SAINT PETER, Minn. – No. 5 Gustavus women’s hockey is set for a top-10 matchup against No. 9 Hamline this weekend. The Gusties enter the home-home series 13-2-1 overall and 9-0-1 in the MIAC, while the Pipers are 13-3-1 overall and 9-1-0 in the league. Friday’s game in Saint Paul begins at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s game at Don Roberts Ice Rink is at 2 p.m.
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The Series: Friday’s game marks the 42nd meeting between Gustavus and Hamline with the Gusties leading the all-time series 37-3-1. Last season the two teams split the regular season series. The Pipers won 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 16, 2018 in Saint Peter, but the Gusties returned the favor with a 2-1 overtime win in Saint Paul the following day.
Scouting the Gusties: Gustavus is fresh off an impressive series sweep over St. Thomas last weekend, shutting out the Tommies 1-0 on Friday and 6-0 on Saturday. Through 16 games, the Gusties average 3.2 goals and allow 0.8 per game for a margin of 2.4, which is eighth best in NCAA Division III. The Gusties are particularly strong on special teams, ranking first in the MIAC in power play percentage (21.8) and penalty kill percentage (95.8), which is also second best in the country. Katie McCoy, last week’s MIAC Athlete of the Week, is statistically the best goalie in the conference, leading the league in goals against average (0.71, 2nd/NCAA), save percentage (.964, 2nd/NCAA), and winning percentage (.917). Kristina Press leads the offense with 18 points (5th/MIAC) on eight goals and 10 assists. Molly McHugh is close behind with nine goals and eight assists for 17 points, and Hailey Holland has 14 points on seven goals and seven assists.
Scouting the Pipers: Hamline is currently riding a nine-game winning streak, most recently sweeping Concordia 8-0 and 6-1 last weekend. The Pipers have a potent offense, ranking fifth in the nation with an average of 4.47 goals per game. They also lead the league in total goals (76), assists (120), and shots per game (41.9). On special teams, the Pipers convert 18.5 percent on the power play and kill at an 88.2 percentage. Bre Simon leads the conference in both goals (12) and points (26). She also is second in the MIAC with 14 assists. Molly Garin is next with 25 points (2nd/MIAC) on 10 goals and a league-leading 15 assists. Sophie Rausch is another scoring threat with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points. Jaela O’Brien has spent the most time in net with a 1.45 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.