December 3, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 3, 2025

December 3, 2025

Events this Saturday, December 6, 2025:

Teddy Bear Toss & Skate with the Gophers

We again encourage you to pick up a new teddy bear or other stuffed animal (or two or three) and bring it to the Gopher Women's Hockey game at Ridder Arena this Saturday against St. Thomas for a Teddy Bear Toss at intermission. Puck drop for the contest is set for 2 p.m. All stuffed animals collected will be donated to the M Health Fairview's Masonic Children's Hospital. (Note, though, that they will need to be placed in tied-off plastic bags in order to be donated.) Our thanks to everyone who participates in this great event!!

The annual Skate with the Gophers event is also scheduled for Saturday following the game against St. Thomas. This year's skate is a paid, ticketed event; tickets can be purchased here for $8 apiece, and note that a separate ticket to the game (available for purchase here) and a completed participation waiver for ice access are also required. There are two sessions, with player autographs for those not skating at the time. We look forward to seeing you at the game!!

Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 31, 2026

The Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches with be taking place on Saturday, January 31 at 9:45 a.m. as we welcome University of Wisconsin women's hockey head coach Mark Johnson and Minnesota head coach Brad Frost. Coach Johnson has led the Badgers since 2002 and also served as the head coach of Team USA for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

This is a separate-fee event, with tickets running $30 per person for PPC members and $40 per person for non-members. At this time, we are not able to accept credit card payments. Instead, please download the registration form here or pick one up at the PPC table at an upcoming GWH home game; fill out the form; and submit it with a check made out to the Power Play Club to the address indicated or in-person again at Ridder Arena. Note that registrations must be received by Sunday, January 25.

Join the Power Play Club!! Last call for Locker Sponsors!!

The Power Play Club is the official booster club of the Gopher Women’s Hockey (GWH) program. As a member, you have the opportunity to experience women’s hockey on a more personal level as you develop friendships with other fans. Membership in the club provides financial support as our best fundraising vehicle for the team, and encourages the players and coaching staff in their quest for academic and athletic excellence. Membership is open at two levels...

Our Locker Sponsor level posts each sponsor's name on a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required. This is our last call for Locker Sponsors for the 2025-2026 season! If you are interested, either as a renewing or new sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but please wait to submit your donation as specific instructions for doing so will be sent to you. We also provide a reminder to those who have received the donation instructions that your contribution is due by December 31, 2025.

The Basic Membership level requires a minimum donation of $125, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-4-0, 8-4-0-0 WCHA)
vs. Univ. of St. Thomas Tommies (8-10-0, 3-9-0-0 WCHA)

Friday, December 5 at 2:00 p.m. - Lee and Penny Anderson Arena – St. Paul
Saturday, December 6 at 2:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena

After a weekend off for the Thanksgiving holiday, the Gopher Women's Hockey team concludes the 2025 portion of its schedule with a home-and-home WCHA series against the University of St. Thomas Tommies. Minnesota gets its first look at the new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul when the series begins this Friday, December 5 with a 2 p.m. matinee puck drop. Both squads will then make the short 4-mile trip to Ridder Arena for the rematch on Saturday, December 6, also at 2 p.m.

Game coverage –

Friday's game televised on FOX9+ (channel finder)
Video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service – Friday / Saturday
Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com – Friday / Saturday
Live stats on GopherSports.com

Last year against St. Thomas – The Gophers swept the four-game regular-season series against the Tommies in 2024-2025. Meeting last December at the St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights, the Maroon & Gold earned a 5-0 shutout in the opener and took the rematch by a 6-2 score. Squaring off again in January at Ridder Arena, Minnesota posted 4-2 and 5-1 victories. The Gophers outshot the Tommies by a combined 158 to 73.

Abbey Murphy again led Minnesota in all three scoring categories, tallying 10 points on 4 goals and 6 assists, including a 5-point (2g, 3a) performance in the first game. Nelli Laitinen was second in total scoring against St. Thomas with 6 points, lighting the lamp once and dishing out 5 helpers, and Sydney Morrow added two goals and 3 assists for 5 points. Rylee Bartz and former Gopher Sadie Lindsay each recorded a goal & an assist for the Tommies against Minnesota last year.

Hannah Clark saw all the action against St. Thomas, making 68 saves with a 1.25 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage. Dani Strom started all four games for the Tommies, making 124 saves but yielding 18 goals for a 4.93 GAA and .873 SV%. Maggie Malecha relieved Strom for the third period of the first contest, stopping 14 of 15 shots.

Analyzing the Tommies – Gopher alumna Bethany Brausen is now in her first full year as head coach of the St. Thomas Women's Hockey program, now playing at their new on-campus home in St. Paul. UST started the season with 8-straight road games, winning the first five and going 6-2-0 over that span; however, they've cooled off with a 2-8-0 record since then.

The Tommies have also been overtime warriors, taking five of their games – all in WCHA play – to extra time and going 2-3-0 in those contests. Three of the five came against teams currently higher than them in the league standings: a road win over Minnesota State (2-1), a home loss to Ohio State (3-2), and road loss at Wisconsin (4-3). They also exchanged 4-3 overtime results (one win, one loss) at St. Cloud State.

Four of UST's top five scorers this season come from their junior class. Rylee Bartz (#6) has already surpassed her sophomore scoring total; she leads the Tommies with 19 points on 10 goals & 9 assists. Ella Boerger (#15) has a team-high 14 assists while lighting the lamp 4 times herself for 18 points. Sophomore Ilsa Lindaman (#19) is third in scoring with 16 points on 8 goals and 8 assists after recording only 4 points (1g, 3a) as a freshman. Two more juniors are tied for fourth with 13 points apiece; Ellah Hause (#18) has 4 goals & 9 assists, while last season's scoring leader for St. Thomas, Maddie Brown (#10), has 3 goals and 10 helpers. Sophomore Chloe Boreen (#20) is the sixth Tommie to have reached double-digit scoring so far season, tallying 12 points on 7 goals and 5 assists.

After becoming the Tommies' primary goaltender as a freshman last season, posting a 6-20-2 record in 29 starts, sophomore Dani Strom (#1) has taken a backup role so far this year; she's 1-1-0 with one no decision in three games with a 5.21 goals-against average and .804 save percentage. Instead, graduate student Julia Minotti (#37) has transferred in after three seasons at Clarkson and taken the lead role; she has a 7-9-0 record with 2 shutouts, a 2.44 GAA, and a .909 SV%. Freshman Nora Hannan (#31) has made three relief appearances, yielding 7 goals on 51 shots in just over 71 minutes of action (5.89 GAA, .863 SV%). Senior Maggie Malecha (#33) remains on the St. Thomas roster but has yet to play this season; she appeared in 8 games last year (3 starts), posting an 0-4-0 record.

Last action for St. Thomas – Like the Gophers, the Tommies were idle this past weekend. As noted in our previous Penalty Box Post, they were swept at Wisconsin two weekends ago but, after being shut out 8-0 in the opener of that series, took the Badgers to overtime in the rematch before falling 4-3. Maddie Brown tallied a goal & an assist and netminder Julia Minotti made 47 saves for UST in the Saturday contest.

Around the WCHA

Minnesota State earns home sweep of Dartmouth – Mercury Bischoff remained hot with 3 goals and an assist, Lauren Goldsworthy tallied two goals & an assist, Lauren Zawoyski dished out 4 helpers, and MSU goaltenders Hailey Hansen and Kaydence Roeske combined to stop 45 of 47 shots to give the Mavericks a pair of non-conference wins over the Big Green, 5-2 and 5-0.

BSU loses opener, settles for tie in rematch vs. Lindenwood – Hailey Armstrong tallied two goals & an assist for Bemidji State in their series at Lindenwood, but Michaela Paulinyova lit the lamp twice in a 7-4 win for the Lions on Friday, Zsofia Pazmandi scored twice for LU to erase a pair of one-goal deficits to tie the Beavers 2-2 on Saturday, and Lexi Secreto made a combined 63 saves in the series.

Ohio State earns "sweep", SCSU splits at D1 In DC showcase – Hilda Svensson tallied a hat trick & two assists and Joy Dunne added a goal & 4 helpers as the Buckeyes shut out Clarkson, 8-0, on Friday; Kassidy Carmichael and Sanni Vanhanen each lit the lamp twice for OSU in a 5-0 shutout of Colgate on Saturday. Sofianna Sundelin recorded a hat trick for St. Cloud State on Friday, her third goal coming 1:40 into overtime, to defeat Colgate, 3-2, on Friday, but Clarkson's Bridget Stevenson & Sara Manness each scored and Arianne Leblanc stopped all 29 shots she faced to shut out the Huskies on Saturday, 2-0. SCSU's Emilia Kyrkkö made a combined 57 saves over the weekend.

Wisconsin cruises at SMASHVILLE – Lacey Eden tallied 2 goals & 2 assists, Kirsten Simms added a goal & 2 assists, and Caroline Harvey became the WCHA's all-time top career scoring defender with a three-assist performance as the Badgers defeated Mercyhurst 5-1 on Saturday. Wisconsin then claimed the SMASHVILLE Showcase's Guitar Trophy with a 17-2 drubbing of Stonehill on Sunday; Simms and McKayla Zilisch each tallied a hat trick plus an assist, Cassie Hall added two goals & two assists, Laila Edwards recorded a goal and four helpers, and the Badgers set new UW program records for goals in a game (17), goals in a period (9 in the second), and shots on goal in a game (87).

