Penalty Box Post - Monday, July 5, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Monday, July 5th

Seven GWH players named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars
New school record set with 180 student-athletes honored by conference

Seven members of the Gopher Women's Hockey team were named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars this past Thursday, July 1, among a new U. of M. school record 180 student-athletes recognized by the conference for the 2020-2021 academic year.

We send our congratulations to Emily Brown, Olivia King, Emily Oden, Gracie Ostertag, Catie Skaja, Taylor Wente, and Madeline Wethington on earning this recognition. We give an extra shout-out to Wente and Wethington (pictured) for maintaining perfect 4.0 grade point averages for the year!

Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades.

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Brausen joins Johnson's coaching staff at St. Thomas

Accompanying the official entry of the St. Thomas Tommies into the Western Collegiate Hockey Association on Thursday, July 1, UST head coach Joel Johnson named his two new full-time assistant coaches, one of whom is GWH alumna and (now former) Minnesota assistant Bethany Brausen.

Brausen was on Brad Frost's coaching staff the past four seasons as the team posted a 94-31-8 (.737) record over that span. As a player from 2010 through 2014, she helped the Gophers post a 139-17-5 (.879) record with national championships in 2012 & 2013, playing in all 161 games while recording 51 points on 16 goals and 35 assists.

We thank Bethany for her service to the Gophers as both a player and coach, and wish her the best of luck in this new opportunity!

Marty Sertich was named as Johnson's other assistant. Sertich was on the Tommies' coaching staff for their final two seasons as a Division III program, joining them in the 2018-2019. He also currently runs Tradition Hockey, a youth training program based in Roseville.

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Wente selected by Whitecaps in 3rd round of 2021 NWHL Draft

Prior to earning another academic award (as documented above), 2020-2021 senior Taylor Wente became the latest Gopher Women's Hockey player selected in the National Women's Hockey League draft, being picked 18th overall by the Minnesota Whitecaps in the 3rd round last Tuesday (June 29).

Wente finished her collegiate career with 73 points on 29 goals and 44 assists in 127 games.

Congratulations and good luck, Taylor!!

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PPC Board of Directors meeting – Wednesday, July 14, at 7 p.m.
Meeting to be held online via Zoom

Here's an additional reminder that the next meeting of the Power Play Club's Board of Directors is scheduled for Wednesday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. Fundraising for the 2021-2022 Gopher Women's Hockey season is expected to be a focus of the meeting. Board meetings are open to all PPC members (2020-2021 membership applies for the current off-season). This meeting will be held online via Zoom; if you are interested in attending, 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 - Wednesday, June 23, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, June 23rd

U. of M. announces full capacity for Gopher athletic events

The University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics department announced yesterday “that it plans to operate at full capacity for live sporting events when teams return to competition for the 2021-22 academic year.” The new status begins with the Gopher volleyball, soccer, and football seasons this fall.

The press release also reported that the school will be transitioning to mobile tickets for all ticketed events on campus, with additional information and tutorials to be shared directly with ticket holders in the coming weeks.

We look forward to seeing all of you, our fellow GWH fans, at Ridder Arena this fall!!
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Bench, Brown, Knowles to return to GWH for 2021-2022 season

Gopher Women's Hockey seniors Lauren Bench, Emily Brown, and Olivia Knowles will return to the team in the 2021-2022 season, as announced by the university last Thursday, June 17, after each of them accepted the additional season of eligibility granted by the NCAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic. All three shared their thoughts on their respective decisions in the announcement.

We look forward to seeing Lauren, Emily, Olivia, and the remainder of the squad on the ice for the program's 25th season, which starts October 1!!

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PPC Board of Directors meeting – Wednesday, July 14, at 7 p.m.

We send out this reminder that the next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is now scheduled for Wednesday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. Fundraising for the 2021-2022 Gopher Women's Hockey season is expected to be a focus of the meeting. Board meetings are open to all PPC members (2020-2021 membership applies for the current off-season). Logistics for the meeting are still to be determined and will be shared as soon as they are available.

