Locker Sponsor gathering – RSVPs due Monday, January 5, 2026
Power Play Club members in our Locker Sponsorship tier are reminded that our special event is set for January 10 before the second game of the series against Minnesota State. Locker sponsors are asked to be meet in the Ridder Arena ticket lobby by 2:30 p.m. RSVPs are required by Monday, January 5, by emailing PPC board member Bob Milligan; please indicate how many people will be in attendance in your group. We look forward to seeing you there!
All-member PPC Chalk Talk – January 10, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
The second of our three member-exclusive Chalk Talks for the 2025-2026 season is scheduled for January 10 at 6:00 p.m. We will be joined by one of the Gopher coaches to discuss on-ice strategy and the team's performance in the previous game. The event will be held in the Ridder Arena Weight Room, on the upstairs level across the hall from the suites and press box.
Enrollment remains open for basic PPC membership!
Membership in the Power Play Club provides financial support as our best fundraising vehicle for the team, and encourages the players and coaching staff in their quest for academic and athletic excellence. Enrollment in our Basic Membership level is still open and requires a minimum donation of $125, 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. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".
Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 31
The Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches with be taking place on Saturday, January 31 at 9:45 a.m. as we welcome University of Wisconsin women's hockey head coach Mark Johnson and Minnesota head coach Brad Frost. Coach Johnson has led the Badgers since 2002 and also served as the head coach of Team USA for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
This is a separate-fee event, with tickets running $30 per person for PPC members and $40 per person for non-members. At this time, we are not able to accept credit card payments. Instead, please download the registration form here or pick one up at the PPC table at an upcoming GWH home game; fill out the form; and submit it with a check made out to the Power Play Club to the address indicated or in-person again at Ridder Arena. Note that registrations must be received by Sunday, January 25.
Goals for a Goal resumes after 84 “first half” goals
Another method for providing financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey program is our Goals for a Goal program, a pledge-per-goal campaign to convert the team's scoring into donations back to the them.
Entering the “second half” of the 2025-2026 season, the Gophers have lit the lamp 84 times this year, with twelve (12) of those coming on the power play! Register a pledge for every goal tallied all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions. 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. Thanks as always for your support of this effort!!
#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-4-0, 10-4-0-0 WCHA)
at Sacred Heart University Pioneers (5-12-1, 4-9-1-1 NEWHA)
Friday, January 2 at 5:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, January 3 at 1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. CT
Martire Family Arena – Fairfield, CT
Opening the 2026 portion of their schedule, the Gopher Women's Hockey team heads to Connecticut for its final non-conference matchup of the regular-season, facing the Sacred Heart University Pioneers in a first-ever meeting. Action at Martire Family Arena in Fairfield, CT, begins this Friday, January 2 with a 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT puck drop, and continues with the rematch on Saturday, January 3, at 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT.
Game coverage –
Video streaming through the ESPN+ subscription service – Friday / Saturday
Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com – Friday / Saturday
Analyzing the Pioneers – Sacred Heart's women's hockey program was founded in 1996 as a Division III program, but has been a Division I team since the 2003-2004 season, playing as an independent until becoming a charter member of the New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) in 2017. Tom O'Malley is now in his 23rd year as head coach of the Pioneers, spanning their entire D-I history.
Sacred Heart is the defending NEWHA Tournament champion, winning as the #3 seed and earning them an NCAA Tournament berth last March. However, they find themselves in 7th place so far in 2025-2026 with a 4-9-1-1 (0-1 in OT) conference mark. They're also only 1-3-0 in non-conference play, with their lone win coming in the season opener at RPI.
Five of the Pioneers' top six scorers are Minnesota natives and include two pairs of sisters. Sophomore Ella Holm from Moorhead (#10) is their overall leading scorer with 9 points on 4 goals & 5 assists. Seniors Sami Bowlby (#16, from Savage) and Alyssa Antonakis (#94, from Lakeville) both transferred to Sacred Heart for the 2024-2025 season and have 8 points apiece this year, Bowlby with 4 goals & 4 assists and Antonakis with 2 goals & 6 helpers. Sophomore Addie Bowlby (#24), junior Bria Holm (#55), and sophomore Ally Cohen (#46, from Newton, MA) have each added 7 points; Addie Bowlby has a team-high 5 goals plus 2 assists, Cohen has 3 goals & 4 helpers, and Bria Holm has dished out 6 assists while lighting the lamp once herself.
Senior netminder Jillian Petruno (#63) is in her fourth year as a Pioneer and has started 13 of their games this season; she has a 5-7-1 record with one shutout, a 2.05 goals-against average, and a .943 save percentage. Mia Wendell (#31) is Sacred Heart's primary backup as a grad transfer from Yale; she's made seven appearances this year for the Pioneers but is 0-5-0 in her five starts, posting a 3.65 GAA and an .897 SV%. Junior and Dayton, MN, native Lauren Larson (#33) has made two relief appearances, stopping 12 of 13 shots (.923 SV%) in a combined 52+ minutes of action. First-year goalie Mikayla Williams (#00) has yet to see any official playing time.
Last action for Sacred Heart – Like the Gophers, the Pioneers last played over the first weekend of December, taking on Assumption in a home-and-home series. Starting at home, SHU played the Greyhounds to a 2-2 tie and won the shootout 1-0 in three rounds; Addie Bowlby netted the shootout-winning goal. However, Assumption successfully defended their home ice in the rematch, defeating the Pioneers 4-2. For the weekend, Maddie Smith (#2) and Hailey Jussila (#12) led Sacred Heart, each tallying a goal and an assist.
2026 Olympic Winter Games – Milan & Cortina, Italy
Women's ice hockey roster announcements have begun
Roster announcements for the 2026 Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Tournament have begun, starting with France and Japan, and more are expected over the upcoming days. As previewed online yesterday, USA Hockey's men's, women's, and sled hockey rosters for the Olympics & Paralympics will be released this Friday, January 2, during the 8 a.m. ET hour of TODAY on NBC & Peacock.
While the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics are on Friday, February 6, the women's ice hockey tournament begins on Thursday, February 5. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has set up a tournament website here, including a full schedule of games.
We will share roster announcements, particularly those including current Gophers and U. of M. alumnae, as they become available. Watch our social media accounts (Facebook / X) for details.
Around the WCHA...
Upcoming games – In addition to the Gophers, five other WCHA squads resume their schedules this weekend. Most notably, Ohio State hosts Penn State in a battle of top-five teams; Saturday's game will be televised in the Twin Cities area on Fox 9+ at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Minnesota Duluth has already traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to play in the 2026 Friendship Series women's tournament, facing Harvard to open the event Friday and either Boston University or Quinnipiac on Saturday. Bemidji State will travel to Massachusetts for a Saturday-Sunday road series against Merrimack. In exhibition play, St. Cloud State will host a single game against St. Thomas on Saturday. Minnesota State and Wisconsin will return to play next week.
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