Upcoming games – The other six WCHA teams are also back in Friday & Saturday conference play. St. Cloud State faces Minnesota State in Mankato with a Friday matinee start. Bemidji State hosts Minnesota Duluth, but the big series of the weekend is in Columbus as #1 Wisconsin visits #2 Ohio State.

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Follow the Power Play Club online at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on X at x.com/powerplayclub.

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

Power Play Club

November 26, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Power Play Club

November 26, 2025

Teddy Bear Toss & Skate with the Gophers – Saturday, December 6

Doing some holiday shopping in the next week? We encourage you to pick up a new teddy bear or other stuffed animal (or two or three) and bring it to the Gopher Women's Hockey game at Ridder Arena on Saturday, December 6 against St. Thomas for a Teddy Bear Toss at intermission. Puck drop for the contest is set for 2 p.m. All stuffed animals collected will be donated to the M Health Fairview's Masonic Children's Hospital. (Note, though, that they will need to be placed in tied-off plastic bags in order to be donated.) Our thanks to everyone who participates in this great event!!

The annual Skate with the Gophers event is also scheduled for Saturday, December 6, following the game against St. Thomas. This year's skate is a paid, ticketed event; tickets can be purchased here for $8 apiece, and note that a separate ticket to the game (available for purchase here) and a completed participation waiver for ice access are also required. There are two sessions, with player autographs for those not skating at the time. We look forward to seeing you at the game!!

Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 31

Goals for a Goal – Gophers season scoring total reaches 75

The Power Play Club's Goals for a Goal program is a pledge-per-goal campaign to convert Gopher Women's Hockey's scoring into donations back to the team. Entering their second bye week of the season, the Gophers have lit the lamp 75 times this year, with twelve (12) of those coming on the power play!

Register a pledge for every goal tallied all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions. Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

Support the Gophers by joining the Power Play Club!!

The Power Play Club is the official booster club of the Gopher Women’s Hockey (GWH) program. As a member, you have the opportunity to experience women’s hockey on a more personal level as you develop friendships with other fans. Membership in the club provides financial support as our best fundraising vehicle for the team, and encourages the players and coaching staff in their quest for academic and athletic excellence. Membership is open at two levels...

Our Locker Sponsor level posts each sponsor's name on a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but please wait to submit your donation as specific instructions for doing so will be sent to you.

The Basic Membership level requires a minimum donation of $125, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

Gophers swept as Minnesota State earns pair of upsets

The Gopher Women's Hockey team came up empty against Minnesota State this past weekend as the Mavericks earned their first regular-season series sweep in the rivalry since January 2007, upsetting the Maroon & Gold 3-1 at Ridder Arena on Friday and 4-1 in Mankato on Saturday.

The series got off to a good start for the Gophers as Abbey Murphy netted her 18th goal of the season 12:27 into Friday's contest, but MSU freshman Mercury Bischoff evened the score less than 4 minutes later. The game remained tied 1-1 with four minutes left in regulation, but Ava Guillemette lit the lamp for the Mavericks on a sharp-angle shot just under the crossbar with 3:20 to go. Minnesota could not find the equalizer, and Kianna Roeske added an empty-netter for Minnesota State. Hannah Clark made 24 saves for the Gophers, while Hailey Hansen stopped 39 shots for the Mavericks. Bischoff recorded two assists to go with her goal.

Moving to the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center for the rematch, Bischoff gave the Mavericks an initial lead, converting a power play 13:20 into the game, but the Gophers' responded when Josefin Bouveng also converted on a power play just 79 seconds later. However, MSU took the again in the second period as Bischoff tallied her second goal of the game, and Whitney Tuttle doubled that lead a short time later. Minnesota was unable to get any shots on goal for a large chunk of the third period, and Bischoff completed a hat trick with an empty-net goal with 1:48 to play. Layla Hemp made 21 saves for the Gophers, while Hansen stopped another 27 shots for the Mavericks.

Bouveng and Murphy each earned an assist on the other's goal. With her six-point (4g, 2a) series, Bischoff was named WCHA Rookie of the Week, and Hansen earned the honor as WCHA Goaltender of the Week with 66 saves on 68 shots.

Murphy catches Heise for sixth on GWH all-time scoring – With her assist on Josefin Bouveng's goal on Saturday, Abbey Murphy reached 227 career points on 121 goals & 106 assists, moving her into a tie with 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Taylor Heise for 6th all-time in Gopher Women's Hockey history. Murphy's next point will put her sixth by herself, and she now sits eight points behind Nadine Muzerall for fifth (at 235).

Around the WCHA...

Badgers need OT to complete sweep of Tommies – Lacey Eden recorded two goals and two assists, Caroline Harvey a goal & 3 assists, and Ava McNaughton posted a 13-saves shutout as Wisconsin rolled to an 8-0 home victory over St. Thomas on Thursday. However, Friday's rematch was a back-and-forth affair; the Tommies an initial lead on a power-play goal by Maddie Brown, Eden (SH) and Laila Edwards put the Badgers ahead in the second period, and UST's Teagan Kulenkamp and Rylee Bartz gave them a 3-2 lead with 6:53 left in regulation. But it was Wisconsin coming out victorious as Kirsten Simms scored an extra-attacker goal with 1:26 remaining in the third and Cassie Hall buried a rebound 2:32 into overtime to complete the series sweep.

Buckeyes earn road sweep of Bulldogs – Joy Dunne lit the lamp twice and Hailey MacLeod stopped 24 of 25 shots Friday as Ohio State defeated Minnesota Duluth, 3-1, at AMSOIL Arena on Friday. Dunne added her third goal of the weekend plus two assists and Genny Klein stopped 31 of 32 shots for OSU on Saturday as they completed the series sweep with a 4-1 victory. Ève Gascon made a combined 77 saves for UMD.

Huskies, Beavers split in Bemidji – Payton Remick tallied two goals & an assist and Emilia Kyrkkö posted a 21-save clean sheet as St. Cloud State shut out Bemidji State, 4-0, on Friday. BSU appeared in control Saturday, leading 4-1 at the second intermission behind a pair of goals from Raeley Carney, but SCSU rallied to light the lamp four times in the third to go ahead 5-4 with 4:29 left in regulation, getting a goal & two assists from Grace Wolfe; however, Isa Goettl knotted the score for the Beavers on an extra-attacker goal with 31.4 seconds remaining and Hailey Armstrong won the game for Bemidji State 1:03 into overtime, 6-5.

Upcoming games – The Thanksgiving holiday weekend features non-conference action for five WCHA teams. St. Cloud State and Ohio State are in the D1 in DC Showcase in Washington, each playing single games against Colgate and Clarkson. In a pair of traditional two-game series, both on Friday & Saturday, Minnesota State hosts Dartmouth and Bemidji State travels south to face Lindenwood. Wisconsin is participating in the SMASHVILLE Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase in Nashville, taking on Mercyhurst on Saturday and Stonehill on Sunday. Like the Gophers, Minnesota Duluth and St. Thomas are idle.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

Power Play Club

November 21, 2025

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Friday, November 21, 2025

Power Play Club

November 21, 2025

Twelve (12) Gopher alumnae named to PWHL opening rosters

We send our congratulations and wishes of good luck to the twelve Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae who were named to PWHL rosters yesterday (Thursday, November 20; * indicates reserve player)...

Abby Boreen – Vancouver Goldeneyes
Hannah Brandt – Boston Fleet
Emily Brown – Seattle Torrent
Taylor Heise – Minnesota Frost
Peyton Hemp – Ottawa Charge
Ella Huber – Boston Fleet

Olivia Knowles* – New York Sirens
Natálie Mlýnková – Montréal Victoire
Savannah Norcross – New York Sirens
Kelly Pannek – Minnesota Frost
Lee Stecklein – Minnesota Frost
Grace Zumwinkle – Minnesota Frost

We also send additonal shout-outs to Brown, Pannek and Stecklein on their leadership for their respective teams. Pannek & Stecklein have served as alternate captains for Minnesota the past two seasons, and Brown was named one of Seattle's alternate captains yesterday for their inaugural season.

All eight PWHL are in action between tonight and this Sunday to open the league's regular season, with the schedule as follows...

Toronto Sceptres at Minnesota Frost – tonight (Friday, Nov. 21) at 6 p.m. CT
Seattle Torrent at Vancouver Goldeneyes – tonight at 7 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. CT
New York Sirens at Ottawa Charge – Saturday (Nov. 22) at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT
Montréal Victoire at Boston Fleet – Sunday (Nov. 23) at 1 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. CT

All PWHL games will be streamed on the league's YouTube page. You can also check the PWHL website for other ways to watch the team in your area; go to the specific page for the team, then select "Schedule" and "Where to Watch".

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

Power Play Club

November 19, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Power Play Club

November 19, 2025

Goals for a Goal – Gophers extend season scoring total to 73

Following a high-scoring weekend sweep, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has lit the lamp 73 times this season, with eleven (11) of those coming on the power play!

