January 1, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Saturday, January 1st, 2022

January 1, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Saturday, January 1st

Gophers vs. Whitecaps exhibition game canceled;
time change for second half opener vs. St. Thomas on Jan. 8

The U. of M. published the following announcement last night:
The University of Minnesota women's hockey exhibition contest against the Minnesota Whitecaps on Tuesday, Jan. 4 has been canceled due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Whitecaps organization. The exhibition will not be rescheduled.

Minnesota is scheduled to start the second half of its season on Jan. 8 against the University of St. Thomas at Ridder Arena. Game time is set for 4 p.m., and will be televised on Bally Sports North.

Please note that the 4 p.m. start next Saturday is a time change to accommodate the television coverage.

Eight (8) Gophers Beijing-bound with U.S. Olympic Team!

Eight representatives of the U. of M. Women's Hockey program – Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle – have been named to the U.S. Women's Olympic Hockey Team roster for the upcoming 2022 Winter Games being held in Beijing, China!

The eight players have been members of USA Hockey's Women's Residency Program centralized since October, and account for more than one-third of the 23-member Olympic team roster announced earlier this evening. The U. of M. also published a press release here.

The Americans are looking to defend their gold medals after a 3-2 shootout victory in the 2018 Winter Games. In the My Why Tour schedule of games in pro-Olympic preparation in November and December, Team USA went 2-4 against their Canadian counterparts.

The Olympic Women's Hockey Tournament begins on Thursday, February 3, with the Gold Medal Game set for Thursday, February 17 (though starting late on Feb. 16 in the U.S. Central Time Zone). The Americans' schedule starts against Finland at 9:10 p.m. local time / 7:10 a.m. U.S. Central on February 3. The full schedule of games for all teams is available here.

GWH alumna Marvin announces retirement from USA Hockey

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Gigi Marvin announced her retirement from the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team Program on December 16, completing a 13-year international career with one gold and two silver Olympic medals, five IIHF Women's World Championship gold medals, and 4 Four Nations Cup titles. Marvin played in 126 games with U.S. national teams (at both the senior and U22 levels), recording 74 points on 24 goals and 50 assists.

Marvin currently sits tied for ninth in GWH program history in all three scoring categories, tallying 87 goals and 108 assists for 195 points. She played in 152 career games for Minnesota between 2005 and 2009.

Congratulations on a great career Gigi, and best wishes on your next adventure!

Multiple international games & tournaments cancelled

Prior to the cancellation of the Gophers' exhibition against the Whitecaps, a number of international hockey events were called off over the past 3 weeks due to ongoing concerns about and adhering to protocols for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final three games of the My Why Tour between the U.S. and Canada Women's National Hockey Teams were scrapped, including the December 20th game in St. Paul and two games in Alberta this coming week. Both teams are still preparing for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February.

Meanwhile, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced on December 24th that six January tournaments would be cancelled. Included in that list was the 2022 edition of the Women's Under-18 World Championship, marking the second-straight year that event will not be played.

The IIHF attempted to hold the 2022 Men's Under-20 World Championship – the "World Juniors" – in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. However, after positive COVID tests forced the forfeiture of three-straight games on the third and fourth days of the tournament, that event, too, was cancelled on December 29th. Additional positive tests from the participating teams, plus one from an on-ice official, were announced on December 30th.

Copyright © 2022 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

December 17, 2021

Penalty Box Post: Quick Hit - Thursday, December 16, 2021

Power Play Club

December 17, 2021

Penalty Box Post: Quick Hit
Thursday, December 16th

PBP Quick Hit - Thursday, December 16th

NCAA announces expansion of NC Women's Ice Hockey Championship to 11 teams effective for 2022 tournament

The NCAA's Division I Council yesterday (Wednesday, Dec. 15) approved the recommendations from the Division I Competition Oversight Committee to increase the Beach Volleyball Championship field to 16 teams and Women's Ice Hockey Championship to 11 teams. The expansion of the two tournaments will go into effect for the 2022 championships.

Quoting the press release from the organization:

The 2022 National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship will feature the top five seeds in the tournament receiving a first-round bye. The fifth-seeded team will play at the campus site of one of the top four seeds. Three first-round games will be played at the campus sites of three of the top four seeds in the tournament.

The winners of the first-round games will have a day off before playing in the quarterfinals. The tournament will stay on its current schedule since no weekends will be added with this format. The 2022 Women's Frozen Four is slated for March 18-20 at Penn State.

Minnesota currently sits 5th in both the DCU/USCHO and USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine national polls, and also 5th in the USCHO.com PairWise Rankings.

Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

December 15, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Power Play Club

December 15, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 15th

Goals for a Goal, overall fundraising campaign updates

Minnesota Women's Hockey heads into the holiday break with 77 goals scored so far this season, with 10 of those coming on the power play. Help us support the team's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season by making a pledge to our Goals for a Goal campaign, pledging a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason with the option to double your pledge for power play goals!

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

We thank our club members and our Give to the Max Day donors for their generosity. Combining our membership donations and monies collected on Give to the Max Day, we've raised more the $62K for the Minnesota Women's Hockey program this season! We're also not done, with the final Goals for a Goal amount to be factored in and our online auction planned for late January and early February.

Mid-season recap...

Gophers split with Minnesota Duluth – Minnesota tallied the first goal in each of its two games against UMD at Ridder Arena this past weekend, and also held a one-goal lead entering the third periods of both contests. However, the games differed after that. Following a top-shelf stick-side rocket by Catie Skaja in the second period on Friday to put the Gophers up 1-0 through 40 minutes, Gabbie Hughes and Naomi Rogge lit the lamp 97 seconds apart to put the Bulldogs up 2-1. Amy Potomak knotted the score with 8:53 left in regulation, but Elizabeth Giguere put Minnesota Duluth back ahead 42 seconds later. The Gophers could not find another equalizer, falling 3-2; UMD netminder Emma Söderberg made 29 saves, while Lauren Bench stopped 19 shots. In Saturday's rematch, Audrey Wethington and Peyton Hemp put Minnesota up 2-0 after the first period, but Gabbie Krause lit the lamp for Minnesota Duluth in the second period. However, Makalya Pahl made 12 saves in that stanza, 6 more in the final period, and 24 for the game to earn a 2-1 victory. Söderberg posted another 33 saves to bring her weekend total to 62. Potomak and Wethington each recorded an assist to accompany their respective goals, while Crystalyn Hengler dished out two helpers on Saturday.

Overall Analysis – Minnesota currently sits third in the WCHA standings with a 30 points, posting a 9-4-1-1 conference mark (0-1 in OT). They trail both Wisconsin and Ohio State, who sit in a first-place tie with 40 points apiece, though the Gophers have two games in hand over both. Minnesota was 5-1-0 in non-conference play for a 14-5-1 overall record.

