April 1, 2021

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, March 31, 2021

April 1, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, March 31st

Seven Gophers named to U.S. National Team roster for 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship in May

2020-2021 Gopher Women's Hockey senior Grace Zumwinkle and six (6) Minnesota alumnae – Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek & Lee Stecklein – have been named to the U.S. Women’s National Team roster for the upcoming IIHF Women's World Championship, in Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada from May 6 through 16.

The roster announcement concludes USA Hockey's Evaluation Camp, held at the National Sports Center in Blaine. As with the camp, we also add a shout-out to three members of the GWH staff supporting the national team: assistant coach Joel Johnson, head human performance coach Cal Dietz, and equipment manager Brent Proulx.

Team USA enters the World Championship as the 5-time defending champions, along with claiming the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. They will compete in Group A against host Canada, Finland, Russia, and Switzerland, though the finalized game schedule is TBA. All five Group A teams will advance to the Elimination Round, along with the top 3 teams from Group B consisting of Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, and Japan. Halifax & Truro were scheduled to host the 2020 tournament before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Incoming Gopher Vetter invited to USA Hockey goaltending camp

In addition to naming the team roster for the Women's World Championship, USA Hockey on Monday named 12 invitees to its three-day high performance goaltending camp which started yesterday at the National Sports Center. Among the invitees is former USA U-18 National Team netminder and incoming 2021-2022 Gopher freshman Skylar Vetter.

We send congratulations to Skylar on the invitation, and look forward to seeing her in the Maroon & Gold this fall!!
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Gopher recruits Conner, Hemp named MN Ms. Hockey finalists

Following the news in the first half of last week that incoming 2021-2022 Gopher Women's Hockey freshman Emma Conner and Peyton Hemp were named as Top 10 semifinalists for the 2021 Minnesota Ms. Hockey award, both advanced as Top 5 finalists announced by Let's Play Hockey this past Friday. Both had also been honored by the Star Tribune as members of its All-Metro First Team last week.

The Ms. Hockey winner will be announced during a broadcast this coming Tuesday, April 6. We send wishes of good luck to both Emma and Peyton.

Northeastern goaltender Frankel named Kazmaier Award winner

Northeaster University senior goaltender Aerin Frankel was named as the recipient of the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award last Saturday, presented by the USA Hockey Foundation. Frankel led NCAA Division I women's hockey in all the major statistics, completing the season with a 0.81 goals-against average, a .965 save percentage, 9 shutouts, and a .891 winning percentage with a record of 20-2-1. Frankel is the fourth goaltender to win the award in its 24-year history.

Frankel, a native of New York state, remains busy in the early off-season, participating in the USA Hockey goaltending camp and being named as one of the three netminders on Team USA's Women's World Championship roster.
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Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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

March 25, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Thursday, March 25, 2021

Power Play Club

March 25, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Thursday, March 25, 2021

Reminder – annual PPC All-Member Meeting
Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom

We remind 2020-2021 Power Play Club members to join us on Zoom on Wednesday evening, April 7, at 7:00 p.m. for the club's annual All-Member Meeting. The primary order of business will be to elect officers and directors for 2-year terms which will run through March 2023, but we will also use the meeting as a feedback session to discuss the recently-completed season and what we can do better going forward. The Zoom link will be sent by email to members on the morning of the 7th.

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Zumwinkle named CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American

Gopher Women's Hockey senior forward and co-captain Grace Zumwinkle earned another honor last Friday as she was named a CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American, as announced by the American Hockey Coaches Association. Zumwinkle becomes the 41st All-American in Minnesota Women's Hockey program history.

As reported last week, Zumwinkle is also a Top-3 finalist for the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. The recipient of that award will be revealed this Saturday, March 27, as part of a special broadcast on NHL Network.
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Gopher recruit Emma Conner named Metro Player of the Year
Future teammate Peyton Hemp also named to Strib's All-Metro First Team

Edina High School senior and incoming 2021-2022 Gopher Women's Hockey freshman Emma Connor was honored Monday as the Star Tribune's 2021 Metro Player of the Year. Conner has 32 goals and 11 assists for 43 points in 19 games for the Hornets this season. (Photo by Jerry Holt, Star Tribune)

Conner was joined on the Star Tribune's All-Metro First Team by future Gopher teammate Peyton Hemp, who has 75 points on 33 goals and 42 assists for Andover High School.

We also send congratulations and wishes of good luck to Conner and Hemp, as they were both named semifinalists for Minnesota's 2021 Ms. Hockey by Let's Play Hockey on Monday. The top five finalists for the award will be announced tomorrow, Friday, March 26.
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Whitecaps, GWH alumnae head into NWHL Isobel Cup semifinals
MN vs. Connecticut Friday at 7 p.m. CT, after Toronto vs. Boston at 4 p.m. CT

We send more wishes of good luck to Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Winny Brodt Brown, Amanda Leveille, Meghan Lorence and Chelsey (Brodt) Rosenthal as they head into the National Women's Hockey League's Isobel Cup Playoffs, being played at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, MA. All four were named to the playoff roster of the 2nd-seeded Minnesota Whitecaps, who will be facing the #3 Connecticut Whale in the second semifinal at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT tomorrow night, Friday, March 26.

Top-seeded Toronto will play #4-seed Boston in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT on the 26th. The Isobel Cup Final is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT. All three games will be televised live on NBCSN, featuring an all-female broadcast team.
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NCAA Championship: Wisconsin 2, Northeastern 1, OT

A low-scoring affair ensued when the top-seeded Northeastern Huskies and #2 Wisconsin Badgers met in the championship game of the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Hockey Tournament.

After over 50 minutes of scoreless action, the Badgers struck first when Makenna Webster buried a rebound with exactly 9 minutes remaining in the third period. But the Huskies' Chloé Aurard responded just 39 seconds later, beating Wisconsin goaltender Kennedy Blair with a shot into the far upper corner, glove side. Neither team was able to light the lamp again in regulation, sending the contest to overtime.

In the extra session, Wisconsin's Daryl Watts – stationed behind the Northeastern net – threw the puck out front. It ricocheted off a Huskies defender and into the goal for the national championship winner at the 3:16 mark, giving the Badgers their 6th title in program history.

Blair made 24 saves for the Badgers. Aerin Frankel stopped 35 shots for the Huskies.

