November 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021

Gophers reach historic 700th win with sweep of Bemidji State

The University of Minnesota Women's Hockey Team earned the 699th and 700th victories in its history, defeating the Bemidji State University Beavers 5-2 and 3-2 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.

The Gophers recorded the first 19 shots on goal in Friday's contest and took a 1-0 lead on an unassisted tally by Amy Potomak. The Beavers evened the score when their first shot on goal off the stick of Paige Beebe found the back of the net, but Potomak responded less than two minutes later and Audrey Wethington gave the Gophers a two-goal lead 81 seconds after that. Following a scoreless second stanza, Abigail Boreen extended Minnesota's lead to 4-1 four minutes into the third frame, and Ella Huber pushed it to 5-1 with 3:38 to play. Lydia Passolt scored for Bemidji State 33 seconds later, but the Beavers got no closer. Skylar Vetter earned her first collegiate victory with 21 saves, while BSU's Hannah Hogenson stopped 52 shots.

Minnesota took a very early lead in the rematch on Saturday when Boreen lit the lamp just 49 seconds into the contest. The teams then traded power-play goals later in the first, with Clair Vekich tying the score for the Beavers before Huber reestablished a Gopher lead, 2-1. Peyton Hemp tallied in the second period to put Minnesota up 3-1. Bemidji State kept things close and pulled within one when Greyson Myers scored with 5:53 to play, but the Gopher defense tightened as well and held on for the victory. Lauren Bench, playing in her final Sandford Center game, stopped 25 shots for the win, while Hogenson made another 33 saves.

Taylor Heise led all players with 4 points, dishing out a pair of assists in each game. Hemp recorded two assists on Friday before her goal on Saturday, and Emily Oden had 3 assists in the series. Myers also posted a 3-point series for the Beavers, with two assists Friday before lighting the lamp Saturday.

Hemp earns monthly conference honor for October

Freshman forward Peyton Hemp was named WCHA Rookie of the Month for October, as announced by the conference yesterday.

Hemp is tied for second on the team with 11 points, coming on 3 goals – including two gamewinners – and 8 assists. She is also tied for the Gophers' lead in plus-minus rating with a +10.

The award is the first conference honor of Hemp's collegiate career. Congratulations, Peyton!!

GWH alumnae Brodt sisters re-sign with Whitecaps for '21-22

Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Winny Brodt Brown and Chelsey (Brodt) Rosenthal re-signed with the Minnesota Whitecaps in the Premier Hockey Federation for the 2021-2022 season on Monday.

Both sisters have been members of the Whitecaps since 2007, and the upcoming year marks Winny's 18th and Chelsey's 15th playing professionally. Each has 7 points in the franchise's three seasons in the PHF, with Winny recording a goal and 6 assists and Chelsey dishing out 7 helpers.

The duo are the 5th and 6th Gophers to sign with the Whitecaps for the upcoming campaign, joining Patti Marshall, Alex Woken, Nicole Schammel, and Meghan Lorence. The 'Caps open the season on the road at Boston this Saturday, November 6 at 6 p.m. CT, with the rematch Sunday, November 7, at Noon CT; both games will be streamed live on Twitch.

Around the WCHA...

Recent action – St. Thomas recorded its first series sweep as a Division I program, defeating RIT 3-1 and 2-1 in non-conference play. Nicole Vallario scored the gamewinner and an insurance goal on Friday, while Abby Promersberger and Allie Monrean each added a goal and an assist in the series.

Sophie Jacques tallied 3 goals and 2 assists, Jennifer Gardiner added 2 goals and 3 assists, and Paetyn Levis lit the lamp 4 times as Ohio State steamrolled St. Cloud State, 5-2 and 10-1.

Makenna Webster's hot hand continued for Wisconsin, as she recorded 4 goals and an assist – including a natural hat trick on Saturday – in the Badgers' 2-1 and 6-2 sweep of Minnesota State. Brooke Bryant tallied a goal and two assists for the Mavericks.

Upcoming games – Two series start Friday evening and continue Saturday afternoon, as St. Thomas hosts Ohio State and Minnesota State visits St. Cloud State. Meanwhile, Bemidji State heads to Madison to face Wisconsin on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Minnesota Duluth is idle for the second of three-straight weekends.

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

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

Power Play Club

October 27, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Power Play Club

October 27, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, October 27th

Bemidji travel notes...

We graciously thank you, our fellow Gopher Women's Hockey fans, for being one of the best-travelling fan bases in the WCHA! We have heard that it is very appreciated by the team.

Given the early start to this coming weekend's games in Bemidji plus the BSU men's hockey team also playing at home on Friday and Saturday evening, the Power Play Club is not planning any gatherings. Thanks for your understanding, and we still hope to see many of you at the Sanford Center for the series between the Gophers & Beavers!

#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-3-0, 3-3-0-0 in WCHA)
at Bemidji State Univ. Beavers (2-3-1, 1-3-0-0 in WCHA)

Friday, October 29 at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 30 at 2:00 p.m.
Sanford Center, Bemidji

Following a successful non-conference road trip to upstate New York, the Gopher Women's Hockey team returns to Minnesota and to WCHA play but heads out on the road again, travelling north to face the Bemidji State University Beavers. Action begins early with the teams opening their series at 3 p.m. on Friday, October 29, and continuing at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 30, at the Sanford Center.

Last season against the Beavers – Minnesota and Bemidji State played only two games head-to-head in 2020-2021, squaring off at the Sanford Center in the final weekend of the regular season – and the final weekend of the Beavers' season overall. The Gophers scored early and often, taking leads of 4-0 in the series opener and 2-0 in the rematch en route to a weekend sweep by scores of 6-1 and 9-1. Grace Zumwinkle posted an 8-point weekend with 4 goals and 4 assists, Abbey Murphy was close behind with 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points, Crystalyn Hengler had a career-high 3-point series with two goals and an assist, and eleven other Gophers found the scoresheet, with nine of them tallying multiple points apiece. Taylor Nelson and Paige Anderson scored for the Beavers. Zumwinkle, Murphy, and Hengler earned conference honors as the Forward, Rookie, and Defender of the Week (respectively).

In net for Minnesota, Lauren Bench made 15 saves in her return to Bemidji in the opener, Makayla Pahl stopped 6 shots over the first two periods of the rematch, and Olivia King made her official collegiate debut with four saves in one period of work. Kerigan Dowhy started the opener for Bemidji State, stopping 15 shots over two periods, and Lexi Baker made 5 saves in the final 20 minutes. Hannah Hogenson started the rematch but yielded 4 goals on only 9 shots; Dowhy entered in relief and made another 22 saves over the remainder of the game.

Analyzing Bemidji State – The Beavers struggled during the 2020-2021 season, not winning a single game in regulation and finishing last in the WCHA standings with a .208 points percentage on a 2-16-2-1 record, with a 2-5 mark in games decided in overtime. As noted above, their season came to an end following the series against the Gophers.

Bemidji State has started the 2021-2022 year with a 2-3-1 overall mark, going 1-3-0-0 so far in WCHA play after splitting with St. Thomas in Mendota Heights and being swept by Ohio State in Columbus. They played their first home games of the season this past weekend in non-conference action against Clarkson (more on that shortly).

The Beavers are looking to fill a gap after 2020-2021 team scoring leader Clair DeGeorge transferred to Ohio State. Fifth-year player Paige Beebe (#18) and senior Graysen Myers (#23) each have two goals and an assist in BSU's first six games. Junior Reece Hunt (#29) also has three points on a goal and two assists, while sophomore Gabbie Smith (#20) has lit the lamp twice. But sophomore Taylor Nelson (#8) leads the team in total scoring with 4 points on a goal and 3 assists.

Between the pipes for BSU, fifth-year player Kerigan Dowhy (#33) and sophomore Hannah Hogenson (#1) have each started three games this season. Dowhy is 1-2-0 with her lone win coming by shutout; she has a 1.89 goals-against average and .943 save percentage. Hogenson has a 1-1-1 season record with a 1.63 GAA and .938 SV%. Senior Lexi Baker (#30) has played 20 minutes in a relief appearance, stopping 17 of 21 shots. Freshman Abbie Thompson (#35) has not seen any action yet.