We continue requesting your help to convert those goals into donations back to the GWH program through the Goals for a Goal program. Register a pledge for every goal scored by the Gophers all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions. Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

Support the Gophers by joining the Power Play Club!!

The Power Play Club is the official booster club of the Gopher Women’s Hockey (GWH) program. As a member, you have the opportunity to experience women’s hockey on a more personal level as you develop friendships with other fans. Membership in the club provides financial support as our best fundraising vehicle for the team, and encourages the players and coaching staff in their quest for academic and athletic excellence. Membership is open at two levels...

Our Locker Sponsor level posts each sponsor's name on a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but please wait to submit your donation as specific instructions for doing so will be sent to you.

The Basic Membership level requires a minimum donation of $125, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

Looking ahead – Skate with the Gophers, December 6

The annual Skate with the Gophers event is scheduled for Saturday, December 6, following the home game against St. Thomas at Ridder Arena. Puck drop for the contest is set for 2 p.m. This year's skate is a paid, ticketed event; tickets can be purchased here for $8 apiece, and note that a separate ticket to the game (available for purchase here) and a completed participation waiver for ice access are also required. There are two sessions, with player autographs for those not skating at the time. We look forward to seeing you at the game!!

#2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-2-0, 8-2-0-0 WCHA)
vs. Minnesota State Univ. Mavericks (6-7-1, 2-7-1-1 WCHA)
Friday, November 21 at 6:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena
Saturday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m. – Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center – Mankato

The Gopher Women's Hockey team wraps up the November portion of its 2025-2026 schedule with a home-and-home WCHA series against the Minnesota State University Mavericks. Action begins at Ridder Arena this Friday, November 21 at 6 p.m. before both squads head to Mankato for the rematch at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center on Saturday, November 22 at 2 p.m.

Game coverage –

Saturday's game televised on FOX9+ (channel finder)
Video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service – Friday / Saturday
Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com – Friday / Saturday
Live stats on GopherSports.com

Last year against Minnesota State – The Gophers swept the four-game regular-season series against the Mavericks. Meeting in October, the Maroon & Gold took the opener 8-2 at Ridder Arena, then came from behind to defeat MSU 3-2 in overtime in Mankato. In their next series in January, the Gophers won 8-3 in Minneapolis before completing the weekend sweep with a 5-2 road victory. However, a matchup in the first round of the WCHA conference playoffs at Ridder required three games; the Gophers won Game 1 by a 6-1 score, but MSU outlasted Minnesota with a 5-4 double-overtime victory in Game 2. But the Gophers took the decider, 6-2, to end the Mavericks' season.

Abbey Murphy led Minnesota in all three scoring categories across the seven games, netting 7 goals and dishing out 11 assists for 18 points. Four other Gophers also hit double-digit points: Josefin Bouveng lit the lamp 5 times and tallied 8 assists, Ella Huber added 4 goals & 8 assists, Peyton Hemp tallied 6 goals and 5 assists, and Chloe Primerano dished out 9 helpers while scoring once herself. Additionally, Emma Kreisz had the top single-game performance, recording 2 goals and 3 assists in the playoff opener. JuliAnna Gazdik was Minnesota State's top scorer thanks to 7 assists plus one goal of her own, while Jamie Nelson tallied 2 goals & 5 assists, Madison Mashuga added 2 goals & 3 assists, and Alexis Paddington lit the lamp 3 times. Mashuga netted the game-winning goal in Minnesota State's playoff game victory.

Between the pipes, Skylar Vetter earned the first win in Mankato, stopping 13 of 15 shots, but Hannah Clark went 5-1 in the other six contests, making 142 saves with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Olivia King also made her final collegiate appearance for the Gophers, stopping 5 shots in just over five minutes of the playoff decider. MSU's Hailey Hansen started six of the games as well, making 191 saves but yielding 34 goals for a 5.65 GAA and .849 SV%, Jessie McPherson stopped 42 of 47 shots in one start and one relief appearance for a 3.80 GAA and an .894 SV%, and Suzette Faucher stopped 6 shots in the final period of the decider.

Analyzing the Mavericks – Minnesota State has finished sixth in the WCHA regular-season standings each of the last three seasons; they sit tied for 5th so far this year with a 2-7-1-1 (0-1 in OT) league record. Non-conference sweeps of Rensselaer on the road and Lindenwood at home have them 6-7-1 overall.

Only one of MSU's top six scorers last season is back with the Mavericks this year; senior Taylor Otremba (#24) is currently tied for second on the squad with 8 points on 2 goals and 6 assists. Junior defender Lauren Zawoyski (#17), who entered this season with only 6 career points (1g, 5a) over her first two years, is currently leading Minnesota State with 10 points on a goal and 9 helpers. Sophomore and former Gopher Ayla Puppe (#16) is tied with Otremba, recording 4 goals & 4 assists, and the quartet of junior Kamryn Van Batavia (#9), freshman Mercury Bischoff (#14), sophomore Lauren Goldsworthy (#4), and freshman Zoe Lopez (#10) have each also lit the lamp 4 times.

After leading the Mavericks with a 10-14-1 record and 3 shutouts last year, junior Hailey Hansen (#33) is again their top netminder; she's 4-7-1 in 12 starts this season with another 3 shutouts, a 3.07 goals-against average, and a .907 save percentage. Freshman Kaydence Roeske (#31) has won both of her starts (against Lindenwood and Bemidji State), stopping a combined 43 of 45 shots for a 1.00 GAA and .956 SV%. Senior Avery Stilwell (#1) remains MSU's third goalie; she made only her third career appearance – and first since November 2021 – entering in relief against Wisconsin, stopping 10 of 14 shots in two periods of action.

Last weekend: MSU swept at Ohio State – Facing the #3-ranked Buckeyes on the road, Minnesota State fell 5-2 and 7-3. Sara Swiderski led OSU with 6 points on a goal and 5 assists, and Hilda Svensson (2g, 3a) & Sanni Vanhanen (1g, 4a) each posted 5 points. Kamryn Van Batavia lit the lamp twice, once in each game, for the Mavericks, Lauren Zawoyski added a goal and an assist, and Hailey Hansen made a combined 79 saves.

Gophers win Field Trip Day game, complete sweep of Beavers

Outshooting Bemidji State by a combined 119-22, the Gopher Women's Hockey team won their Field Trip Day game at 3M Arena on Friday, 6-2, and followed it up with a 9-2 victory Saturday at Ridder Arena to complete the series sweep.

The Beavers got on the board first when a Gopher turnover led to Morgan Smith lighting the lamp just 14 seconds into Friday's contest. Minnesota knotted the score on an Emma Kreisz goal later in the first period, then took the lead when Sydney Morrow found the back of the net short-handed in the second stanza. That said, BSU's Isa Goettl scored on a 5-on-3 power play to send the game to the second intermission tied again, 2-2. But Ava Lindsay put the Gophers ahead again 5:26 into the third period, and Jamie Nelson, Josefin Bouveng (short-handed), and Abbey Murphy also scored. Hannah Clark made 10 saves for the win, while Bemidji State's Kaitlin Groess stopped 50 shots.

Kreisz tallied the first Gopher goal again Saturday, Chloe Primerano doubled the lead less than 2 minutes later, and Tereza Plosová pushed the advantage to 3-0 before the first intermission. Bella Fanale scored on a second-period power play, but BSU's Maddie Kaiser lit the lamp and Smith netted her second goal of the weekend to make it 4-2. However, Nelson also netted her second goal of the series, Fanale tallied her second of the game, Lindsay and Morrow each found the back of the net again, and freshman Sydney Bailey recorded her first collegiate goal. Layla Hemp earned the win, needing only 8 saves; Ava Hills started the game for the Beavers and made 49 saves before Groess entered in relief and stopped 5 shots.

Dishing out 4 assists, Murphy led Minnesota in total scoring with 5 points. A quintet of Gophers – Fanale (2g, 2a), Kreisz (2g, 2a), Lindsay (2g, 2a), Bouveng (1g, 3a), and Madison Kaiser (4a) – each recorded four points.

Minnesota announces signings of six 2026-2027 freshmen

Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced Monday the signings of six players to become the members of the team's freshman class of 2026-2027:

Sloane Hartmetz (Defense / Phoenixville, PA / Shattuck-St. Mary's)
Maddie McCullough (Forward / Newmarket, Ont. / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins)
Adrianna Milani (Forward / Oakville, Ont. / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins)
Rachel Piggott (Forward / Richmond Hill, Ont. / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins)
Payton Rolli (Goaltender / Warroad, MN / Warroad High School)
Katya Sander (Defense / Chanhassen, MN / Holy Family Catholic)

We pass along our warmest greetings, and we look forward to seeing Sloane, Maddie, Adrianna, Rachel, Payton & Katya wearing the Maroon and Gold next fall!!

Around the WCHA...

