November 2, 2020

Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, October 30, 2020

November 2, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Two Minute Minor

Friday, October 30, 2020

Ten Gopher alumnae assigned to PWHPA regional rosters for 2020-2021
Organization also announces $1 million contribution from Secret® Deodorant

The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) has finalized the rosters at each of its five locations – Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, Minnesota & New Hampshire – with 10 Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae among the combined 125 players (25 per region).

Amanda Kessel and Gigi Marvin have been assigned to the New Hampshire region, and Sarah Potomak is in the Calgary region. The Minnesota region leads the way with seven Gopher alums: Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, Nicole Schammel, Sydney Scobee, Lee Stecklein, and Noora Räty. The full rosters for each region are available here.

The roster finalization accompanied the announcement on Tuesday, October 20, that Secret® Deodorant made a $1 million contribution to the PWHPA. As reported by ESPN, PWHPA Operations Consultant Jayna Hefford indicated that the contribution would be divided to cover operational costs (travel expenses, ice time, coaching, meals, etc.), cash prizes to players on the 2021 Secret® Dream Gap Tour, and media & marketing support to make sure the PWHPA stays visible. The $1 million is the largest corporate commitment ever made for professional women’s hockey in North America.

With Secret® back on board as the title sponsor, the PWHPA also shared that the Dream Gap Tour will feature six showcase events, with locations and dates to be announced. The upcoming version of the tour will be in a championship-style format between teams from the regional sites, with the aforementioned cash prizes and the awarding of the Secret® Cup to the winning squad.

We send congratulations to the 10 Gopher representatives on the PWHPA rosters, and will continue to follow any news from the organization regarding their showcase events.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Remember to save the date!
Support GWH on Give to the Max Day – Thursday, November 19

And stay tuned for a big announcement next week!

“At its heart Gopher women’s hockey is fun hockey in a welcoming environment. I started attending their games to learn how the sport worked, and I became a season ticket holder because I enjoyed the games and the people so much. If you're interested in goal celebrations or Goldy, you get a lot of both at Ridder.”

– Cat Lenander
_____________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © 2020 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

Follow the Power Play Club at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on Twitter at twitter.com/powerplayclub.

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at www.gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

October 25, 2020

Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post Thursday, October 22, 2020

Power Play Club

October 25, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Two Minute Minor

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Eleven Gopher representatives invited to USA Hockey Evaluation Camp

Seven members of the current Minnesota Women's Hockey Team and four Gopher alumnae have been invited to USA Hockey's upcoming Women's National Team Evaluation Camp. Emily Brown, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, Maggie Nicholson, Gracie Ostertag, Madeline Wethington, and Grace Zumwinkle will be joined at the camp by national team veterans Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, and Lee Stecklein as part of the 53 invitees named last Friday, October 16. The camp will be held next week – October 25-31 – in nearby Blaine, MN, but “due to safety protocols, the camp will be closed to the public, including fans, scouts and media.”

The USA Hockey staff will also have some Gopher representatives. Joel Johnson will be present as an assistant coach for the national team, and Gopher equipment manager Brent Proulx and strength & conditioning coach Cal Dietz are serving the U.S. team in those same capacities.

We send congratulations to all 11 Gopher players, and wish them good luck as they vie for spots on the national team!

_____________________________________________________________________________

GWH alumna Brodt Brown re-signs with Whitecaps for 2020-2021

Collegiate national champion and 2019 NWHL Isobel Cup winner Winny Brodt Brown was named among a trio of players re-signing with the Minnesota Whitecaps for the 2020-2021 season, as announced this past Tuesday. In her first two seasons in the league, including the playoffs, she has 6 assists.

Brodt Brown is the fourth Gopher alumna to join an NWHL roster for the upcoming season. Her sister, Chelsey Rosenthal, agreed to terms with the Whitecaps at the end of September, and Amanda Leveille & Meghan Lorence re-signed with Minnesota earlier in the off-season. (Image courtesy of the NWHL / MN Whitecaps)
_____________________________________________________________________________

Bozek, Räty, KRS Vanke Rays sweep season-opening series – Following nearly two weeks of delays, the Shenzhen, China-based KRS Vanke Rays, including Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Megan Bozek and Noora Räty, opened the defense of their Russian Women's Hockey League championship with a two-game series sweep of MSMO 7.62 by scores of 8-1 and 10-1. Bozek recorded 3 assists with a +6 plus-minus rating; Räty did not see any playing time.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Fundraising letter follow-up – Give to the Max Day, November 19

As shared yesterday, the Power Play Club will again be participating in Give to the Max Day, an annual online campaign to raise money for Minnesota nonprofits and schools. This year’s event is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, and it will be the main focus of the PPC’s fundraising efforts this season.

