Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Thursday, May 27th

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Thursday, May 27th

Robert Morris Univ. discontinues D-I hockey programs

Citing “a series of strategic initiatives intended to position the university to be amongst the most agile and professionally focused schools in the nation as it prepares for its upcoming 100th anniversary,” Robert Morris University announced yesterday that it would no longer field NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey teams, effective immediately.

RMU noted that it will honor all scholarships currently being received by the affected student-athletes – including incoming players who have signed National Letters-of-Intent – and will assist those who wish to transfer. Under NCAA rules, those who do transfer in this situation will not have to sit out a season at their new school. The university approximated that 55 student-athletes and seven staff positions are impacted by this decision.

In the “frequently asked questions” section of the announcement, RMU stated, “The decision to discontinue the men’s and women’s ice hockey programs was made based on an analysis which included scholarships and operating costs, and the necessary investments to maintain and improve the current facility. The university also wanted to align our athletic offerings more closely with other similar nationally-ranked universities of our size.”

College Hockey America tweeted its sadness over the decision and its impact to the student-athletes & staff, but made no statement indicating the effects to the conference.

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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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Saturday, May 22, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Saturday, May 22nd

Ten Gopher representatives invited to Team USA evaluation camp

Four (4) members of the 2020-2021 Gopher Women's Hockey team and six (6) University of Minnesota alumnae were named among the 40 players invited to the 2021 U.S. Women's National Team Selection Camp, being held June 1-6 at the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Taylor Heise, Amanda Kessel, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Gracie Ostertag, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle comprise the Maroon & Gold's representation at the camp. As noted in both the release from USA Hockey and the follow-up from the U. of M., the camp will be utilized to assist in selecting the 28 players who will train together as part of a residency program in preparation for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The University of Minnesota also has representation on the camp's staff. GWH associate head coach Joel Johnson is the interim head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team, while Cal Dietz serves as head strength and conditioning coach and Brent Proulx serves as the national team's equipment manager.

We send our congratulations to all ten Gopher players, and good luck as they vie for positions in the centralized pre-Olympic residency program.

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PWHPA Calgary showcase next week, with free video streaming

As noted in our May 9 issue of the Two-Minute Minor, the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) is holding its first Canadian showcase starting Monday, May 24, in Calgary. The PWHPA published a subsequent release on May 13 listing the full game schedule for the event.

The showcase features a round-robin competition between Team Scotiabank (Calgary regional hub), Team Sonnet (Toronto) and Team Bauer (Montreal) through next Saturday, May 29, followed by the top two squads playing a championship game for the Canadian Secret® Cup on Sunday, May 30. Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Sarah Potomak (pictured) is expected to play with Team Scotiabank.

All seven games will have live video streaming available for free (per the PWHPA's Twitter account) courtesy of event partner Sportsnet at sportsnet.ca.
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Pannek leads scoring at St. Louis showcase, Team adidas wins U.S. Secret® Cup – GWH alumna Kelly Pannek (pictured) tallied an empty-net goal following two earlier assists, Dani Cameranesi netted a shorthanded goal, and Lee Stecklein dished out an assist to lead Team adidas from the Minnesota regional hub to a 3-1 victory over Team Women's Sports Foundation (New Hampshire hub) in the first game of the PWHPA's St. Louis showcase earlier this week. Amanda Kessel scored Team WSF's lone goal. (Image courtesy of the PWHPA)

No Gophers recorded a point in the St. Louis game 2 rematch, but Abby Roque, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, and Sydney Brodt lit the lamp in the third period to give Team adidas a 4-2 come-from-behind win over Team WSF. The two victories plus the bonus point for Cameranesi's shorthanded goal gave Team adidas a final advantage of 13 points to 2 in the Secret® Dream Gap Tour standings and the U.S. Secret® Cup championship. Pannek was third in scoring across all six SDGT games, recording 7 points on 2 goals and 5 assists, while Cameranesi was in a multi-way tie for with 6 points, dishing out 5 assists to go with her goal.

_____________________________________________________________________________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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Sunday, May 9, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Sunday, May 9th

PWHPA announces new St. Louis dates, first Canadian showcase

The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) published two big press releases in the past week, first announcing that the St. Louis stop of the Secret® Dream Gap Tour will be held May 16 & 17, then promoting their organization's first Canadian showcase later this month in Calgary.

The St. Louis showcase, being held in partnership with the NHL's St. Louis Blues, was originally scheduled for April 11 & 12 but then postponed due to COVID concerns. It will feature Team adidas from the Minnesota regional training hub and Team Women's Sports Foundation from the New Hampshire hub. The first game will take place on Sunday, May 16 at 12 p.m. CT at Centene Community Ice Center, and will be webcast on cbc.ca. The showcase will conclude on Monday, May 17 with a 6 p.m. CT puck drop at Enterprise Center, home of the Blues, and will be televised in the U.S. on NBCSN.

Team adidas holds an 8-2 standings points advantage over four previous games between the two squads in the battle for the U.S. Secret® Cup Championship, posting a 3-1 win-loss record with 2 bonus points for reaching 5 goals twice. Six Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae have been involved in the showcases to-date, with Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein playing for Team adidas, and Amanda Kessel & Gigi Marvin in action for Team WSF.

