The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Directly view the January 14, 2026 Penalty Box Post Newsletter


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.

 

Enrollment continues for basic PPC membership!

Enrollment in the Power Play Club's Basic Membership level is still open, providing financial support to the team and encouraging the players and coaching staff in their quest for academic and athletic excellence.  A minimum donation of $125 is required and covers 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".

 

Goals for a Goal – Gophers scoring total continues to climb

We also continue to encourage enrollment in the Goals for a Goal program, a pledge-per-goal campaign providing additional financial support to the Gopher Women's Hockey program! Tallying double-digit goals for a second-straight game last Friday and completing the series sweep on Saturday (details below), the Gophers have now lit the lamp 117 times with eighteen (18) of those coming on the power play!  Register a pledge for every goal tallied 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 (18-4-0, 12-4-0-0 WCHA)
at Bemidji State Univ. Beavers (5-14-3, 2-13-1-0 WCHA)
Friday, January 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 17 at 3:30 p.m.
Sanford Center – Bemidji

Having started 2026 with four-straight victories, the Gophers look to extend their win streak with a road series up north to face the Bemidji State University Beavers.  The action at the Sanford Center in Bemidji is set to start this Friday, January 16 at 7:00 p.m. and continue on Saturday, January 17, at 3:30 p.m.

218 Sports Showcase reminder – As we reported in early October, this weekend's games are part of a Women's Hockey Showcase run by 218 Sports, a non-profit organization based in Bemidji.  In addition to the WCHA series between the Gophers and Beavers, Minnesota State High School League games – featuring teams from Bemidji H.S., Hill-Murray, Orono, and Warroad – and a Fan Fest are also occurring Friday & Saturday.  The full schedule of events can be found here.  Single full-day tickets and full weekend (two-day) discounted packages are available for purchase; see the ticket information page for more details, including special codes required to purchase the two-day packages.

Game coverage –

 
Last time against Bemidji State – Outshooting the Beavers by a combined 119-22, the Gopher Women's Hockey team won their Field Trip Day game at 3M Arena on November 14, 6-2, and followed it up with a 9-2 victory at Ridder Arena the next day, completing the series sweep.

The Beavers got on the board first when Morgan Smith lit the lamp just 14 seconds into the opener, but Minnesota knotted the score on an Emma Kreisz goal later in the first period and took the lead when Sydney Morrow found the back of the net short-handed in the second stanza.  BSU pulled back to even as Isa Goettl scored on a 5-on-3 power play, but Ava Lindsay put the Gophers ahead again 5:26 into the third period, and Jamie Nelson, Josefin Bouveng (short-handed), and Abbey Murphy also scored.  Hannah Clark made 10 saves for the win, while Bemidji State's Kaitlin Groess stopped 50 shots.

In the rematch, Kreisz again tallied the first Gopher goal, Chloe Primerano doubled the lead less than 2 minutes later, and Tereza Plosová pushed the advantage to 3-0 before the first intermission.  Bella Fanale scored on a second-period power play, but BSU's Maddie Kaiser lit the lamp and Smith netted her second goal of the weekend to make it 4-2.  However, Nelson also netted her second goal of the series, Fanale tallied her second of the game, Lindsay and Morrow each found the back of the net again, and freshman Sydney Bailey recorded her first collegiate goal.  Layla Hemp earned the win, needing only 8 saves; Ava Hills started the game for the Beavers and made 49 saves before Groess entered in relief and stopped 5 shots.

For the series, Murphy led Minnesota in total scoring with 5 points, adding 4 assists to her goal.  A quintet of Gophers – Fanale (2g, 2a), Kreisz (2g, 2a), Lindsay (2g, 2a), Bouveng (1g, 3a), and Madison Kaiser (4a) – each recorded four points.

Analyzing the Beavers – With a 2-13-1-0 record in WCHA play, Bemidji State is facing the possibility of finishing the regular season last in the standings for a fourth-straight year.  Their two wins both came at the Sanford Center, over St. Thomas (Nov. 8, 2-1) and St. Cloud State (Nov. 22, 6-5 in OT).  The Beavers went 3-1-2 in non-conference play against Robert Morris, Lindenwood, and Merrimack.