Last weekend: Beavers tie, defeat Clarkson – Hosting their first home games of the season, Bemidji State welcomed non-conference opponent Clarkson. After two scoreless periods to start the series opener, Graysen Myers put the Beavers up 1-0 at the 3:31 mark of the third stanza, but Gabrielle David knotted the score for the Golden Knights with 2:13 remaining in regulation and the contest finished in a 1-1 overtime tie; Hannah Hogenson made 24 saves for BSU. The Beavers took a 2-0 lead in the rematch on second-period goals by Myers and Gabbie Smith, with Taylor Nelson assisting on both; Clarkson's Baylee Kirwan cut that lead in half just 25 seconds into the third frame, but Hogenson stopped 14 shots over the final 20 minutes and 28 for the game to preserve a 2-1 Beavers victory.

Gophers topple Colgate – Minnesota leveraged its veteran leadership in its non-conference series on the road against the then-#3 Colgate Raiders. Kalty Kaltounkova's 5-on-3 power-play goal gave the Raiders an initial lead, Amy Potomak and Abigail Boreen scored 22 seconds apart to put Minnesota up 2-1, and Neena Brick lit the lamp for Colgate to knot the score 2-2 before the first intermission. Potomak put the Gophers ahead again midway through the second and Talyor Heise doubled the lead six minutes after that, but Noemi Neubauerova scored on another Colgate power play to make it 4-3 after 40 minutes. However, Emily Oden added an insurance goal in the third stanza for a 5-3 victory, and Makayla Pahl made 26 saves to earn the win. The Gophers took a 2-0 lead through the first two periods of the rematch as Emily Brown netted her first goal of the season and Heise lit the lamp. Colgate's Delani MacKay and Sydney Bard knotted the score 6:30 into the third frame, but Catie Skaja tallied her first goal of the year with 8:13 to play, which was enough for Lauren Bench as she made 31 saves for the 3-2 win and the weekend sweep. Heise (2g, 1a) and Skaja (1g, 2a) each finished with 3 points.

Boreen earns WCHA Forward of the Week honors

Dishing out 3 assists to go with her goal for a 4-point series against Colgate, GWH senior Abigail Boreen was named WCHA Forward of the Week, the first weekly recognition of her collegiate career. The award also marks the second-straight week a Gopher was recognized, following Makayla Pahl's Goaltender of the Week honor. Congratulations, Abigail!!

Frost receives three-year contract extension

Gopher Women's Hockey head coach Brad Frost and the University of Minnesota agreed to terms on a 3-year contract extension through the 2023-2024 season, as announced by the school yesterday (Tuesday, October 26).

Frost is currently in his 15th season as head coach of the Gophers, holding a 418-87-35 record since taking over the program.

Team USA My Why Tour

Kessel scores for Americans, but Canada earns two wins

Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna Amanda Kessel lit the lamp for the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team in pre-Olympic competition against their rivals from Canada but the Canadians won 3-1 on Friday night in Allentown, PA and 3-2 on Monday in Hartford, CT.

The teams traded power-play goals in the first 40 minutes on Friday, with Sarah Fillier scoring for Canada in the first period and Hayley Scamurra knotting the score for the Americans in the second stanza. However, Emily Clark tallied two third-period goals, the second into an empty net. Victoria Bach and Fillier put the Canadians up 2-0 on Monday, but Cayla Barnes cut the U.S. deficit in half before the first intermission and then assisted on Kessel's tying goal in the second period. A late penalty sunk the Americans, though, as Fillier netted her third goal of the two-game set on the resulting power play with 3:58 remaining in regulation.

The two rivals will square off again on Sunday, November 21, at 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT in Kingston, Ontario. Before that, Team Canada will travel to Europe for a three-game set against Finland on November 11, 13 & 14.

Around the WCHA...

Recent action – Casey O'Brien tallied Friday's gamewinner and dished out 3 assists, while Nicole LaMantia scored both of Wisconsin's' goals Saturday – including the winner 1:03 into overtime – as the Badgers swept Ohio State, 3-1 and 2-1 (OT). Gabby Rosenthal netted both Buckeye goals in the series, but UW netminder Kennedy Blair stopped the other 52 shots she faced to earn the WCHA Goaltender of the Week award. LaMantia was named the conference's Defender of the Week.

Clara Van Wieren lit the lamp 3 times, Kylie Hanley & Gabbie Hughes each added two goals and an assist, Gabby Krause was honored as WCHA Rookie of Week with a goal and an assist, and UMD outshot St. Thomas 78-28 as the Bulldogs blanked the Tommies, 3-0 and 7-0.

Upcoming games – Two other Friday-Saturday matinee series top the schedule as Minnesota State hosts Wisconsin and St. Thomas travels east for a non-conference matchup against RIT. St. Cloud State visits Ohio State, with their series starting Friday evening and continuing Saturday afternoon.

Power Play Club

October 22, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, October 22, 2021

Power Play Club

October 22, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Friday, October 22nd

GWH Game Day – #4/5 Minnesota at #3/3 Colgate
Puck drop at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT

The weekend gets an early start as the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Colgate Raiders open their series at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT this afternoon at Class of 1965 Arena in Hamilton, NY.

Video of today's game will be streamed on the ESPN+ subscription service here. Free, live audio is available on GopherSports.com, while live statistics are available here. Links for all Gopher women's hockey games, including tomorrow's rematch at 2 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CT, are available on the team's schedule page.

Go Gophers!! Beat the Raiders!!

USA Hockey's My Why Tour opens tonight in Allentown, PA
Women's National Team vs. Canada at 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT

Game two on Monday, Oct. 25 – Both games on NHL Network

USA Hockey's My Why Tour presented by Toyota opens tonight (Friday, October 22) with the first of several games between the U.S. Women's National Team and Canada. The contest will be played at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA, with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised live on NHL Network.

The two teams will meet again this coming Monday, October 25, at Hartford, Connecticut's XL Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT, with television coverage also on NHL Network.

Tickets on sale for USA vs. Canada in St. Paul on December 20 – The two national teams will be coming to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Monday night, December 20, at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. If you cannot attend the game, it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.

More games announced – The My Why Tour schedule is also showing a three-game series between Team USA and Russia. Those contests are scheduled to be played in Belfast, Northern Ireland at SSE Arena on November 9, 11 & 12. We will share more details as they become available.

Hockey Canada announced yesterday its schedule of four games they will host against Team USA. Those contests are planned for Sunday, Nov. 21 in Kingston, ON; Tuesday, Nov. 23 in Ottawa, ON; Monday, Jan. 3 in Edmonton, AB; and Thursday, Jan. 6 in Red Deer, AB. Television coverage details are to be announced.

Univ. of Minnesota to celebrate 50 years of women's athletics

While we recognize 2021-2022 as the 25th competitive season of the Gopher Women's Hockey program and the 20th year of action at Ridder Arena, initial plans for celebrating 50 years of women's athletics at the University of Minnesota were announced by the school on Wednesday.

Special events will occur at this weekend's Gopher soccer and volleyball matches, with more planned as the academic year progresses. The university has also set up a special Celebrating 50 Years of Gopher Women Varsity Athletics website with interviews, historical look-backs, recent alumna news, and information on related programs and university facilities.

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

October 21, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Power Play Club

October 21, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, October 20th

“Goals for a Goal” returns for 2021-2022!

The Power Play Club and the Golden Gophers Fund invite you to pledge your support to Gopher Women’s Hockey through the “Goals for a Goal” campaign.

Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score. This year, the goal count will include both the regular season and postseason. We are also providing the option for you to double your pledge for power play goals! Over the last five years the team has averaged 122 goals per season, and the team is already at 19 goals (4 on the power play) through its first six games this year.

Your donation will support the team's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas next season.