North of the border, a round-robin competition featuring Team Scotiabank (Calgary regional hub), Team Sonnet (Toronto) and Team Bauer (Montreal) will be held on May 24 through 30 in Calgary. The showcase includes a partnership with Sportsnet, which will deliver exclusive English-language TV and streaming coverage of the event. It is further supported by the NHL's Calgary Flames, who are providing financial assistance and access to various organizational resources. An exact game and full broadcast schedule will be released at a later date, but the three teams will play a total of six round-robin contests (with each team appearing in four games), followed by the top two squads playing a championship game for the Canadian Secret® Cup. Team Scotiabank includes a connection to Gopher Women's Hockey in the form of alumna

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St. Thomas announces women's hockey coaching change

In a brief press release published this past Thursday (May 6), the University of St. Thomas announced that Tom Palkowski will not be returning as head coach of its women's hockey team for the 2021-2022 season, as the program moves into NCAA Division I and WCHA competition. Palkowski amassed a 220-99-40 record over 14 seasons as the coach of the Tommies.

Per press release, “assistant coach Marty Sertich will serve in an interim capacity while a national search for the next head coach is conducted. This search will begin immediately.”

We will share additional information as it becomes available.

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Reminder: PPC Board of Directors meeting – Wednesday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Board to meet with Coach Frost via online web conference

We add this reminder that the next Power Play Club Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. As with all board meetings over the past year, the meeting will be held online via Zoom. GWH head coach Brad Frost will join the board members to provide his thoughts and ideas, and to receive the board's feedback to him.

Board meetings are open to all club members (2020-2021 membership applies this off-season). If you wish to participate in the conversation, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.

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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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Monday, May 3, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Monday, May 3rd

Leveille named NWHL Goaltender of the Year with Whitecaps

Amanda Leveille, a three-time NCAA champion with the Gopher Women's Hockey Team (twice as the championship game starter) and two-time Isobel Cup Champion, added her second award as the NWHL's Goaltender of the Year as part of the league's annual awards presentation this past Wednesday, April 28.

Leveille was also recognized as the Minnesota Whitecaps' recipient of a 2021 NWHL Foundation Award “for actively applying the core values of hockey to her community as well as growing and improving hockey culture.”

Leveille was 3-1-0 in her four starts in the very abbreviated 2021 NWHL regular season, stopping 147 of the 157 shots she faced for a .936 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average. She followed it up with a 44-save shutout performance in a 7-0 Whitecaps semifinal victory over Connecticut. though took a 4-3 loss with 26 saves in the 2021 Isobel Cup Final against Boston.

Congratulations, Amanda, on another great season!!

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IIHF announces new dates for Women's World Championship

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Council, after “a conference call with the participating teams,” rescheduled the 2021 Women's World Championship tournament for August 20 through 31, with a venue to be determined. The announcement this past Friday, April 30, came just over a week after the tournament's May schedule in Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, was cancelled by the provincial government.

The announcement indicates that the IIHF will continue partnering with Hockey Canada to select a new tournament venue, which will be named the in coming weeks.

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Next PPC Board of Directors meeting – Wednesday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Board to meet with Coach Frost via online web conference

The next Power Play Club Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12, at 7 p.m. As with all board meetings over the past year, the May meeting will be held online via Zoom. The directors will be meeting with GWH head coach Brad Frost to get his thoughts and ideas, and to provide their feedback to him.

Board meetings are open to all club members (2020-2021 membership applies this off-season). If you wish to participate in the conversation, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.

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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.

Penalty Box Quick Hit - Thursday, April 22, 2021

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Thursday, April 22nd

2021 IIHF Women's World Championship cancelled
Provincial government of Nova Scotia asserts COVID-19 safety concerns

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and Hockey Canada announced yesterday that the 2021 Women's World Championship has been cancelled by the provincial government of Nova Scotia “due to concerns over safety risks associated with COVID-19.” This marks the second-straight year the tournament, scheduled to be hosted in the cities of Halifax & Truro, has been called off.

As noted in the announcement, the IIHF & Hockey Canada are in the process of determining if the tournament may be held later in 2021, at an alternative location.

Hockey Canada published statements from its leadership and IIHF executives regarding the decision. “We strongly believe the top women’s hockey players in the world deserve the opportunity to compete for a world championship this season, and we will explore all options to make that happen in Canada later this year,” said Dean McIntosh, HC vice-president of events and properties.

USA Hockey also posted a statement on Twitter, saying “We respect the concern for the health and safety of everyone involved and share the heartbreak of our athletes and staff who put so much into preparing for the World Championship. We will remain optimistic for the tournament to be conducted this summer as the IIHF and Hockey Canada explore alternative dates and locations.”

We will continue to monitor this and will share additional news as it becomes available. As previously reported, the U.S. National Team's tournament roster included Gopher Women's Hockey representatives Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle. Meanwhile, Sarah and Amy Potomak were attending the Canada National Team's Evaluation Camp – in Halifax – in an effort to make that team'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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Saturday, April 17, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Saturday, April 17th

Johnson named interim head coach of U.S. Women's Nat'l Team

Gopher Women's Hockey associate head coach Joel Johnson has been named interim head coach of the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team going into the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship, as announced by USA Hockey yesterday.

