The bad news just keeps coming for the No. 1 Minnesota women’s hockey team. In a matter of days, the three U.S. Olympians in the Gophers’ lineup have dwindled to one.
Minnesota revealed today that freshman defenseman Lyndsay Wall, the youngest member of the 2002 U.S. Olympic team, will be academically ineligible to compete for the rest of the 2003-04 season.
Wall was among the nation’s most potent offensive defensemen. She was the second-leading scorer among defenseman in the nation this season with six goals and 15 points in 18 games. All six of her goals came on the power play.
The announcement regarding Wall comes just days after Minnesota learned that team-leading scorer Natalie Darwitz would likely miss the rest of the season with torn ligaments in her elbow. Darwitz and Wall alone accounted for half of the goals scored on the Minnesota power play, which ranks first nationally with a 31 percent conversion rate.
Prior to coming to Minnesota, Darwitz led the 2002 U.S. Olympic team with seven goals scored. Wall tied defensive partner Angela Ruggiero (Harvard) for the U.S. Olympic team lead with a plus/minus rating of +11.