All-Tournament Team: G - Aerin Frankel (Northeastern), D - Ashton Bell (Minnesota Duluth), D - Skylar Fontaine (Northeastern), F - Alina Mueller (Northeastern), F - Caitlin Schneider (Wisconsin), F - Makenna Webster (Wisconsin)

Most Outstanding Player: Webster
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Power Play Club

March 20, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Friday, March 19, 2021

Power Play Club

March 20, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Friday, March 19, 2021

Zumwinkle named as Top-3 finalist for 2021 Patty Kazmaier Award;
Northeastern's Frankel, Wisconsin's Watts also honored

Gopher Women's Hockey senior forward and co-captain Grace Zumwinkle was honored yesterday as the USA Hockey Foundation named her as a Top-3 finalist for the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, which is presented to the top Division I women's ice hockey player. Zumwinkle is joined as a finalist by Northeastern goaltender Aerin Frankel and Wisconsin forward Daryl Watts.

As noted in the announcement, Zumwinkle was tied for the NCAA lead with 17 goals, while placing second in goals-per-game (0.85) and tying for second in game-winning goals (prior to yesterday's NCAA semifinals).

The winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be revealed on Saturday, March 27, as part of a special broadcast on NHL Network.

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Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association names Goalie & Rookie of the Year – In addition to being a Patty Kazmaier Top-3 finalist, Northeastern's Aerin Frankel was honored as the inaugural Goalie of the Year, announced by the WHCA on Wednesday. Through the NCAA quarterfinal round, Frankel led the nation in save percentage (.969), goals-against average (0.71), wins (19) and shutouts (9).

Penn State freshman forward Kiara Zanon was honored as the Women’s College Hockey Rookie of the Year, as chosen in a vote the nation’s assistant coaches from a ballot consisting of each conference's Rookie of the Year. Zanon led all NCAA first-year players with 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points. She was a Top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

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Northeastern, Wisconsin advance to NCAA Championship Game
Puck drop March 20 at 7:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm CT, televised on ESPNU

The top two seeds in the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Hockey Tournament – the #1 Northeastern University Huskies and #2 University of Wisconsin Badgers – have advanced to tomorrow night's National Championship Game. Action is set for 7:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm CT at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA, with live television coverage on ESPNU.

The teams met just 14 months ago at the championship game of the in-season Battle at the Burgh tournament in Pittsburgh. In a wild contest which saw Wisconsin hold a 55-40 shots on goal advantage, the game went to overtime and Caitlin Schneider scored on a power play with a minute left in the extra session for a 4-3 Badgers victory. Only UW's Brette Pettet & Sophie Shirley recorded multiple points, dishing out two assists apiece. Kristen Campbell made 37 saves for the Badgers, while Aerin Frankel stopped 51 shots for the Huskies.

Here are our summaries of the NCAA Tournament action leading up to the title game.

Quarterfinals
#1 Northeastern 5, #8 Robert Morris 1 – Skylar Fontaine scored twice, including the game-winning goal, and also had an assist, while Chloé Aurard and Alina Mueller each added a goal and an assist for the Huskies, who outshot the Colonials 46-21. Emily Curlett netted the lone goal for RMU on a power play.

#5 Minnesota Duluth 1, #4 Colgate 0, OT – In a goaltending battle, UMD's Emma Söderberg stopped all 30 shots she faced. She was matched through regulation by the Raiders' Kayle Osborne, but Ashton Bell scored at the 6:39 mark of overtime on the Bulldogs' 30th shot on goal.

#2 Wisconsin 3, #7 Providence 0 – The Badgers held the Friars without a first-period shot on goal and only 12 for the contest. Brette Pettet scored in the first stanza and Sophie Shirley lit the lamp twice in the third, despite 41 saves from Providence goaltender Sandra Abstreiter.

#3 Ohio State 3, #6 Boston College 1 – After shots were 5-5 at the first intermission and the Eagles led 1-0 on a Savannah Norcross goal, the Buckeyes came out firing, outshooting BC 43-7 over the final 40 minutes. Jenna Buglioni knotted the score on a power play and Brooke Bink put OSU ahead in the second period, and Gabby Rosenthal added an insurance goal in the final frame.

Semifinals
#1 Northeastern 3, #5 Minnesota Duluth 2, OT – Mannon McMahon and Taylor Anderson lit the lamp in the second period to put the Bulldogs up 2-0, but Maureen Murphy capitalized on a Huskies 5-on-3 power play 42 seconds into the third stanza and Katy Knoll knotted the score less than 5 minutes later. Emma Söderberg made 44 saves for UMD, including 11 in overtime, and the game appeared to be headed to a second extra session, but Northeastern's Skylar Fontaine intercepted a pass at the offensive blue line and took a shot which floated over Söderberg and into the net with 27 seconds left in the first OT.

#2 Wisconsin 4, #3 Ohio State 2 – Makenna Webster opened the scoring just 1:19 into the contest, and Casey O'Brien & Caitlin Schneider each recorded a goal and two assists to put the Badgers up 3-0 in the second period. Gabby Rosenthal and Sara Säkkinen scored for Ohio State to cut the Wisconsin lead to 3-2, but Daryl Watts tacked on an empty-netter with 14 seconds remaining. Kennedy Blair made 37 saves for the victory.

Live updates from the tournament can be found on NCAA.com.

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PWHPA announces next showcase in St. Louis, April 11 & 12

The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association announced yesterday a new partnership with the NHL's St. Louis Blues, who will host the organization's third showcase of the 2021 Secret® Dream Gap Tour. The event will include games between Team adidas from the Minnesota region and Team Women's Sports Foundation from the New Hampshire region, played on Sunday, April 11 at Centene Community Ice Center at 5 p.m. CT, and Monday, April 12 with a 6 p.m. CT puck drop at Enterprise Center, home of the Blues.

Both teams participating in the showcase include Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae, with Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein playing for Team adidas (Minnesota), and Amanda Kessel & Gigi Marvin dressing for Team WSF (New Hampshire).

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St. Thomas concludes final D-III season before move to WCHA

The University of St. Thomas women's hockey team saw its pandemic-shortened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season come to an end this past Sunday, also concluding the program's tenure in the MIAC and at the Division III level. The Tommies will make the move to Division I next season, joining the Western Collegiate Hockey Association as that conference's eighth team.

As noted in the post-season recap from UST, the Tommie women have played 588 games over 23 seasons, with 362 all-time victories, 174 losses and 52 ties – a .660 win percentage. They went 6-2 in the recently-finished year, wrapping up play with a 3-0 victory over St. Mary's. Head coach Tom Palkowski has compiled a 220-99-40 record at St. Thomas over 14 seasons, with two Division III Frozen Four appearances.