Seven (7) different Gopher players have recorded double-digit points and the team's season-long scoring average is 3.85, which is fifth among all Division I teams. Though while 17 players have lit the lamp, Taylor Heise remains the only one with double-digit goals, recording 14. Heise also holds the team lead in the other two scoring categories, dishing out 17 assists for 31 total points. Abigail Boreen and Amy Potomak each have 8 goals apiece; Boreen also has 15 assists to sit second in total scoring with 23 points. Peyton Hemp, Catie Skaja, and Emily Oden have each netted 7 goals; Hemp is the team's third 20+ point scorer with 21, Skaja has 19 points, and Oden has 17. Potomak has 7 assists for 15 points, and Ella Huber has 10 points on 3 goals and 7 assists. Madeline Wethington is the top-scoring defenseman with 9 points on 3 goals and 6 assists.

The Gophers' scoring defense is still yielding less than two goals per game, but their 1.95 mark (39 goals in 20 games) is only third in the WCHA and tied for 11th in the NCAA. Graduate player Lauren Bench has seen the most action, going 5-3-1 in nine starts with a shutout, a 2.13 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. Junior Makayla Pahl is a perfect 6-0-0 in her starts, also recording one shutout; her 1.57 GAA and .926 SV% are both third among qualifying goaltenders in the WCHA. Freshman Skylar Vetter is 3-2-0 in her five starts, with a 1.94 GAA and a .913 SV%, while junior Olivia King stopped 10 of 11 shots over a combined 52 minutes of action in two appearances against RIT.

Minnesota's power-play conversion rate currently stands fifth among WCHA teams at 18.5% (10 of 54), while the penalty kill unit is fourth in the league at 83.1% (54 of 65). Taylor Heise has netted three short-handed goals for the Gophers, who have yet to allow any shorties on their own power play.

Exhibition reminder – Gophers vs. Whitecaps, January 4 – We provide a reminder that action resumes for the Gophers with an exhibition contest against the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation at Ridder Arena on Tuesday, January 4 at 7 p.m. The Whitecaps feature seven U. of M. alumnae on their roster: Chelsey Rosenthal, Winny Brodt-Brown, Alex Woken, Meghan Lorence, Nicole Schammel, Patti Marshall, and Amanda Leveille. Admission is free, with general admission seating for all seats. We hope to see many of you there.

Team USA, Canada resume pre-Olympic competition tonight (Wednesday,, Dec. 15)
Action comes to Xcel Energy Center next Monday night (Dec. 20)

USA Hockey's My Why Tour presented by Toyota, featuring Women's National Team games against the Canadian National Team, continues tonight, Wednesday, December 15, at the Centene Community Ice Center in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, with puck drop at 7 p.m. CT. The two teams will plan again on Friday, December 17, also at the Centene Community Ice Center at 7 p.m. CT. Both of those games will be televised live on NHL Network.

Following the games in St. Louis, the teams will relocate to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the seventh game of their series on Monday, December 20, at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, and the game will be televised on NBC Sports Network.

The series is currently tied at two wins apiece through the first four games, with each team earning victories on the other's ice. Canada took the two October games in Allentown, PA, and Harford, CT, by scores of 3-1 & 3-2, but Team USA returned the favor by winning the next two contests in Ontario last month, 3-2 (OT) & 2-0. Amanda Kessel and Lee Stecklein are the only Gopher representatives to record points so far; Kessel lit the lamp twice while Stecklein dished out one assist.

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Hannah Hogenson made a combined 97 saves and Lydia Passolt lit the lamp twice for Bemidji State, but Daryl Watts recorded 4 goals & two assists while Nicole LaMantia dished out 5 helpers to earn WCHA Forward & Defender of the Week honors, respectively, as Wisconsin earned a series sweep, winning 5-1 and 5-2.

Calla Frank was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week after stopping 51 of 52 shots, Brooke Bryant netted two goals, and Taylor Wemple and Brittyn Fleming each added a goal & an assist as Minnesota State swept St. Cloud State, 3-0 and 3-1. Allie Cornelius tallied the lone goal for the Huskies.

St. Thomas' Nicole Vallario recorded two goals & two assists to earn her second WCHA Rookie of the Week award of the season & Saskia Mauer made a combined 70 saves, but Lindenwood's Casey Adimey tallied 3 goals & an assist and Sena Takenaka added a goal & 3 assists as the Lions swept the Tommies in non-conference action, 4-3 (OT) and 4-1.

Upcoming games – This coming weekend features one WCHA series as Bemidji State hosts Minnesota State on Friday evening & Saturday afternoon (Dec. 17 & 18). New Year's weekend sees Minnesota Duluth travel to Boston for non-conference action against Harvard (Dec. 31 & Jan. 1), Wisconsin hosts Quinnipiac in a top-five battle (Jan. 1 & 2), and St. Cloud State plays in the Battle in the 'Burgh in Pennsylvania, facing Penn State on January 1 and either Boston University or Syracuse on January 2.

Standings: 1t. Wisconsin – 13-1-2-1, 2-0 in OT, 40 points (17-1-2 overall); Ohio State – 13-3-0-0, 0-1 in OT, 40 points (15-3-0 overall); 3. Minnesota – 9-4-1-1, 0-1 in OT, 30 points (14-5-1 overall); 4. Minnesota Duluth – 8-6-0-0, 1-1 in OT, 24 points (9-7-0 overall); 5. Minnesota State – 5-9-0-0, 0-1 in OT, 16 points (9-9-0 overall); 6. Bemidji State – 3-10-1-0, 1-0 in OT, 9 points (6-10-2 overall); 7. St. Cloud State – 2-11-1-1, 1-1 in OT, 8 points (6-11-1 overall); 8. St. Thomas – 2-11-1-0, 0-0 in OT, 7 points (4-13-1 overall).

Power Play Club

December 8, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Power Play Club

December 8, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 8th

Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday vs. UMD

Before the Gophers head into 2022, this weekend's series against Minnesota Duluth is highlighted with a Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals, preferably in plastic bags, to receive free admission to the contest; they can then toss the bagged animals onto the ice at the indicated time.

Goals for a Goal campaign accepting additional pledges!

Help us support Minnesota Women's Hockey's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season by making a pledge to our Goals for a Goal campaign!!

Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason, with the option to double your pledge for power play goals! Minnesota lit the lamp another 5 times this past weekend at LaBahn Arena, bringing their total to-date to 73 with 10 coming on the power play.

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

#3/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-4-1, 8-3-1-1 WCHA)
vs. #7/9 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (8-6-0, 7-5-0-0 WCHA)

Friday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m CT
Saturday, December 11 at 3:30 p.m CT
Ridder Arena

Following a big rivalry series this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team moves on to face another top-10 opponent, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, at Ridder Arena. Action begins Friday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, December 11, at 3:30 p.m.