Bemidji State is averaging less than two goals per game, having lit the lamp only 38 times in their 22 overall contests this season.  Junior Hailey Armstrong (#29) has more than one-quarter of those, lighting the lamp 10 times and adding 3 assists.  Sophomore Morgan Smith (#21) is BSU's overall scoring leader with 15 points, having recorded 8 goals and 7 assists.  Junior Kate Johnson (#14) has a team-high 11 assists while finding the back of the net once herself for 12 points, while redshirt sophomore Isa Goettl (#9) has reached double-digit points as well, tallying 10 on 6 goals & 4 assists.

Sophomore Kaitlin Groess (#1) has seen a majority of the playing time between the pipes for the Beavers, starting 14 games; she has a 4-9-2 record with one shutout, a 3.37 goals-against average, and an .892 save percentage.  Senior Ava Hills (#33) started BSU's other eight contests, going 1-5-1 with one no-decision, a 3.96 GAA and a .900 SV%.  Freshman Ashlyn Hazlett (#35) has made one relief appearance, stopping 5 of 8 shots in one period of action against Wisconsin, while junior Eva Filippova (#30) remains on the BSU roster but has not played since suffering an injury last February.

Last action – BSU swept at St. Thomas – A road trip to St. Paul was not kind to the Beavers as they were swept by the hosting Tommies, 2-1 and 4-1.  St. Thomas got on the board just 34 seconds into the opener as Nora Sauer lit the lamp; Shelby Sandberg knotted the score for Bemidji State in the second period, but Rylee Bartz netted the game-winning goal for UST with just 55.4 seconds remaining in regulation.  Isa Goettl gave the Beavers their only lead of the weekend four minutes into the rematch, but that advantage was short-lived as Ilsa Lindaman scored for the Tommies just 1:47 later.  Ella Boerger put St. Thomas ahead ten minutes after that, and Bartz and Chloe Boreen added insurance goals for UST in the second stanza.  Dani Strom earned both wins for the Tommies with a combined 35 saves, while Kaitlin Groess stopped 53 shots for Bemidji State.

Gophers earn weekend sweep of then-#12 Minnesota State

Playing in a WCHA league series for the first time in 2026, the Gopher Women's Hockey team recorded its second-straight double-digit effort with an 11-3 victory over Minnesota State in Mankato on Friday, then followed it with a gritty 4-3 win at Ridder Arena on Saturday to complete the weekend sweep.  The victories evened the season series with the Mavericks at two games apiece.

MSU took an early lead in Friday's contest as Makayla Moran capitalized on a mishandled puck and scored unassisted, but the Gophers responded with five goals before the first intermission.  The Mavericks netted the first goal of the second stanza as well, but the Maroon & Gold followed with the next five before the teams exchanged one more apiece.  Abbey Murphy tallied a second-straight hat trick plus an assist, Kendra Distad lit the lamp twice, Bella Fanale added a goal & two assists, Josefin Bouveng dished out 3 helpers, Avery Hovland netted her first career goal, and Hannah Clark made 22 saves.

Murphy netted the opening goal in the rematch, her fourth of the series, then effectively outdid herself with a highlight reel assist to set up Fanale for a 2-0 lead.  However, the Mavericks battled back; Moran tallied her second unassisted goal of the weekend to make it a 2-1 game before the first intermission, then assisted on two Ava Guillemette goals early in the second period to put MSU ahead 3-2.  But Ava Lindsay ripped home a wrist shot under the crossbar to knot the score at 3-3 less than eight minutes later, and Fanale pounced on a rebound off the end boards for a power play conversion later in the stanza.  From there, Layla Hemp stood strong between the pipes, finishing with 31 saves for the game and the win.  Hailey Hansen stopped 34 shots for MSU.

Keep reading for more on Murphy and Fanale.  Bouveng added another assist Saturday on Murphy's goal to extend her scoring streak to 21-straight games, while Lindsay dished out three assists in the series to go with her goal, joining Bouveng in having a four-point weekend.

Fanale, Murphy earn WCHA Player of the Week awards

Gopher Women's Hockey forwards Bella Fanale and Abbey Murphy were honored Monday as WCHA Rookie and Forward of the Week, respectively, for their performances against Minnesota State.