Make your pledge online, or download this form and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

After the postseason, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. All contributions are tax-deductible donations to the Golden Gopher Fund.

Go Gophers!

#4/5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-3-0, 3-3-0-0 in WCHA)
at #3/3 Colgate University Raiders (8-0-0, 0-0-0 in ECAC)

Friday and Saturday, October 22 & 23
Both games at 2:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. CT
Class of 1965 Arena, Hamilton, NY

After six WCHA contests to open the season, the Minnesota Women's Hockey team heads to upstate New York for a non-conference, top-five matchup against the Colgate University Raiders. The teams will play a Friday-Saturday matinee series on October 22 & 23, with both games starting at 2:00 p.m.ET / 1:00 p.m. CT at the Class of 1965 Arena in the village of Hamilton.

Follow the Gophers – Video web streaming of the games at Colgate is available through the ESPN+ subscription service. Free, live audio is also available on Gophersports.com (Friday and Saturday), as are live stats (Friday and Saturday).

Last time against the Raiders – Minnesota and Colgate faced each other on the opening weekend of the 2019-2020 regular season at Ridder Arena. Madeline Wethington went end-to-end in the first period, lighting the lamp with her first collegiate goal to put the Gophers up 1-0. Sarah Potomak doubled the lead in the second stanza, burying a feed from Taylor Wente, and Alex Gulstene & Sydney Scobee combined for 14 saves for a 2-0 win. Taylor Heise, Olivia Knowles, and Grace Zumwinkle tallied in the first period of the rematch, Potomak and Emily Brown extended the lead in the second frame, and Heise, Knowles, and Zumwinkle each scored again in the third. Colgate's Malia Schneider broke up Minnesota's shutout bid with less than 3 minutes remaining, but the Gophers claimed the series sweep with an 8-1 victory. Scobee made another 17 saves. Heise and Potomak each posted 4 points in the series, adding two assists apiece to their respective two goals, while Zumwinkle also dished out an assist to tally three points on the weekend. Colgate netminders Liz Auby and Alexa Dobchuk combined for 66 saves in the series.

Analyzing Colgate – With the Ivy League schools and RPI cancelling their 2020-2021 seasons due to the pandemic, the Raiders won the four-team ECAC regular-season championship with a .611 points percentage, going 8-4-0 in 12 conference games with 2 of the wins coming in overtime. They also went 5-2-1 in eight games considered non-conference (though six of those were against Clarkson). They went on to claim the ECAC Tournament Championship with wins over Quinnipiac (2-1) and St. Lawrence (3-2), but fell to Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA Quarterfinals, 1-0 in overtime.

Colgate has opened 2021-2022 with 8-straight non-conference victories, sweeping RIT, Mercyhurst & Syracuse from the CHA and Hockey East's Vermont. They have outscored their opponents 50-9 over those eight games, with six of their goals coming on the power play and one scored shorthanded. Currently they hold the #3 ranking in both national polls.

The Raiders feature three players who have already reached double-digit points. Junior Danielle Serdachny (#9) leads the team in total scoring with 17 points on six goals and 11 assists. Sophomore Kalty Kaltounkova (#98) is tied for the goal-scoring lead, lighting the lamp 7 times, while dishing out 9 assists for 16 points. Junior transfer Dara Greig (#77), who previously played for Wisconsin, also has 7 goals for Colgate so far this year while adding 8 assists for 15 points. Another trio of players – junior Sydney Bard (#11), freshman Katie Chan (#15), and senior Rosy Demers (#81) – each have 2 goals and 7 assists.

Sophomore Kayle Osborne (#31) has seen a majority of the Raiders' action between the pipes this season, posting one shutout, a 1.34 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in her 6 starts; she also played in all 23 of the team's games last season, starting 22 of them and earning 2 shutouts. Freshman Hannah Murphy (#83) has only yielded one goal in two full games for a 0.50 GAA and .955 SV%. Fellow freshman Averill McCorkle (#30) has yet to see any action.

Last weekend: Raiders sweep Syracuse – Colgate never trailed in their home-and-home series against the Orange, winning in Hamilton last Thursday night, 7-1, and completing the weekend sweep at Syracuse with a 5-2 victory on Saturday. Danielle Serdachny scored three goals in the series, Sammy Smigliani lit the lamp twice in the opener, and Dara Greig (1g, 3a) and Rosy Demers (4a) each recorded a 4-point weekend. Hannah Murphy started the series, stopping 14 of 15 shots, while Kayle Osborne made 15 saves in the rematch. Madison Primeau tallied two goals and an assist for Syracuse.

Gophers sweep Minnesota State – Minnesota's power play converted on 3 of 4 opportunities on Friday against the Mavericks at Ridder Arena; Madeline Wethington opened the scoring in the first period, Gracie Ostertag doubled the lead in the second stanza, and Taylor Heise extended it early in the third frame. That was all the Gophers needed, as Makayla Pahl started between the pipes and stopped all 14 shots on goal she faced for a 3-0 shutout victory. Moving to Mankato for the second game of the series, Ostertag netted her second PPG of the weekend, Savannah Norcross tallied her first goal as a Golden Gopher, and Peyton Hemp and Amy Potomak extended the Gopher lead to 4-0 early in the second period. MSU's Sydney Langseth and Kennedy Bobyck cut the Mavericks' deficit in half, but Potomak converted a steal into her second goal of the game and Emily Oden lit the lamp in the third stanza for a 6-2 victory and the series sweep. Pahl earned the win with 9 saves in two periods of work; Skylar Vetter entered for the final 20 minutes and stopped the two shots she faced. Minnesota State netminder Calla Frank made a combined 87 saves in the series. Ella Huber led all Gophers in total scoring, dishing out 4 assists over the weekend, Ostertag and Potomak each added an assist for 3-point series, and Madeline Wethington recorded 2 assists to go with her goal. Additionally, Emily Zumwinkle tallied her first collegiate point, assisting on Potomak's first goal.

Pahl earns Goaltender, Performance of the Week honors

Making her season debut this past weekend, GWH junior netminder Makayla Pahl stopped a combined 23 shots in 5 periods of action against Minnesota State including a 14-save shutout on Friday, posting a .920 save percentage and 1.21 goals-against average for the series. That earned her the honor as the WCHA Goaltender of the Week, the first such award of Pahl's collegiate career and also the first recognition of the season for any Gopher player. The conference followed that up by further recognizing Pahl's weekend showing as the Howie's Hockey Tape Performance of the Week. Congratulations, Makayla!!

Around the WCHA...

Recent action: St. Thomas defeated St. Cloud State on Friday, 3-2, for their second win of the season; Saskia Maurer stopped 39 of 41 shots and Megan Korzack scored the game-winning goal. But the Huskies earned two standings points of their own on Saturday, playing the Tommies to a 2-2 overtime tie and winning the subsequent shootout on a 7th-round goal from Allie Cornelius. UST's Anna Solheim led all players in the series with a goal and two assists.

Ohio State remained perfect on the season, sweeping Bemidji State 7-0 and 3-1 in Columbus, outshooting the Beavers by a combined 80-27. Gabby Rosenthal posted a natural hat trick on Friday and added a 4th goal on Saturday, while Jennifer Gardiner recorded two goals and three assists in the series. Taylor Nelson tallied the lone BSU goal of the weekend.

Makenna Webster lit the lamp twice as Wisconsin shut out Minnesota Duluth on Friday, 3-0. In Sunday's rematch, Anna Klein scored twice to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, Sarah Wozniewicz lit the lamp twice for the Badgers to knot the score 2-2 at the second intermission, and the teams exchanged third-period goals – with UMD's Elizabeth Giguere finding the back of the net twice to erase a pair of one-goal UW leads – to finish regulation tied 4-4. However, Casey O'Brien netted her 11th goal of the season 23 seconds into the extra period for a 5-4 Wisconsin victory.