Time change reminder & TV coverage on Saturday – We remind everyone that the 3:30 p.m. start time on Saturday is 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network; check with your service provider for the channel and availability.

Last time against Minnesota Duluth – Going on the road for the first time in the 2021-2022 season, Minnesota took a 2-0 lead 20 minutes into its series at AMSOIL Arena; 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 found the back of an empty net late 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 two power-play goals and Mannon McMahon & Anna Klein each lit the lamp to give UMD a 4-1 lead just past the midway point of the second period. Minnesota came back, with Oden cutting the deficit to two just 27 seconds later and Abigail Boreen scoring twice in the final 3:38 left in regulation, the second with an extra attacker, to knot the score and 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.

Hemp led the Gophers with 4 points, all on assists. Boreen (2g, 1a) and Heise (1g, 2a) tallied 3 points apiece, and Lauren Bench made 42 saves in the series. Giguere finished with 4 points for Minnesota Duluth (1g, 3a), while Hughes recorded 3 points (2g, 1a) and goaltender Emma Söderberg stopped 52 shots.

Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth has a mixed record at 7-5-0 in WCHA play and 8-6-0 overall. They have a sub-.500 mark at home at 2-4-0, but those games were series against the three teams ahead of them in the conference standings: Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Their wins against the Gophers and Buckeyes are partially offset by losses to Minnesota State and Penn State. Still, they hold the #9 ranking in the latest USCHO poll and #7 spot in the USA TODAY / USA Hockey Magazine poll.

Special teams play has also returned mixed results for Minnesota Duluth. They have relied heavily on their power play, with more than 20% of their total goals coming with the advantage and converting at a 27.3% rate. On the flip side, their penalty kill has only been successful 74.4% of the time.

The Bulldogs feature three players having over 20 points apiece so far this season. Senior Gabbie Hughes (#17) leads the team in total scoring with 27 points on 9 goals and 18 assists. Graduate transfer Elizabeth Giguere (#8) is right behind with 26 points, also with 18 assists and 8 goals of her own. Fifth-year player Anna Klein (#19) is UMD's goals leader with 11 while dishing out 11 helpers for 22 points.

Senior Emma Söderberg (#30) has started all 14 games for the Bulldogs, recording 3 shutouts in her 8 wins, a 2.31 goals-against average, and a .913 save percentage. Sophomore Jojo Chobak (#31) has only made one relief appearance this season, stopping the 3 shots she faced in 28 minutes against St. Thomas. Freshman Holly Gruber (#35) has yet to see any official action.

Last action for Minnesota Duluth – The Bulldogs' two games against Ohio State were near-mirror images of each other as each team took a sizable lead in one of the games, their opponent responded with a couple of goals, but the result was sealed with an empty-netter. UMD upset the Buckeyes 5-2 on Friday, but OSU salvaged a split with a 6-2 win on Saturday. Anna Klein and Elizabeth Giguere each recorded two goals and an assist, Gabbie Hughes added a goal and 3 helpers, and Emma Söderberg made a combined 73 saves for the Bulldogs. Lexi Templeman scored twice and three other Buckeyes each added a goal and two assists.

Gophers take 5 of 6 standings points from Wisconsin – Minnesota never trailed in its road series against the top-ranked Badgers. Taylor Heise put the Gophers up just 27 into Friday's game and Emily Oden scored with 1:13 left in the first period. Wisconsin came back with a second-stanza goal by Casey O'Brien and the tying tally by Maddi Wheeler in the third, but Catie Skaja converted a Badger turnover into an unassisted go-ahead goal just 9 seconds later. Lauren Bench made 31 saves to earn a 3-2 victory. Peyton Hemp gave the Gophers an initial lead in Saturday's game in the first period but O'Brien tied things up in the second. Emily Zumwinkle put the Gophers ahead in the third frame, but O'Brien netted her third goal of the weekend to draw the Badgers even again. A scoreless overtime resulted in a 2-2 tie, with Bench making another 37 saves in the game. Heise lit the lamp in the first round of the subsequent shootout, but Daryl Watts pulled Wisconsin even in the 2nd round and neither team scored in the 3rd round. Nicole LaMantia tallied for the Badgers in the top half of the 4th round, but Emily Brown matched it in the bottom half to keep things going. The 5th, 6th, and 7th shooters for each squad were unsuccessful as was Wisconsin's Sophie Shirley in the 8th round, but Zumwinkle scored to end it and give the Gophers the extra point in the WCHA standings. Hemp and Oden each recorded an assist to accompany their respective goals.

Zumwinkle, Bench earn weekly conference honors

Freshman Emily Zumwinkle and graduate player Lauren Bench were recognized as the WCHA Rookie and Goaltender of the Week, respectively, following their performances against Wisconsin.

Zumwinkle earned her first conference award following her third-period goal, the second of her collegiate career, and the shootout winner on her first career attempt in Saturday's contest. She also recorded three blocked shots and a +2 plus-minus rating.

Bench set a career high with 68 saves in the weekend series, posting a .944 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average over the two games. As noted by the league, the award is her first of the season, her fourth as a Gophers, and the 10th overall in her collegiate career.

Congratulations, Emily & Lauren!!

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Reece Hunt earned Forward of the Week honors for scoring 3 goals, including Saturday's overtime power-play gamewinner, and Hannah Hogenson made a combined 60 saves as Bemidji State swept St. Cloud State, 4-3 and 2-1 (OT). Taylor Lind recorded 2 goals and an assist for the Huskies.

Charlotte Akervik scored twice Friday, Brittyn Fleming tallied a goal and two assists Saturday, and Jessica Kondas took home the Defender of the Week award with 3 helpers as Minnesota State swept St. Thomas, 3-1 and 3-0. Calla Frank stopped 35 of 36 shots in the series. Jenna Hartung scored for the Tommies.

Upcoming games – Including the Gophers and Bulldogs, seven WCHA teams are in action with all games played Friday and Saturday. Wisconsin and Bemidji get things started Friday afternoon at the Sanford Center, Minnesota State hosts St. Cloud State, and St. Thomas is on the road for a non-conference series at Lindenwood. Ohio State is idle.

Power Play Club

December 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Thursday, December 2, 2021

Power Play Club

December 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Thursday, December 2nd

Online Chalk Talk – Tuesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. CT

The Power Play Club gladly announces that we will hear from Coach Brad Frost at a Chalk Talk on Tuesday evening, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. CT, as the Gophers head into their final series of 2021. He will recap the season to-date and give us a preview of what is to come as the calendar flips over to 2022.

