Perfect season within reach for Gopher women’s hockey

Saturday afternoon, the Gopher women’s hockey team will face the St. Cloud State Huskies for their final game of the regular season.

Ridding a 41-game winning streak, the Gophers will look to become the first program in NCAA history to finish the regular season with a perfect record.

Some numbers behind the Gopher women’s accomplishments to date:

• Minnesota has not lost a game in 372 days — their lost loss was on Feb. 17, 2012 against North Dakota, losing in overtime, 2-1.
• Since that overtime loss, the Gophers have only played one other overtime game. That was last week against Bemidji State, in which Minnesota won 3-2.
• The one goal victory against Bemidji State was also the smallest margin of victory for the Gophers during the 41-game winning streak, including games that ended in regulation.
• Minnesota has won eight games by two goals. Four of them were shutouts.
• The average margin of victory for the Gophers dating back to their last loss: 4.43 goals.
• 18 of the last 41 games were shutouts, including a 11-0 win against Colgate to open the 2012-13 regular season.

While a perfect regular season record is in sight, let’s not forget following Saturday’s final regular season game, the Gophers will start the first round of the WCHA (in Minneapolis with that) before the NCAA Quarterfinals roll around (again in Minneapolis).

Is this a team of destiny? It’s a damned good team, that’s for sure. But with the WCHA and the Frozen Four all scheduled for Minneapolis, the Gophers will be playing in front of their home crowd as soon as they return from the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud Saturday night.