We thank Todd King, Bob Milligan and Sharon Danes for sharing their thoughts on why they support Gopher Women's Hockey. We encountered some technical difficulty with the video from Bob and Sharon yesterday, but that is resolved and you can now find the video here.

We will be sending out additional information about Give to the Max Day, along with comments from more GWH supporters, in future emails and on our social media accounts. If you haven’t already, be sure to follow the Power Play Club on Facebook and Twitter.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Follow the Power Play Club online at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on Twitter at twitter.com/powerplayclub.

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at www.gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

October 15, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Monday, Oct. 15, 2020

Power Play Club

October 15, 2020

Penalty Box Post

Monday, Oct 15, 2020

NCAA extends eligibility of all Division I winter sport athletes

Following two days of meetings by video conference, the NCAA Division I Council announced yesterday that “winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it.”

The decision provides the same flexibility to winter student-athletes as was granted to spring and fall season players after their seasons were seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Council also announced that “Division I schools will not be required to sponsor the minimum required number of sports for membership purposes, provided the school indicated on its Sports and Demographics Survey forms that it intended to sponsor the requisite number of sports but cannot due to COVID-19 challenges,” and “agreed to grant a blanket waiver for 2020-21 to allow conferences to earn an automatic bid in fall championships if a minimum of three member schools participated in conference competition in that sport.”

_____________________________________________________________________________

Future NCAA championship site locations announced;
Gophers, Ridder Arena to host 2025 Women's Frozen Four

The NCAA also announced yesterday future site locations for championship events across multiple sports and divisions, with the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities named as host of the 2025 Women's National Collegiate Ice Hockey Frozen Four at Ridder Arena. Ridder Arena last hosted the event in 2018.

Two upcoming Frozen Four locations had been previously named, with Mercyhurst University hosting in Erie, PA, in 2021, and Penn State University hosting in University Park, PA, in 2022. Other host schools & cities announced yesterday include: Minnesota Duluth in 2023, the University of New Hampshire in Durham in 2024, and Penn State again in 2026.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Bozek signs with KRS Vanke Rays for 2020-2021,
but new season starts with four postponed games

The Kunlun Red Star (KRS) Vanke Rays professional hockey team, based in Shenzhen, China, announced on social media on Tuesday, October 6 that Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Megan Bozek had signed with them for the 2020-2021 season. Bozek was a member last year's team which won the Russian Women's Hockey League championship. In 14 regular-season and five playoff games last season, Bozek recorded 9 goals and 11 assists, with a +29 plus-minus rating. She joins fellow Gopher alumna Noora Räty, who is starting her fourth season with the KRS squad. (Photo courtesy of KRS Vanke Rays.)

However, the new WHL season is getting off to an auspicious start for KRS. Their first four scheduled games – October 7 & 8 against Biryusa, and October 13 & 14 against Tornado – were postponed after the those opposing teams each recorded multiple positive COVID-19 tests. New dates are to be announced. KRS will make a third attempt at opening its year this coming Sunday, October 18 when they face MSMO 7.62.

_____________________________________________________________________________

National Women's Hockey League announces organizational changes

Sticking with the professional leagues, the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) announced this past Tuesday, October 13 that they are adopting a new governance model but also changing commissioners.

The league announced that, effective immediately, it will use the approach leveraged by the NHL, NFL, and MLB, taking the form of an unincorporated association with a Board of Governors representing each member club.