This is a member-exclusive event for anyone who has registered for the club this year. It's also an online event on Zoom, and the meeting link will be sent out on the morning of the 7th.

Membership enrollment still open, with GWH decal benefit

If you have yet to enroll in the Power Play Club for 2021-2022, there is still an opportunity to do so before next week's Chalk Talk!!

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier. Online registration is the preferred and most timely option. Go to 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".

We are also still accepting registrations to sponsor 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, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

GWH decal benefit reminder – If you have registered as a club member, you are also entitled to a GWH vinyl decal. If you have not picked yours up already, stop by the PPC table during pregame or either intermission of any Gopher home game!!

Please note that we're limiting to one decal per registered membership -- thank you!!

Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Power Play Club

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 1st

Goals for a Goal campaign rolls into new month!

Our Goals for a Goal campaign continues in support of the Minnesota Women's Hockey's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season, and we ask for your assistance in that effort.

Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason. There's also an option to double your pledge for power play goals! Minnesota netted 5 goals at the Smashville Showcase last weekend, bringing their total to-date to 68 with 10 coming on the power play.

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

Note of thanks from PPC Scholarship winner Gracie Ostertag

As noted in our October 11 Two-Minute Minor email, Gopher Women's Hockey senior defender Gracie Osterag was named the recipient of the Power Play Club Scholarship for 2021-2022, her second-straight year as the honoree.

The Power Play Club just received a thank you note from Gracie, which we graciously share with you here (PDF file).

Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday, December 11 vs. UMD

Before the Gophers head into 2022, they will conclude the 2021 portion of their schedule with a Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11 as part of their game against Minnesota Duluth. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals, preferably in plastic bags, to receive free admission to the contest; they can then toss the bagged animals onto the ice following the Gophers' first goal. Puck drop for that game is set for 3:30 p.m.

#5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-4-0, 7-3-0-0 WCHA)
at #1 Wisconsin Badgers (15-0-1, 11-0-1-1 WCHA)

Friday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m CT
Saturday, December 4 at 3:00 p.m CT
LaBahn Arena, Madison, WI

With all non-conference games during the 2021-2022 regular-season now completed, the focus of the Minnesota Women's Hockey team returns to WCHA action and the next edition of the Border Battle against Wisconsin. The #5 Gophers and #1 Badgers will meet at LaBahn Arena in Madison on Friday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 4, at 3:00 p.m.

Last year against Wisconsin – The Gophers went 0-4-1 against the Badgers in the 2020-2021 season. Minnesota fell 5-0 & 6-3 in Madison in mid-January, lost 4-3 in OT before salvaging a 2-2 tie and winning the subsequent shootout at Ridder Arena in early-February, but saw their season end with a 5-3 loss in the WCHA semifinals on March 6. Grace Zumwinkle led the Gophers with 4 goals and an assist, including the game-tying tally on February 6, while Amy Potomak recorded two goals & an assist and Emily Brown dished out four assists. Taylor Wente was the only player to light the lamp in the shootout. Lauren Bench made 74 saves but yielded 15 goals in just over 9 periods of action, while Makayla Pahl stopped 41 of 47 shots in the other 6 periods and an overtime. Wisconsin's Daryl Watts tallied 9 points on 5 goals and 4 assists, including the February 5 overtime gamewinner; Sophie Shirley added 3 goals & 5 helpers and Britta Curl recorded 4 goals & 2 assists. Badger netminder Kennedy Blair stopped 132 of 143 shots over all five games.

Analyzing the Badgers – After sweeping the 2021 WCHA Regular-Season & Playoff and NCAA Championships, Wisconsin has barely missed a step so far in the 2021-2022 campaign, going 15-0-1 so far with the only blip occurring when Bemidji State's Hannah Hogenson made 56 saves to shut them out in a 0-0 draw. Still, the Badgers hold an active 22-game undefeated streak dating back to February.

Wisconsin has lit the lamp 80 times this season, averaging 5 goals per game, with a trio of players having more than 25 points apiece. Sophomore Makenna Webster (#8) is the team's overall scoring leader with 33 points on 14 goals and 19 assists, sophomore Casey O'Brien (#26) holds the Badgers' goal lead with 16 while adding 15 assists, and fifth-year Daryl Watts (#19) continues to contribute in big ways with 11 goals and 17 assists.

Fifth-year goaltender Kennedy Blair (#29) is 13-0-1 in her 14 starts, with only 12 goals yielded for a 0.92 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage. Redshirt junior Cami Kronish (#30) has not yielded a goal in 4 periods of action, making a combined 14 saves. Redshirt freshman Jane Gervais (#1) has stopped 23 out of 25 shots over 5 periods of action for a 1.20 GAA and .920 SV%.

Last action for Wisconsin – Maddi Wheeler and Makenna Webster each tallied 2 goals & 4 assists as the Badgers earned a series sweep on the road against St. Thomas, 7-1 and 5-1, two weekends ago. Jane Gervais earned a 13-save victory in her first career start in the second game of the series while the Tommies' Saskia Maurer made 60 saves.

Gophers split games at Smashville Showcase – Taylor Heise scored in the first period, Catie Skaja lit the lamp in the second stanza, and both scored again in the third frame while Lauren Bench stopped all 28 shots she faced as Minnesota won their first game at the Smashville Showcase 4-0 over Mercyhurst. Heise recorded 4 points, assisting on both of Skaja's goals, while Skaja had an assist as well and Abigail Boreen dished out 3 helpers. The showcase's championship game matched the Gophers against Colgate for the third time this season. Madeline Wethington gave Minnesota a 1-0 second-period lead with a power play goal on Boreen's fourth assist of the weekend. However, the Raiders' Kalty Kaltounkova evened the score with her own power play marker and then lit the lamp again to take the lead. That was all Colgate netminder Hannah Murphy needed as she stopped 28 shots to defeat the Gophers, 2-1. Minnesota's Skylar Vetter made 22 saves.

Heise, Hemp earns monthly conference honors for November

Senior Taylor Heise and freshman Peyton Hemp were named WCHA Forward and Rookie of the Month, respectively, for November as announced by the conference yesterday.

Heise earned her first monthly award after tallying 16 points on 8 goals and 8 assists, recording a multi-point game in five of the six contests, a hat trick & 7-point series against RIT, and a +16 plus-minus rating.

Hemp's award is her second-straight after being recognized for her October performance, becoming the first Gopher to ever earn the honor twice in the same season. In November, she recorded 2 goals and 5 assists with three multi-point games and a +7 plus-minus rating.

Congratulations, Taylor & Peyton!!

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Sophie Jaques recorded 3 goals & 2 assists, Jennifer Gardner added 3 goals and an assist, and Clair DeGeorge tallied a goal and 4 assists as Ohio State defeated St. Lawrence 5-2 and Penn State 4-2 at the D1 in DC Tournament.