Badgers win Friday at St. Cloud, Huskies earn tie Saturday – Caroline Harvey tallied two goals and an assist, Kirsten Simms added a goal & 2 assists, and Ava McNaughton stopped 18 of 19 shots as Wisconsin defeated St. Cloud State 5-1 in the series opener at the National Hockey Center. However, the Huskies rallied from 3-1 and 4-3 down on Saturday to earn a 4-4 tie against the top-ranked Badgers; Simms recorded another goal & an assist and Kelly Gorbatenko put Wisconsin in the lead on a power play with 5:41 left in regulation, but Maria Mikaelyan lit the lamp twice for SCSU, including the game-tying power-play conversion with 3:46 to go in the third. McNaughton stopped another 34 shots for the Badgers, while Emilia Kyrkkö made 52 saves for the Huskies. Wisconsin won the shootout, 2-1, on Laney Potter's 7th-round goal to earn the bonus standings point.

Bulldogs earn road sweep of Tommies – Ève Gascon stopped 33 of 34 shots and Grace Sadura netted the eventual game-winning goal as Minnesota Duluth earned a 3-1 road victory over St. Thomas on Friday. Gascon made another 35 saves, Sadura tallied her second goal of the series, and Madison Burr scored the game-winner as UMD prevailed 4-2 on Saturday for the weekend sweep. Ella Boerger and Ellah Hause each recorded a goal & an assist for UST in Saturday's contest, and Julia Minotti made a combined 49 saves in the series.

Upcoming games – This weekend features a full slate of conference action. St. Thomas and Wisconsin get things started with a Thursday-Friday series in Madison, Bemidji State hosts St. Cloud State for a pair of matinee games Friday & Saturday, and Ohio State visits Minnesota Duluth for a Friday-Saturday matchup.

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Power Play Club

November 12, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Power Play Club

November 12, 2025

PPC Chalk Talk – Saturday (November 15) at 12:30 p.m.

The first Power Play Club member-exclusive Chalk Talk of the year is scheduled for this Saturday, November 15, at 12:30 p.m., before the second game of the series against the Bemidji State University Beavers. We will be joined by one of the Gopher coaches to discuss on-ice strategy and the team's performance in Friday's contest. The Chalk Talk will be held in the Ridder Arena Weight Room, on the upstairs level across the hall from the suites and press box.

Membership enrollment continues for 2025-2026 season!

PPC membership enrollment for the 2025-2026 season remains open! Again, your enrollment donations are our biggest source of financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey team!

Locker Sponsor level – We are still accepting enrollments in our top membership tier. Each sponsor's name is posted on a nameplate next to a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but please wait to submit your donation as specific instructions for doing so will be sent to you.

Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $125 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; 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".

Goals for a Goal – Gophers up to 58 through 12 games

After 12 games, a little over one-third of the way through the regular season, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has lit the lamp 58 times, with ten (10) of those coming on the power play!

Again, help us convert those goals into donations back to the GWH program through the Goals for a Goal program. Register a pledge for every goal scored by the Gophers all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions. Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

#2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-2-0, 6-2-0-0 WCHA) vs. Bemidji State Univ. Beavers (3-6-1, 1-6-1-0 WCHA)
Field Trip Day Game – 3M Arena at Mariucci - Friday, November 14 at 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena

Following a weekend off for most of Gopher Women's Hockey team, they return home – sort of – for a WCHA series against the Bemidji State Unviersity Beavers. The teams will first play in the Gophers' second-annual Field Trip Day game, this year being held at 3M Arena at Mariucci; game time is set for 12:00 p.m. this Friday, November 14. The teams will then move next door to Ridder Arena for the rematch on Saturday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage –

Video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service – Friday / Saturday
Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com – Friday / Saturday
Live stats on GopherSports.com

Season ticket seating on Friday – Per an email sent by the U. of M. Ticket Office last week, GWH season ticket holders were advised to sit in sections 17 through 20 at 3M Arena for Friday's contest.

Last year against Bemidji State – The Gophers and Beavers met five times in the regular season last year, with the Maroon & Gold sweeping all five. Playing in Bemidji last November, the Gophers earned 2-1 & 4-1 victories. The two squads then met in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic in Lakeville on New Year's Day; Bemidji State took the initial lead, but Minnesota came back to win 4-1. Squaring off again in late January, the Gophers again earned a 4-1 win at Ridder Arena and completed the sweep with a 3-1 decision at the Hockey Day Minnesota outdoor game in Shakopee. The Gophers also more than doubled-up the Beavers on shots-on-goal across the five contests, 169 to 83.

Eleven (11) of the Gophers' 17 goals against the Beavers came from Natálie Mlýnková & Abbey Murphy. Mlýnková lit the lamp six times, including a two-goal performance in the opener in Bemidji and a hat trick in the Hall of Fame Game; she also dished out a pair of assists for 8 points. Murphy found the back of the net five times, including two 2-goal games, and recorded 3 assists to also post 8 points. Ella Huber added a goal and 6 assists in the five meetings. Morgan Smith was the only Beaver with multiple points, scoring BSU's lone goals in the second game in Bemidji and the outdoor game. Hannah Clark earned all five wins with 78 saves, a .940 save percentage, and a 1.01 goals-against average; Sophia Johnson also made a brief appearance in Bemidji but did not face an official shot on goal in 3 minutes, 19 seconds of action. BSU netminders Kaitlin Groess & Eva Filippova split the five contests, posting similar stats; Groess played in the two games at the Sanford Center and the outdoor game, making 90 saves with a .909 SV% and 3.07 GAA, while Filippova stopped 62 shots in her two starts with a .912 SV% and 3.10 GAA.

Earlier this season: Gophers defeat BSU in exhibition – Meeting in Brainerd for an exhibition contest in September, Ava Lindsay led Minnesota with a hat trick, scoring once in the 1st period and twice more in the 2nd, as the Gophers defeated Bemidji State 6-1 after 60 minutes. Sienna D'Alessandro and Tereza Plosová also lit the lamp in the contest. Layla Hemp, Sophia Johnson & Hannah Clark each saw a period of action between the pipes. Following the third stanza, the Gophers and Beavers played another full 5 minutes of 3-on-3 competition, with Emma Kreisz finding the back of the net. After that, the teams also held a shootout, for which results were unavailable.

Analyzing the Beavers – After three-straight seasons finishing at the bottom of the WCHA standings, Bemidji State is looking for improvement this year; getting their first conference win this past weekend (more on that shortly) has moved them out of 8th place for the time being. They currently hold a 1-6-1-0 league record and a 3-6-1 mark overall, being outscored 33-14 in their ten games.

The Beavers' top four scorers last season are not only back but are again at the top of their stat sheet to start 2025-2026. Sophomore Morgan Smith (#21) is leading with way with 7 points on 2 goals & 5 assists. Junior Hailey Armstrong (#29) has lit the lamp 6 times to open the new year. Fellow junior Kate Johnson (#14) also has 6 points, tallying a goal & 5 helpers, and former Gopher Isa Goettl (#9) – now in her junior year – has two goals and an assist.

Sophomore netminder Kaitlin Groess (#1) saw a majority of the action for Bemidji State last year, going 3-19-0 with a 3.98 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage; she's 3-3-0 with a shutout, a 3.65 GAA and an .883 SV% so far this season. Senior Ava Hills (#33) joined the Beavers as a transfer from St. Anselm, having also playing at New Hampshire previously; she's appeared in five games so far for Bemidji State, going 0-3-1 in her four starts despite a 2.44 GAA and .933 SV%. Freshman Ashlyn Hazlett (#35) made a one-period relief appearance against Wisconsin, yielding 3 goals on 8 shots. Junior Eva Filippova (#30) went 2-9-0 in 12 starts for BSU last season with one no-decision, one shutout, a 3.25 GAA, and an .897 SV%; however, she has not played since suffering an injury last February.

Last weekend: Beavers earn upset win Saturday to split with Tommies – Playing in Bemidji, Jenessa Gadzik and Rylee Bartz each tallied a goal & two assists for #13 St. Thomas and Julia Minotti posted a 17-save clean sheet in a 5-0 victory over Bemidji State on Friday; Ava Hills made 16 saves for the Beavers. However, a short-handed goal by Izy Fairchild and an unassisted tally by Shelby Sandberg put BSU up 2-0 early in the third period of Saturday's rematch; Chloe Boreen netted her second goal of the series for St. Thomas with 4:06 to play, but they could not find the equalizer as Kaitlin Groess finished with 27 saves for the Beavers to earn a 2-1 upset win and the series split.

International updates...
Team USA wins first two games of Fall 2025 Rivalry Series;
Murphy nets hat trick, Heise tallies 4 points in opener

The U.S. Women's National Hockey Team will do no worse than splitting the four-game Fall 2025 Rivalry Series after defeating Canada in the first two contests, 4-1 in Cleveland, OH, last Thursday and 6-1 in Buffalo, NY, on Saturday.

Current Gopher captain Abbey Murphy and alumna Taylor Heise were instrumental in the Americans' Game 1 victory. Canada took an initial lead when Sarah Fillier lit the lamp on a power play 9½ minutes into the contest, but Heise evened the score just 16 seconds later when she redirected a shot from Laila Edwards into the Canadian net. In the second period, Murphy blasted home a one-timer on power play off a pass from Heise to put Team USA in the lead, and the duo connected again on a nearly-identical play at even strength later in the stanza for a 3-1 advantage. Another power play in the third period saw Heise send a pass across the slot which Kirsten Simms directed to a wide open Murphy, burying it into the net to complete her hat trick – the first for either team in the history of the Rivalry Series. U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel kept the Canadians from getting any closer, finishing with 26 saves, while Ève Gascon stopped 23 shots for Canada.