Meanwhile, Dani Rylan Kearney is stepping down as NWHL Commissioner. Kearney will remain connected with the league, serving as President of the original ownership group overseeing operations and the process of establishing independent ownership of the group’s four teams (Buffalo, Connecticut, Metropolitan & Minnesota). Tyler Tumminia has been appointed as Interim Commissioner; she most recently served as Chairman of the Toronto Six expansion team which launched in April.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Power Play Club

October 8, 2020

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Sunday, October 4, 2020

Power Play Club

October 8, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Two Minute Minor

Sunday, October 4, 2020

GWH alumna Rosenthal re-signs with Whitecaps for 2020-2021

Two-time NCAA champion and 2019 NWHL Isobel Cup winner Chelsey (Brodt) Rosenthal has re-signed with the Minnesota Whitecaps for the 2020-2021 season, her third year with the club in the NWHL, as announced last Wednesday. In her first two seasons in the league, including the playoffs, Rosenthal has 7 assists and a +7 plus-minus rating.

Rosenthal is the third Gopher alumna to join an NWHL roster for the upcoming season after Amanda Leveille and Meghan Lorence re-signed with Minnesota earlier this off-season. (Photo courtesy of the NWHL / MN Whitecaps)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Räty signs one-year extension with KRS Vanke Rays in China

Another two-time NCAA champion, Noora Räty, has signed an extension to remain with the KRS Vanke Rays in Shenzhen, China, for the 2020-2021 season, her fourth with the organization. The signing was reported in her native Finland as occurring on September 3, and Räty announced her preparation for the upcoming season in an Instagram post yesterday.

The Vanke Rays are the defending Russian Women's Hockey League (WHL) champions, with Räty posting a 4-0 record and a 1.50 goals-against average in last season's playoffs, including a 4-2 victory in the title-clinching third game of the best-of-5 WHL championship series. The team opens its new season this Wednesday, October 7, against Biryusia.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Correction: 10 Gopher alumnae in the PWHPA for 2020-2021

Though we reported in our July 2 issue of the Penalty Box Post that Lee Stecklein and Kelly Pannek had signed with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) for 2020-2021 – the seventh and eighth Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae to do so at that time – we erroneously failed to list and count them when Amanda Kessel became the ninth Minnesota alumna to sign with the PWHPA in August, and again overlooked Stecklein when we reported that Nicole Schammel signed as the 10th Gopher in the organization last month. We apologize for the oversight.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Power Play Club

September 28, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Monday, Sept 28, 2020

Power Play Club

September 28, 2020

Penalty Box Post

Monday, Sept 28, 2020

GWH alumnae updates...

Schammel signs with PWHPA for 2020-2021 season

Following her decision in August to join the prep coaching ranks as the assistant coach of the Red Wing H.S. Wingers, Nicole Schammel has been named as the ninth Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna to sign with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) for the 2020-2021 season, as posted on Twitter last Wednesday, September 23.

Schammel transitions into the PWHPA after playing last season as a member of the Minnesota Whitecaps in the NWHL, where she recorded 11 goals and 14 assists in 23 games (including the Isobel Cup playoffs). Schammel joins Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Gigi Marvin, Kelly Pannek, Sarah Potomak, and Sydney Scobee as Gophers in the PWHPA for the upcoming year.

Woken heading to Germany for upcoming season

Catching up on some news from August, recent Gopher alumna Alex Woken became the third member of the 2019-2020 senior class to sign with a European team to start her professional career. Woken came to terms with Mad Dogs Mannheim in Germany, as announced by the team on Facebook on August 5.

Woken joins Patti Marshall (Brynas IF, Gavle, Sweden) and Katie Robinson (TPS, Turku, Finland) as Gophers headed across the Atlantic to continue playing following college.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Olson named 2020 winner of Lester Patrick Trophy

Longtime Power Play Club member and women's hockey advocate Lynn Olson has been named "winner of the 2020 Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States," as announced by the National Hockey League this past Thursday, September 24.

Olson's involvement in women's ice hockey spans decades within Minnesota, across the U.S., and even in the international game as part of the group that lobbied the International Olympic Committee to add the sport to the Olympics. Olson was a member of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Women’s Task Force and Coach Selection Committee for establishing women's hockey as a varsity program for the Gophers.

As noted in the press release from the NHL, Olson will be honored along with the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Classes of 2020 and 2021 as part of the Hall's induction celebration in December 2021. Congratulations, Lynn!!

_____________________________________________________________________________

IIHF announces cancellation of 2021 Women's Under-18 tournaments

Citing the recommendations of their COVID-19 Expert Group, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Council voted to cancel of all tiers of women's Under-18 tournaments for 2020-21 on Thursday, September 17. Lower division tournaments of the men's Under-20 category were also cancelled as part of that vote, but the top division men's U-20 tournament – the World Junior Championship – will still be played in a "bubble" format in Edmonton, Alberta, starting December 25, 2020. The U-18 Women's World Championship had been scheduled for January 5-12, 2021, in Linkoping & Mjolby, Sweden.