Also at the D1 in DC Tournament, Minnesota Duluth fell to Penn State 3-2 but rebounded to defeat St. Lawrence 4-3 in overtime. Anna Klein led the Bulldogs with 3 goals and 2 assists, while Elizabeth Giguere dished out 4 assists before netting Saturday's game-winning goal.

St. Cloud State went on the road and swept RPI, 4-1 and 4-2; Jenniina Nylund lit the lamp 4 times, including a hat trick on Saturday, and had an assist. Bemidji State swept a home series against Lindenwood, 4-1 and 4-3 (OT); Graysen Myers tallied 2 goals, including Saturday's overtime gamewinner, and an assist.

Upcoming games – The WCHA schedule this week features a full slate of conference contests, with all games played Friday and Saturday. Bemidji State visits St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and St. Thomas play a home-and-home series starting in Mankato, and Minnesota Duluth hosts Ohio State.

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

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Power Play Club

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, November 23rd

Note: This Post was added to the News Page on December 1st - it was sent to Power Play Club Members on Novemeber 23rd. We apologize for the late posting!

Smashville Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase
Ford Ice Center Bellevue – Nashville, Tennessee

Semifinals – Friday, November 26
#8 Colgate (13-4-1) vs. Boston Col. (8-5-0) – 1:00 pm CT
#3 Minnesota (11-3-0) vs. Mercyhurt (11-4-2) – 4:30 pm CT

Saturday, November 27
Third Place Game – 1:00 p.m. CT
Championship – 4:30 p.m. CT

Following their 10th-straight victory, Minnesota Women's Hockey returns to the site of its Thanksgiving 2019 trip, Ford Ice Center Bellevue in Nashville, Tennessee, for the 2021 Smashville Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase. The #3 Gophers will face the unranked Mercyhurst University Lakers on Friday, November 26 at 4:30 p.m. CT, following the first contest of the tournament featuring the #8 Colgate University Raiders against the Boston College Eagles at 1:00 p.m. CT. Action continues Saturday, November 27, with the 3rd Place Game at 1:00 p.m. and the Championship at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Last time against Mercyhurst, Boston College, and Colgate – The Gophers hosted the Lakers to open the 2018-2019 regular season, sweeping the two-game series 4-2 and 5-0; Grace Zumwinkle recorded 2 goals and an assist, while Patti Marshall, Kelly Pannek, and Sarah Potomak each added a goal and two assists. Minnesota faced Boston College in the 2019 Country Classic in Nashville, playing to a 2-2 tie; Delaney Belinskas & Kelly Browne both scored short-handed and Maddy McArthur made 41 saves for the Eagles, while Taylor Wente & Grace Zumwinkle lit the lamp for the Gophers. Minnesota swept Colgate on the road earlier this season, winning 5-3 and 3-2 last month while getting a 4-point series from Abigail Boreen (1g, 3a) and 3 points apiece from Taylor Heise (2g, 1a) & Catie Skaja (1g, 2a).

Analyzing the Lakers & recent action – Mercyhurst is 3-1-0 in CHA conference action and 8-3-2 in non-conference play, but they've only faced one ranked team so far this year in the form of Colgate, who swept them 5-2 and 4-2. The Lakers earned their own sweep this past weekend, extending RIT's losing streak 3-1 and 6-1 with a hat trick on Friday by Chantal Ste-Croix and another on Saturday by Vanessa Upson. Upson (#24), only a freshman, leads Mercyhurst in points (20) and and goals (11). Fifth-year Kristy Pidgeon (#15; 7g, 8a) and sophomore Sara Boucher (#14; 6g, 9a) each have 15 points, while senior Liliane Perreault (#34) is the team's assist leader with 12 while lighting the lamp twice herself. Between the pipes, junior Jenna Silvonen (#30) is 5-2-2 with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and two shutouts, while junior Ena Nystrøm (#31), a transfer from RPI, is 6-2-0 with one shutout, a 1.81 GAA and .935 SV%.

Analyzing the Eagles & recent action – Boston College is 6-4-0 in Hockey East play and 2-1-0 in non-conference competition, but 0-3-0 against ranked teams. This past weekend, they defeated Holy Cross at home, 4-2, with two goals by Kelly Browne and a goal & assist from Abby Newhook, but lost at cross-town rival Boston University, 5-4, despite another goal by Browne and a goal & assist from Caroline Goffredo. Newhook (#21), a freshman, has the team's goal lead with 7 while adding 4 assists; junior Hannah Bilka (#19) also has 11 points on 4 goals and 7 assists. Senior Abigail Levy (#39), a transfer from Minnesota State, has been the lone Eagles goaltender to see action so far this season, posting a 2.37 goals-against average and .938 save percentage; fellow senior Maddy McArthur (#35) is a seasoned veteran with 67 career starts, a 2.23 GAA and a .913 SV%, but has not played this year.

Analyzing the Raiders & recent action – After starting the season 8-0-0, Colgate is 5-4-1 in their past 10 games. They, too, have struggled against ranked competition, going 1-3-1 including the series against Minnesota and their home games this past weekend hosting Princeton and Quinnipiac. The Raiders played the Tigers to a 1-1 tie on Friday night before being shut out by the Bobcats 4-0 on Saturday; junior Kaitlyn O'Donohoe scored Colgate's lone goal. Junior Danielle Serdachny (#9) is the team leader in points (26) and assists (17) while netting 9 goals. Sophomores Dara Greig (#77) and Kalty Kaltounkova (#98) are tied for the goals lead with 11 apiece; they each also have 13 assists for 24 points. Sophomore goaltender Kayle Osborne (#31) has a 9-3-1 record this season with 1 shutout, a 2.08 goals-against average, and .903 save percentage; freshman backup Hannah Murphy (#83) is 4-1-0 with a shutout, a 2.00 GAA, and a .839 SV%.

Gophers' winning streak hits 10 with sweep of St. Cloud State

Taylor Heise opened Minnesota's series against St. Cloud State with her third short-handed goal of the season, also marking third-straight game in which she tallied first. She finished the series leading the Gophers with 2 goals and 3 assists as the team swept the Huskies and extended their winning streak to 10 games with 6-2 and 5-1 victories.

SCSU's Emma Gentry tied the opening contest at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center later in the first period, but Audrey Wethington, Olivia Knowles, Abigail Boreen, and Heise lit the lamp in the second stanza to open a 5-1 lead, and the Huskies' Addi Scribner and Gophers' Gracie Ostertag traded power play goals in the final 20 minutes. Emily Brown, Ostertag, and Boreen put Minnesota up 3-0 after one period at Ridder Arena on Saturday, and Emily Oden made it 4-0 before Mackenzie Bourgerie tallied for St. Cloud State. Crystalyn Hengler added a power play goal in the final frame. Oden dished out 3 assists in the series to accompany her goal, and Catie Skaja recorded 4 helpers.