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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, June 7, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Monday, June 7th

Joel Johnson named new head coach at University of St. Thomas

University of Minnesota women's hockey associate head coach Joel Johnson was named the new head coach of the University of St. Thomas women's hockey team earlier today, as that program transitions into NCAA Division I play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association starting in the 2021-2022 season.

Johnson has been part of the Gopher program over two stints spanning 16 combined seasons and 6 of the school's 7 national championships, as an assistant coach from 1999 through 2004 and then as the associate head coach from 2010 through 2021. He also coached in the Bethel University men's hockey program from 2004 through 2010, including 3 seasons as their head coach.

Johnson is also currently serving as interim head coach of the U.S. National Women's Hockey Team as it prepares for the rescheduled 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He has spent the last 11 seasons with USA Hockey.

The U. of M. also published a press release on the news, with a brief statement from GWH head coach Brad Frost, here.

We send our congratulations and best wishes to Joel as he transitions to this new opportunity and guides the Tommies into Division I, and thank him for his years of service to the University of Minnesota and the Gopher Women's Hockey program.
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Calgary to host 2021 Women's World Championship in August

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), in partnership with Hockey Canada, announced last Wednesday, June 2, that Calgary, Alberta will serve as the new host city for the 2021 Women's World Championship. New event dates of August 20 through 31 were previously announced at the end of April.

The relocation of the tournament to Calgary follows two postponements of the event in its originally-selected host cities of Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, due to on-going concerns with COVID-19.

All 31 games of the tournament will be played at WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park, though the exact game schedule is to be announced. The championship will feature 10 teams for only the second time, following the expansion from 8 teams after the 2017 tournament.
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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, June 1, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, June 1st

Fifteen GWH players named Academic All-Big Ten

Fifteen (15) members of the Gopher Women's Hockey team were recognized last Friday as At-Large Academic All-Big Ten honorees for the 2020-2021 academic year.

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 were among a total of 187 University of Minnesota student-athletes named as Spring and At-Large Academic All-Big Ten selections. They join another 244 student-athletes previously named as Fall and Winter Academic All-Big Ten honorees.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten merits, student-athletes must be on a varsity team, have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

We send our congratulations to all fifteen GWH players for their continued success in the classroom!!
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Brown, Zumwinkle earn Leadership U certificates – Following service on the Gopher Athletics Leadership Council and meeting necessary requirements, Gopher Women's Hockey seniors Emily Brown and Grace Zumwinkle were among 9 student-athletes completing the University of Minnesota's Leadership U Certificate Program.

Brown and Zumwinkle were joined by Carlie Brandt (Softball), Tyler Davis (Men's Gymnastics), Valerie Larson (Women's Track & Field), Abbie Nylin (Women's Gymnastics), Stephanie Peller (Rowing), Lexy Ramler (Women's Gymnastics), and Natalie Windels (Women's Track & Field) as Leadership U Certificate recipients. We send our congratulations to all nine student-athletes on this recognition and thank them for their service to the University of Minnesota!!
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Alumna Potomak shines at PWHPA Calgary Showcase

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Sarah Potomak made a splash at the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association's (PWHPA's) Calgary Showcase this past week, playing for Team Scotiabank from the Calgary regional training hub. Through the showcase's six round-robin games, Potomak led all players with 5 goals, scoring at least once in each of Team Scotiabank's four contests. She was also in a multi-way tie for second in total scoring after the round-robin phase with 6 points.

Unfortunately, Team Scotiabank finished third in the 3-team showcase, not qualifying for the championship game this past Sunday. They lost twice to Team Bauer (Montreal), 6-1 and 4-3, and split with Team Sonnet (Toronto), falling 8-3 before earning a 3-2 victory. Potomak was named third star in the first game against Team Bauer with a goal, and second star in the win against Team Sonnet after recording two goals and an assist.