In addition to the cancellations, the IIHF Council determined that the Olympic Qualification tournaments will need to be rescheduled and are postponed until further notice.

As noted in the release from the Federation, the cancellations do not impact the men’s senior and women’s senior tournaments, including the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship. The 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey (Men’s) Under-18 World Championship and all other men’s U-18 tournaments are also unaffected.

_____________________________________________________________________________

PPC Board of Directors meeting – October 14 at 7 p.m.

Here's a reminder that the Power Play Club Board of Directors will be meeting again on Wednesday evening, October 14, at 7 p.m. As with the previous meetings this off-season, the board will be meeting virtually on Zoom. All club members are welcomed to attend (2019-2020 membership applies).

The board is continuing its planning for the 2020-2021 season during this time of uncertainty. At minimum, a focus is set on expanded fundraising and financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey program as the U. of M. Athletics Department contends with a severe budget crunch.

If you are interested in attending the meeting, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Locker Sponsorship program open for 2020-2021 – We also provide another reminder that registration for the Power Play Club's Locker Sponsor membership level is open!! With a donation of $600 or more (per locker), the sponsor's name will be displayed on a nameplate attached to the respective player's locker. Following the season, members will also receive a photo of the team (sent electronically) and a link to the team's highlight video. (Please note that other benefits from past seasons may not be available this year; we thank you for your understanding and patience.)

Please contact Rennie McPherson at susanmcp@drsusanmcp.com if you are interested in registering as a Locker Sponsor or would like more information.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Power Play Club

September 8, 2020

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, Sept 8, 2020

Power Play Club

September 8, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Two Minue Minor
Tuesday, Sept 8, 2020

GWH alumna Lorence re-signs with Whitecaps for 2020-2021

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna and three-time NCAA champion Meghan Lorence was among three players re-signing with the Minnesota Whitecaps for the 2020-2021 season, as announced by the Whitecaps and NWHL last week. In her first season with the 'Caps last year, Lorence was selected as a 2020 NWHL All-Star, recording 10 goals and 11 assists over 24 games.

Lorence joins Allie Morse and Meaghan Pezon as the recent Whitecaps signees, and is the second Gopher alumna to join an NWHL roster for the upcoming season after Amanda Leveille re-signed with Minnesota earlier this summer.

_____________________________________________________________________________

PPC Board of Directors meeting – tomorrow (September 9) at 7 p.m.

The next Power Play Club Board of Directors meeting will be held tomorrow night, Wednesday, September 9, at 7 p.m. Once again, the meeting will be held virtually on Zoom, but is open to all club members (2019-2020 membership applies).

The board hopes to get an update regarding the Gopher Women's Hockey schedule and logistics for the 2020-2021 season. Regardless, board members will continue discussing club operations and fundraising efforts for the hockey program in this unprecedented year.

We also reiterate our call for volunteers to fill open board positions. If you are interested in joining the board, or just wish to participate in the tomorrow's meeting, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Power Play Club

August 23, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Thursday, August 20th

Power Play Club

August 23, 2020

Penalty Box Post
Thursday, August 20th

GWH alumnae updates...
Schammel returns to high school alma mater Red Wing as asst. coach

Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna Nicole Schammel was named as a new assistant coach – pending board approval – for her high school team, the Red Wing H.S. Wingers, as announced by the school on Twitter this past Tuesday, August 18.

As noted in the announcement, Schammel appeared in the Minnesota State High School League tournament with Wingers five times in her prep career. She also set a school career scoring record and reached #2 on the MSHSL all-time scoring list.

Congratulations and best wishes on this new opportunity, Nicole!!

Kessel named as seventh Gopher alum signing with PWHPA for 2020-'21

2013 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Amanda Kessel was named as the seventh Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna to sign with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) for the 2020-2021 season, as posted on Twitter on August 6 in the organization's on-going series of signing announcements. Kessel joins Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Gigi Marvin, Sarah Potomak, and Sydney Scobee as Gophers in the PWHPA for the upcoming year.

