The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Postgame reception, new Gopher intros Friday (Sept. 26)

We encourage all Minnesota Women's Hockey fans attending Friday's (September 26) game against Boston College to stick around afterward as the Power Play Club and team will be having a postgame reception in the lobby of Ridder Arena, featuring the introduction of the 10 new Gophers!!  We hope to see many of you both during and after the game against the Eagles!!

2025-2026 SEASON & HOME OPENER!!
#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. Boston College Eagles
Thursday and Friday, September 25 & 26 – Both games at 6 p.m.
Ridder Arena

The puck officially drops on the 29th season of University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey as they open action at home, hosting the Boston College Eagles.  The teams will take to the Ridder Arena ice this Thursday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m., then square off again on Friday, September 26 also at 6:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both contests will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Thursday / Friday) and FREE audio play-by-play through GopherSports.com (Thursday / Friday).  Live stats will also be available via GopherSports.com.

GWH Championship Recognition on Friday!! In addition to the Power Play Club's postgame reception, two Gopher Women's Hockey teams of the past will be recognized at Friday's contest: the 2016 NCAA Championship squad during the first intermission, followed by the 2000 AWCHA Championship team during the second intermission!!

Last time against B.C. – The Gophers and Eagles last met in the 2019 Country Classic in suburban Nashville, TN, over Thanksgiving weekend.  Boston College took a pair of one-goal leads as Delaney Belinskas & Kelly Browne both scored short-handed, but Taylor Wente and Grace Zumwinkle lit the lamp for Minnesota to knot the contest and it finished in a 2-2 tie.  Sydney Scobee made 27 saves for the Gophers, while Maddy MacArthur stopped 41 shots for B.C.

Analyzing the Eagles – Boston College comes into the 2025-2026 season unranked, though they did receive votes in both national polls after posting a 20-12-2 regular-season record last year.  Finishing third in Hockey East with a 16-9-2-1 conference mark (2-2 in overtime), they defeated Maine 4-3 in the league playoff quarterfinals but fell to cross-town rival Boston University in the semifinals, 3-2 in double overtime, which brought their season to a close.

A familiar face will be on the Eagles' bench as former Gopher Emma Conner transferred to Boston College for her redshirt senior season, wearing #20, after tallying 5 goals & 3 assists last year.  However, Minnesota returned the favor by picking up junior defender Molly Jordan, who posted 24 points (8g, 16a) as a sophomore for B.C.

Junior Sammy Taber (#14) returns to the Eagles after being their leading scorer in 2024-2025 with 36 points, a team-high 25 assists, plus 11 goals of her own.  However, similar to the Gophers, the Eagles lost the next several players from last year's scoring list; top goal scorer Julia Pellerin is now a member of the UConn Huskies, Abby Newhook & Gaby Roy completed their collegiate careers, and Jordan is a Gopher.  Senior Kate Ham (#7) and sophomore Lauren Glaser (#24) are the next-highest returning scorers for B.C. with 17 points apiece; Ham tallied 9 goals & 8 assists last year, while Glaser added 6 goals & 11 assists.  Entering 2025-2026, the Eagles have added 6 new freshmen and two transfers (including Conner).

Senior Grace Campbell (#31) has been Boston College's lead goaltender the past two years; starting 32 of their 36 games with two relief appearances last season, she posted a 20-11-2 record, 5 shutouts, a 2.04 goals-against average, and a .930 save percentage.  Junior Bailey Callaway (#29) made their other four starts with one relief appearance, going 1-2-0 with one no-decision, a 3.57 GAA, and an .895 SV%.  Fellow junior Bella Pomarico (#30) has yet to see any official collegiate action.

Last weekend for Boston College – The Eagles hosted the Stonehill College Skyhawks from the NEWHA in exhibition this past Saturday.  However, no details or statistics from that game were available.

Gophers earn exhibition victory – Ava Lindsay led Minnesota with a hat trick, scoring once in the 1st period and twice more in the 2nd, as the Gophers defeated Bemidji State in Brainerd last Saturday, 6-1 after 60 minutes.  Sienna D'Alessandro and Tereza Plosová also lit the lamp in the contest.  Goaltenders Layla Hemp, Sophia Johnson & Hannah Clark each saw a period of action.  Following the third stanza, the Gophers and Beavers played another full 5 minutes of 3-on-3 competition, with Emma Kreisz lighting the lamp.  After that, the teams also held a shootout, for which results were unavailable.

Around the WCHA...

SCSU shuts out Lindenwood twice in Jalosuo's coaching debut – Emilia Kyrkkö posted an 18-save clean sheet Friday and Jojo Chobak stopped all 22 shots she faced Saturday as Mira Jalosuo earned her first two wins as head coach of the Huskies, defeating Lindenwood by matching 5-0 scores.  Siiri Yrjölä led all scorers with a goal & 4 assists, Maria Mikaelyan lit the lamp twice (once in each game), and Julianne Labbé & Sofianna Sundelin each added a goal & two helpers.

UMD earns road sweep at Mercyhurst – The Bulldogs earned a pair of come-from-behind victories to sweep the Lakers in Erie, PA, 4-3 (OT) and 5-3.  Josie St. Martin scored a 6-on-4 power-play, extra-attacker goal Friday to force overtime, and Caitlin Kraemer lit the lamp 2:36 into the extra period.  Kraemer netted her second goal of the series and Ida Karlsson recorded a goal & an assist Saturday.  Ève Gascon earned both wins with a combined 37 saves.

Minnesota State sweeps Rensselaer – Lauren Goldsworthy lit the lamp 3 times and Zoe Lopez added 2 goals & an assist as the Mavericks swept the Engineers 3-0 and 5-3.  Hailey Hansen posted a 30-save shutout for MSU on Friday and added another 18 saves Saturday.

St. Thomas sweeps Post – Nine different Tommies lit the lamp as they completed an 8-0 weekend for WCHA teams in non-conference play, sweeping the Post Eagles 7-0 and 6-1.  Rylee Bartz led UST with 5 points on 3 goals & 2 assists, Chloe Boreen added 3 goals and an assist, Ella Boerger dished out 4 helpers, and Julia Minotti needed only 17 saves over 111 minutes to earn both victories in net.

Upcoming games – One other WCHA team will be in Thursday & Friday non-conference action as UMD is on the road for a second-straight week, visiting Syracuse.  In a trio of Friday-Saturday series, St. Cloud State is on the road at Connecticut, St. Thomas heads to Lindenwood, and the in-conference schedule opens with Bemidji State hosting Wisconsin.  Minnesota State and Ohio State are idle.

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