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Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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

March 12, 2021

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, March 12, 2021

Power Play Club

March 12, 2021

The Two Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Friday, March 12, 2021

SAVE THE DATE – annual PPC All-Member Meeting
Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom

All 2020-2021 Power Play Club members are invited to join us on Zoom on Wednesday evening, April 7, at 7:00 p.m. for the club's annual All-Member Meeting. The primary order of business will be to elect officers and directors for 2-year terms which will run through March 2023, but we will also use the meeting as a feedback session to discuss the recently-completed season and what we can do better going forward. The Zoom link will be sent by email to members on the morning of the 7th.
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Board of Directors Meeting, April 14 – The first meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors for the 2021-2022 season will be held the following Wednesday evening, April 14th, also via Zoom. Board meetings are open to all PPC members; please contact club president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org if you wish to attend.
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Ten Gophers invited to U.S. National Team Evaluation Camp
Camp runs March 24-30 before IIHF World Championship in May

Ten (10) current and former Gopher Women's Hockey players were named among the roster of 46 invitees to the U.S. Women’s National Team Evaluation Camp, announced yesterday by USA Hockey. The camp runs March 24 through 30 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, and is part of the process for selecting the roster of players that will comprise Team USA at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship in Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada from May 6 through 16.

We send our congratulations to current (2020-2021) Gophers Emily Brown, Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy & Grace Zumwinkle, and Minnesota alumnae Hannah Brandt, Megan Bozek, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek & Lee Stecklein on being invited to the camp. We wish all ten good luck as they vie for spots on World Championship roster.

We also add a shout-out to three members of the GWH staff supporting the national team: assistant coach Joel Johnson, head human performance coach Cal Dietz, and equipment manager Brent Proulx.
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NWHL announces schedule to complete Isobel Cup Playoffs
Semifinals to be played March 26 & Championship on March 27

The National Women's Hockey League announced Monday that the Isobel Cup Playoffs will resume and be completed on March 26 & 27, following the suspension of league play in early February due to COVID-19 concerns. The semifinal and championship rounds will be played at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, MA, with all three contests televised live on NBCSN.

Top-seeded Toronto will play #4-seed Boston in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT on the 26th. The 2nd-seeded Minnesota Whitecaps will face #3 Connecticut in the second semifinal at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT. The Isobel Cup Final is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT on the 27th.

We wish good luck to Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Sydney Baldwin, Winny Brodt Brown, Amanda Leveille, Meghan Lorence and Chelsey (Brodt) Rosenthal, all of whom are playing with the Whitecaps.
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Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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

March 7, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Monday, March 7, 2021

Power Play Club

March 7, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Monday, March 7, 2021

Gophers fall to Wisconsin in WCHA Final Faceoff semifinal;
Badgers defeat Ohio State in OT for 9th conference tournament title

The Gopher Women's Hockey team fell to Wisconsin, 5-3, in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals on Saturday. The Badgers then earned a modicum of revenge by defeating Ohio State in a WCHA Playoff Championship rematch, 3-2 in overtime. The win is the 9th conference playoff title in Wisconsin program's history.

In their semifinal game, the Badgers took the initial lead on a first-period goal by Sophie Shirley, then doubled it 7 minutes into the second period when Makenna Webster lit the lamp. The Gophers got on the board just 86 seconds later on an Abbey Murphy goal, but Webster pushed the Wisconsin lead back to two with a power play marker late in the stanza. Amy Potomak put home a rebound goal 1:35 into the third frame, but a bad bounce gave UW's Lacey Eden an open Gopher net to make it 4-2 at the 5:12 mark. Grace Zumwinkle cut Minnesota's deficit to one a third time, scoring with 4:31 remaining, but a Gopher defensive zone clearing attempt in the final minute went awry and the puck deflected off of Lauren Bench into the net; Britta Curl was credited with the goal. Makayla Pahl started between the pipes for Minnesota, making 12 saves over the first 40 minutes, and Bench stopped 6 shots in relief; Wisconsin's Kennedy Blair made 23 saves.

In the second semifinal, Ohio State's Emma Maltais and Minnesota Duluth's Katie Davis traded first-period goals, but the Buckeyes tied an all-time WCHA single-period playoff record with a 5-goal eruption in the second frame, en route to a 7-2 victory. Maltais and linemate Tatum Skaggs each finished with 2 goals and 2 assists in the contest, while Liz Schepers added a goal and 2 helpers.

As mentioned above, the Badgers and Buckeyes net in the title game for the second-straight year, with OSU coming in as the defending champion. Daryl Watts gave Wisconsin two separate one-goal leads, but Jennifer Gardiner and Sophie Jaques responded for Ohio State to even the score both times. Going to overtime tied 2-2, the Badgers' Delaney Drake found a loose puck, tap-passed it to Eden, and Eden blew it past Buckeye goaltender Andrea Brändli just 42 seconds into the extra period to claim the title.

All-Tournament Team – Here's the list of players named to the WCHA Final Faceoff All-Tournament Team.

F - Daryl Watts, Wisconsin
F - Emma Maltais, Ohio State
F - Lacey Eden, Wisconsin
D - Chayla Edwards, Wisconsin
D - Sophie Jaques, Ohio State
G - Kennedy Blair, Wisconsin
Most Outstanding Player: Daryl Watts

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Minnesota misses out on NCAA Tournament

With the loss to Wisconsin in the WCHA semifinal, the Gopher Women's Hockey season came to an unfortunate conclusion as the team did not receive an invitation to this year's NCAA Tournament. It's the first time the team has not made the field since 2007.

Here's the list of the quarterfinal pairings for this year's tournament. Due to the pandemic, all matchups will take place at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, PA, site of the Frozen Four. The quarterfinals will occur on Monday and Tuesday, March 15 & 16, while the semifinals and championship schedule has been moved up a day to Thursday and Saturday, March 18 & 20. Video from quarterfinal games will be streamed on NCAA.com.