Upcoming games – Bemidji State is in non-conference action, hosting Clarkson on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Four other WCHA teams are in Saturday-Sunday matinee series as Minnesota Duluth visits St. Thomas and Wisconsin hosts Ohio State; Sunday's OSU-UW contest can be seen live on Big Ten Network at 3 p.m. CT. Minnesota State and St. Cloud State are idle.

Power Play Club

October 13, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Power Play Club

October 13, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, October 13th

Traffic alert Friday evening...

All fans coming to Friday's Gopher Women's Hockey game should note that automotive and pedestrian traffic will be high around the university as the Gopher Men's Hockey team is also in action, hosting in-state rival St. Cloud State at 3M Arena at Mariucci at 7:00 p.m. Please allow for extra travel and parking time before the women's game at Ridder Arena at 6:00 p.m.

#5/6 Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-3-0, 1-3-0-0 in WCHA)
vs. Minnesota State Mavericks (5-1-0, 1-1-0-0 in WCHA)

Friday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Ridder Arena

Saturday, October 16 at 4:00 p.m. CT
Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Mankato

The Minnesota Women's Hockey team plays the first of six home-and-home series on its 2021-2022 schedule, facing the Minnesota State University Mavericks. Action begins on Friday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. at Ridder Arena, then shifts to Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato for the second game on Saturday, October 16 at 4:00 p.m.

Last year against the Mavericks – As schedules flexed due to COVID-19 restrictions and postponements, Minnesota and Minnesota State were able to schedule a home-and-home series last December. Starting at Ridder Arena, Abigail Boreen put the Gophers up 1-0 with a first-period goal, and that remained the score through the second intermission. Olivia Knowles doubled the advantage 2:21 into the third stanza, but Sydney Langseth pulled the Mavericks back within one at the 5:34 mark. However, Boreen netted her second goal of the game four minutes later, and Grace Zumwinkle and Taylor Heise both lit the lamp over the next 72 seconds. Lauren Bench made a total of 40 saves to preserve a 5-1 victory. The next day in Mankato, Audrey Wethington again gave the Gophers a first-period lead and Zumwinkle doubled it in the second frame. Brittyn Fleming got MSU on the board 29 seconds before the second intermission, but the Gopher defense held the Mavericks to 5 third-period shots on goal, with Makalya Pahl stopping all of them to earn a 2-1 win and the series sweep. Pahl made 18 saves in the contest. Mavericks goaltender Lauren Barbro stopped a combined 52 shots over the two games. Crystalyn Hengler dished out 3 assists in the series.

Analyzing Minnesota State – The Mavericks finished the abbreviated 2020-2021 season fifth in the WCHA standings with a 33.3% standings points percentage (20 points in 20 games), going 7-2-1-0 in 10 contests against Bemidji State and St. Cloud State, but 0-10-0-0 against Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. They have started the 2021-2022 campaign with a 5-1-0 record on two non-conference series sweeps and a split against Minnesota Duluth two weekends ago. With their recent results, MSU has been receiving votes in both national polls.

MSU's offense has clicked for the most part this season, scoring 29 goals in their 5 victories. Senior Brittyn Fleming (#19) leads the Mavericks in total scoring with 12 points on 3 goals and a team-high 9 assists. Junior Kelsey King (#10) went on a scoring tear last weekend (more on that momentarily); she has a team-leading 7 goals this year plus 3 assists for 10 points. Senior Brooke Bryant (#17) has lit the lamp 4 times while dishing out 2 assists, and Charlotte Akervik (#8) has 9 points on 2 goals and 7 assists.

In the net, junior Calla Frank (#77) leads Minnesota State; she is 4-1-0 this season despite a .865 save percentage and 3.39 goals-against average; entering the year, she was 12-18-4 in 34 career starts with 4 shutouts, a .911 SV% and 2.68 GAA. Sophomore Lauren Barbro (#37) is the primary backup; in her freshman season, she was 1-2-0 in 3 starts with one relief appearance, posting an .866 SV% and 3.57 GAA, and she stopped 27 shots with 3 goals allowed in her lone start to far this year. Sophomore Emerald Kelley (#55) is MSU's third goaltender, but she has yet to see any official action.

Last weekend: Mavericks sweep wild series vs. Lindenwood – Minnesota State found itself down 2-0 at the first intermission against Lindenwood last Friday afternoon in Mankato, but Kelsey King responded with a second-period natural hat trick to give the Mavs a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes. In the third stanza, King added an assist on Charlotte Akervik's goal before tallying her fourth of the game on a power play. Jessica Boland completed the scoring for a 6-2 victory, with Brittyn Fleming & Kennedy Bobyck each recording 3 assists. Saturday's rematch saw the Mavericks take a 5-1 lead through two periods; Clair Butorac lit the lamp twice, Fleming recorded a goal and an assist, and King tallied her 6th & 7th points of the series with a couple of helpers. However, the Lions roared back (pun intended) in the third period with 5-straight goals – including two by Sydney Rarick, a goal & an assist by Val Caldwell, and three assists from Sierra Burt – to go ahead 6-5 lead with 4:39 to play. But Sydney Langseth pulled Minnesota State even with 3:25 to go to force overtime, then won it for the Mavericks, scoring 1:02 into the extra period for the 7-6 decision. King was named WCHA Forward of the Week, while Alexis Paddington earned the Rookie of the Week honor with 2 assists. Calla Frank earned both wins in net for Minnesota State, making a combined 35 saves.

Gophers split with Minnesota Duluth, earn 4 points – In their first road test of the season, Minnesota took a 2-0 lead 20 minutes into its series at Minnesota Duluth; Audrey Wethington tipped home a shot by Peyton Hemp, then assisted on Ella Huber's first goal as a Golden Gopher later in the period. Elizabeth Giguere cut UMD's deficit in half in the second stanza, but the Gopher defense held firm in the third and Emily Oden launched a long shot that found the back of an empty net with 1:18 to play for a 3-1 Minnesota victory. The Gophers also got on the board first in Saturday's rematch when Taylor Heise scored just 39 seconds into the contest, but Gabbie Hughes scored twice on Bulldogs' power plays and Mannon McMahon lit the lamp with less than 20 seconds remaining in the period to give UMD a 3-1 lead at the first intermission. Anna Klein pushed the Minnesota Duluth lead to 4-1 just past the midway point of the second period, but Oden pulled the Gophers back within two just 27 seconds later. In the third, the Gophers put 20 shot on Bulldogs goaltender Emma Söderberg, with Abigail Boreen scoring to make a 4-3 contest with 3:38 left in regulation; Boreen then knotted the score with an extra attacker and 31.5 seconds on the clock to force overtime. But UMD controlled the puck for much of the extra period and Maggie Flaherty scored at the 2:09 mark to give the Bulldogs the 5-4 win and the split. Despite the result officially being a loss, Minnesota earned a standing point for taking the game to OT, giving them 4 points for the series. Boreen dished out an assist to go with her two goals, Hemp had three helpers on Saturday to give her 4 for the weekend, Heise also tallied a pair of assists to accompany her goal, and Lauren Bench made 42 saves in the series. For Minnesota Duluth, Hughes had an assist to go with her two goals, Giguere dished out 3 assists on Saturday accompanying her goal Friday, and Söderberg stopped 52 shots.

PWHPA All-Stars vs. U.S. National Team scrimmage update

As was announced on Saturday and shared in our Two-Minute Minor email on Monday, the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association has assembled the Secret® All-Star Team which will be scrimmaging against the U.S. National Team tomorrow, Friday, and Sunday (October 14, 15 & 17). Unfortunately, a report from the Ice Garden indicates that the scrimmages will be closed to the public and will not have any live streaming, though the PWHPA does plan on providing live updates on its Twitter account. Gopher alumnae Sarah Potomak and Sydney Scobee were named to the Secret® All-Star Team, while Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle are training with the U.S. National Team.

Around the WCHA...