Hockey rule changes ratified by NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rule change proposals forwarded by the Men's & Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committees, as announced by the organization on July 22.

As reported when the proposals were first announced in early June, the biggest change involved a switch of overtime format in regular-season games to a single five-minute 3-on-3 sudden-victory period if the game score is tied after regulation. An optional 3-player-per-side shootout is (still) allowed for conference games and in-season tournament contests requiring advancement. Other approved changes include:

Allowing a team in the offensive zone to choose from which side to take the faceoff following an icing infraction or penalty by the opposing team.
Allowing officials to issue a warning on faceoff violations instead of ejecting the center. A second violation by the same team during the same faceoff would result in a two-minute, bench-minor penalty for delay of game. (Note that the penalty for two faceoff infractions was an existing rule.)
Removing the national rule requiring team members to shake hands after a game, allowing conferences or schools to determine postgame sportsmanship protocols.

Additional to the previously-publicized proposals, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel also approved another change making the 360° spin-o-rama maneuver illegal during a shootout.

NCAA to allow uniform patches supporting social justice issues,
commemorative purposes

On top of ratifying the ice hockey rule changes, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rules to allow student-athletes in all sports to wear patches on their uniforms for commemorative and memorial purposes, as well as to support social justice issues, as announced on July 30.

As noted in the press release, panel members reaffirmed and expanded existing rules, now allowing student-athletes two places on the uniform, one on the front and one on the back, to express support and voice their opinions.

The patch on the front, which most sports already allowed, may be a commemorative/memorial patch (names, mascots, nicknames, logos and marks) intended to celebrate or memorialize people, events or other causes. While not all team members are required to wear the patch, they must be identical for those who choose to wear them.

On the back of the uniform where the player name is traditionally located, players will be allowed names/words intended to celebrate or memorialize people, events or other causes. The names or words may vary by team member.

Any patches or messages in either location must be authorized by the school and/or conference.

PPC Board of Directors update

The Power Play Club Board of Directors held its regular monthly off-season meeting on August 12 in preparation for the 2020-2021 Gopher Women's Hockey season, though some decisions were tabled due to the uncertainty of the team's schedule and spectator attendance policy should games be held.

The board continued to discuss expanding fundraising efforts this coming season. As noted in the July 10th letter to club members and GWH fans, financial assistance will be more critical than ever to support the program and the young women who comprise the team. A fundraising committee of both board and non-board club members is developing plans for increased giving opportunities.

Also per the July 10th letter, the club's annual Silent Auction will be moving online for the 2020-2021 season. Logistics and exact timing are still being discussed, but the auction will tentatively be held over a two week period in January.

In-person club events and merchandise sales are dependent on the team's playing schedule, which is still very much in flux. We again thank you for your patience as we work through this unprecedented situation.

The next PPC board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m. As with the previous meetings this off-season, the September meeting will be held virtually on Zoom, but will be open to all club members (2019-2020 membership applies). If you are interested in participating, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.

Power Play Club

July 23, 2020

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, July 21

Power Play Club

July 23, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Two Minue Minor
Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Classic Border Battle replay on Big Ten Network – tomorrow morning
Wednesday, July 22 at 8 a.m. CT

Catch a replay of a classic Border Battle women's hockey game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers which concluded the 2015-2016 regular season on February 20, 2016. The game airs tomorrow morning, Wednesday, July 22, at 8 a.m. CT on Big Ten Network as part of their Minnesota Day broadcast, with coverage beginning at 6 a.m. with a Gopher soccer replay.

The full BTN broadcast schedule can be found at btn.com/shows.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Knowles, Wente, Woken earn more academic honors!!

We send more congratulations to members of the 2019-2020 Gopher Women's Hockey team upon earning additional academic honors, as Olivia Knowles, Taylor Wente, and Alex Woken were named Krampade All-American Scholars earlier today by the American Hockey Coaches Association.

The trio were among 571 Division I men's and women's honorees, recognized for having attained a 3.75 GPA for the fall semester and participated in 40% of their school's games. Including Knowles, Wente, and Woken, 56 WCHA Women's League players were recognized. (Note that this year's criteria was modified due to the impact of the Covid-19 impact on spring courses, and a small number of waivers to the participation requirement was granted due to injury or for back-up goaltenders.)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Power Play Club

July 16, 2020

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Thursday, July 16, 2020

Power Play Club

July 16, 2020

Penalty Box Post - Two Minue Minor
Thursday, July 16, 2020

Gopher Women's Hockey names 2020-2021 team captains

A quartet of seniors have been selected to serve as team captains for Gopher Women's Hockey in 2020-2021, as announced by head coach Brad Frost on Tuesday. Grace Zumwinkle and Emily Brown were named as team co-captains, while Olivia Knowles and Taylor Wente will serve as assistant captains.