Murphy's hat trick was matched two nights later by Team USA captain Hilary Knight, who scored twice on the power play and added an empty-netter late. That said, Gopher alumna Kelly Pannek tallied the game-winning goal off a feed from Murphy. Heise also recorded her fifth point of the weekend with an assist on a third-period goal by Hayley Scamurra. Edwards netted an unassisted goal and dished out two helpers, while Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin lit the lamp as well. Gwyneth Philips made 29 saves for Team USA, while Kayle Osborn stopped 26 shots for the Canadians.

The teams are scheduled to play twice more next month – Wednesday, December 10 and Saturday, December 13, both at 7 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. CT in Edmonton, Alberta. The games will be televised on NHL Network and TSN.

Euro Hockey Tour: Finland remains undefeated, Sweden finishes 2nd for the weekend – In last week's Lidl Hockey Games in Ängelholm, Sweden, the second stop of the 2025-2026 Women's Euro Hockey tour featuring four of the top European national teams, Finland took the top spot with victories over Switzerland (2-1), Czechia (4-1), and Sweden (2-1 in OT), remaining undefeated across both events. The host Swedes were the surprise of this month's stop; after going winless in August, they finished in second place last week with a 4-1 upset of Czechia on Wednesday and earning standings points in their other two games – a 2-1 shootout loss to Switzerland and the overtime loss to Finland. The Czechs took third with a 1-0 victory over the Swiss.

None of the Gophers participating in the event – senior Josefin Bouveng (Sweden), freshman Tereza Plosová (Czechia) and alumna Natálie Mlýnková (Czechia) – recorded a point in the event, but we continue to watch for future national team invitations. The four nations will participate in the December stop of the tour in Tampere, Finland.

Germany, Slovakia tie atop Deutschland Cup standings – Playing in Landshut, Germany, Slovakia's National Women's Team earned wins over Hungary (3-2) & France (2-1) and took the hosts Germans to overtime (3-2 Germany) to finish with a surprising 7 points in the event standings. That put them at the top of the table with the Germans, who got a 2-1 shootout win over France and a 9-1 rout of Hungary; their win over the Slovaks was the tiebreaker for the weekend. The Hungarians finished third after a 4-1 victory over France.

Japan shuts out competition at IIHF Asia Championship – Japan's Women's National Team cruised to a second-straight IIHF Asio Championship, shutting out host Kazakhstan (6-0), South Korea (7-0), and China (4-0). The Chinese took second behind a 3-2 shootout victory over South Korea and a 6-0 shutout of the Kazakhs. Kazakhstan finished third after defeating the Koreans, 3-1.

Around the WCHA...

Upcoming games – The other six league teams are also in conference action with games Friday & Saturday. St. Thomas hosts Minnesota Duluth, Wisconsin visits St. Cloud State, and Minnesota State heads to Columbus to face Ohio State.

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Power Play Club

November 7, 2025

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, November 7, 2025

Power Play Club

November 7, 2025

Clark earns league & national Goalie of the Month awards, Murphy named Co-National Forward of the Month

Two Gopher Women's Hockey players were honored this week for their performances through the month of October.

Sophomore Hannah Clark was first named WCHA Goaltender of the Month on Wednesday after posting a 7-1-0 record in October with two shutouts, 223 saves, a 1.36 goals-against average, and a .957 save percentage. It's the first monthly conference award of Clark's collegiate career.

Clark and grad student Abbey Murphy then were named (respectively) National Goalie and Co-Forward of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners Association for the combined period of September and October. Including the season-opening series against Boston College, Clark went 8-1-0 with a 1.32 GAA and .955 SV%. Murphy lit the lamp an NCAA-leading 15 times while adding 9 assists for 24 points over the first eleven games of the season.

We add our congratulations to both Hannah and Abbey on this recognition!!

Int'l update: Murphy, Heise lead U.S. in Rivalry Series opener win; Sweden upsets Czechia in Women's Euro Hockey Tour action

A weekend break for the Gopher Women's Hockey team could not stop current captain Abbey Murphy from lighting the lamp on the ice. She and alumna Taylor Heise led the U.S. Women's National Team to a 4-1 victory over Canada in the opening game of the Fall 2025 Rivarly Series, played in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sarah Fillier gave the Canadians the initial lead in the contest, scoring just over 9 minutes into the first period, but Heise knotted the score for Team USA just 16 seconds later.

From there, Murphy took over the scoring for the Americans. She buried a pair of one-timers in the second period, the first on a power play, off of passes from Heise, putting Team USA up 3-1. She then scored on another power play in the third period to complete a natural hat trick, with Heise earning the secondary assist for her fourth point of the game.

At the other end of the ice, U.S. netminder Aerin Frankel held off Canada's attack with a 26-save performance.

The two teams will play again tomorrow – Saturday, November 8 – in Buffalo, New York. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT with television coverage on NHL Network and TSN.

Women's Euro Hockey Tour – Finland, Sweden get opening-day wins – After sweeping their three games at the Euro Hockey Tour's August event, Finland's Women's National Team made it four-straight wins with a 2-1 victory over Switzerland in Wednesday's Lidl Hockey Games opener in Ängelholm, Sweden. Veteran forward Susanna Tapani netted the game-winning goal on a third-period 5-on-3 power play.

However, the bigger story of the day was host Sweden's 4-1 victory over Czechia, an upset given the current IIHF rankings, on the strength of three 3rd-period goals. Ohio State Buckeyes freshman Hilda Svensson recorded the game-winning goal and two assists, while goaltender Ebba Svensson Träff made 29 saves. Minnesota Duluth junior Ida Karlsson also lit the lamp for the Swedes.

The three GWH representatives at the tournament – Sweden's Josefin Bouveng and Czechia's Tereza Plosová & Natálie Mlýnková – did not record any points on Wednesday. Action continues with the following games...

Czechia vs. Finland – today (Friday, Nov. 7) at 7:00 a.m. U.S. Central
Sweden vs. Switzerland – today (Friday, Nov. 7) at 11:00 a.m. U.S. Central
Czechia vs. Switzerland – tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 8) at 4:30 a.m. U.S. Central
Finland vs. Sweden – tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 8) at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Central

PWHL: Seattle Torrent, Vancouver Goldeneyes introduced

The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) revealed the nicknames, logos and wordmarks of its two expansion teams which start their respective inaugural seasons later this month.

The two clubs were introduced yesterday as the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes. They join the Boston Fleet, Minnesota Frost, Montreal Victoire, New York Sirens, Ottawa Charge, and Toronto Sceptres.

The Torrent and Goldeneyes open the 2025-2026 PWHL regular season against each other on Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m. PST at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Each team has one Gopher alumna on its roster: Emily Brown for the Torrent and Abby Boreen for the Goldeneyes.

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Power Play Club

November 5, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Power Play Club

November 5, 2025

Goals for a Goal – Gophers up to 58 through 12 games

After a third-straight series netting seven goals, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has lit the lamp 58 through their first twelve games of the season. Ten (10) of those goals have come on the power play!

Help us convert those goals into donations back to the GWH program through the Goals for a Goal program. Register a pledge for every goal scored by the Gophers all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions. Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

PPC member enrollment still open; Chalk Talk on Nov. 15

Having entered November, membership enrollment to the Power Play Club for the 2025-2026 season continues! Again, your enrollment donations are our biggest source of financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey team!

Our first member-exclusive Chalk Talk of the year with one of the Gopher coaches is scheduled for Saturday, November 15 at 12:30 p.m., before the team takes on Bemidji State in the second game of the weekend. It will be held in the Ridder Arena Weight Room, on the upstairs level across the hall from the suites and press box.

Locker Sponsor level – We are still accepting enrollments in our top membership tier. Each sponsor's name is posted on a nameplate next to a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but please wait to submit your donation as specific instructions for doing so will be sent out in the next few days.

Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $125 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; 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".

Gophers split with #1 Wisconsin, climbing to #2 ranking in polls

Going into the hostile territory of LaBahn Arena in Madison, the Gopher Women's Hockey team stunned the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers with a 5-1 victory on Friday, breaking a ten-game Border Battle losing streak and getting their first road win in the rivalry since December 2021. However, Wisconsin responded with a 7-2 win in the rematch on Saturday for the series split. Still, Minnesota's victory in the weekend opener and other results in the WCHA (more on those below) raised the Gophers' ranking in both national polls to #2 entering their bye week.

Hannah Clark's performance between the pipes on Friday was a key element to the team's win; Clark made 40 saves in total, including 23 in the second period, yielding only a first-period goal to Wisconsin's Cassie Hall. Trailing by only one, Josefin Bouveng put home a pass from Abbey Murphy with 1:10 left in the second stanza to send the game to the intermission tied 1-1. The Gophers then netted four goals in a 6-minute, 42-second span of the third frame; Sienna D'Alessandro tallied her first collegiate goal on a rebound, Sydney Morrow scored on a breakaway off a pass from Tereza Plosová, Bouveng tallied her second goal of the contest on a power play, and Murphy lit the lamp 29 seconds later. That was all for Badger netminder Ava McNaughton, who left the game with 29 saves; Rhyah Stewart entered for the final 11 minutes and stopped 4 shots.

