Power Play Club

Goals for a Goal - Supporting Gophers Women’s Hockey

The Goals for a Goal program, a pledge-per-goal campaign, is back for the 2025-2026 season! Register your pledge for every goal the Gopher Women's Hockey team scores all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies. Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

The Gophers' hot start continued, adding 10 more goals this past weekend to bring their total after four games to 28 goals, with 4 of those coming on the power play!

PPC member enrollment remains open for 2025-2026!

Registration to the Power Play Club for the 2025-2026 season remains open AT ALL LEVELS! Your annual membership enrollment donations are our biggest source of financial support for the team, last year raising more than $34,000.

Locker Sponsor level – Please consider sponsoring a GWH player's or coach's locker through our top membership tier. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s) at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but do not submit a donation at this time; donation instructions for Locker Sponsors will be sent at the start of November.

Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $125 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. To register offline, download the form here and send it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

#3 Minnesota Gophers vs. #10 St. Cloud State Huskies
Friday, October 10 at 5:30 p.m. – Ridder Arena
Saturday, October 11 at 1:00 p.m. - Herb Brooks National Hockey Center – St. Cloud

After a 4-0 start against non-conference competition, the Gopher Women's Hockey team opens WCHA play with a top-ten matchup when they face the #10 St. Cloud State University Huskies in a home-and-home series.

SCHEDULE CHANGE REMINDER – As we shared last week, the weekend opener this Friday, October 10, at Ridder Arena has been moved up to a 5:30 p.m. start. The rematch at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud on Saturday, October 11, is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

Game coverage –Saturday's contest in St. Cloud will be televised live onFOX 9+in the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Both games will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday/Saturday). FREE audio play-by-play can be found on GopherSports.com (Friday/Saturday). Live stats will also beavailable via GopherSports.com.

Last year against St. Cloud State –The Gophers and Huskies split their four-game season series in 2024-2025. In November, Minnesota took the first meeting, 5-2, at Ridder Arena, but SCSU responded with a 3-1 victory in St. Cloud the next day. The situation was reversed in February as the Huskies earned a 4-3 road win at Ridder before the Gophers took the rematch in St. Cloud, 2-1. Ava Lindsay led the Gophers with 5 points on 2 goals & 3 assists, Ella Huber added 2 goals & 2 assists, Peyton Hemp and Sydney Morrow each dished out 4 helpers, and Abbey Murphy netted a hat trick in the first of the four meetings. St. Cloud State's Avery Farrell and Breija Parent each tallied a goal & 2 assists, Dayle Ross dished out 3 assists, and Abby Promersberger, Sofianna Sundelin, and Emma Gentry each lit the lamp twice. In net, Hannah Clark went 2-2, posting a 2.52 goals-against average and .905 save percentage; Emilia Kyrkkö & Sanni Ahola split the four games for SCSU, each going 1-1, with Kyrkkö recording a 3.55 GAA & .899 SV% while Ahola tallied a 1.52 GAA & .962 SV%.

Analyzing the Huskies –Perhaps the biggest change for St. Cloud State this past offseason was the departure of Brian Idalski to PWHL Vancouver and thehiring of Gopher alumna Mira Jalosuo as their new head coach. She inherited a team that finished 5th in the WCHA last season with a 10-13-5-1 (1-1 in OT) mark in league play and a 15-13-6 regular-season record overall. The Huskies' 2024-2025 season concluded with a pair of one-goal losses (3-2 & 2-1) at Minnesota Duluth in the WCHA Quarterfinals.

St. Cloud State returns three of last year's top four scorers, all as juniors this season. Alice Sauriol (#4) led the team in overall scoring (22 points) and assists (15), lighting the lamp 7 times herself. Sofianna Sundelin (#34) also hit the 20-point mark, netting 13 goals while dishing out 7 assists. Laura Zimmermann (#11) added 7 goals and 8 assists. Four games into 2025-2026, sophomore Siiri Yrjölä (#41) leads the Huskies with 5 points on a goal & 4 assists, freshman Julianne Labbé (#17) has 2 goals and 2 assists, and Sundelin has a goal & two helpers.

SCSU also has a pair of seasoned goaltenders in Emilia Kyrkkö and Jojo Chobak. Kyrkkö (#42), now a sophomore, went 7-7-3 last season with 3 shutouts, a 1.98 goals-against average, and a .926 save percentage. Chobak (#29) returns as a graduate student after missing last season; over her two previous years in St. Cloud, she went 16-18-2 with 9 shutouts, a .931 SV%, and a 2.04 GAA. Senior Hali Lawrence (#56) has joined the Huskies as a transfer from Post University where she was 1-8-0 in nine career starts with a 5.14 GAA and .860 SV%. Redshirt sophomore Paige Hoogendam (#31) has yet to see any official action.

