Minneapolis, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's hockey team fell in the series opener to the #3 Minnesota Gophers 5-1 Friday at Ridder Arena.
 
The Gophers held a 2-0 lead after the first period of play over the Mavericks. Sophomore center Taylor Heise scored the first goal of the game after skating around the outstretched sophomore netminder Abigail Levy and going top shelf at the 10:16 mark. Senior winger Sarah Potomak was left unchecked in the middle of the ice at the 17:47 mark as Heise fed Potomak from below the red line and scored to Levy's stick side.
 
The Maverick deficit doubled after the second period with Minnesota scoring two more times in the middle frame. Heise scored her second goal of the game at the 5:49 mark after scoring on a three-on-one rush right outside the crease. Senior winger Alex Woken scored the fourth goal of the game at the 17:07 mark, putting away a rebound off sophomore center Emily Oden's original shot.

Minnesota State got on the scoreboard at the 3:17 mark in the third period with freshman winger Kelsey King scoring on the partial breakaway. Senior captain Emily Antony dumped the puck just over the blue line that allowed King to skate in close on senior netminder Sydney Scobee and score her sixth goal of the season. Minnesota scored one more goal at the 5:07 mark with junior winger Grace Zumwinkle scoring on the play
 
King now has six goals and 16 assists for 22 points on the season with the assists and points totals leading all WCHA rookies.
 
Sophomore Abigail Levy (5-12-3) made 27 saves in the defeat to the Gophers.

The Mavericks were outshot by the Gophers by a 32-13 margin. Minnesota State went zero-for-one on the power play and Minnesota did not convert on the three chances with the man advantage.
 
Now standing with a 11-17-6 (4-15-4-3 WCHA) record, the Mavericks will wrap up the regular season against the Gophers in the series finale tomorrow at 4:07 p.m.

Associate head coach Jeff Giesen commented following the game.