Recent action: Wisconsin sweeps St. Cloud State – Daryl Watts posted a 7-point series with 4 goals and 3 assists, Makenna Webster added 2 goals & 4 assists, Casey O'Brien recorded a goal and 3 assists, and Kennedy Blair was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week after stopping 36 of 37 shots as the Badgers cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 sweep of the Huskies in Madison. Allie Cornelius' goal for SCSU on Sunday broke up Blair's shutout streak of 242 minutes, 10 seconds.

Upcoming games – All eight teams are in conference action this weekend. Wisconsin and UMD kick things off in Duluth with a noon game on Friday, followed by a Sunday afternoon rematch. St. Cloud State and St. Thomas will play a home-and-home series, Friday afternoon in Mendota Heights and Saturday afternoon in St. Cloud. Meanwhile, Bemidji State is making the trip east to Columbus to face Ohio State on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.

Power Play Club

October 11, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor - Monday, October 11, 2021

Power Play Club

October 11, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Monday, October 11th

Chalk Talks, GWH decals highlight PPC membership benefits

The first Chalk Talk of the season with a member of the Gopher Women's Hockey coaching staff is scheduled for Saturday, November 13, at 2:30 p.m., prior to the second game of the series against RIT. The Chalk Talk is an exclusive event for Power Play Club members registered for the 2021-2022 season.

Our Gopher Women's Hockey vinyl decals are back as a benefit for registered Power Play Club members in the 2021-2022 season. Those who have not yet picked up a decal can do so at the PPC table during pregame or either intermission of any Gopher home game!! (Limit one decal per registered membership -- thank you!)

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, with online registration at give.umn.edu/giveto/powerplayclub (click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions) and an offline option using the downloadable form here (which should be mailed to the listed address with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota").

Our Locker Sponsorship tier is also still open. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker of a GWH player or coach, and the donor will have an opportunity to meet with that player/coach over Zoom. A minimum $600 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

Ostertag named as recipient of PPC Scholarship for 2021-2022

The Golden Gopher Fund announced that GWH defender Gracie Osterag is the recipient of the Power Play Club Scholarship for a second-consecutive year. The senior assistant captain from Shakopee intends to major in Business and Marketing Education. In 84 career games played, Ostertag has 19 points on one goal and 18 assists. Congratulations, Gracie!!

We also send broader congratulations to the other scholarship recipients among the Gopher Women's Hockey team and all of University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics. The list of 2021-2022 scholarship recipients can be found here.

Gopher alumnae Schammel, Lorence sign with MN Whitecaps

The Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation announced on Thursday that Gopher alumna Nicole Schammel signed with the team for the 2021-2022 season. Schammel was a member of the Whitecaps in 2019-2020, recording 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 22 regular-season games.

The Whitecaps followed that up with the announcement Friday that former Gopher Meghan Lorence re-signed for a third-consecutive season, after posting 25 points on 10 goals and 15 assists over 28 total regular-season games her first two years in the league.

We send congratulations and wishes of continued good luck to both Nicole & Meghan!!

S. Potomak, Scobee named to PWHPA All-Stars team;
scrimmages scheduled against U.S. National Team this week

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) announced Thursday the formation of the Secret® All-Star Team, which “will compete throughout the season against various women’s national teams leading up to the 2022 Winter Olympics.”

The PWHPA followed on Saturday with announcement that the All Stars will scrimmage against the U.S. Women's National Team at the Super Rink in Blaine (MN) this coming Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (October 14, 15 & 17). The All-Star Team roster for the scrimmages includes Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Sarah Potomak and Sydney Scobee.

The scrimmages are scheduled for 7 p.m. on the 14th & 15th, and at 12:30 p.m. on the 17th, but at this time it is unknown if spectators will be allowed in to watch. We will share any additional information on our social media accounts as it becomes available.

WCHA announces two games to be televised on B1G Network;
Time changed for December 11 game between Gophers & UMD

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced Wednesday the two league games which will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network, including the December 11th contest between the Golden Gophers and Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Ridder Arena.

The announcement of the television coverage also included a time change for the Gophers-Bulldogs matchup. Puck drop for that game is now scheduled for 3:30 p.m., a half-hour earlier than its previously-listed start time. There is a Power Play Club Chalk Talk planned that day; it will also start a half-hour earlier, at 2:00 p.m. We will send out reminders of the time changes as the game approaches.

The Minnesota-UMD game will be the second of the televised contests, as the game on Sunday, October 24 between Ohio State and Wisconsin in Madison will also be broadcast. It is scheduled for a 3 p.m. CT faceoff.

Power Play Club

October 7, 2021

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Power Play Club

October 7, 2021

Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, October 6th

Pregame gatherings Friday & Saturday in Duluth

With spectators back in the stands, we're hoping to see many of you making the trek to the North Shore for this weekend's GWH series against UMD. To that end, we also encourage you – as you are comfortable – to join us for some time of camaraderie prior to each game. We will be meeting at the Green Mill in Canal Park (340 S. Lake Ave) on Friday at 3:30 p.m., and then across the street at Old Chicago (327 S. Lake Ave) on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. See you there!!

Member-exclusive Chalk Talk – Saturday, November 13

With seven of Minnesota Women's Hockey's next eight games on the road, we provide a reminder that the first Chalk Talk of the season with a member of the team's coaching staff is scheduled for Saturday, November 13, at 2:30 p.m., prior to the second game of the series against RIT. The Chalk Talk is an exclusive event for Power Play Club members registered for the 2021-2022 season.

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, with online registration at give.umn.edu/giveto/powerplayclub (click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions) and an offline option using the downloadable form here (which should be mailed to the listed address with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota").

Our Locker Sponsorship tier is also still open. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker of a GWH player or coach, and the donor will have an opportunity to meet with that player/coach over Zoom. A minimum $600 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

#5/6 Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-2-0)
at #6/7 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (1-1-0)
Friday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 9 at 3:00 p.m. CT
AMSOIL Arena, Duluth

The Minnesota Women's Hockey team heads out on the road for the first time in the 2021-2022 season, traveling north to face long-time rival Minnesota Duluth at AMSOIL Arena. The Gophers and Bulldogs square off on Friday, October 8, at 6:00 p.m. CT and continue on Saturday, October 9, at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Last year against the Bulldogs – The Gophers spotted UMD a 2-0 first-intermission lead in the opening game of their series at AMSOIL Arena last November on goals by Anna Klein and Kylie Hanley. However, the visitors from the Twin Cities tallied the next six goals and held the Bulldogs to only one more, resulting in a weekend sweep for the Gophers, 4-2 and 2-1. Abigail Boreen lit the lamp two minutes into the second stanza. Still trailing 2-1 with 8 minutes to play, Abbey Murphy knotted the score with her first collegiate goal, Anne Cherkowski put the Gophers ahead with 2:17 to go, and Catie Skaja added an empty-netter on a shot from her own zone. In the rematch, Emily Brown opened the scoring in the first period and Emily Oden added a power-play marker late in the second frame. Ashton Bell cut the Bulldogs' deficit in half midway through the third period, but Lauren Bench and the Gopher defense prevented an equalizer to preserve the win. Murphy, Skaja, and Oden each had an assist to go with their respective goals. Stopping 57 of 60 shots over the two-game series, Bench earned the honor as WCHA Goaltender of the Week. UMD's Emma Söderberg made 64 saves.

Analyzing Minnesota Duluth – Earning points in their final 8 regular-season games last year (6 wins and 2 overtime losses), the Bulldogs finished second in the 2020-2021 WCHA standings, but were crushed 7-2 by Ohio State in the conference semifinals. Earning an NCAA quarterfinal berth, they shut out Colgate 1-0 in overtime, but fell to Northeastern in the national semifinals, 3-2 in OT. The Bulldogs return with 12 players listed as seniors or 5th years for the 2021-2022 season, but also with 6 freshmen on their roster.