Wisconsin got off to a quick start on Saturday as Maggie Scannell lit the lamp 14 seconds into the contest and Kirsten Simms made it 2-0 less than 2½ minutes later. Nelli Laitinen pulled the Gophers within one later in the first period, netting a short-handed goal. But the Badgers tallied the next three goals, taking a 5-1 lead in the third stanza. Murphy found the back of the net on a power play to make it 5-2, but Wisconsin added two more goals for the final margin. The goaltending situation was reversed; McNaughton yielded only the two goals while stopping 19 shots, but Clark was pulled after the sixth Badger goal, having stopped 23 shots, and Layla Hemp finished up for the Gophers with 10 saves. Five different Badgers each tallied three points, with Kelly Gorbatenko recording two goals & an assist and Simms & Caroline Harvey each adding a goal and two helpers.

For the series, Laitinen led the Gophers with 4 points, adding three assists to her goal. Bouveng (2g, 1a), Murphy (2g, 1a), and Ava Lindsay (3a) each recorded 3 points.

Murphy moves into tie for 7th in GWH career scoring – With her three-point performance in Madison, Gopher sixth-year forward Abbey Murphy moved into a tie with Kelly Stephens for seventh in Minnesota Women's Hockey's all-time career scoring with 219 points apiece. Murphy's assist on Saturday was the 100th of her career to go along with her 119 goals, and she now sits eight points behind Taylor Heise (227) for 6th place.

Four current Gophers, 5 alumnae named to national teams for competitions running today through Saturday (Nov. 5-8, 2025)

Four members of the current Gopher Women's Hockey team and five Minnesota alumnae have been named to the national team rosters of their respective countries for events starting today and running through Saturday.

Six players at Canada-U.S. Rivalry Series – The Rivalry Series between the national teams of Canada and the United States enters a new hockey season in preparation for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, starting with contests this Thursday, November 6 at 6 p.m. CT at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH, and Saturday, November 8 at 5 p.m. CT at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. As we shared two weeks ago, Abbey Murphy and alums Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle were named to the U.S. National Team roster. Meanwhile, Gopher sophomore defender Chloe Primerano has been training with Hockey Canada and was officially announced on Monday as a member of their team for this week's games. Both contests will be televised on NHL Network in the U.S.

Bouveng, Plosová, Mlýnková at Women's Euro Hockey Tour – Meanwhile, three Gopher representatives will be participating in the Women's Euro Hockey Tour's Lidl Hockey Games, which start today and run through Saturday (Nov. 5-8) in Ängelholm, Sweden. Freshman Tereza Plosová and alumna Natálie Mlýnková were named to Czechia's National Team roster on October 17, while senior forward Josefin Bouveng was announced as a member of the host Swedish team last week. The four-team event also includes Finland & Switzerland, with the following game schedule:

Finland vs. Switzerland – today (Nov. 5) at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Central
Czechia vs. Sweden – today (Nov. 5) at 12:00 p.m. U.S. Central
Czechia vs. Finland – Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 a.m. U.S. Central
Sweden vs. Switzerland – Friday, Nov. 7 at 11:00 a.m. U.S. Central
Czechia vs. Switzerland – Saturday, Nov. 8 at 4:30 a.m. U.S. Central
Finland vs. Sweden – Saturday, Nov. 8 at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Central

Other international competitions – Two other events are also occurring today through Saturday. Germany is hosting the Deutschland Cup tournament in the city of Landshut, with the national teams of France, Hungary, and Slovakia participating. Meanwhile, the IIHF Women's Asia Championship is taking place in Kazakhstan, including the teams from China, Japan, and South Korea.

Around the WCHA...

Buckeyes get 5-point sweep of Tommies – Whitney Horton and Chloe Boreen each recorded a goal & an assist as St. Thomas took a 2-1 lead on Ohio State on Friday with 7:01 to play, but a Tommies penalty led to Hilda Svensson's extra-attacker, power-play goal for OSU – her second of the game – with 2:14 remaining to force overtime, and Sanni Vanhanen lit the lamp for the Buckeyes 1:37 into the extra period for the 3-2 victory. Joy Dunne erupted for 4 goals and 2 assists in Saturday's rematch and Taylor Kressin posted a 20-save clean sheet as Ohio State completed the sweep with an 8-0 win.

Bulldogs earn road sweep of Huskies – After St. Cloud State netted the first goal of both games, Minnesota Duluth battled back for 5-3 and 3-2 victories behind a combined 63-save performance by freshman netminder Sophia Villanueva and three goals & an assist from Thea Johansson. Danielle Burgen added a goal and two helpers and Rae Mayer lit the lamp twice for UMD. Grace Wolfe, Raili Mustonen, and Sofianna Sundelin each tallied a goal & an assist for SCSU.

Mavericks get tie, win against Beavers – Bemidji State earned a standings point when they played Minnesota State to a 2-2 tie on Friday, getting the equalizing power-play goal from Isa Goettl with 4:24 left in regulation, but Taylor Otremba netted the only goal of a three-round shootout to give MSU the bonus point. Kaydence Roeske posted a 25-save clean sheet in the rematch and Kamryn Van Batavia & Mercury Bischoff lit the lamp for a 2-0 Mavericks victory; Bischoff's goal was her second of the weekend. Ava Hills made a combined 67 saves for the Beavers.

Upcoming games – Only two WCHA teams are in action this week as Bemidji State hosts St. Thomas in matinee games Friday and Saturday.

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Power Play Club

October 29, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Power Play Club

October 29, 2025

PPC member enrollment continues; Chalk Talk on November 15

Membership enrollment to the Power Play Club for the 2025-2026 season remains open! Your enrollment donations are our biggest source of financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey team!

We also provide a reminder that our first member-exclusive Chalk Talk of the year with one of the Gopher coaches is scheduled for Saturday, November 15. More details will be shared as the event approaches.

Locker Sponsor level – We are still accepting enrollments in our top membership tier. Each sponsor's name is posted on a nameplate next to a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but do not submit a donation at this time; donation instructions for Locker Sponsors will be sent starting next week.

Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $125 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; 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".

Goals for a Goal – Gophers' season total increases to 51

Another way to financially support the Minnesota Women's Hockey program is to help us convert those goals into donations back to the team through the Goals for a Goal program. Register a pledge for every goal scored by the Gophers all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions.

Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

After tallying another seven goals this past weekend, the Gophers have netted 51 through their first ten games of the season, 8 of which have come on the power play! Go Gophers!

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-1-0, 5-1-0-0 WCHA)
at #1 Univ. of Wisconsin Badgers (10-0-0, 6-0-0-0 WCHA)
Friday, October 31 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 1 at 2:00 p.m.
LaBahn Arena – Madison, WI

The Gopher Women's Hockey team heads into its third-straight national top-five matchup, its second on the road, as it travels to LaBahn Arena in Madison for the first Border Battle meetings of the 2025-2026 season against the #1-ranked University of Wisconsin Badgers. Action begins this Friday, October 31 at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, November 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage – The Gophers will again appear on FOX 9+ as Friday evening's contest will be televised live in the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Both games of the weekend will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play can be found on GopherSports.com (Friday / Saturday). Live stats will also be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Wisconsin – The Badgers rolled to a 6-0 record against the Gophers in 2024-2025, extending their Border Battle winning streak to 10 games. They took the weekend series at Ridder Arena last October 5-0 & 4-3, then followed it up with 8-2 & 6-1 victories at LaBahn Arena in February. The two squads played a spirited battle in the WCHA Championship in Duluth on March 8 but the Badgers prevailed 4-3 on a goal in the final minute of regulation. Meeting again in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals back at Ridder, Peyton Hemp put the Gophers on the board first but Wisconsin took over in the second period en route to a 6-2 win to end Minnesota's season.

Sydney Morrow was the Gophers' top scorer against the Badgers, tallying 5 points on 3 goals & 2 assists, while Chloe Primerano dished out 4 helpers, Ella Huber added a goal & two assists, and Josefin Bouveng lit the lamp twice. Wisconsin had four players each reach 10+ points across the six contests: Casey O'Brien erupted for 18 points, lighting the lamp 7 times and adding 11 assists; Caroline Harvey dished out 12 helpers while finding the back of the net once herself; Laila Edwards netted 7 goals, including a hat trick in the national semifinal, with 3 assists; and Kirsten Simms recorded 2 goals & 8 assists. Ava McNaughton earned all six wins between the pipes for the Badgers, making 138 saves with the one shutout, a 1.84 goals-against average, and a .926 goals-against average. Skylar Vetter started the first contest at Ridder but yielded 5 goals on 30 shots in 48 minutes of work; Hannah Clark entered in relief and then made the other five starts, stopping 142 shots but yielding 25 goals for a 5.20 GAA and .850 SV%. Sophia Johnson also played a period in Madison, making saves 8 on 10 shots.

Analyzing the Badgers – The defending WCHA and national champions remain on top of the NCAA rankings for both scoring offense and scoring defense to start 2025-2026, posting even better averages than their final 2024-2025 numbers. They have lit the lamp 56 times while only yielding a mere 6 goals to their opponents and recording 7 shutouts. They are third nationally in power-play conversion percentage at 29.7% and are a perfect 31-for-31 on the penalty kill.