Between the pipes, Makayla Pahl made 23 saves on Friday while Skylar Vetter stopped 20 shots on Saturday. Huskies netminder Sanni Ahola made a combined 66 saves in the two contests.

Stecklein records an assist as Team USA earns first win of "My Why Tour" in come-from-behind fashion

The U.S. Women's National Team defeated Canada 3-2 in overtime on Sunday in Kingston, Ontario, after trailing 2-0 after two periods. Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Fillier scored in the first five minutes of the second stanza, but Gopher alumna Lee Stecklein assisted on Hayley Scamurra's goal 2:44 into the third frame to cut the American deficit to 2-1, and Hilary Knight evened the score just 82 seconds later. Going into a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime period, Knight needed just 54 seconds to bury a feed from Kendall Coyne Schofield past Canadian goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer for the victory. Maschmeyer finished with 21 saves in the game, while Nicole Hensley stopped 18 shots for Team USA.

The two teams will have a quick turn-around, facing each other again tonight (Tuesday, November 23) at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, ON. Game time is 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT with television coverage on NHL Network.

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Minnesota State turned to freshman Avery Stilwell, a member of the MSU tennis team with high school goaltending experience, to play in net on the road at Ohio State. Stilwell made a combined 84 saves, but the Buckeyes earned the series sweep with 6-3 and 9-0 victories behind 3 goals & 4 assists from Clair DeGeorge and 2 goals & 4 assists from Paetyn Levis.

Gabbie Hughes, Anneke Linser, and Clara Van Wieran each recorded a goal & 4 assists and Emma Söderberg stopped a combined 43 of 44 shots to give Minnesota Duluth a road sweep of Bemidji State, 9-0 and 4-1.

Maddi Wheeler and Makenna Webster each tallied 2 goals & 4 assists as Wisconsin also earned a road sweep, defeating St. Thomas 7-1 and 5-1. Sunday's contest saw Badgers goaltender Jane Gervais earn a win in her first career start while the Tommies' Saskia Maurer made 60 saves.

Upcoming games – Four other WCHA teams are in non-conference action with all games on Friday and Saturday. Bemidji State hosts Lindenwood, St. Cloud State heads to east-central New York to face RPI, and Ohio State & Minnesota Duluth will each play Penn State & St. Lawrence in the D1 in D.C. Tournament in Arlington, VA. Minnesota State, St. Thomas, and Wisconsin are idle.

Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved. 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

November 22, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, November 19, 2021

Power Play Club

November 22, 2021

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Friday, November 19th

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Give to the Max Day donations surpass matching gift threshold

We send a very hearty and gracious thank you to everyone who contributed to our Give to the Max Day fundraiser yesterday. The threshold to activate our matching gift was met mid-afternoon, and as of 11:15 p.m. last night we had raised (including the match) over $22,000 !!

Coach Brad Frost also sent his thanks via Twitter.

Goals for a Goal update – Our fundraising efforts for the 2021-2022 Gopher Women's Hockey season continue in the Goals for a Goal campaign. Donations through this program will go toward the team's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas next year.

Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason. There's also an option to double your pledge for power play goals! In their first 12 games, the team lit the lamp 52 times with six of those coming on the power play.

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

PPC Board of Directors update – At its special meeting last night, the Power Play Club Board of Directors accepted the resignation of Alex Curry as treasurer and appointed director-at-large Todd King to serve as treasurer for the remainder of the current term (which expires on March 31, 2022). The transition will occur over the next few weeks.

Holy Family's Madison Kaiser, Hill-Murray's Allie Franco sign with Gophers as incoming 2022-2023 freshmen

Minnesota Women's Hockey announced yesterday on Twitter and Facebook the first two members of its 2022-2023 freshman class, when forward Madison Kaiser (Ham Lake, MN / Holy Family) and two-way player Allie Franco (Oakdale, MN / Hill-Murray) signed National Letters of Intent to join the Gophers next year.

We send warmest welcomes to Madison and Allie as we look forward to seeing them wearing the Maroon & Gold!

Exhibition vs. Whitecaps added to start 2022 portion of schedule,
after Teddy Bear Toss vs. Minnesota Duluth to conclude 2021

The Gopher Women's Hockey team has added an exhibition game to its schedule, as it will face the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation on Tuesday, January 4, at 7:00 p.m. at Ridder Arena. The game will feature free admission for all fans.

As noted in the announcement, the Gophers defeated the Whitecaps 5-1 on goals from Taylor Heise (2), Grace Zumwinkle, Amy Potomak, and Sydney Shearen when they last met at the start of the 2019-2020 season. Maroon and Gold alumnae on the 2021-2022 Whitecaps roster include Chelsey Brodt-Rosenthal, Winnie Brodt-Brown, Alex Woken, Meghan Lorence, Nicole Schammel, Patti Marshall, and Amanda Leveille.

Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11 – Before the Gophers head into 2022, they will conclude the 2021 portion of their schedule with a Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11 as part of their game against Minnesota Duluth. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals, preferably in plastic bags, to receive free admission to the contest; they can then toss the bagged animals onto the ice following the Gophers' first goal. Puck drop for that game is set for 3:30 p.m.

U.S., Canada National Teams play Sunday, Tuesday in Ontario
while additional December games in St. Louis announced

The U.S. Women's National Team's My Why Tour presented by Toyota resumes this Sunday, November 21, when they head north of the border to play hosts Canada in Kingston, Ontario at 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT. The two squads will then travel to Ottawa for their fourth pre-Olympic head-to-head meeting on Tuesday, November 23, at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT. Both games will be televised live on NHL Network.

More games announced – USA Hockey announced this past Tuesday that the My Why Tour will stop in the St. Louis area for games on Wednesday, December 15 and Friday, December 17 at Centene Community Ice Center in the suburb of Maryland Heights. Both games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. CT with television coverage also on NHL Network.

Tickets still on sale for USA vs. Canada in St. Paul on December 20 – After the stop in the St. Louis area, 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 still on sale through Ticketmaster. If you cannot attend the game, it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network.

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

November 17, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Power Play Club

November 17, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, November 17th

You can help the Power Play Club raise $20,000!

Support Gopher Women’s Hockey on Give to the Max Day tomorrow, Thursday, November 18, 2021.
(Don’t know what Give to the Max Day is? Read about it here.)

If donors give at least $10,000 by the end of the day tomorrow, the Power Play Club board and volunteers will match it with a combined gift of $10,000.

All gifts of any size are welcome! Please give what you can, and spread the word. Donations can be made here.

Thank you for supporting Gopher Women’s Hockey!