Fanale's award was her second WCHA weekly honor, coming after she tallied three goals & two assists and posted a +4 plus-minus rating in the series against the Mavericks.  Her second goal of Saturday's game – and third of the weekend – proved to be the game-winner.

Murphy went back-to-back, repeating as Forward of the Week with her fourth weekly honor of 2025-2026 and the eleventh of her career.  Against the Mavericks, she recorded seven points (4g, 3a) with a +3 plus-minus rating and a second-straight hat trick on Friday.

Murphy's seven points brought her to 50 for the season, the fourth-straight year she has reached that mark.  While she remains in fourth place on the Gopher all-time career scoring list, she improved to 245 points to pull within just one of Natalie Darwitz for third (246) and three of Amanda Kessel for second (248).  Additionally, her 131 career goals put her within eight of catching Nadine Muzerall for most all-time in Minnesota Women's Hockey history (139).

Bouveng named to Sweden's Olympic Hockey Team

We send one more round of congratulations and good luck wishes, this time to Gopher Women's Hockey senior forward Josefin Bouveng upon being named to the 2026 Sweden Olympic Women's Hockey Team on Monday.  She's the ninth U. of M. representative named to a participating team.

This year's Winter Games will be the second for Bouveng in her career after making her debut in 2022 (Beijing), where she scored a goal.  She has also represented Sweden in four Women's World Championships, tallying a combined 7 goals & 5 assists in 24 games.

Sweden is competing in Group B in the tournament in Milan & Cortina, Italy.  They open play against Germany on Thursday, February 5, at 5:10 a.m. Central Time.

Canadian roster announced – Hockey Canada announced the roster for the 2026 Canada Olympic Women's Hockey Team last Friday, deciding to go with a lineup consisting solely of PWHL players, only three of whom are under the age of 25.  Canada opens the tournament on February 5 against Finland at 2:10 p.m. Central Time.

 
Around the WCHA...

Bulldogs get tie, SOW vs. Badgers Friday; UW wins Saturday – Behind a 38-save performance through overtime and a flawless shootout effort by goaltender Ève Gascon, Minnesota Duluth took two standings points from top-ranked Wisconsin Friday in a 1-1 tie and a 1-0 shootout win (3 rounds); Madison Burr scored unassisted for UMD just 1:33 into the game and Caroline Harvey knotted the score for UW in the last seconds of the 2nd period, but Josie St. Martin netted the only goal of the shootout.  The Badgers responded with a 5-1 victory in the rematch, led by Laila Edwards' goal & two assists, despite another 44 saves by Gascon.

Buckeyes earn road sweep of Huskies – Ohio State netminders Hailey MacLeod and Genny Klein combined to stop 45 of 46 shots and nine different Buckeyes lit the lamp as they swept St. Cloud State on the road, 4-0 and 5-1; Maxine Cimoroni and Sloane Matthews led OSU with a goal & two assists apiece.  Sofianna Sundelin netted the lone goal for SCSU.

Looking ahead – Conference action continues throughout the league with all games occurring Friday and Saturday.  Wisconsin is in another road series starting with a Friday matinee contest, this time in St. Paul against St. Thomas.  Elsewhere, St. Cloud State visits Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State hosts Ohio State.

Standings:
1. Wisconsin – 41 points (.854 pts%), 13-1-2-1, 1-0 in OT (19-1-2 overall)
2. Ohio State – 38 points (.792 pts%), 13-3-0-0, 1-0 in OT (19-3-0 overall)
3. Minnesota – 36 points (.750 pts%), 12-4-0-0, 0-0 in OT (18-4-0 overall)
4. Minn. Duluth – 26 points (.542 pts%), 8-7-1-1, 0-0 in OT (12-9-1 overall)
5. Minnesota State – 17 points (.354 pts%), 5-10-1-1, 1-1 in OT (11-10-1 overall)
6. St. Thomas – 16 points (.333 pts%), 5-11-0-0, 2-3 in OT (10-12-0 overall)
7. St. Cloud State – 12 points (.250 pts%), 3-12-1-0, 1-3 in OT (7-14-1 overall)
8. Bemidji State – 6 points (.125 pts%), 2-13-1-0, 1-0 in OT (5-14-3 overall)

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