Top blueliner Ashton Bell is centralized with the Canada Women's National Team heading toward the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, but 5th-year forward Anna Klein (#19) returns after leading UMD in all three scoring categories last season with 11 goals, 11 assists, and 22 points. Senior Gabbie Hughes (#17) is also back after tallying 21 points on 10 goals and 11 assists. Sophomore Clara Van Wieren (#25) and seniors Naomi Rogge (#9) & Taylor Anderson (#5) each posted 11 points in 2020-2021; Van Wieren recorded 7 goals and 4 assists, while Rogge and Anderson each scored 4 goals with 7 assists. But the most notable new player to the team is 2020 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Élizabeth Giguère (#8), who transferred from Clarkson after leading the Golden Knights with 23 points on 9 goals and 14 assists last year.

Between the pipes, senior Emma Söderberg (#30) is Minnesota Duluth's primary netminder, starting all 19 games last season; for her career, she's 16-8-0 with 6 shutouts, a .940 save percentage, and a 1.62 goals-against average. Sophomore Jojo Chobak (#31) saw only two relief appearances as a freshman, stopping 26 of 29 shots in a combined 52 minutes of action. Freshman Holly Gruber (#35) joins the team this year.

Last weekend: Bulldogs split with Minnesota State – UMD erupted in their season opener on the road against Minnesota State; Naomi Rogge led all players with 4 points on 2 goals and 2 assists, Gabbie Hughes (2g, 1a), Anna Klein (1g, 2a), & Élizabeth Giguère (3a) each tallied 3 points, and Emma Söderberg needed only 14 saves to shutout the Mavericks, 7-0. But Söderberg yielded 3 goals on 20 shots in the rematch, with MSU's Madison Mashuga scoring a power play goal and adding an assist and Brittyn Fleming dishing out 3 helpers. Lizi Norton & Giguère scored for the Bulldogs, but Mavericks goaltender Calla Frank stopped the other 24 shots she faced for a 4-2 win and a weekend split.

Gophers swept by Ohio State – The opening of the 25th season of Minnesota Women's Hockey saw the Gophers on the wrong end of a series sweep, falling to Ohio State, 4-2 and 4-1, at Ridder Arena. The Gophers did start off on the right foot when Peyton Hemp tallied her first goal in the Maroon & Gold 5:34 into the game on Friday night, but Clair DeGeorge knotted the score for the Buckeyes on a power play later in the first period. OSU took control in the second stanza when Jenna Buglioni gave them the lead and DeGeorge netted her second of the game for a 3-1 advantage. Taylor Heise pulled the Gophers within one late, scoring with an extra attacker with 2:03 to play, but Paetyn Levis tallied into an empty net for the Buckeyes 51 seconds later. Emily Brown assisted on both Gopher goals. In the rematch, Ohio State built a 3-0 lead after two periods, with Sophie Jaques converting twice on power plays and Jennifer Gardiner also lighting the lamp. Amy Potomak scored on a third-period breakaway with a between-the-legs goal to cut the Gopher defecit to 3-1, but Buglioni responded with an insurance goal for OSU. Jaques was named WCHA Defender of the Week, while OSU's Andrea Braendli earned the WCHA Goaltender of the Week honor after stopping 62 of 65 shots. Lauren Bench made 22 saves for Minnesota on Friday night, while Skylar Vetter stopped 27 shots in her collegiate debut on Saturday.

Professional and international team updates...

Marshall, Woken sign with Whitecaps – Gopher alumnae Patti Marshall and Alex Woken are returning to the U.S. to play professionally, signing locally with the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation as was announced yesterday. Both players were 2020 draft picks of the Whitecaps but played in Europe last season; Marshall posted seven goals and nine assists (regular-season and playoffs combined) with Brynäs IF in Sweden, while Woken tallied a team-leading 28 points on 19 goals and 9 assists for Mad Dogs Mannheim in Germany. We congratulate and wish good luck to both Patti and Alex in this new opportunity!

USA vs. Canada coming to St. Paul in December – USA Hockey announced yesterday that the My Why Tour is headed to Xcel Energy Center on Monday, December 20. The tour, presented by Toyota, features the U.S. Women's National Team against Canada as both teams prepare for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. Currently, 8 Gopher representatives – Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle – are participating in the USWNT Residency Program.

Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Friday, October 15, at 10 a.m. CT.

Around the WCHA...

Recent action: St. Thomas earns first D-I win in split with Bemidji State – The BSU Beavers opened their regular season with a 3-0 shutout on the road at St. Thomas; Paige Beebe scored twice in the first period, and Kerigan Dowhy stopped all 31 shots she faced. However, the Tommies came back from being a goal down in the rematch to earn their first win as a Division I program; Maija Almich knotted the score 1-1 in the second period, Luci Bianchi lit the lamp with 6:54 remaining, and Saskia Maurer stopped 28 of 29 shots in her collegiate debut to preserve the 2-1 victory.

Elsewhere in the league... Wisconsin's Makenna Webster and Sarah Wozniewicz earned conference honors as Forward & Rookie of the Week, respectively, as the Badgers blanked Merrimack, 4-0 and 5-0; Webster posted a 7-point series with 2 goals & 5 assists, Wozniewicz lit the lamp twice, Casey O'Brien netted her 7th, 8th, and 9th goals of the season while dishing out two assists, and Kennedy Blair needed only 29 saves combined to earn both shutouts. Meanwhile, St. Cloud State swept the visiting Lindenwood Lions by a pair of 4-2 scores; Emma Gentry lit the lamp twice on Friday, and Taylor Lind posted a goal and 3 assists in the series.

Upcoming games – The league schedule features two matinee series. Minnesota State hosts Lindenwood in non-conference action on Friday and Saturday afternoon, while St. Cloud State visits Wisconsin on Saturday and Sunday. Bemidji State, Ohio State, and St. Thomas are idle.

Power Play Club

September 29, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor - Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Power Play Club

September 29, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, September 29th

Goals for a Goal returns; MN Women's Hockey t-shirts available

The “Goals for a Goal” campaign returns as a Power Play Club-sponsored program for the 2021-2022 season, raising money to support Gopher Women's Hockey. The campaign is pledge-driven based on the number of goals scored by the Gophers throughout the regular season.

Details for the new season are still being finalized, and we will begin taking pledges in mid-October. That said, the goals scored in this weekend's series against Ohio State and next weekend at Minnesota Duluth will be counted in the total for end-of-season remittance.

A limited number of our Minnesota Women's Hockey / Power Play Club t-shirts are available for purchase as we roll into the GWH program's 25th season. Short-sleeved shirts are available for $12 apiece in adult sizes S and XL-4XL. Long-sleeved shirts are $20 apiece in sizes XL, 3XL and 4XL. Please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org if you are interested in making a purchase or go to the “Shop” on this website.

Gophers, Whitecaps duo Lorence & Leveille join coaching ranks

Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae and recent Minnesota Whitecaps players Meghan Lorence and Amanda Leveille both joined the high school coaching ranks, being named to the staff of the Roseville Raiders girls hockey team. We send our congratulations and wishes of good luck as they start this new journey!

NWHL rebrands as Premier Hockey Federation – Catching up on news from earlier this month, the National Women's Hockey League announced on September 7 that it was rebranding as the Premier Hockey Federation ahead of its seventh season. As noted in the press release, new PHF digital components such as website addresses and social media handles are expected soon, with the season beginning Saturday, November 6.

Olympic game schedule, 2022 World Championship announced

News also came through from the international game recently. First, the men's and women's game schedules for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, were announced last Thursday, September 23. The women's tournament will begin on February 3 and continue through Feb. 17, featuring 10 teams for the first time in Olympic play. The top 6 teams in the world rankings – USA, Canada, Finland, Russia, Switzerland, and Japan – are automatically entered, as are the hosts from China; the remaining three spots will be filled by the winners of qualifying tournaments taking place November 11-14.

With eight Gopher Women's Hockey representatives vying for roster spots on the U.S. Women's Olympic Team, we share their preliminary-round game schedule.

Thursday, Feb. 3 vs. Finland – 9:10 pm local time / 7:10 am US Central Time
Saturday, Feb. 5 vs. Russia – 9:10 pm local time / 7:10 am US Central Time
Sunday, Feb. 6 vs. Switzerland – 9:10 pm local time / 7:10 am US Central Time
Tuesday, Feb. 8 vs. Canada – 12:10 pm local time / Feb. 7 at 10:10 pm US Central

All four games will be played at the Wukesong Sport Center.

