No. 5 Warriors Have Super Weekend with Sweep of Minnesota
FREMONT, Neb. – Goals were plentiful for the home team over the weekend as No. 5 Midland University hosted the University of Minnesota in a Women's Midwest College Hockey (WMCH) series. The Warriors netted five goals in a dominant 5-1 win on Saturday, then erupted for eight scores in an 8-0 shutout on Sunday to complete the sweep of the Golden Gophers.
SATURDAY: Midland 5, Minnesota 1
Makara Magbanua got things going in the latter half of the opening period, with Darbi Poole and Grace Page picking up assists. In the second period, Callie Maguire added to the lead with a shorthanded goal off a feed from Taylor Bell, giving Midland a comfortable advantage at the second intermission.
In the third, Page stole the show with a hat trick in the final 20 minutes. She scored just 48 seconds into the period, assisted by Jaicee Huberdeau and Bell. Page's second goal came with just under three minutes to play, with Poole collecting her second assist. She completed the hat trick less than a minute later at the 17:53 mark, with assists from Katie McNair and Bell.
Goaltender Meghan Stewart was nearly perfect in net, allowing just one goal on 12 shots. Midland dominated the shot count, outshooting Minnesota 41-12.
SUNDAY: Midland 8, Minnesota 0
The Warriors started slowly in the series finale, mustering just one goal in the first period when Kennedy Wood found the net at the 4:41 mark.
Midland broke the game open in the second period, starting with its first power-play goal of the weekend. Page struck off a setup from Brynn Tosh and Magbanua. Three more Warriors added goals before the period ended.
Maguire made it 3-0 at 9:55 off an assist from Tanna Christensen. McNair extended the lead, finishing a feed from Sky Thompson and Molly McMurrich. Just before the intermission, Poole found the back of the net, with assists from Tosh and Huberdeau, giving Midland a commanding 5-0 lead.
Poole added her second goal early in the third, scoring at the 1:48 mark off a feed from Bell and Sydni Richards. Bell got on the board at 9:34, assisted by McNair and Page. Two minutes later, Huberdeau capped the scoring with an assist from Bell, sealing an 8-0 victory. The margin tied Midland's largest win of the season and was its biggest home-ice victory since a 12-1 rout of Grand Canyon in October 2023.
Natalie Rampton was rock-solid in goal, stopping all 17 shots she faced for the shutout. Midland fired 47 shots on goal, while Minnesota managed 17.
Midland (24-6-0) will close out the regular season next weekend when it hosts No. 3 Maryville (19-7-5). It will be the Saints' first visit to Fremont since the 2022-23 season when the Warriors earned a 4-2 win during a three-team weekend.
Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, with Senior Day festivities taking place before the game. The home finale is scheduled for Sunday at noon at Sidner Ice Arena.