U.S. Women Advance to 2018 Olympic Hockey Final

Dani Cameranesi (Minnesota) scored two goals and Maddie Rooney (Minnesota-Duluth) made 14 saves as the U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team blanked Finland, 5-0, in a semifinal match at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Gigi Marvin (Minnesota), Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson (North Dakota) and Hilary Knight (Wisconsin) also scored for the Americans, who bested Finland, 3-1, in their Olympic opener last week. For Knight, it was also her 100th career goal in a USA uniform. Noora Räty (Minnesota) made 33 saves for Finland, which had advanced to the semifinals by routing rival Sweden, 7-2.

The U.S. will now take on archrival Canada (Wed., 11:10 p.m. ET, NBCSN) for the gold medal, the fifth time in the last six Olympics that the two neighboring nations will meet with gold on the line. Canada has won the last four golds after the U.S. claimed the inaugural women's gold in 1998, and also edged the U.S., 2-1, in a preliminary round game last week despite being outshot almost two-to-one.

The U.S. men's team will face Slovakia in an elimination game tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

U.S. Women Win 2018 Olympic Opener

The U.S. Women's Olympic Hockey Team is off to a good start following a 3-1 victory over Finland on Sunday in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It was the opening game for both teams at the XXIII Olympic Winter Games.

After Finland took a 1-0 lead with less than six seconds remaining in the first period, the U.S. would tie the game early in the second stanza on a rebound goal by Monique Lamoureux-Morando (North Dakota). The Americans then took the lead for good when Hilary Knight (Wisconsin) set up Kendall Coyne (Northeastern) for a one-timer from the right side.

Dani Cameranesi (Minnesota) closed out the scoring with 13 seconds remaining in regulation.  Maddie Rooney (Minnesota-Duluth) made 23 saves for the U.S. in her Olympic debut, while Olympic veteran and two-time NCAA champion Noora Räty (Minnesota) had 39 stops for the Finns.

Team USA will now face the Olympic Athletes From Russia in a Group A match on Tuesday at 7:10 a.m. ET at Kwandong Hockey Centre.

Perfect Minnesota Wins Second Straight NCAA Women's Title

The University of Minnesota women's hockey team finished off a perfect 41-0 season by defeating Boston University, 6-3, on Sunday at Ritter Arena in Minneapolis in the NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship Game. The Golden Gophers ran their overall winning streak to 49 games, dating back to last season when they also won the national title over WCHA rival Wisconsin.

Minnesota had advanced to this year's title game by beating Boston College, 3-2 in overtime, on Friday, while BU topped Merychurst, 4-1, in the other semifinal. It was the fourth overall NCAA title for the Gophers, while the Terriers (26-8-3) fell for the second time in the national title game, having lost to Wisconsin in 2011.

Amanda Kessel paced the Golden Gophers to the victory with two goals and two assists against the Terriers, and also eclipsed the century mark for points this season, finishing with 101 points in all on 46 goals and 55 assists in 38 outings. Hannah Brandt and Rachel Ramsey scored Minnesota's other goals on Sunday. Noora Räty made 21 saves in the Minnesota net in her collegiate finale, and finished with a 36-0 record and 17 shutouts this season and a 112-15-8 mark in four seasons, including 48 career shutouts.

Sarah Lefort, Marie-Philip Poulin and Jenelle Kohanchuk scored for the Terriers, while Kerrin Sperry made 23 stops for BU. Both teams went 2-for-4 on the power play as Minnesota skated out to 2-0 and 4-2 leads before Kessel ultimately iced matters with an empty-netter with 49 seconds remaining in regulation.

ALSO: Elmira (24-5-1) won the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's National Championship on March 16 with a 1-0 victory over Middlebury on March 16 at Wessman Arena in Superior, Wis. Taylor Steadman scored the game's only goal, and Lauren Sullivan made 30 saves as the Soaring Eagles locked up their third-ever national title.

Gophers Record Kazmaier Hat Trick

Someone from the University of Minnesota will win this year’s Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation’s top NCAA Division I collegiate women’s hockey player. That’s because all three finalists – a forward, blueliner and goaltender – play for head coach Brad Frost and the undefeated and No. 1-ranked Golden Gophers (36-0-0 overall, 28-0-0 WCHA).