Last action for St. Cloud State –In a battle of ranked Huskies teams two weekends ago, SCSU and UConn split their series in Connecticut, each winning by a 2-1 score. UConn took the lead in the opener on a goal by Megan Woodworth, but St. Cloud State's Raili Mustonen knotted the score 6½ minutes later and Julianne Labbé lit the lamp 2:33 into the third period; that was enough as Emilia Kyrkkö stopped 35 of 36 shots for the victory. Brooke Campbell gave Connecticut another first-period lead in the rematch with a power-play tally, only to see Sydney Bryant score unassisted for SCSU in the second stanza. But UConn's Livvy Dewar scored on another power play later in the frame and Tia Chan got the win with 36 saves, while St. Cloud State's Jojo Chobak stopped 29 shots.

Gophers stay perfect with road sweep of Boston University

Getting their first road test of the season with a trip to Beantown to face a second-straight Boston team, the Gophers remained undefeated with a sweep of the B.U. Terriers, getting a 5-0 shutout Friday followed by a 5-2 come-from-behind victory on Saturday.

A first-period, power-play goal by Abbey Murphy put Minnesota in the lead in the opener, and Nelli Laitinen doubled the advantage in the second stanza. Still up only 2-0 going to the third, Bella Fanale & Madison Kaiser extended the lead to 4-0, and Murphy netted her second goal of the contest to seal it. At the other end, Hannah Clark stopped all 24 shots she faced for the clean sheet. Mari Pietersen made 44 saves for Boston University.

Murphy got things rolling again on Saturday, opening the scoring 6:36 into the contest, but Sydney Healey tied things up for B.U. under four minutes later. Just past the midway point of the second period, Anežka Cabelová lit the lamp to put the Terriers in the lead. But the Gophers responded with a four-goal third period; Murphy knotted the score with her second goal of the game and 4th of the series, Laitinen netted her second goal of the weekend to put Minnesota back ahead, Tereza Plozová added an insurance goal just 21 seconds later, and Murphy completed a hat trick with an empty-netter. Layla Hemp made 25 saves for the win, while B.U.'s Michelle Pasiechnyk stopped 31 shots.

Murphy, Fanale and Morrow earn more conference honors

Following their respective WCHA Player of the Week awards for their performances two weekends ago against Boston College, Gophers Abbey Murphy, Bella Fanale, and Sydney Morrow were named the league's Forward, Rookie, and Defender of the Month for September. Murphy tallied a combined 9 points on four goals & four assists, Fanale debuted with a six-point (3g, 3a) weekend, and Morrow had a 5-point (2g, 3a) showing.

Rolling into October, Murphy's 5-goal, one-assist performance this past weekend at Boston University earned her a second-straight WCHA Forward of the Week award. Additionally, she continued her climb in the Minnesota Women's Hockey records. Her 5 goals brought her career total to-date to 112, moving her past both Amanda Kessel (108) and Grace Zumwinkle (109) into 3rd all-time, trailing Hannah Brandt for second by only 3 more. She also moved up to 8th place in total scoring with 210 points (112g, 98a), passing Zumwinkle (209 pts).

Congratulations Abbey, Bella, and Sydney!!

Around the WCHA...

Wisconsin blanks Maine – Laila Edwards tallied two goals & two assists, Kirsten Simms added a goal & 3 helpers, and Ava McNaughton & Rhyah Stewart combined for 41 saves as Wisconsin swept their home-opening series, shutting out Maine by back-to-back 5-0 scores. Kiia Lahtinen stopped 95 shots for the Black Bears.

Ohio State earns road sweep of Colgate – The Buckeyes used a three-goal 3rd period on Friday to defeat the Raiders, 5-3, to open their weekend series, then tallied 6 goals in the second stanza Saturday en route to a 9-4 victory and the sweep. Joy Dunne and Hilda Svensson each tallied 2 goals & 2 assists for OSU, while Alexis Petford led Colgate with two goals and an assist.

Minnesota State knocks off Lindenwood – Ayla Puppe lit the lamp twice and Hailey Hansen posted a 17-save clean sheet on Friday, Makayla Moran netted Saturday's game-winning goal midway through the third period, and Lauren Zawoyski dished out 3 assists as the Mavericks swept the Lions, 4-0 & 3-2. Michaela Paulinyova and Lucie Quarto scored for Lindenwood.

Bemidji State sweeps Robert Morris – Hailey Armstrong lit the lamp five times, including all four of the Beavers' goals on Saturday, and Kaitlin Groess stopped a combined 39 of 40 shots as BSU earned 3-0 and 4-1 victories over the Colonials. Morgan Giannone netted the lone goal for RMU.

Upcoming games – All eight WCHA teams are in league action this week. In two other Friday-Saturday series, Minnesota State hosts St. Thomas and Bemidji State heads to Columbus to visit Ohio State. Meanwhile, #4 Minnesota Duluth and #1 Wisconsin will play on Saturday and Sunday in Madison.

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