#1 Northeastern University (20-1-1) vs. Robert Morris
Monday, March 15 at 2 p.m. EDT / 1 p.m. CDT

#4 Colgate (15-6-1) vs. Minnesota Duluth (11-6-0)
Monday, March 15 at 7 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. CDT

#2 Wisconsin (14-3-1) vs. Providence College (12-7-1)
Tuesday, March 15 at 2 p.m. EDT / 1 p.m. CDT

#3 Ohio State (12-6-0) vs. Boston College (14-5-0)
Tuesday, March 15 at 7 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. CDT

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Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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

March 6, 2021

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, March 5, 2021

Power Play Club

March 6, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Friday, March 5th

Five Gophers named to 2020-2021 All-WCHA teams;
15 Minnesota players earn All-Academic team honors

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association named its All-WCHA teams and its All-Academic Team for the 2020-2021 season on Wednesday. We congratulate the Gopher Women's Hockey players named to the teams:

First Team – senior Grace Zumwinkle
Second Team – senior Emily Brown
Third Team – sophomore Madeline Wethington
All-Rookie Team – freshmen Abbey Murphy & Josey Dunne

WCHA All-Academic Team – Abigail Boreen, Emily Brown, Taylor Heise, Crystalyn Hengler, Olivia King, Olivia Knowles, Emily Oden, Gracie Ostertag, Makayla Pahl, Amy Potomak, Sydney Shearen, Catie Skaja, Taylor Wente, Madeline Wethington, and Grace Zumwinkle

To qualify for the WCHA All-Academic Team, student-athletes must have completed one year of eligibility at their present institution, prior to the current academic year and have a GPA of at least 3.0 for the previous two semesters or three quarters.

The WCHA also announced its end-of-season individual award winners yesterday, with the overall Player of the Year expected to be named later today.

Offensive Player of the Year & Scoring Champion: Daryl Watts, Wisconsin
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashton Bell, Minnesota Duluth
Goaltender of the Year & Goaltending Champion: Emma Söderberg, Minnesota Duluth
Rookie of the Year: Jamie Nelson, Minnesota State
Student-Athlete of the Year: Mak Langei, Bemidji State
Coach of the Year: Mark Johnson, Wisconsin

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Zumwinkle earns WCHA monthly award for February

Prior to being named to the All-WCHA First Team in recognition of her performance over the entire regular season, Gopher Women's Hockey senior Grace Zumwinkle was honored as the WCHA Forward of the Month for February. During the month, Zumwinkle led the league with 11 points, seven goals – including a hat trick on Feb. 19 against Bemidji State, 28 shots on goal, and a +9 rating in six games. She netted at least one goal in five of those six contests. We send our additional congratulations on this award!!

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2021 IIHF Women's World Championship pushed back to May

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and Hockey Canada announced yesterday (Thursday, March 4) that the 2021 Women's World Championship is now scheduled for May 6-16, roughly a month later than its original dates. The tournament will be played in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia, the locations that had been selected to host the 2020 tournament before it was cancelled.

Some logistical hurdles have already been overcome, as the national associations for the 10 qualifying teams committed to their participation and held virtual meetings with the IIHF to evaluate the capabilities to travel. That said, final approvals from Canadian federal and provincial authorities still have to be provided, including exemptions to the federal quarantine act.

The announcement from the IIHF indicates it anticipates a limited number of fans may be able to attend games. In a separate letter, Hockey Canada and the Scotiabank Centre indicated that people whom are already ticket holders would be contacted again directly once the specifics of spectator capacities become available.

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PWHPA regional teams take to the ice in Chicago for second showcase

Team adidas and Team Women's Sports Foundation, the respective squads from the Minnesota & New Hampshire regional training hubs of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, head to Chicago for another showcase weekend and two-game series, following the initial showcase of the 2021 Secret® Dream Gap Tour last weekend in the New York-New Jersey area.

Gopher alumna Gigi Marvin recorded a goal and an assist for Team WSF in last Saturday's contest at Protec Ponds Ice Center in Somerset, NJ, but Kelly Pannek dished out an assist as part of a four-goal, third-period rally by Team adidas to win 5-2. Amanda Kessel tallied her own goal and assist for the New Hampshire team as they won Sunday's game at Madison Square Garden, 4-3.

The action this upcoming weekend begins on Saturday, with the same two teams meeting at United Center at 2 p.m. CT The game will be televised live on NBC Sports Network, featuring an all-female broadcast crew. The second contest of the showcase will be played on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. CT at Fifth Third Arena, with live video streaming available at cbcsports.ca

Power Play Club

March 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Power Play Club

March 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, March 2nd

2021 WCHA Final Face-off at Ridder Arena

Semifinals – Saturday, March 6
#2/1 Wisconsin (1st seed) vs. #4 Minnesota (4th seed) – 1:07 p.m.
#5 Minnesota Duluth (2nd seed) vs. #3 Ohio State (3rd seed) – 5:07 p.m.

Championship – Sunday, March 7 at 2:07 p.m.

The WCHA Final Faceoff returns to Ridder Arena for the sixth-consecutive year. On Saturday, March 6, top-seeded Wisconsin will face the Gopher Women's Hockey team in the first semifinal at 1:07 p.m., while Minnesota Duluth and Ohio State square off at 5:07 p.m. The winners will advance to the WCHA Championship on Sunday, March 7, at 2:07 p.m.

Spectator attendance will be limited to team guests only. No tickets will be available for public sale.

Video and audio streaming – Video of all three Final Faceoff games will be streamed by FloHockey; subscription and schedule information can be found at FloSports.tv, and one-month subscriptions are available. Free, live audio will be available for the Gophers' games through Golden Gophers All-Access.

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How they got here...

Minnesota finishes regular season in fourth place
Though the Gopher Women's Hockey team posted a 9-0-0 record against Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State, their 2-7-1 mark in 10 contests against Wisconsin and Ohio State resulted in a .632 points percentage, only good enough for fourth in the WCHA standings. The Gophers are on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, sitting 6th in the RPI ratings going into this weekend, and may need to win the Final Faceoff for their season to continue to the national quarterfinals. Senior Grace Zumwinkle scored a league-leading 16 goals, tied with 4 game-winning goals, and was second with 23 total points; on a per-game basis, Zumwinkle was second in goals (0.84) and fifth in point (1.21). A nice surprise came from the blueline, as junior Crystalyn Hengler netted a league-high 3 power-play goals. Freshman Abbey Murphy led WCHA rookie scoring, recording 17 points on 7 goals and 10 assists. In net, Lauren Bench posted a 9-5-0 record with .924 save percentage and 2.16 goals-against average, placing 3rd and 4th in the WCHA for those respective metrics (with a minimum of 33% of team minutes played); Makayla Pahl was just below the playing time threshold to qualify for the lists, but went 2-2-1 with a 1.75 GAA and .935 SV%.

