MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's hockey lost the first game of the weekend series to an offensive prowess in the University of Minnesota Gophers who have now outscored their opponents 95-20 on the 2015-16 season.

At exactly the six-minute mark of the first period, the No. 3 Gophers flipped the switch, netting their first of 11 goals.  On the power-play, Dani Cameranesi struck for her first goal of the game with Sarah Potomak and Megan Wolfe tacking on helpers.  The Gophers tallied two more goals in the next two minutes and seven seconds of action with Kelly Pannek giving the Gophers a 2-0 lead and Hannah Brandt her first of three in the match at 8:07.  The period was finished off with two more U of M goals, seeing Minnesota at a 5-0 advantage.  Maverick goaltender, junior Brianna Quade (Newcastle, Ont.) finished the period with nine saves as Minnesota State was outshot by a clip of 14-8 at the end of the first 20 minutes.  
 
The second period was not as brash as the first with Minnesota adding three more scores and Minnesota State notching their first of the game.  Just 17 seconds in, Lee Stecklein fired a shot from the point that flew past a screened Quade.  Then at the 5:06 mark Sarah Potomka rifled in her first goal of the game with Cameranesi picking up her second assist of the match.  The Mavericks were able to produce their lone tally of the game at 10:28 when junior Anna Fiegert (Landshut, Germany) dished the puck up to senior Katie Johnson (Anoka, Minn.) on the right from Minnesota State's end.  Johnson skated the puck hard to the right post, drawing defenders with her. She then made a nice drop pass to sophomore Amanda Conway (Naperville, Ill.) who buried the puck past Gopher netminder Amanda Leveille.  The period finished with the Gophers capitalizing once more at the 15:45 mark putting Minnesota up 8-1.

The third-rated Gophers were able to put away three more goals in the third frame, finalizing the score at 11-1.  The Mavericks were outshot 36-17 with Quade making 11 saves.  Sophomore goaltender Katie Bidulka (Brampton, Ont) came into the game in the second period, tallying 14 stops and allowing four.  The extra-attacking advantages remained minimal as the Gophers were 1-1 and Minnesota State was 0-2 on their power-play opportunities.


With the loss, Minnesota State's record moves to 2-14-1 (0-13-0 WCHA) while Minnesota increases it's record to 14-1-0 (10-1-0 WCHA) on the season.  The Mavericks and Gophers with finish out the series on Saturday in Mankato.  Puck drop at Verizon Wireless Center is scheduled for 2:07 p.m.