Team Bauer defeated Team Sonnet, 3-2, in the showcase opener, but lost the second head-to-head meeting, 4-3. Squaring off a third time in the championship game for the Canadian Secret® Cup, the teams traded goals over the first 40 minutes before Marie-Philip Poulin put Team Bauer ahead late in the 3rd period and Sarah Lefort added an empty-netter to seal a 4-2 victory.
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PPC Board of Directors update – June meeting cancelled
Next board meeting: Wednesday, July 14, at 7:00 p.m.

The next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is now scheduled for Wednesday, July 14, following a decision to cancel the June gathering. Fundraising for the 2021-2022 Gopher Women's Hockey season is expected to be a focus of the July meeting. We provide the reminder that board meetings are open to all PPC members (2020-2021 membership applies for the current off-season). Logistics for the next meeting have not been determined, but will be shared at a later date.
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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, May 13, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Thursday, May 13th

Gopher Women's Hockey releases 25th season (2021-2022) schedule
WCHA also releases composite league-game schedule for all eight teams

The University of Minnesota yesterday released the 2021-2022 schedule for the Gopher Women's Hockey team, the 25th season in the program's history. That release followed the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's composite conference schedule outline announcement, with exact dates and times still to be finalized.

The Gophers open play on October 1 & 2 with a WCHA series at home against Ohio State. Minnesota's schedule features three planned non-conference weekends: on the road at Colgate the weekend of October 22 & 23, at home against RIT on November 12 & 13, and at the Nashville Smashville Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend, facing Mercyhurst on November 26 and either Boston College or Colgate on November 27. In the second-half of the year, the team will play four games (two 2-game series) against Division I and WCHA newcomer St. Thomas, with the first of those series on January 7 & 8. Here's the quick rundown.

Oct. 1-2 – vs. Ohio State (WCHA / home opener)
Oct. 8-9 – at Minnesota Duluth
Oct. 15-16 – vs. Minnesota State
Oct. 22-23 – vs. Colgate (non-conference)
Oct. 29-30 – at Bemidji State
Nov. 5-6 – bye
Nov. 12-13 – vs. RIT (non-conference)
Nov. 19-20 – (home & home) vs. St. Cloud State
Nov. 26-27 – Nashville Smashville Showcase
Game 1 vs. Mercyhurst
Game 2 vs. Boston College or Colgate
Dec. 3-4 – at Wisconsin
Dec. 10-11 – vs. Minnesota Duluth

-- Winter Holiday Break --

Jan. 7-8 – at St. Thomas
Jan. 14-15 – at Minnesota State
Jan. 21-22 – vs. Wisconsin
Jan. 28-29 – at Ohio State
Feb. 4-5 – vs. Bemidji State
Feb. 11-12 – (home & home) vs. St. Cloud State
Feb. 18-19 – vs. St. Thomas (Senior Weekend)

-- End of Regular Season --

Feb. 25-27 – WCHA Quarterfinals
(best 2 of 3 at higher seeds)

March 4 & 5 – WCHA Final Faceoff
at Ridder Arena

Here's the direct link to the list of games for all eight WCHA teams (PDF file). All schedules are subject to change.

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2021-2022 GWH season tickets now on sale!!

To go along with the schedule release, season tickets for the 2021-2022 season of Gopher Women's Hockey are now on sale! All fans – whether renewing or purchasing new season tickets – can find more information on the GWH page on the U. of M. Ticket Office site. Season ticket prices are $79 for general admission bench seating, $99 for reserved chairback seats, and $199 for Club Room premium seats (plus fees).

The Umiversity of Minnesota also updated their COVID-19 Ticket Policies and Informaton at the end of March. As noted on that page, “Priority to purchase tickets will be given to season ticket holders before other public groups, should capacity limitations be in effect for the 2021-2022 athletics season. Should fans not be permitted to attend events at the start of the 2021-2022 athletics season, account credit will be provided that may be utilized for events in which health guidelines permit additional fan attendance.”

Any questions should be directed to Gopher Fan Relations by calling them at 1-800-U-GOPHER or sending email to GopherSports@umn.edu.

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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 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.