Minnesota Duluth benefitted from playing 10 of its 16 regular-season games against BSU, MSU, and SCSU, going 9-1-0 in those games. Combined with a 2-4-0 record against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Minnesota, the Bulldogs finished 2nd in the league standings with a .708 point percentage. Still, the unbalanced schedule places UMD 9th in the RPI ratings, and they likely need to claim the WCHA Championship to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Junior Emma Söderberg earned the league's Goaltending Champion award with a 1.35 goals-against average and .951 save percentage, playing all but one period of action for the Bulldogs. Senior Anna Klein and junior Gabbie Hughes both posted 21-point seasons, with Klein recording 11 goals and 10 assists while Hughes lit the lamp 10 times and dished out 11 helpers.

Ohio State finished third in WCHA play with a .667 points percentage and 11-5-0 records. The Buckeyes didn't have a losing record against any opponent, splitting 4 games against Wisconsin & 2 against UMD, posting a 4-2-0 record against Minnesota, and sweeping a combined 4 games against Bemidji State & Minnesota State. The Buckeyes took advantage of timely goaltending, yielding no more than 2 goals in each of their 11 wins; junior Andrea Brändli was 9-5-0 in her 14 starts with a 1.91 goals-against average and .923 save percentage, while freshman Amanda Thiele won both of her two starts, posting a 0.90 GAA and .964 SV%. Offensively, five Buckeyes tallied double-digit points, with senior Tatum Skaggs leading the way with 13 (6g, 7a) while freshman Jenna Buglioni lit the lamp 7 times and dished out 5 assists (12 pts).

Wisconsin claimed their second-straight WCHA Regular-Season Championship this past weekend with a split against Minnesota Duluth (more on that shortly). Along with the aforementioned four-game split with Ohio State, a 3-0-1 record against Minnesota, and sweeps of Bemidji State, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State, the Badgers posted a 12-3-1 record and the championship-winning .750 points percentage. Senior and past Patty Kazmaier Award winner Daryl Watts earned the title of WCHA Scoring Champion with 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists. Junior Sophie Shirley also passed the 20-point mark, tallying 9 goals & 13 assists, while senior Brette Pettet lit the lamp 10 times and added 9 assists. Kennedy Blair played all but one period of action in net for the Badgers, finishing second in the league in both goals-against average and save percentage at 1.59 and .935 (respectively).

Final Faceoff Semifinal Matchups

Minnesota vs. Wisconsin – As mentioned above, the Gophers went 0-3-1 against the Badgers during the regular season, falling 5-0 & 6-3 in Madison and dropping the first game at Ridder Arena 4-3 in OT before coming from behind for a 2-2 tie with a 1-0 shootout win. Grace Zumwinkle was the only Gopher to tally multiple goals across the four games, netting 3 while adding an assist. Amy Potomak recorded a goal and an assist, while Emily Brown and Anne Cherkowski each dished out two helpers. Wisconsin's Daryl Watts found the back of the net 5 times while adding 4 assists, Sophie Shirley added 2 goals with 5 assists, Britta Curl lit the lamp 3 times with an assist, and Brette Pettet recorded 2 goals and 2 helpers. Minnesota's Lauren Bench was tagged for 13 goals in just over 10 periods of action with 68 saves, resulting in a 4.82 goals-against average and .840 save percentage, while Makayla Pahl stopped 29 of 32 shots in 4 periods plus an overtime for a 2.12 GAA and .906 SV%. Kennedy Blair made 109 saves on 117 shots for the Badgers, posting a 1.95 GAA and .932 SV%.

Minnesota Duluth vs. Ohio State – Two low-scoring battles ensued when the Bulldogs and Buckeyes met in Duluth in January. Anna Klein scored in the first period of the weekend opener, Taylor Nelson added an empty-netter in the game's final minute, Gabbie Hughes assisted on both goals, and Emma Söderberg stopped all 34 shots she faced for a 2-0 UMD shutout victory. But despite another 44 saves from Söderberg in the rematch, OSU's Andrea Brändli did her one better with a 32-save shutout effort and an offensive assist on Brooke Bink's second-period goal for a 1-0 Buckeye win and the series split.

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Last weekend in the WCHA...

Minnesota Duluth, Wisconsin split – The Bulldogs hosted the Badgers with the WCHA regular-season championship and Julianne Bye Cup on the line. UMD tightened the race for the title with a 4-2 victory on Friday; Gabbie Hughes tallied the game-winning goal and netted a second for insurance, while Emma Söderberg stopped 26 of 28 shots. The Bulldogs put a scare into Wisconsin by taking a 3-1 lead on Saturday, with Hughes lighting the lamp twice more, Anna Klein scoring her second goal of the series, and Söderberg making 29 saves through the first 40 minutes. However, Lacey Eden cut the Badger deficit in half just 23 seconds after Klein's goal, Brette Pettet evened the score with an extra-attacker goal with 1:27 left in regulation, and Daryl Watts tallied her second goal of the game 41 seconds into overtime to claim the conference title.

St. Cloud State sweeps Bemidji State – In the final action of the season for both teams, Jenniina Nylund recorded 2 goals & an assist and Hannah Bates dished out 3 helpers to lead the Huskies to 3-2 (OT) and 4-1 victories over the Beavers. Clair DeGeorge put BSU up 2-1 in the second period on Friday, but Emma Bigham lit the lamp on a third-period power play to even the score and Nylund netted the gamewinner with 53 seconds left in overtime. The Beavers also held a 1-0 lead in Saturday's rematch on a Lydia Passolt tally before the Huskies rattled off the next four goals, and Emma Polusny made 26 saves for the victory.

Final standings – 1. Wisconsin, .750 pts%, 36 points in 16 games (12-3-1-0, 2-1 in OT); 2. Minnesota Duluth, .708, 34 pts in 16 gms (11-5-0-0, 1-2); 3. Ohio State, .667, 32 pts in 16 gms (11-5-0-0, 1-0); 4. Minnesota, .632, 36 pts in 19 gms (11-7-1-1, 0-1); 5. Minnesota State, .333, 20 pts in 20 gms (7-12-1-0, 2-0); 6. St. Cloud State, .325, 18.5 pts in 19 gms (6-12-1-0, 2-1, 1 shootout no-decision); 7. Bemidji State, .208, 12.5 pts in 20 gms (2-16-2-1, 2-5, 1 shootout no-decision).

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Sarah Potomak attending Hockey Canada camp this week

We send congratulations and best wishes to Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Sarah Potomak, who was one of 35 players invited to Hockey Canada's National Women's Team Training Camp, being held this week (March 1-7) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The camp is the second already for the Canadians this calendar year as they prepare to host the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship this spring in Halifax & Truro, N.S.