2022 IIHF Women's World Championship approved with August schedule – The Olympic schedule announcement followed news released Wednesday, September 22, that “the 2021 IIHF Semi-Annual and General Congress approved a change in the IIHF Statutes & Bylaws to allow the top-level IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship to be played annually including in Olympic years.” It was also announced that the 2022 tournament would be played in August, and that the Danish Ice Hockey Union has applied to serve as tournament host.

Power Play Club

September 28, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Power Play Club

September 28, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, September 28th

Important Notices:

Reminder of University of Minnesota face mask policy

We kindly remind our fellow Gopher Women's Hockey fans that all University of Minnesota faculty, staff, students, and visitors are required to wear a well-fitted face mask which covers the wearer’s nose and mouth, wraps under the chin, and does not have any noticeable gaps at all times when in any enclosed or indoor space on University campuses and properties – including Ridder Arena – regardless of vaccination status. For more information and a list of exceptions, visit the U.'s “Safe Campus” Face Covering Protocol page.

Traffic alert Saturday; Tour of Ridder Arena postponed

All fans coming to Saturday's Gopher Women's Hockey game should note that automotive and pedestrian traffic will be high around the university as the Gopher Men's Hockey team is also in action, with their game at 3M Arena at Mariucci starting at 2:30 p.m. Please allow for extra travel and parking time before the women's game at Ridder Arena at 3:00 p.m.

Also due to the game at Mariucci, Saturday's Tour of Ridder Arena (announced during last week's Chalk Talk) has been postponed and tentatively rescheduled for November 20 before the GWH game against St. Cloud State. We thank you for your understanding.

PPC member registration continues as season begins

As the 25th season of Gopher Women's Hockey gets underway, registration continues for Power Play Club membership as we emphasize our goals of raising money to support the team and building a bigger fan base.

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, and includes exclusive access to our three in-person Chalk Talk events. Online registration is preferred at give.umn.edu/giveto/powerplayclub; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. To register offline, download the form here and send it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

Also consider sponsoring a GWH player’s or coach's locker this season through our top membership tier. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker, and the donor will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s) over Zoom. A minimum $600 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

Watch for a Two-Minute Minor email
with more announcements later this week!!

SEASON OPENER!!

#4/5 Minnesota Golden Gopher vs. #3/3 Ohio State Buckeyes
Friday, October 1 at 7:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 2 at 3:00 p.m. CT
Ridder Arena

For the first time since the 2020 WCHA Final Faceoff, fans will be back at Ridder Arena to watch Gopher Women's Hockey as the team hosts a top-five matchup against the third-ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes. The puck drops to start the action on Friday, October 1, at 7:00 p.m. CT and continues on Saturday, October 2, at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Last year against the Buckeyes – Minnesota and Ohio State met for a rare six games in the regular-season. The teams split the first four contests; in Minneapolis in November, the Gophers won 4-0 but the Buckeyes responded with a 2-1 victory, and in Columbus in January, Minnesota again won the opener, 7-4, before Ohio State earned a split with a 3-1 decision. OSU took the season series by sweeping the fifth and sixth games, 2-1 and 3-2, at Ridder Arena in February.

Grace Zumwinkle led the Gophers with 5 goals and an assist, but Abigail Boreen was the only other Minnesota player with multiple goals against the Buckeyes, netting 3. Taylor Heise recorded a goal and 4 assists, while Emily Oden added a goal and 3 helpers. Emma Maltais recorded 3 goals and 5 assists for Ohio State, while Liz Schepers also lit the lamp 3 times while dishing out 2 assists and Tatum Skaggs added two goals and three assists. Between the pipes, Minnesota's Lauren Bench went 2-2 for Minnesota with a .929 save percentage and 2.29 goals-against average, while Makayla Pahl posted a .951 SV% and 2.05 GAA but took two losses; for Ohio State, Andrea Braendli was 3-2 with an .892 SV% and 2.63 GAA, and Amanda Thiele earned a win in her only start against the Gophers, stopping 29 of 30 shots (.967 SV%).

Analyzing Ohio State – The Buckeyes have gone with experience for the 2021-2022 season, bringing in 7 players transferring from other programs but only two new freshmen. They look to continue improving after trips to two of the past three NCAA Frozen Fours and their 2020 WCHA Tournament Championship.

Tatum Skaggs and Emma Maltais are no longer with the program after leading the team with 19 & 16 points, respectively, last season and over 100 points apiece for their collegiate careers. However, a trio of 15-point scorers – junior Jennifer Gardiner (#12), freshman Jenna Buglioni (#10), and graduate Liz Schepers (#21) – are back for the new season; Gardiner and Buglioni each recorded 8 goals and 7 assists last year, while Schepers tallied 6 goals and 9 assists. The team also added graduate transfers Clair DeGeorge (#14), Lexi Templeman (#22), and Emily Curlett (#26); DeGeorge led Bemidji State last season with 5 goals and 7 assists, Templeman was the top scorer at Robert Morris with 7 goals and 23 assists, and Curlett was RMU's top-scoring defender with 6 goals and 10 assists.

Andrea Braendli (#20) returns as the top goaltender for Ohio State after playing for Team Switzerland in the IIHF Women's World Championship last month; she has a collegiate 47-22-7 career record with 12 shutouts, a 1.91 goals-against average, and .930 save percentage. Junior Raygan Kirk (#1) is another transfer from Robert Morris, posting a 23-13-2 career record (with 3 no-decisions), 7 shutouts, a 2.00 GAA and .931 SV%. Sophomore Amanda Thiele (now wearing #30) is back after winning both of her two starts as a freshman last year, stopping 53 of a combined 55 shots in those two games plus one relief appearance. Junior Quinn Kuntz (#35) is the Buckeyes' fourth goaltender, having made two short relief appearances two season ago.

Last weekend: Buckeyes sweep St. Thomas – Ohio State and new Division I program St. Thomas met to open the season this past weekend in Columbus. The debuting Tommies held the Buckeyes scoreless through the first period of the season, but OSU erupted for four goals in the second period of the opener en route to a weekend sweep, 6-0 and 4-1. Fifteen different Buckeyes recorded at least a point in the series; Jenna Buglioni tallied two goals and two assists, while Paetyn Levis added a goal and two assists. Abby Promersberger scored St. Thomas' first-ever goal in D-I play, lighting the lamp in Saturday's second period. Andrea Braendli recorded a 16-save shutout for OSU on Friday, earning her WCHA Goaltender of the Week honors, while Amanda Thiele stopped 14 of 15 shots on Saturday; Alexa Dobchuk made a combined 93 saves for UST.

Analyzing the Gophers – Despite a perfect 9-0-0 record against Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, and St. Cloud State last season, Minnesota looks to rebound and improve after a 2-8-1 mark against Wisconsin and Ohio State kept them out of the NCAA Tournament.

The Gophers also look to make that improvement without their top two scorers from last season, as Grace Zumwinkle and Abbey Murphy are participating in the U.S. Women's National Team Residency program. A trio of senior forwards – Taylor Heise (#9), Emily Oden (#21), and Abigail Boreen (#22) – lead the way into 2021-2022; Heise had 16 points on 7 goals and 9 assists last year, Oden only lit the lamp twice but dished out a team-leading 12 assists, and Boreen had the most goals among returning players with 8 while adding 3 assists. Graduate defender and team captain Emily Brown (#2) also returns after tallying 12 points on 3 goals and 9 assists in 2020-2021.

