SAINT PETER, Minn. – No. 5 Gustavus women’s hockey is set to take on St. Thomas this weekend in a matchup of the MIAC’s top two teams. Friday night’s game at Don Roberts Ice Rink starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s game in Mendota Heights begins at 7:30 p.m. The Gusties enter the series 11-2-1 overall and 7-0-1 in the MIAC, while the Tommies are 9-2-3 overall and 8-0-0 in the league.
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The Series: Friday’s game marks the 53rd meeting between Gustavus and St. Thomas with the Gusties holding a 28-17-7 advantage in the all-time series. St. Thomas had the upper hand last season, claiming a 3-1 win on Jan. 11 in Mendota Heights followed by a 2-2 tie the following day in Saint Peter. The Tommies then beat the Gusties 4-0 in the MIAC semifinals on Feb. 23.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus, ranked No. 5 in the latest USCHO.com poll, most recently swept St. Olaf last week, winning 8-0 on Thursday and 5-0 on Sunday. Through 14 games the Gusties average 3.2 goals per game and allow 0.9. They out-shoot opponents by an average of 37.6-16.1. The Gusties are the top team in the MIAC on the power play, converting on 10-of-49 opportunities for a 20.4 conversion percentage. They are also strong on the penalty kill, ranking second in the league with a 95.5 kill percentage. Kristina Press leads the offense with eight goals and six assists for 14 points. Molly McHugh is close behind with six goals and as many assists for 12 points. Both Press and McHugh have a team-leading +12 rating. Head Coach Mike Carroll has elected to go with a three-goalie approach all season long. Katie McCoy has seen the most time in net with 305 minutes, posting a 0.98 goals against average and .949 save percentage. Emilia Helms-Leslie has played 298 minutes with a 0.80 goals against and .933 save percentage. Francesca Gerardi has logged 240 minutes with a 1.00 goals against and .940 save percentage.
Scouting the Tommies: St. Thomas is fresh off a series sweep against Saint Mary’s last weekend winning 5-2 on Friday and 3-0 on Saturday. Through 13 games the Tommies average 3.4 goals per game while allowing 1.2. They also out-shoot their opponents by an average of 36.0-20.6. On special teams, the Tommies have gone just 4-for-33 on the power play, but they have killed all 35 skater advantages by the opposition. Maddy Fiedler leads the offense with 13 points on seven goals and six assists. Alyssa Wallace is next on the stat sheet with five goals and five assists for 10 points. Eryn Cooley has spent the most time in net with a 1.20 goals against average and .941 save percentage.