Power Play Club

February 26, 2021

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, February 26, 2021

Power Play Club

February 26, 2021

The Two Minute Minor
Friday, February 26, 2021

13 Gophers named as 2020-2021 WCHA Scholar-Athletes

Thirteen (13) members of the Gopher Women's Hockey team were named among 85 players honored as WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award winners, announced by the league yesterday.

Minnesota seniors Emily Brown and Taylor Wente (pictured) were honored as Scholar-Athletes for the third time in their collegiate careers, while Taylor Heise and Gracie Ostertag were named as award recipients for the second time. Abigail Boreen, Olivia King, Olivia Knowles, Emily Oden, Makayla Pahl, Sydney Shearen, Catie Skaja, Madeline Wethington, and Grace Zumwinkle round out this year's Gopher honorees.

Per the press release from the league: To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, league-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters or may qualify if their overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.

Congratulations and good job, ladies!!

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Zumwinkle named as Patty Kazmaier Award Top-10 finalist
while earning more weekly conference recognition

Minnesota senior forward Grace Zumwinkle earned double recognition yesterday for her performances on the ice, both for the season and for her effort this past weekend in Bemidji.

Zumwinkle was named a Top-10 finalist for the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, as announced by USA Hockey Foundation. The award is presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women's ice hockey. Zumwinkle leads the nation in goals scored with 16, while placing third in goals-per-game (0.84). She holds the WCHA lead and is tied for second nationally in game-winning goals (4), and her 23 total points are fifth among Division I players.

The top-three finalists will be announced on Thursday, March 18, and the presentation of the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is scheduled for Saturday, March 27.

Meanwhile, Zumwinkle received another honor from the conference, as her 8-point series with four goals and four assists this past weekend against Bemidji State was named the Howies Hockey Tape WCHA Performance of the Week, as announced on Twitter.

Congratulations, Grace!!

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Gopher alumnae to play in PWHPA showcase this weekend,
with live NHL Network TV coverage from MSG on Sunday

The 2021 edition of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association's Secret® Dream Gap Tour is scheduled to begin this weekend, with six Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae listed as participants. Action begins tomorrow (Saturday, 2/27) at Protec Ponds Training Center in Somerset, NJ, before moving to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday (2/28) for the first women's hockey game to be played at the historic venue.

The contests feature teams from the PWHPA's Minnesota and New Hampshire regional training hubs. Former Gophers Hannah Brandt (MN region), Dani Cameranesi (MN), Amanda Kessel (NH), Gigi Marvin (NH), Kelly Pannek (MN), and Lee Stecklein (MN) have been listed on the team rosters for the weekend. Another Gopher alumna, Mira Jalosuo, is serving as an assistant coach for the Minnesota hub team.

The PWHPA shared three additional pieces of news related to this weekend's showcase. First, it was announced that Sunday's game will be televised live in the U.S. on NHL Network, and on Sportsnet in Canada, at 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET. The broadcast will be produced in conjunction with NBC Sports and MSG Network.

Additionally, more team sponsors were named for the Dream Gap Tour, as the PWHPA announced yesterday that the Minnesota region team will be "Team adidas" and the New Hampshire team will be "Team WSF" (Women's Sports Foundation) as part of new corporate partnerships. On top of that, the organization presented its standings points system for U.S. showcase events, featuring points for the final result of each game plus bonus points for specific game events (such as short-handed goals, shutouts, and hat tricks).

We wish all six Gopher representatives and their respective teams good luck!!

Power Play Club

February 24, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Power Play Club

February 24, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Recap: Gophers complete regular season with sweep of Beavers

The Gopher Women's Hockey team concluded their 2020-2021 regular-season schedule with a resounding road sweep of the Bemidji State Beavers, winning by scores of 6-1 and 9-1.

The Gophers started rolling early, as Crystalyn Hengler, Grace Zumwinkle, and Abigail Boreen all lit the lamp in the first 8:37 of Friday's contest. Abbey Murphy extended Minnesota's lead to 4-0 at the 3:58 mark of the second period. Bemidji State's Taylor Nelson found the back of the net later in the second stanza, but Zumwinkle responded with her second goal of the game just 80 seconds later and completed a hat trick with 7 minutes left in regulation.

Another fast start followed for the Gophers on Saturday as Madeline Wethington scored just 48 seconds into the game and Emily Brown made it 2-0 just 86 seconds later. BSU's Paige Anderson responded to make it 2-1 midway through the opening frame, but Murphy and Josey Dunne netted another pair of goals 87 seconds apart before the first intermission. In the second period, Zumwinkle tallied her 4th goal of the series and Hengler added her 2nd. Taylor Heise found the back of the net 21 seconds into the third stanza, and the Gophers added another pair of goals in close succession as Murphy and Amy Potomak lit the lamp just 41 seconds apart; it was Murphy's second goal of the game and 3rd of the weekend.

The Gophers and Beavers each played all three of their respective goaltenders. For Minnesota, Lauren Bench made 15 saves in her return to Bemidji on Friday, Makayla Pahl stopped 6 shots in the first two periods of Saturday's game, and Olivia King made her official collegiate debut, stopping all four shots she faced in one period of work. Kerigan Dowhy started Friday's game for Bemidji State, stopping 15 shots in two periods, and Lexi Baker made 5 saves in the final 20 minutes. Hannah Hogenson started on Saturday, but yielded 4 goals on only 9 shots; Dowhy entered in relief and made another 22 saves over the remainder of the game.
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Zumwinkle, Hengler, Murphy earn conference Player of the Week honors

Three Gophers were honored yesterday by the WCHA for their performances in Bemidji this past weekend. Grace Zumwinkle, Crystalyn Hengler, and Abbey Murphy were respectively named the league's Forward, Defense, and Rookie of the Week after the team's sweep of the Beavers.

Zumwinkle dished out 4 assists to go with her 4 goals, both of which were league highs, for an NCAA-leading 8-point weekend. As noted in the WCHA's press release, this week's honor is the ninth of her career; it's also her second of the season.

Hengler led the NCAA with a +9 plus-minus rating, while being the only WCHA defender to light the lamp twice. Also recording an assist, she tied 3 fellow Gopher blueliners with 3 points apiece. This is the second weekly honor of Hengler's career, with the first coming earlier this season.

In addition to netting 3 goals, Murphy dished out 3 helpers; her 6 points put her second only to Zumwinkle among WCHA players. She led league rookies in all three scoring categories and plus-minus rating, posting a +6. Murphy was previously named Rookie of the Week following the St. Cloud State series in January.

