U women's hockey, volleyball teams win

Amanda Kessel sat out Saturday's Gophers women's hockey game because of injury, but she made up for lost time Sunday.

The junior had two goals and an assist as the top-ranked Gophers beat host North Dakota 4-2 on Sunday. The Gophers are 10-0 for the first time since 2004-05. Kessel is now tied with Emily West for 10th in school career points with 158.

Kessel returned to the ice Sunday and promptly scored on her first shift, weaving around a defenseman and shooting the puck between the pads of goalie Shelby Amsley-Benzie. In the second period, Kessel put the Gophers ahead 2-1 and then assisted on Kelly Terry's power-play goal.

Meghan Dufault scored twice for North Dakota.

The Gophers outshot North Dakota 33-18. The teams combined for 26 penalties, 12 for the Gophers.

Volleyball tops Illini With a big weekend on the road coming up, the Gophers volleyball team took care of business at home on Sunday.

The 10th-ranked Gophers beat Illinois 25-19, 26-24, 25-22 before an announced 5,121 at Williams Arena. The Gophers trailed late in both the second and third sets but pulled out both to improve to 19-4 this season and 10-2 in the Big Ten.

The Gophers face No. 1 Penn State and No. 20 Ohio State on the road next weekend. They face Penn State on Friday in a match televised live on the Big Ten Network, while the match against the Buckeyes was moved to Sunday because of Ohio State football.

U cross-country The Gophers women's cross-country team finished fourth at the Big Ten championships in East Lansing, Mich. Laura Docherty finished ninth individually.

The Gophers' fourth-place finish matched their ranking entering the meet. With 134 points, they came in behind Michigan (55), Michigan State (75) and Penn State (96).

Docherty's time of 20:35.4 edged out Michigan State's Amanda Eccleston (20:35.5). Molly Kayfes (21:00.7) and Katie Moraczewski (21:01.0) finished less than a second apart in 26th and 27th.