Gophers women's hockey team hopes to extend unbeaten streak against St. Cloud State

The No. 2-ranked Gophers women's hockey team plays St. Cloud State in a second home-and-home WCHA series this weekend. The first game will be in St. Cloud at 2 p.m. Saturday, the second at 2 p.m. at Ridder Arena.

Last month when the teams met, the Gophers won 6-2 and 4-1 to extend their unbeaten streak over the Huskies to 43 games (42-0-1).

Minnesota (9-2-1, 7-2-1 WCHA) had a bye last weekend. In their last series, the Gophers swept Bemidji State 6-3, 2-1 on Nov. 2-3 at Ridder.

St. Cloud State (4-9-1, 2-6-0) played two overtime games with Lindenwood last weekend, tying the first game 2-2 and losing the second 2-1.

• The Gophers signed three Minnesotans this week: goalie Makayla Pahl of Rochester Mayo, forward Sydney Shearen of White Bear Lake and defenseman Madeline Wethington of Blake. "All three of these players have played with the USA's U18 team and won gold medals," Gophers coach Brad Frost said. "They will be tremendous additions."

The Gophers volleyball team signed three players this week: middle blocker Ellie Husemann of Eagan, defensive specialist Rachel Kilkelly of Shakopee and middle blocker Shea Rubright of Yakima, Wash. Rubright plans to join the program in January, Husemann and Kilkelly in the fall of 2019.

The 6-5 Rubright, a first team Under Armor All-America player, will play in an All-America at Target Center during the Final Four next month. Prepvolleyball.com's rates her as the nation's No. 12 recruit.

The in-state signees are lefthanded pitcher Will Anderson of St. Michael-Albertville, and righthanded pitchers Trent Schoeberl of White Bear Lake and Bennett Theisen of Minnehaha Academy.

The other signings are first baseball/outfielder Kyle Bork of Alpharetta, Ga.; righthanded pitcher Michael Gurka of Clarendon Hills, Ill.; pitcher/first baseman Sam Ireland of Highlands Ranch, Colo., and outfielder Steve Jamroziak of Muskego, Wis.

The fourth-seeded Concordia (St. Paul) volleyball team (24-8) advanced to the NCAA Central Region championship with a 19-25, 25-14, 25-14, 25-13 victory over eighth-seeded Harding (28-6) at Nebraska-Kearney. Freshman Kennedy Brady had a career-high 27 kills to lead the Golden Bears.

For the 15th time in 16 seasons, the Golden Bears will play for the NCAA region title as they advance to face third-seeded Washburn (31-4) at 6 p.m. Saturday.

• No. 8 Washburn swept Minnesota Duluth 26-24, 25-18, 27-25 in the NCAA Division II Central Region volleyball semifinals in Kearney, Neb. Erica Montgomery had 13 kills to lead the Ichabods (31-4); Kate Berg had 10 kills for UMD (28-6).