Congratulations Grace, Crystalyn, and Abbey!!!
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Around the WCHA...

While much has been decided for the WCHA playoffs, a lot is still to be determined. We present our "look around the league early" in this week's Penalty Box Post to provide the necessary updates.

Minnesota Duluth sweeps Minnesota State with come-from-behind wins – The MSU Mavericks held third-period leads in both of their road games against UMD, but the Bulldogs scored a pair of late goals in each contest to earn a sweep. Jamie Nelson put Minnesota State up 1-0 in the first period on Saturday, but Gabbie Hughes evened the score for UMD midway through the third and McKenzie Hewett lit the lamp with 4:52 remaining in regulation, resulting in a 2-1 victory. The teams traded goals through the first two periods of Sunday's rematch, and Nelson netted her second goal of the series 3:08 into the third stanza for a 3-2 MSU lead. But Kasundra Betinol netted her first goal of the season on a Bulldogs power play midway through the frame, and Hughes buried the gamewinner with just 3 seconds remaining the regulation for the 4-3 decision.

Upcoming games – The last weekend of the WCHA regular season features a pair of series, both with Friday & Saturday games. In the final action for both teams, Bemidji State will host St. Cloud State at the Sanford Center. Meanwhile, Wisconsin heads north to play at Minnesota Duluth in their only two regular-season meetings. Minnesota State's season is complete, and Ohio State is idle.

Playoff scenarios – With just 4 games remaining on the composite WCHA schedule, the UW-UMD series in Duluth has significant implications on the upcoming Final Faceoff tournament on March 6 & 7 at Ridder Arena, along with the league's regular-season championship.

Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Ohio State, and Wisconsin are the confirmed participating teams in the Final Faceoff, but tournament seedings for all four squads are still to be determined. Here's our breakdown of possible scenarios:

If UMD sweeps UW – UMD wins the WCHA title and is the #1 seed, Wisconsin #2, Ohio State #3, and Minnesota #4.
If UMD earns 5 standings points vs. UW – UMD and UW are co-champions, UMD gets the #1 seed (based on head-to-head record), Wisconsin #2, Ohio State #3, and Minnesota #4.
If UMD earns 3 or 4 points vs. UW – Wisconsin wins the WCHA title and is the #1 seed, UMD #2, Ohio State #3, and Minnesota #4.
If UMD earns 2 points vs. UW – Wisconsin is the #1 seed & Minnesota is the #4 seed, while tiebreakers dependent on this weekend's specific game results come into play between UMD and OSU to determine who is #2 and who is #3.
If UMD earns 1 point vs. UW – Wisconsin is the #1 seed, Ohio State #2, UMD #3, and Minnesota #4.
If UW sweeps UMD – Wisconsin is the #1 seed, Ohio State #2, Minnesota #3, and UMD #4.

Standings – 1. Wisconsin, .810 pts%, 34 points in 14 games (11-2-1-0, 1-1 in OT); 2. Minnesota Duluth, .714, 30 pts in 14 gms (10-4-0-0, 1-1); 3. Ohio State, .667, 32 pts in 16 gms (11-5-0-0, 1-0); 4. Minnesota, .632, 36 pts in 19 gms (11-7-1-1, 0-1); 5. Minnesota State, .333, 20 pts in 20 gms (7-12-1-0, 2-0); 6. St. Cloud State, .265, 13.5 pts in 17 gms (4-12-1-0, 1-1, 1 shootout no-decision); 7. Bemidji State, .213, 11.5 pts in 18 gms (2-14-2-1, 2-4, 1 shootout no-decision).
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ESPN announces multi-year agreement to provide coverage of
NCAA D-I Women's Ice Hockey, including 2021 Frozen Four

ESPN announced yesterday a new, multi-year rights agreement for NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey on its family of networks, starting with coverage of the 2021 National Collegiate Women's Frozen Four being played in Erie, PA, on March 18 & 20. The first semifinal game will be streamed on ESPN3, while the second semifinal and the championship game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. All three contests will also be available on the ESPN Mobile App.
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Introducing “The Fan Project” from Sports Innovation Lab

We've heard repeatedly from you, our members and fellow Minnesota Women's Hockey fans, that you want to see more media coverage of the team and the sport. Here's an opportunity to help drive the effort.

The Fan Project is "dedicated to proving to the sports industry that fans want more women's sports." The effort, started by Hockey Hall of Fame member Angela Ruggiero and her company, Sports Innovation Lab, is to collect social media data from fans of women's athletics, parse that data, and generate meaningful and impactful insights that will presented to media companies and executives. Their stated goal indicates, "The more visible that women's sports are, the greater their power is to inspire the next generation. With your data, we'll unlock the power to push executives to increase coverage of women's sports to 10% of all sports coverage in 10 months time."

More details are available on the project's web site, thefanproject.co. Please note that the Power Play Club publicizes this only for informative purposes, and any decision to participate in/with The Fan Project is strictly your own. That said, we point out that both the National Women's Hockey League and the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association are listed as partners of the project.
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Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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

February 17, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Power Play Club

February 17, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, February 17, 2021

#4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (.588 pts%, 9-7-1-1, 0-1 in OT)
at Bemidji State Univ. Beavers (.240 pts%, 2-12-2-1*, 2-4 in OT)
Friday, February 19 at 6:07 p.m.
Saturday, February 20 at 3:07 p.m.
Sanford Center, Bemidji

The Gopher Women's Hockey team heads out on the road for its final series of the regular-season, traveling north to face the Bemidji State University Beavers for the first time in 2020-2021. Action at the Sanford Center begins Friday evening, February 19, at 6:07 p.m., and continues Saturday, February 20, at 3:07 p.m.

Video and audio streaming – Video of the games in Bemidji will be streamed by FloHockey; subscription and schedule information can be found at FloSports.tv. While no Gopher audio will be available, the Bemidji State radio broadcasts of both games will be available for free at beaverradionetwork.com.

Last season against Bemidji State – The Gophers swept the season series against the Beavers in 2019-2020, winning 7-1 and 3-0 at Ridder Arena in November and following it up with 4-1 and 6-3 victories in Bemidji last February. Sarah Potomak reached double-digit points against BSU, lighting the lamp 4 times and dishing out 6 assists. Grace Zumwinkle scored twice and added 4 assists for 6 points, while Taylor Heise and Alex Woken each added 3 goals and 2 assists. Reece Hunt scored all three of the Beavers' goals for the hat trick in the fourth head-to-head contest; Haley Mack assisted on all three after also recording a helper in the earlier series. Sydney Scobee played all 240 minutes in goal for the Gophers, stopping 64 of 69 shots for a 1.25 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. Three different BSU netminders saw action. Lauren Bench played the first two periods of the series at Ridder and both games in Bemidji, making 76 saves but yielding 14 goals for a 5.26 GAA and .844 SV%; Lexi Baker relieved Bench in the first contest, stopping 10 of 12 shots in 20 minutes of work; and Kerigan Dowhy stopped 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in the second game in Minneapolis.