Brown enters her second season serving as a captain after being an assistant captain as a junior last season, while Zumwinkle, Knowles, and Wente all begin their first season as captains for the Gophers.

We send our congratulations to all four players, and look forward to seeing them lead the squad in the upcoming season!!

_____________________________________________________________________________

WCHA adds St. Thomas as 8th women's team starting in 2021-2022

The Board of Directors of the Women's League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association voted unanimously to add the University of St. Thomas Tommies as an 8th team to the league, as announced yesterday. The Tommies will begin WCHA play in the 2021-2022 season, and will be immediately eligible for the conference's regular season and postseason championships, while becoming the first team from a private school to compete in the league.

UST athletics programs are transitioning from the Division III level to Division I. Nineteen (19) of the school's other 21 sports will join the Summit League while the school's football program will join the Pioneer League. League membership for men's ice hockey will be announced at a later date. The school has been a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) since 1920.

The Tommies women's hockey program has a 357-171-52 (.660) all-time record, posting an active streak of 20-straight winning seasons. They have two Division III Frozen Four appearances – most recently in 2019 – while claiming six MIAC regular season titles and six MIAC postseason crowns. Their home games are played at St. Thomas Ice Arena, across the street from St. Thomas Academy prep school in Mendota Heights (map).

_____________________________________________________________________________

Dave Malerich

July 13, 2020

An Update from the Power Play Club Board of Directors

Dave Malerich

July 13, 2020

July 10, 2020

Dear PPC members and fellow GWH fans –

First and foremost, thank you for your continued support of the Golden Gopher Women's Hockey program. It is always much appreciated.

As we approach the planned 24th season of competition for the team, the Power Play Club Board of Directors is continuing its off-season work, discussing all the usual topics of club operations, events, and merchandise. That said, the upcoming season will undoubtedly be quite different than past years, and the board is trying to remain as flexible as possible with all the various details. While a preliminary schedule of club events has been planned out for 2020-2021, it is still very much subject to change.

As with many of you, the PPC board is closely following any and all announcements regarding intercollegiate athletics and the impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes yesterday's announcement that Big Ten Conference fall sports – football, volleyball, soccer & cross-country – will be moving to in-conference competition only, which followed Wednesday's announcement from the Ivy League that “it will not be possible for Ivy League teams to participate in intercollegiate athletics competition prior to the end of the fall semester.” The latter is of particular interest due to its impact on the hockey season.

The board is acutely aware that there will also be financial impacts to colleges and universities, and their respective athletics departments, as event schedules are scaled back and spectator attendance is limited. As an example, Stanford University announced the discontinuation of 11 varsity sports programs, effective at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year in an attempt to maintain their fiscal stability. Closer to home, GWH head coach Brad Frost indicated at the May club board meeting that fiscal pressures are mounting within the U. of M. Athletics Department, requiring modifications to their operating budgets. Given all of this, your financial assistance will be more critical than ever to support the program and the young women who comprise the team and exemplify the term "student-athlete" through their academic performances and community service off the ice. More details on how you can help will be shared in the upcoming weeks as we approach the traditional start of the season.

Given the uncertainty of the competitive schedule and fan attendance policies, the PPC Board of Directors approved a motion at its July meeting to switch the club's annual Silent Auction to an online format for 2020-2021. Many associated details will need to be worked out over the upcoming months, and will be announced as they are finalized.

As has been noted previously, the board has several openings, and operating with less than the full slate of directors puts additional pressure on those currently serving. We again put out a call for volunteers to help fill those openings, and you can contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org if you are interested or have any questions. The board's next meeting will be held via online video conference on Wednesday, August 12 at 7 p.m.

Updates will continue to be sent through our Penalty Box Post or Two-Minute Minor newsletters, or special letters such as this, as announcements warrant.

Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!

Dave Malerich
PPC vice president & communications chair