHA) became the latest victim of a whitewashing, falling 7-0 in front of 1,176 fans in Ridder Arena.
Coach Brad Frost said not allowing a goal all weekend speaks highly of the team defense his charges played.
“We gave up some chances, but both goalies, Alyssa [Grogan] and Noora [Räty], were just tremendous for us,” he said.
Grogan denied 21 shots in earning her first shutout of the season after struggling a bit in her two previous wins.
And as much as a stingy defense relieves the pressure on the offense, early goal support simplifies the life for goaltenders. Minnesota struck for four first-period goals and chased St. Cloud starting goaltender Tayler VanDenakker before the first intermission.
“We didn’t know much about this starting goalie today,” Chelsey Jones said. “We just decided we were going to throw the kitchen sink at them and see how that went.”
Neither VanDenakker nor the Huskies had an apparent answer for the kitchen sink.
Brittany Francis left a defender guarding air at the blue line while skating 4-on-4 and picked the top left corner at 7:32. Two and a half minutes later, Jones ignored the opponent clinging to her back and lifted the first of her two goals past the besieged netminder.
“It is partially the weight room, but it’s also determination,” Jones said. “You just have to be determined to score."
This season, it has been feast or famine for the Gopher power play, and on this day, it dined very well, converting four times in seven chances.
Terra Rasmussen notched the first of four straight extra-strength goals to make it 3-0, sending the water bottle flying in the process. Laura May’s shot at 18:12 handcuffed VanDenakker and sent her to the refuge of the bench.
“I thought our power play was clicking pretty well tonight,” Frost said. “We just wanted to simplify it a little bit and start getting a little more traffic in front – last night in particular we did not do a very good job of that.”
“That was a big issue for us yesterday, and we were definitely not happy with our results,” May said. “So I think one thing we focused on today was coming out and even on the rush putting pressure on.”
When SCSU’s Danielle Hirsch received a major for a check from behind, Minnesota took advantage with two more powerplay goals despite committing two minor penalties of their own during the 5-minute penalty. Kelly Seeler drove home her first of the season from the blue line in the opening seconds, and Jones finished off a rush in the final ones.
“That play started from Grogan playing that puck up to May, and May being able to get the puck over to me,” Jones said.
“Our goalies together have three assists, and it is really pivotal that they’re getting the pucks out. Everyone is contributing, and it’s really a team effort, it’s not just a couple of individuals.”
May closed out the scoring in the third period with her second goal of the game to go with two assists. Becky Kortum, who centers Jones and May on the second line, contributed a pair of helpers.
“We really needed this game for our chemistry,” May said. “We finally just came together and we were burying the puck. And we need that definitely coming into Wisconsin, because that’s going to be a big series, and we’re going to need a lot of goal scorers.”
While much of the attention coming into the season was on the players who had left, recent focus has shifted to those still at Minnesota.
“I didn’t take into account just how hungry these players are to prove that they are great hockey players, too,” Frost said. “And as we’ve talked many times, players who were buried on our fourth line last year continue to step up, and continue to get better and better every game.”
