The NCAA's top stars came out to play this weekend recording big individual performances as powerhouse teams beat non-conference opponents.
The NCAA regular season kicked into high gear this weekend with Minnesota and Wisconsin among the highly ranked programs in action. Whether it was PWHL Draft eligible players, or highly touted rookies, the stars came out to play.
Wisconsin Rolls Through Lindenwood
Wisconsin showed they'll take no mercy again this season when it comes to mismatched opponents as they outscored Lindenwood 20-1 in a two game non-conference sweep. Lacey Eden (three goals, six points), Casey O'Brien (two goals, eight points), Kelly Gorbatenko (two goals, five points), and Caroline Harvey (one goal, five points) all had big weekends. Despite being up big, Wisconsin continued to push forward.
“Everybody wants to score, and I keep reminding them if you got to play a 200-foot game," said head coach Mark Johnson. "You have got to do things the right way, and if you do that, you’ll probably get some chances.”
“Obviously there are things we need to improve on but in your opening weekend, you’re going to find a bunch of things to do and move forward in that direction."
Wisconsin will play Boston College next weekend.
Ohio State Bounces Back
After being swept by Minnesota-Duluth, Ohio State bounced back with a sweep of their own beating WCHA opponent Bemidji State 8-2 and 3-0. In their opening game of the weekend, Ohio State got multi-goal performances from Makenna Webster and Jordyn Petrie, while Kiara Zanon had a three point night, and defender Emma Peschel recorded four assists. In the second game of the weekend, Hailey MacLeod recorded her first shutout as a member of the Buckeyes, stopping all 15 shots she faced. Joy Dunne led the way offensively scoring a goal and an assist while Petrie tallied her third goal of the weekend.
Murphy and Primerano Shine For Minnesota
Abbey Murphy and Chloe Primerano stole the show over the weekend for Minnesota who swept UConn. Murphy scored twice in Minnesota's opening win beating UConn 4-1, while Primerano recorded her first NCAA goal in her first career game. The win also marked Minnesota head coach Brad Frost's 500th win in program history. During their second game of the series, Minnesota needed overtime to beat UConn 3-2 with Murphy scoring the winner with Primerano assisting. It was the second point on the night for both players.
Winn and Gosling Light The Lamp
Two of the top defenders in the nation put on an offensive show of force for Clarkson who swept St. Michael's by a combined score of 23-0. Winn and Gosling each recorded nine points on the weekend.