Junior forward Amanda Kessel, younger sister of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel, leads the nation in scoring with 43 goals and 51 assists for 94 points in 33 games, and has 224 points in 109 career appearances. Team captain and senior defender Megan Bozek, an Illinois native, is third on this year’s Gopher scoring scroll with 18-34—52 points in 36 outings, while senior netminder and two-time Finnish Olympian Noora Räty has gone 31-0-0 so far this season with 14 shutouts, and has not allowed goal in her last four games.

Former Minnesota forward and two-time U.S. Olympian Krissy Wendell is the only previous Gopher to have won the Kazmaier Award, back in 2005 when she recorded 43-61—104 points in 40 contests. This year’s award will be presented in Minneapolis on March 23, as part of the NCAA Frozen Four.

The current Minnesota squad has won 44 games dating back to last season, and just completed a two-step sweep of Bemidji State in the first round of the WCHA Tournament. The Gophers will next skate against Ohio State on Friday at home at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis in a league semifinal in the WCHA Final Face-Off. The winner will play the victor of the North Dakota-Wisconsin semifinal on Saturday for the WCHA’s automatic berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Minnesota Wins Women's Division I National Title

Go, go Gophers.

The University of Minnesota bested Western Collegiate Hockey Association rival and defending national champion Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon by a 4-2 count at Amsoil Arena in Duluth, in the 2012 Women's Division I NCAA Championship Game. Minnesota won its third national title, and first since 2005 when it finished off back-to-back championships.

Amanda Kessel, a sophomore forward and the younger sister of the Toronto Maple Leafs' Phil Kessel, opened the scoring less than nine minutes into the contest for Minnesota. Sarah Erickson then staked the Gophers to a 2-0 lead, before Stefanie McKeough and Brooke Ammerman connected for the Badgers.

Emily West then tallied the game-winning goal on a penalty shot late in the first period, to give Minnesota a 3-2 lead, before Erickson added an insurance marker early in the third period. Noora Räty finished with 42 saves in net for Minnesota, while Alex Rigsby made 21 stops for Wisconsin.

The Gophers, who finished 34-5-2 overall, ended the season on an eight-game winning streak, and also won 13 of their last 14 outings. They won the WCHA Tournament with a 2-0 victory over Minnesota-Duluth on March 3rd, and then bested both North Dakota and Cornell in the NCAA Tournament before denying the Badgers (33-5-2) a second consecutive national crown.

Räty, a native of Finland, went 32-5-2 this season for Minnesota with a 1.33 goals-against average, a .941 save percentage and a nation-best 10 shutouts. Wisconsin native Kessel finished third in the nation in scoring with 31 goals and 48 assists for 79 points.

2012 NCAA Division I Women's Championship Field Set

The eight-team field is set for the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship.

The three schools earning automatic bids for winning their conference playoff championship were Boston University (Hockey East), Minnesota (WCHA) and St. Lawrence (ECAC), while the five at-large invitees include Boston College, Cornell, Mercyhurst, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Both Minnesota and Wisconsin have recorded 31victories apiece this season, while Cornell has registered 29 wins.

The four first-round games will be played on March 10 at campus sites. Defending national champion Wisconsin is the top seed in the tournament and will host eighth-seeded Mercyhurst, while second-seeded Minnesota will entertain first-time NCAA participant ans seventh seed North Dakota. Boston University will visit third-seeded Cornell, while St. Lawrence will travel to fourth-seeded Boston College.

The semifinals will be played on March 16 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth, Minn., followed by the national championship contest on March 18. Wisconsin, which defeated Boston University by a 4-1 count in last year's championship game, is seeking its fifth NCAA title, which would tie it all-time with Minnesota-Duluth. The Badgers also claimed Division I crowns in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Junior forward Jocelyne Lamoureux of North Dakota leads all NCAA Division I women's skaters with 48 assists and 72 points so far this season, while junior forward Brianna Decker of Wisconsin is tops in the nation with 36 goals to date. Senior forwards Bailey Bram and Kelly Steadman of Mercyhurst are tied for the national lead with 12 power-play goals apiece, while Steadman is also tied for first in the nation with four shorthanded tallies.

Junior goaltender Noora Räty of Minnesota (pictured above) has gone 30-5-2 this season with a 1.35 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage, along with a nation-best 10 shutouts. Sophomore netminder Alex Rigsby of Wisconsin sports a nation-best .952 save percentage.