Fifth-year forward Lacey Eden (#6) is leading the Badgers with 17 points on 7 goals & 10 assists, while senior defender Caroline Harvey (#4) has a team-high 11 assists while lighting the lamp 5 times for 16 points. Juniors Cassie Hall (#11; 10g, 4a) & Kelly Gorbatenko (#7; 6g, 8a) and senior Kirsten Simms (#27; 5g, 9a) have each recorded 14 points.

After leading the nation last year in win percentage (.949; 36-1-2) and goals-against average (1.25), junior Ava McNaughton (#30) is posting even better numbers this season, earning all 10 wins with five solo shutouts, a 0.63 GAA and .967 SV%. Freshman Rhyah Stewart (#1) has made two relief appearances, stopping all nine shots she has faced over a combined 24 minutes of action and contributing to two team shutouts with McNaughton. Senior Chloe Baker (#32) is Wisconsin's third goaltender; she's made three relief appearances over the past two seasons with 14 saves over 56 minutes.

Last weekend: Badgers blank Minnesota State – Ava McNaughton stopped all 48 shots she faced in just over 5 periods of action, Rhyah Stewart finished up with 6 more saves in 14½ minutes of work, and Claire Enright & Adéla Šapovalivová each tallied 2 goals and 3 assists as Wisconsin earned 4-0 & 8-0 shutout victories over Minnesota State at LaBahn Arena. Hailey Hansen made 52 saves for the Mavericks over four periods in net, 44 of which came in the series opener; Avery Stilwell entered in relief in the rematch, her first appearance for MSU since November 2021, and stopped 10 shots.

Gophers earn road sweep of Minnesota Duluth

Working with a short bench on Friday, the Gopher Women's Hockey team put together a complete effort to shut out Minnesota Duluth on the road, 4-0. They followed it up with a 3-2 victory in the rematch to earn the weekend sweep.

Both games started with scoreless first periods, but Ava Lindsay lit the lamp just 46 seconds into the 2nd period in the opener. Madison Kaiser extended the Gopher lead to 2-0 less than three minutes later, and Lindsay netted her second goal of the contest later in the period. Jamie Nelson added a power-play goal with less than 5 minutes remaining in regulation, and Hannah Clark posted a 24-save clean sheet. Sydney Morrow dished out three assists. Bulldogs netminder Ève Gascon made 16 saves but left with an apparent injury after Kaiser's goal; Sophia Villanueva entered in relief and made another 16 saves.

Gascon was back between the pipes for UMD on Saturday, and Caitlin Kraemer scored to give them the lead nearly 8 minutes into the second period. However, Josefin Bouveng lit the lamp roughly 3½ minutes later to knot the score and Abbey Murphy put the Gophers ahead with a backhanded goal less than four minutes after that. Murphy then pushed the lead to 3-1 with an unassisted tally midway through the third period. UMD got a power play with 5:19 to play, pulling Gascon for a 6-on-4 attack, and Josie St. Martin converted to bring the Bulldogs within one, but Clark shut the door the rest of the way, finishing with 37 saves and the victory. Morrow picked up her fourth assist of the weekend on Bouveng's goal, and Nelson recorded two assists in the series to accompany her goal.

Clark earns second Goalie of the Week award in three series

Stopping a combined 61 of 63 shots on goal over two games for a .968 save percentage and 1.00 goals-against average and earning both victories – including one shutout – in a road sweep of a national top-five opponent, Gopher sophomore Hannah Clark was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season, coming only two weeks after earning her first weekly award. It's the fourth weekly league honor of her career.

Congratulations, Hannah!!

Murphy takes sole possession of 2nd in GWH goal scoring history

With her two-goal performance in Duluth on Saturday, Abbey Murphy moved into 2nd place by herself on the Minnesota Women's Hockey program's list of career goal scorers, lighting the lamp for the 116th and 117th times and passing Hannah Brandt (115). As reported previously, Murphy trails only Nadine Muzerall, who scored 139 goals during her playing time in Maroon & Gold.

Adding in her 99 assists, Murphy now sits at 216 career points, putting her within three of Kelly Stephens' 219 for seventh in Gopher history.

Around the WCHA...

Tommies fall in Anderson Arena opener, salvage split in rematch – Opening their new on-campus arena with a non-conference series against Providence, St. Thomas found themselves trailing the Friars 5-2 thanks to Reichen Kirchmair's second-period natural hat trick, but battled back to take a 6-5 lead with 1:17 left in regulation; however, Providence's Jessie Pellerin scored an extra-attacker goal with 31.1 seconds remaining to force overtime and Kirchmair netted her fourth goal of the game 2:32 into the extra period for the 7-6 upset victory. The Tommies earned a series split with a 5-1 win on Saturday; Whitney Horton, Chloe Boreen, and Rylee Bartz each recorded a goal & an assist and Julia Minotti stopped 19 of 20 shots. Bartz and Ella Boerger each tallied 2 goals & 2 assists for UST in the series, and Maddie Brown dished out 4 helpers.

Buckeyes earn home sweep of Huskies – Hilda Svensson netted the game-winning goal on Friday and assisted on all four Ohio State goals on Saturday, finishing with 6 points as OSU swept St. Cloud State in Columbus, 5-1 & 4-2. The Huskies held a 2-0 third-period lead in Saturday's contest on goals by Maélie Pion and Julianne Labbé, but Joy Dunne led the Buckeyes' comeback with a hat trick and Emma Peschel tallied the game-winning goal. Dunne posted a four-goal weekend after also lighting the lamp on Friday, and Peschel also recorded four points with three assists to go with her goal. Jojo Chobak made a combined 75 saves in the series for SCSU.

Upcoming games – All eight WCHA teams are in league action with Friday & Saturday series. Two of those series begin with Friday matinees as St. Cloud State hosts Minnesota Duluth and Ohio State visits St. Thomas. Meanwhile, Bemidji State heads to Mankato to face Minnesota State.

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Power Play Club

October 22, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Power Play Club

October 22, 2025

PPC member enrollment remains open for 2025-2026!

Membership enrollment to the Power Play Club continues for the 2025-2026 season! Your enrollment donations are our biggest source of financial support for the Gopher Women's Hockey team!

Locker Sponsor level – We are still accepting enrollments in our top membership tier. Each sponsor's name is posted on a nameplate next to a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but do not submit a donation at this time; donation instructions for Locker Sponsors will be sent starting next week.

Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $125 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; 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".

Goals for a Goal – Gophers' total to-date reaches 44

Another way to financially support the Minnesota Women's Hockey program is to donate through the Goals for a Goal program. Register a pledge for every goal scored by the Gophers all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions.

After tallying seven goals this past weekend, the Gophers have netted 44 through their first eight games of the season, 7 of which have come on the power play! Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.

#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-1-0, 3-1-0-0 WCHA)
vs. #4/5 Univ. of MN Duluth Bulldogs (6-2-0, 2-2-0-0 WCHA)
Friday, October 24 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m.
AMSOIL Arena – Duluth

Coming off of one national top-five matchup, the Gopher Women's Hockey team heads into another, going on the road to face their long-time rivals, the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. Action at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth begins this Friday, October 24 at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m.

Game coverage – The Gophers will be featured on FOX 9+ for a third-straight series as Saturday's contest will be televised live in the Twin Cities and surrounding area. Both games of the weekend will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play can be found on GopherSports.com (Friday / Saturday). Live stats will also be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Minnesota Duluth – The Gophers swept the four-game season series against the Bulldogs in 2024-2025, though three of the four contests were each decided by one goal. Minnesota took the two games last November at AMSOIL Arena by scores of 4-1 & 3-2, then earned 3-2 & 1-0 victories at Ridder Arena to conclude the regular season in February.

As with their performances against Ohio State last season, Abbey Murphy (2g, 4a) & Ella Huber (3g, 3a) led Minnesota with 6 points apiece against UMD; both of Murphy's goals were game-winners, coming in the first contest in Duluth and the regular-season finale in Minneapolis. Natálie Mlýnková added 3 points on a goal and two assists. Olivia Wallin was the only Bulldog to record multiple points against the Gophers last year, netting both of their goals in the first game at Ridder. Between the pipes, Hannah Clark earned all four wins including the one shutout, stopping a combined 108 shots with a .956 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average. UMD's Ève Gascon made 155 saves with a .939 SV%, but took all four losses with a 2.53 GAA.

Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth is another team working to reload their roster after graduating 3 of their top 4 scorers – including the top two – from their 2024-2025 squad, but they still have a top-five ranking in both national polls. They finished fourth in last year's WCHA standings with a 14-12-2-2 conference record (0-2 in OT) and posting a 6-0-0 mark in regular-season non-conference play; after sweeping St. Cloud State to open the league playoffs, they fell to Wisconsin (3-1) in the semifinals. They received an NCAA Tournament bid and defeated Sacred Heart (6-1) in the regional semifinals before falling to Colgate (1-0) to end their season. Starting 2025-2026, they are 6-0-0 against Mercyhurst, Syracuse, and Minnesota State, but dropped a pair of games at Wisconsin two weekends ago.