Analyzing the Beavers – Bemidji State has the distinction of playing a lot of bonus hockey this season, with 8 of their 16 games going to overtime. The extra periods have also been the only source of their 11.5 conference standings points, as they have an 0-8 record in games decided in regulation but are 2-4-2 in overtime games, including an win and a no-decision (worth a half-point) in their two shootouts.

Offense has been lacking for the Beavers, scoring only a total of 19 goals as a team. No individual player has reached 5 goals or 10 points. Senior Clair DeGeorge (#26) leads the team with 9 points on 4 goals and 5 assists, while sophomore Reece Hunt (#29) has a team-leading 7 helpers but has yet to score herself. Two more seniors – Paige Beebe (#18; 3g, 2a) and Tina Kampa (#11; 5a) – each have 5 points.

After Lauren Bench earned her bachelor's degree from BSU and came to the U. of M. for grad school, senior Kerigan Dowhy (#33) took over as the Beavers' primary goaltender. Dowhy is 2-11-2 in 15 starts, with one shutout, a 2.47 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. Freshman Hannah Hogenson (#1) and junior Lexi Baker (#30) have only seen spot duty; Hogenson has one start and one relief appearance but has yielded 8 goals on 62 shots in only 56 minutes of action, while Baker stopped 13 of 15 shots in one period of work.

Last weekend for Bemidji State – A trip to Madison to play top-ranked Wisconsin did not go well for the Beavers. Sixteen different Badgers recorded at least one point, including 2 goals and an assist apiece from Lacey Eden & Sophie Shirley, and Kennedy Blair needed only a combined 18 saves to shut out BSU 4-0 and 7-0. Bemidji State's Kerigan Dowhy made 54 saves in 104 minutes of action but yielded 8 goals, and Hannah Hogenson gave up another 3 goals with only 6 saves over the final 16 minutes.

Gophers swept at home by Ohio State

Ohio State scored a combined 5 goals in the second periods of this past weekend's two games against the Gophers at Ridder Arena, and Buckeyes goaltender Andrea Brändli made 44 saves in the series to sweep Minnesota, 2-1 & 3-2. OSU controlled the first 40 minutes of Friday's game, holding a 30-7 advantage in shots on goal and taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Emma Maltais and Paetyn Levis. The Gophers outshot the Buckeyes in the third period but could only manage an extra-attacker goal by Emily Brown with 51 seconds remaining. Makalya Pahl made 36 saves. In the rematch, Minnesota took its own 2-0 lead when Abigail Boreen and Grace Zumwinkle scored in the first 3:21 of the contest, but Liz Schepers narrowed the Gopher lead to one just 48 seconds into the second stanza and Jennifer Gardiner & Levis scored 53 seconds apart midway through the period to give OSU the lead it would not relinquish. Lauren Bench stopped 20 shots for the Gophers. Amy Potomak and Taylor Heise each recorded two assists in the series.
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International and professional updates...

European national teams return to action – As reported by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), several European national teams have returned to action this month, playing in exhibition "friendly" competition as they prepare for the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship. This included two games the Russia National Team played against the WHL's KRS Vanke Rays and Gopher alumnae Megan Bozek & Noora Räty (Team Russia won both, 1-0 in regulation & 4-3 in a shootout).

The Women's World Championship is currently scheduled for April 7 through 17 in Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. That said, this is subject to change, and the spectator attendance policy has yet to be announced. We will share any news as it becomes available.

PWHPA announces March games in Chicago while 'All Star' team finishes play in Tampa – The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association announced a partnership with a third NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks, and a pair of games in the Chicago area as part of the Secret® Dream Gap Tour. Action will be hosted at the United Center on Saturday, March 6, and Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, March 7. Additionally, NBCSN will televise live coverage of the March 6 game at 2 p.m. CT with an all-female broadcast crew. The Chicago games will follow the Dream Gap Tour's first contest on February 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. More details about all three days are to be announced.

Meanwhile, the PWHPA 'All-Star' team comprised of players from the Minnesota and New Hampshire Regional Training Hubs is wrapping up the last of its games in the U.S. Premier Hockey League's Hub City Tampa bubble. The team is 1-3-0 since last Wednesday, defeating the Islanders Hockey Club (8-5) but falling to the Northern Cyclones Premier (5-1), Hitmen Premier (4-1), and Twin City Thunder (6-4). Hannah Brandt scored twice against the Islanders, while Gigi Marvin and Amanda Kessel also lit the lamp in that game, and Kessel posted a 4-point performance against the Thunder with a goal and 3 assists. The team concludes its February Florida trip today (Feb. 17) against the Utica Junior Comets at Noon ET / 11:00 a.m. CT at AdventHealth Center Ice; video is available with a subscription on HockeyTV.com.
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Around the WCHA...

Upcoming games – Schedule changes involving both of the other two series planned for this weekend have been announced by the league. First, the series between Ohio State & St. Cloud State has been cancelled after it was reported on Monday that SCSU paused all team activities for seven days due to COVID-19 protocols. Yesterday, Minnesota State's road series at Minnesota Duluth was pushed back by a day; the Mavericks and Bulldogs will now play on Saturday & Sunday, with both games starting at 3:07 p.m. Wisconsin is idle.

Standings – 1. Wisconsin, .810 pts%, 34 points in 14 games (11-2-1-0, 1-1 in OT); 2t. Minnesota Duluth, .667, 24 pts in 12 gms (8-4-0-0, 1-1); Ohio State, .667, 32 pts in 16 gms (11-5-0-0, 1-0); 4. Minnesota, .588, 30 pts in 17 gms (9-7-1-1, 0-1); 5. Minnesota State, .370, 20 pts in 18 gms (7-10-1-0, 2-0); 6. St. Cloud State, .265, 13.5 pts in 17 gms (4-12-1-0, 1-1, 1 shootout no-decision); 7. Bemidji State, .240, 11.5 pts in 16 gms (2-12-2-1, 2-4, 1 shootout no-decision).