Tour of Ridder Arena cancelled

More discussions with the Gopher Women's Hockey staff have led to the cancel-lation of this year's tour of Ridder Arena As with the in-person Chalk Talks and our Brunch with the Coaches, we look forward to bringing the tour back in 2022-2023.

We are still working to schedule online Chalk Talks over the remainder of the season. We thank you for your patience as we finalize the logistics.

GWH decals and PPC membership reminder

PPC members registered for the 2021-2022 season who have not yet claimed their Gopher Women's Hockey vinyl 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 with a minimum $600 donation (per locker); if you are interested, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

PPC Board of Directors meeting tomorrow (Nov. 18) at 7 p.m.

A special meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduled for Thursday, November 18 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held online via Zoom, with the primary agenda item of naming a new treasurer following the resignation of Alex Curry (as reported in last week's Penalty Box Post). As always, board meetings are open to all registered PPC members; please contact club president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org if you are interested in attending.

#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-3-0, 5-3-0-0 in WCHA) vs. St. Cloud State Huskies (4-5-1, 2-5-1-1 in WCHA)
Friday, November 19 at 6:00 p.m. Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, St. Cloud
Saturday, November 20 at 3:00 p.m. Ridder Arena - U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-off Classic

The Minnesota Women's Hockey team returns to WCHA play, looking to extended its current 8-game winning streak when it faces St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series. The Gophers and Huskies start the weekend Friday, November 19, at 6 p.m. at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, then relocate to Ridder Arena on Saturday, November 20, at 3 p.m.

Special events on Saturday – As was announced in mid-September, Saturday's game has been designated as the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-off Classic. Minnesota assistant coach Natalie Darwitz, a 2018 inductee, will be one of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame members acknowledged. Additionally, former Minnesota Twin Kent Hrbek and GWH great & 2019 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee Krissy Wendell-Pohl will participate in a ceremonial puck drop before the contest; Hrbek is attending as part of the game's objective to bring attention to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as “Lou Gehrig's disease”. Additional special recognitions are planned, as reported by Let's Play Hockey on Monday.

Last season against St. Cloud State – Due to pandemic-driven scheduling adjustments, the Gophers and Huskies met in a three-game series last January. Minnesota came away with a sweep, winning 2-1 and 4-1 at Ridder Arena before earning a 4-0 shutout victory in St. Cloud. Grace Zumwinkle scored both Gopher goals in the opener, Abbey Murphy lit the lamp twice in the second game, and Taylor Heise recorded a 4-goal series – including a hat trick in the third contest – plus an assist. Murphy and Emily Oden assisted on all three Heise goals in St. Cloud. Catie Skaja and Taylor Wente each added a goal and an assist over the weekend. Lauren Bench started all three games, stopping 43 of 44 shots in 7 periods of action. Makayla Pahl made 14 saves on 15 shots in a two-period relief appearance in the second contest. Olivia Cvar and Laura Kluge each scored for the Huskies; Emma Polusny made 55 saves over the first four periods of the series, while Sanni Ahola also made 55 saves over the remaining five periods.

Analyzing the Huskies – St. Cloud State currently sits in fifth in the WCHA standings with 7 points and has its own two-game winning streak after defeating Minnesota State 3-2 (OT) and 4-1 two weekends ago. However, they also recorded a loss and a tie in their October series against St. Thomas, and they've been outscored 39-23 in their 10 games.

Junior Taylor Lind (#13) leads the Huskies in total scoring, having dished out 8 assists while lighting the lamp twice herself for 10 points. Sophomore Emma Gentry (#20) holds St. Cloud State's goal-scoring lead with 5 while adding two assists for 7 points. Fellow sophomore Mackenzie Bourgerie (#10) also has 7 points with 3 goals & 4 assists, and senior Jenniina Nylund (#81) has 6 points on 3 goals & 3 assists.

Sophomore Sanni Ahola (#1) has seen a majority of the game action for SCSU so far this season, going 3-3-0 in six starts plus a relief appearance, posting 4.21 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage. Emma Polusny (#32) has returned to the Huskies for a fifth season, starting the other four contests and also making a relief appearance; she has a 1-2-1 record with a 3.44 GAA and .906 SV%. Senior Karlie Ries (#30) remains the team's third goaltender with only one brief relief appearance in her collegiate career.

Gophers roll against RIT, push winning streak to 8 games

Minnesota shelled RIT goaltenders with 131 total shots on goal, including tying a program record with 72 on Saturday, but needed over 13 minutes in the opener and nearly 18 minutes in the rematch to find the back of the net. Taylor Heise opened the scoring in both contests with unassisted goals, Friday's coming shorthanded; she tallied twice more on Friday for a hat trick while dishing out 3 assists in the series for a 7-point weekend. The Gophers lit the lamp frequently with eleven others scoring after Heise broke through, posting their fourth-straight series sweep with 10-0 and 7-1 victories at Ridder Arena.

Peyton Hemp and Catie Skaja recorded 2 goals and 2 assists apiece. Emily Zumwinkle and Emma Conner each netted their respective first goals in Maroon & Gold, while Crystalyn Hengler tallied her first of the season; Conner and Hengler also dished out 3 assists apiece in the series. Makayla Pahl also recorded an offensive assist on Heise's second goal Friday. All four Gopher goaltenders played in the series, making a combined 19 saves, with Olivia King stopping 10 shots in 52 minutes of work. RIT's Hana Solinger scored in the third period on Saturday and Taylor Liotta made 82 saves in 77-1/2 minutes of action.

Expansion of NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament to 11 teams
receives initial approval from Competition Oversight Committee

The NCAA Division I Competition Oversight Committee last Wednesday approved expanding the National Collegiate Beach Volleyball and Women's Ice Hockey brackets. The Women's Hockey Tournament would expand from 8 to 11 teams, roughly 27% of the programs playing the sport which matches the selection rate for the Division I Men's Hockey Tournament.

Per the press release, the proposal has been sent to the Women's Ice Hockey Committee to determine the new bracket format and decide whether it will be implemented in 2022 or 2023. Their final recommendation will then be shared with the Division I Competition Oversight Committee and the Division I Council for final approval.

We will share additional information on this as it becomes available.

Around the WCHA...

Upcoming games – The other six WCHA teams return to action after being idle last weekend. Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State get things underway in Bemidji on Friday afternoon and contrinue on Saturday afternoon. Minnesota State heads to Columbus to face Ohio State on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, St. Thomas hosts Wisconsin in a Saturday-Sunday series.

Power Play Club

November 11, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Power Play Club

November 11, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, November 10th

In-person Chalk Talks, Brunch with the Coaches cancelled

After discussion with the Gopher Women's Hockey staff, our in-person Chalk Talks and the Brunch with the Coaches have been cancelled for the 2021-2022 season. We look forward to bringing these events back in 2022-2023.