In net, Lauren Bench (#35) has also returned to use her extra year of eligibility; she was 9-6-0 last season, her first with Minnesota, and has a career .913 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average. Junior Makayla Pahl (#33) saw action in 8 games as a sophomore, with 6 starts and a 2-2-1 record (with one no-decision); she has a 1.96 GAA and .927 SV% over her two years. Junior Olivia King (#1) has been limited to a single one-period relief appearance in Bemidji last February, stopping all 4 shots on goal she faced. Freshman Skylar Vetter (#31) joins the team after a stellar high school career with the Lakeville North boys team and gold & silver medals at the IIHF U18 Women's World Championship with Team USA.

Vetter is one of 9 new faces to the Gopher Women's Hockey roster and one of 7 incoming freshman. Senior Savannah Norcross (#27) transferred to Minnesota from Boston College after posting a team-leading 12 goals and 21 points last season for the Eagles. Graduate transfer Olivia Arkell (#11) comes to the Gophers from across town at Division III Hamline University, continuing to play for coaches Natalie Darwitz & Jake Bobrowski. Vetter is joined by Sadie Lindsay (#8), Emily Zumwinkle (#10), Peyton Hemp (#15), Emma Conner (#20), Tristana Tatur (#23), and Ella Huber (#26) in the freshman class; Hemp is the latest Minnesota Ms. Hockey award winner to become a Gopher, while Conner was the Star Tribune's Metro Player of the Year.

Around the WCHA...

Recent action – Casey O'Brien erupted for 6 goals in Wisconsin's opening series of the season, including a four-goal outburst on Saturday, as the Badgers crushed Lindenwood on the road, 8-1 and 10-0; Makenna Webster (2g, 4a) and Sophie Shirley (1g, 5a) each also had 6-point weekends, and Katie Kotlowski lit the lamp 3 times. Brooke Bryant recorded 3 goals and an assist, Claire Butorac added a goal and 3 assists, and Calla Frank posted a 16-save shutout on Friday as Minnesota State also swept a non-conference road series, defeating Merrimack 3-0 and 9-3. In exhibition play, St. Cloud State defeated Bemidji State 2-1 in overtime; Emma Gentry scored with 1:38 remaining in the 3-on-3 extra period.

Upcoming games – Three series will feature Friday evening and Saturday afternoon contests; Minnesota Duluth will open its season on the road at Minnesota State, St. Thomas hosts its first Division I home series against Bemidji State, and St. Cloud State opens its regular season at home with a non-conference matchup against Lindenwood. Meanwhile, Wisconsin will be the second-straight WCHA team to play a non-conference series at Merrimack, with matinee games Friday & Saturday afternoon.

Power Play Club

September 21, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Power Play Club

September 21, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, September 21st

Online Preseason Chalk Talk – TODAY (9/21) at 4:00 p.m. CT

With the Minnesota Women's Hockey season just 10 days away, we're providing an opportunity to hear from Coach Brad Frost at a preseason Chalk Talk this afternoon (Sept. 21) at 4:00 p.m. CT He will preview the year to come and the changes to the team, including nine new players in the Maroon & Gold. We may also be joined by other members of the GWH coaching staff.

We hope many of you will be able to join us on Zoom using this link, as we get ready for puck drop. We will also touch base on club-led fundraising efforts for this historic season.

2021-2022 PPC membership now open at all levels!!

To our fellow Gopher Women’s Hockey fans –

Registration to the Power Play Club for the 2021-2022 season is now open AT ALL LEVELS! Join us to support Gopher Women's Hockey as it enters its 25th season of competition and the 20th year playing at Ridder Arena!

As the official booster association of Gopher Women’s Hockey, the Power Play Club seeks to:

Build a bigger fan base.
Raise money to support the Gopher Women’s Hockey team.
Enrich the hockey experience at Ridder Arena (and at away games!).
Provide opportunities for member fun.

The Power Play Club is continuing its partnership with the Golden Gopher Fund on all fundraising efforts, with the GGF managing the club's membership enrollment again this season. Starting this year, all membership donations are 100% tax deductible while still counting toward the $1,000 minimum Gopher Athletics giving threshold for Ridder Arena Club Room access.

Last season we consolidated our number of member levels from four down to two. Those two levels remain for the 2021-2022 year as follows...

Locker Sponsor level – Please consider sponsoring a GWH player’s or coach's locker this season through our top membership tier. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker, and the donor will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s) over Zoom. A minimum $600 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. Our goal for the 2021-2022 season is to have two Locker Sponsorships for each GWH player and coach. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Exclusive access to our three in-person Chalk Talk events is included.

Online registration is preferred at give.umn.edu/giveto/powerplayclub; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. To register offline, download the form here and send it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

As a Power Play Club member, you will have the opportunity to experience women’s hockey on a more personal level as you develop friendships with other fans, coaches and players. Your membership provides support and encouragement for the University of Minnesota Women’s Hockey Team players in their quest for academic and athletic excellence.

Gophers announce plans for program's 25th season!!

The University of Minnesota has announced plans honoring the history of Gopher Women's Hockey as the team enters its 25th year of competition on Friday, October 1 at Ridder Arena.

As noted in the press release and displayed here, a commemorative logo paying homage to the Gophers' 25th season and seven national championships will be used throughout the year. The logo will be displayed on merchandise available for purchase, and on signage throughout Ridder Arena. Some initial 25th season items are already available for purchase online; see the U.'s announcement for details.

Top 25 GWH Moments & 25th-season Celebration Game – As the season progresses, the top-25 moments in Gopher Women's Hockey history will be revealed, beginning with No. 25 being unveiled during the opener at Ridder Arena and on social media on October 1. The countdown will continue down to moment #1, which will be shared during the 25th Season Celebration Game on Saturday, February 5, against Bemidji State. More details about that game will be shared as it approaches.

All-Time Fan Favorites Team – The program will also call on fans to submit a lineup of their favorite Gopher stars. More information on this will be announced at a later date.

Brown, Knowles, Heise & Ostertag named as team captains

Catching up on releated news, the Gopher Women's Hockey team announced on September 10 that Emily Brown, Olivia Knowles, Taylor Heise, and Gracie Ostertag have been selected as team captains for the 2021-2022 season.

Fifth-year players Brown and Knowles will serve as the squad's captains, while seniors Heise and Ostertag will be assistant captains. This season will be Brown's third wearing the captain's 'C', while Knowles was an assistant captain last year.

Gophers ranked 4th in both national preseason polls

The Gopher Women's Hockey team was ranked fourth in both the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine preseason poll last Tuesday and the USCHO preseason poll released yesterday. The Gophers find themselves tied with WCHA rival Minnesota Duluth in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll while just edging out the Bulldogs for the fourth position in the USCHO poll.

Wisconsin tops both rankings, garnering 18 of the 19 first-place votes in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll and 13 of the 15 first-place votes in the USCHO poll. Northeastern is the only non-WCHA program in the top five in either ranking, placing second in both and picking up the remaining first-place votes. Both polls list Ohio State third, Colgate sixth, Boston College seventh, and Cornell eighth. Princeton and Penn State round out the top ten in both rankings, though the Tigers are ninth in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll while the Nittany Lions hold the #9 spot in the USCHO poll.

Gophers, St. Cloud State to play U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Game – The WCHA league game between Minnesota and St. Cloud State at Ridder Arena on Saturday, November 20, has been designated as the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic. The Gophers are the defending Face-Off Classic champions after defeating Minnesota State 4-0 at Dakotah! Ice Center in Prior Lake in December 2019.

As noted in the press release from the U., Gopher assistant coach – and 2018 inductee – Natalie Darwitz will be one of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame members acknowledged at the event.

Aound the WCHA – Action begins this weekend for 4 teams

While Minnesota, Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State are idle for one more weekend before starting their respective 2021-2022 campaigns, action begins this weekend for the other four Western Collegiate Hockey Association programs.

The St. Thomas Tommies will open their first season as a Division I team and WCHA member with a league series on the road, facing the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. Meanwhile, Minnesota State heads to the East Coast for a non-conference matchup against Merrimack, and Wisconsin travels south to face Lindenwood on the road.

All three series feature Friday evening and Saturday afternoon games. Game recaps will be posted to wcha.com, and we will provide links to them on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.