Johnson succeeds Bob Corkum, who led the team since the 2018-2019 season.

Johnson has worked with USA Hockey for several years. As noted in the announcement, he was head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team as they won four-straight gold medals (2015-18) at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. Following that, he served as head coach of the U.S. Under-22 Women’s Select Team at the 2018 U22 Series vs. Canada in Calgary.

Congrats & good luck, Coach Johnson!!

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Potomak sisters participating at Hockey Canada evaluation camp

Meanwhile, north of the border, GWH alumna Sarah Potomak and current Gopher redshirt junior Amy Potomak are attending Hockey Canada's Women's National Team Evaluation Camp after being named this past Monday among 47 invitees, with whom they are vying for World Championship roster spots.

The camp is being held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, one of the host cities for the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship. It began this past Wednesday, April 14, and runs through Thursday, April 22, at which point the Canada National Team roster for the WWC is expected to be announced.

Congratulations on the invitations & good luck, Sarah & Amy!!

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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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Sunday, April 11, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Sunday, April 11th

Incoming freshman Hemp named 2021 Minnesota Ms. Hockey

Incoming Gopher Women's Hockey freshman Peyton Hemp, currently a senior at Andover High School, was named the 2021 Minnesota Ms. Hockey, as announced on Twitter by Let's Play Hockey and recapped by David LaVaque on MNGirlsHockeyHub.com.

Hemp completed the season with 80 points on 34 goals and 46 assists, leading the Andover Huskies to a Class 2A state tournament runner-up finish. She compiled 253 points with 118 goals and 135 assists in 108 games over her four-year high school career.

Hemp will join Taylor Heise and Madeline Wethington as Ms. Hockey award winners playing with the Gophers this fall. Congratulations, Peyton!!
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PWHPA showcase in St. Louis postponed

The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) announced late Friday that their showcase series in St. Louis, Missouri, scheduled for today & tomorrow (Sunday & Monday, April 11-12), has been postponed due to COVID exposure to one of the teams. The event was going to feature the fifth and sixth games between Team adidas from the organization's Minnesota regional training hub and Team Women's Sports Foundation from the New Hampshire region.

As noted in the postponement announcement shared on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, tickets for the games will be honored for new dates, which are to be determined.

The published rosters for the two teams include six Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae, with Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein on Team adidas, and Amanda Kessel & Gigi Marvin on Team Women's Sports Foundation. Another former Gopher, Mira Jalosuo, is serving as an assistant coach for Team adidas.
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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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, April 6, 2021

The Two Minute Minor
An Edition of the Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, April 6

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

Here's an additional reminder for 2020-2021 Power Play Club members to join us on Zoom tomorrow evening (Wednesday, 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 tomorrow morning.
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Zumwinkle named to 2020-2021 All-USCHO Second Team

Gopher Women's Hockey senior Grace Zumwinkle earned another honor last week, being named as a member of the All-USCHO Second Team as announced by U.S. College Hockey Online on Friday.

Zumwinkle had previously earned recognition as a Top 3 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and had been named a Second Team CCM/AHCA All-American and All-WCHA First Team member. She has also been named to the U.S. National Team roster for next month's IIHF Women's World Championship.

We send our congratulations and wishes of good luck going forward!!
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Maple Grove's Tatur named as 2021-2022 GWH freshman

The incoming Gopher Women's Hockey freshman class of 2021-2022 expanded to seven this past Thursday as head coach Brad Frost announced the signing of Maple Grove, MN, native Tristana Tatur. She joins Emma Conner, Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, Sadie Lindsay, Skylar Vetter, and Emily Zumwinkle in the newest class of Gophers.

Playing for Maple Grove Senior High School, Tatur was a three-time all-conference and two-time all-section and all-area honoree, and helped the Crimson to back-to-back Minnesota Class AA state tournament appearances as a sophomore and junior. As a senior, she was named an all-state selection. She has also attended USA Hockey national development camps, and intends to major in Business and Marketing Education at the U. of M.

Welcome, Tristana!! We look forward to seeing you in action this fall!!
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IIHF Women's World Championship game schedule released

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) last week released the schedule of games for the 2021 Women's World Championship, which runs from May 6 through 16 in Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The host Canadians will open the tournament against Finland on the evening of the 6th at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax. That contest will be preceded by the United States vs. Switzerland, while the fifth team in Group A – Russia – will play their first game on May 7. Group B, featuring the national teams of Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, and Japan, will play at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro. The preliminary round runs through May 11, and all five Group A teams and the top 3 Group B finishers will advance to the quarterfinals on May 13, with the semifinals on the 15th and the Bronze & Gold Medal Games on the 16th.

As noted in the release from the IIHF, there will be no promoted nor relegated teams this year since no lower division tournaments are being played. That said, a consolation bracket of the teams losing in the quarterfinals will be played to determine the fifth Group A team for the next Women's World Championship.
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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.

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

Penalty Box Post - Thursday, 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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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.