Additional talks are occurring to schedule online Chalk Talks in place of the in-person gatherings. We will pass along those details as soon as they are available, and we thank you for your understanding.

You can help the Power Play Club raise $20,000!

Support Gopher Women’s Hockey on Give to the Max Day: Thursday, November 18, 2021.

(Don’t know what Give to the Max Day is? Read about it here.)

If donors give at least $10,000 on Give to the Max Day, the Power Play Club board and volunteers will match it with a combined gift of $10,000.

Next week you’ll receive an email with a link to the special Give to the Max Day fundraising page for Gopher Women’s Hockey. There will be Facebook and Twitter reminders too. Support the campaign by making a donation of any size and by spreading the word.

PPC Board of Directors update...

Alex Curry has submitted her resignation as Power Play Club treasurer, effective immediately, due to the conflict of interest policy of her employer after accepting a new position. She expressed her pleasure serving as treasurer, and indicated a desire to stay on the Board of Directors through the remainder of the current Gopher Women's Hockey season. Formal approval of retaining Alex on the board is pending, and discussions are in progress to transition treasurer duties to another director.

Please note that the board is in its third season operating with multiple vacancies, which puts a strain on all the current officers and directors. Volunteers are wanted to fill these vacancies or assist with other club responsibilities. If you are interested, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org or vice-president Dave Malerich at vicepresident@powerplayclub.org.

#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-3-0, 5-3-0-0 in WCHA)
vs. RIT Tigers (0-12-0, 0-2-0 in CHA)

Friday, November 12 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 13 at 4:00 p.m.
Ridder Arena

Following an off-week after their first 10 games, the Gopher Women's Hockey team returns to action, opening their second set of 10 contests with a non-conference series against the Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers from the CHA. The puck drops at Ridder Arena to open the weekend on Friday evening at 6 p.m., with the rematch scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.

Traffic alert – If you're coming to either game at Ridder Arena, please note that the Gopher Men's Hockey team is also hosting a home series next door at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The men's games start at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Please allow time for additional vehicular and pedestrian traffic around campus both days.

Last time against RIT – The Gophers and Tigers met in a 2015 NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal at Ridder Arena after RIT recorded several upset victories in the CHA Tournament to win the conference's playoff championship despite a sub-.500 record. Six different Gophers lit the lamp, with three goals on the power play and a shorthanded empty-netter. Carly Payerl scored twice for the Tigers, but Minnesota advanced to the Frozen Four with a 6-2 victory as Kate Schipper and Hannah Brandt each recorded a goal and two assists. Amanda Leveille stopped 17 shots, while RIT's Ali Binnington made 46 saves.

Analyzing the Tigers – After finishing at the bottom of the College Hockey America standings last season, the current campaign hasn't started any better for RIT, falling in their first 12 contests of 2021-2022 and seeing their losing streak extend to 24 games dating back to early January. So far this year, they've been outscored 66-18 and have yielded 16 power-play goals with only a 71.4% penalty kill rate.

Sophomore Lindsay Maloney (#8) leads the Tigers in total scoring; the Lakeville, MN, native has 6 points on 3 goals and 3 assists. Sophomore Emma Roland (#11) has a team-high 4 goals while adding an assist for 5 points. Freshman Megan McCormick (#16) also has 5 points, lighting the lamp 3 times while dishing out two assists, and senior Abby Davies (#18) has also netted 3 goals.

Freshman Sarah Coe (#30) has been the primary goaltender for RIT, starting 10 games and also making a relief appearance; she has an .878 save percentage and 5.29 goals-against average. Junior Taylor Liotta (#32) has 2 starts and 2 relief appearances this season with an .865 SV% and 4.81 GAA, after going 1-3-0 with a .923 SV% and 3.17 GAA last year. Sophomore Emma Stephen (#36) has yet to play in 2021-2022, but was 0-2-0 with an .859 SV% and 6.01 GAA as a freshman.

Last weekend for RIT – Facing Syracuse in a home-and-home series, the Tigers forced overtime against the Orange on Friday in Syracuse; Megan McCormick and Kyla Bear scored for RIT to erase a pair of one-goal deficits, but Sarah Marchand scored for the Orange 2:13 into the extra period for a 3-2 victory. Syracuse completed the sweep with a 7-0 shutout in Rochester on Saturday; Jessica DiGirolamo recorded a goal and two assists and Alison Small stopped all 24 shots she faced.

GWH alumna Leveille returns to Whitecaps for 2021-2022 season

Just two days before the start of the Premier Hockey Federation season, Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Amanda Leveille re-signed with the Minnesota Whitecaps for 2021-2022.

After backstopping the Gophers to the 2015 & 2016 NCAA Championships, Leveille has claimed two Isobel Cup Championships in the PHF, in 2017 with Buffalo and in 2019 with Minnesota. She is also a two-time All-Star and two-time league Goaltender of the Year.

Leveille is the 7th Gopher to sign with the Whitecaps, joining Patti Marshall, Alex Woken, Nicole Schammel, Meghan Lorence, Winny Brodt Brown and Chelsey Rosenthal. The Whitecaps fell in their opening two games at Boston, 6-4 and 1-0, but face the Pride again for the home-opening series at TRIA Rink in St. Paul on November 20 & 21.

Around the WCHA...

Recent action – Bemidji State put the first blemish on Wisconsin's record as BSU netminder Hannah Hogenson posted a 56-save shutout, though the Badgers also held the Beavers off the board for a 0-0 tie, and Daryl Watts' scored the only goal in the shootout to give UW the third point in the standings. Paige Beebe put Bemidji State up 1-0 early in the rematch, but the Badgers responded with a hat trick plus an assist from Watts and 2 goals and an assist from Caitlin Schneider en route to an 8-1 victory.

Despite two goals from Luci Bianchi in their series and an NCAA season-high 58 saves from Alexa Dobchuk on Saturday, St. Thomas was overwhelmed by Ohio State, 8-1 and 6-2. Sophie Jaques led all players with a 6-point weekend, tallying a goal and 5 assists. Jenna Buglioni recorded 2 goals and 3 assists, Jennifer Gardiner dished out 5 helpers, and Liz Schepers lit the lamp 3 times.

Mackenzie Bourgerie lit the lamp twice on Friday – with her second goal coming 1:09 into overtime – and added two assists Saturday as St. Cloud State defeated Minnesota State 3-2 (OT) and 4-1. Emma Gentry recorded two goals and an assist and Sanni Ahola made a combined 74 saves for the Huskies, while Brittyn Fleming assisted on all three Maverick goals.

Upcoming games – The other seven WCHA teams are all idle this weekend, and will return to action on November 19 or 20.