Sophomore Caitlin Kraemer (#11) is UMD's highest returning scorer from last season, posting 18 goals & 13 assists for 31 points; she is the current scoring leader so far this year with 7 goals and 4 assists. Redshirt senior Mary Kate O'Brien (#3) added 25 points on 7 goals & 18 assists as a junior, and has started the new year with a goal and five assists. Meanwhile, senior Thea Johansson (#20) transferred in after recording 16 goals & 12 assists for Mercyhurst last year; she has lighted the lamp 7 times for the Bulldogs so far this season. Another new face to Minnesota Duluth is freshman Rae Mayer (#2), who has 3 goals & 3 assists to open her collegiate career.

Ève Gascon (#1) is back between the pipes for her junior year at UMD; as a sophomore, she started 30 of their 39 games, posting a 15-14-1 record with 4 shutouts, a 1.83 goals-against average, and a .942 save percentage. Gascon has played all eight games for the Bulldogs so far this season, recording 3 shutouts, a 1.87 GAA and an .936 SV%. Redshirt sophomore Anna Byczek (#31) has yet to see any official collegiate action, and Sophia Villanueva (#30) has joined the team as a freshman.

Last action for Minnesota Duluth – After starting their schedule with six-straight road games, the Bulldogs played their home-opening series this past weekend, hosting Minnesota State. Caitlin Kraemer tallied two goals & an assist and Ève Gascon stopped all 24 shots she faced in a 5-0 shutout win on Friday. Taylor Otremba put the Mavericks up 1-0 in the first period of the rematch, a lead which MSU still held past the midway point of the third stanza, but Grace Sadura knotted the score for UMD with 6:12 to go, Thea Johansson put the Bulldogs in the lead just 20 seconds later, and Johannson tallied again with 3:05 remaining for a 3-1 final; Gascon made another 17 saves. Minnesota State netminder Hailey Hansen made a combined 80 saves in the series.

Gophers split with Ohio State in hotly contested series

The Gopher Women's Hockey team suffered its first loss of the season Saturday, falling to Ohio State 4-1, but rebounded with a 6-3 victory over the Buckeyes in Sunday's rematch to salvage a split of their WCHA conference series.

Kassidy Carmichael gave OSU an early lead in the weekend opener with a power-play goal 2:42 into the contest, and Joy Dunne & Hilda Svensson extended the Buckeyes' lead to 3-0 in the second period. Madison Kaiser got Minnesota on the board with 5:52 to play, but Jocelyn Amos tacked on an empty-netter for Ohio State. Hannah Clark stopped 43 shots between the pipes for the Gophers, while Hailey MacLeod made 28 saves for the Buckeyes.

The rematch saw Minnesota light the lamp on 3 of their first 6 shots on goal as Bella Fanale, Josefin Bouveng, and Ava Lindsay (PP) each found the back of the net, though Dunne scored her second goal of the series for OSU to make it 3-1 at the first intermission. Jamie Nelson tallied her first goal as a Golden Gopher on the team's first shot of the second period, prompting a goalie change by the Buckeyes. In the third period, Ohio State cut Minnesota's lead to two twice on goals by Sanni Vanhanen and Jenna Raunio, but Nelli Laitinen & Emma Kreisz (PP) responded for the Gophers. Clark made another 27 saves for the victory. However, tempers on both side flared at the final horn, leading to 90 minutes of penalties being assessed, including game disqualifications to Minnesota's Gracie Graham & Ohio State's Carmichael.

In addition to her goal Saturday, Bouveng also dished out three assists in the series for a 4-point weekend. Laitinen also recorded two assists in Sunday's contest for a 3-point performance.

Graham, Primerano suspended – Due to their involvement in the actions which took place at the end of Sunday's contest against Ohio State, Gopher sophomores Gracie Graham and Chloe Primerano have each been suspended one game. Graham's suspension was automatic as a result of being assessed a game disqualification by the on-ice officials, while Primerano was one of two players issued supplemental discipline from the WCHA on Monday. At this time, we expect both to miss Friday's game in Duluth.

GWH captain Murphy, alums Heise, Pannek, Stecklein, Zumwinkle
named to Team USA roster for Fall 2025 Rivalry Series games

We send congratulations and best wishes to current Minnesota Women's Hockey forward Abbey Murphy and alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle upon their selection to the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team roster for the 2025 Rivalry Series games against Canada.

The teams open the series with contests at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH, on Thursday, November 6 at 6 p.m. CT, and KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, November 8 at 5 p.m. CT. Action will move north of the border for games at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, on Wednesday, December 10 and Saturday, December 13, both starting at 8 p.m. CT.

Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster & Ticketmaster.ca; links for the individual games can be found on the USA Hockey website. All four contests will be televised on NHL Network.

Around the WCHA...

Tommies upset Huskies Saturday for series split – Come-from-behind overtime wins were the story at the National Hockey Center as St. Cloud State defeated St. Thomas, 4-3 in OT, on Friday and the Tommies returned the favor by the same result (4-3 in OT) on Saturday. Trailing 3-2, SCSU's Grace Wolfe knotted Friday's game with an extra attacker and 21.1 seconds left in regulation, and Alice Sauriol netted her second goal of the contest 2:50 into the extra period. UST trailed 3-1 in Saturday's third period before Maddie Brown and Ilsa Lindaman lit the lamp to tie the contest with 5:55 to play; Janessa Gadzik then scored for the Tommies at the 37-second mark of OT for the upset win. Sauriol led all players with 5 points (3g, 2a) in the series; SCSU's Sofianna Sundelin (1g, 3a) & Wolfe (1g, 3a) and UST's Ellah Hause (2g, 2a) & Ella Boerger (4a) each tallied four points.

Badgers claim Icebreaker championship – Lacey Eden recorded 5 points on 3 goals & 2 assists, Kelly Gorbatenko (3g, 1a), Caroline Harvey (2g, 2a), and Maggie Scannell (4a) each posted four-point weekends, Cassie Hall lit the lamp 3 times, and Ava McNaughton stopped a combined 28 of 29 shots as Wisconsin defeated Vermont 8-1 and Union 4-0 to win the Icebreaker Tournament championship in Schenectady, New York.

Upcoming games – UST's Anderson Arena opens Friday – After eight-straight road games to start their season, the newly-ranked #13 St. Thomas Tommies will open the new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul this weekend, hosting Providence in non-conference matinee action Friday and Saturday afternoon. In league play, St. Cloud State will visit Ohio State on Friday & Saturday and Wisconsin will host Minnesota State for a Saturday-Sunday series. Bemidji State is idle for a second-straight week.

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Power Play Club

October 18, 2025

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Saturday, October 18, 2025

Power Play Club

October 18, 2025

GWH Game Day!!
#3 Minnesota vs. #2 Ohio State
2:00 PM at Ridder Arena

Buy tickets
Series preview
Televised on Fox 9+

Video stream on B1G+
Free audio play-by-play
Live stats

Twelve GWH alumnae invited to PWHL training camps

Twelve (12) Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae have been listed as receiving training camp invitations for Professional Women's Hockey League squads in preparation for the 2025-2026 season. Camps open starting Friday, November 7. We congratulate and send wishes of good luck to...

Abigail Boreen, PWHL Vancouver
Hannah Brandt, Boston Fleet
Emily Brown, PWHL Seattle
Taylor Heise, Minnesota Frost
Peyton Hemp, Ottawa Charge
Ella Huber, Boston Fleet

Olivia Knowles, New York Sirens
Natálie Mlýnková, Montréal Victoire
Savannah Norcross, New York Sirens
Kelly Pannek, Minnesota Frost
Lee Stecklein, Minnesota Frost
Grace Zumwinkle, Minnesota Frost

Regular-season rosters must be finalized by Wednesday, November 19, and can include a maximum of 23 active players; we will share announcements as they are published. Year 3 of the PWHL begins with preseason scrimmages between Minnesota & New York on November 13 & 14. The regular season starts on November 21 with Toronto at Minnesota & Seattle at Vancouver, followed by New York at Ottawa on November 22 and Montréal at Boston on November 23.

Plosová, Mlýnková named to Czechia roster for WEHT event

While the Minnesota Women's Hockey team will be idle on November 7 & 8, several Gophers will still be busy those days and the ones leading up to them as several international competitions are scheduled.

The Czechia National Team was the first to announce its roster as they prepare to play in the Women's Euro Hockey Tour's Lidl Hockey Games, running November 5 through 8 in Ängelholm, Sweden. We send our congratulations and wishes of good luck to current Gopher Tereza Plosová and alumna Natálie Mlýnková upon their selection to the squad.

Czechia's game schedule features...

vs. Sweden – Wednesday, November 5 at 7 p.m. (local) / 12 p.m. U.S. Central
vs. Finland – Friday, November 7 at 2 p.m. (local) / 7 a.m. U.S. Central
vs. Switzerland – Saturday, November 8 at 11:30 a.m. (local) / 4:30 a.m. U.S. Central

We will share additional national team announcements featuring current and alumnae Gopher players as they are published. In addition to the Euro Hockey Tour event, Teams USA & Canada are playing Rivalry Series games on Nov. 6 in Cleveland, OH, and Nov. 8 in Buffalo, NY, and Team Hungary is participating in the Deutschland Cup on Nov. 5-8 in Landshut, Germany (which also includes the teams from France & Slovakia).

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