For nearly half the game, Alexa Dobchuk kept the score close. The St. Thomas goalie stopped everything except for Audrey Wethington's shot midway through the opening period.

But when one team has two of the nation's top goal-scorers, it's hard to totally stymie them.

Taylor Heise's goal in the 11th minute of the second period and Abigail Boreen in the 17th, on a power-play, broke the game open and the No. 1-ranked Gophers women's hockey team ultimately beat the Tommies 4-0 on Friday night at Ridder Arena

With the tougher-than-most expected victory — the Gophers had swept the Tommies 7-1 and 7-1 in a home-and-home series last weekend — Minnesota leads 1-0 in their best-of-three WCHA first-round playoff series.

Heise, who was tied for the NCAA lead in goals into the playoffs, now has 27 goals this season and Boreen 22.

Amy Potomak got the final goal for Minnesota with 2:19 left in the third.

Dobchuk stopped 40 shots through two periods, 49 in all. Gophers goalie Lauren Bench faced only nine shots in her shutout victory.