Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Friday, January 3, 2025

Murphy, Primerano earn WCHA Player of the Month honors 

We send congratulations to Gophers Abbey Murphy and Chloe Primerano for earning honors as WCHA Forward and Defender of the Month for December, respectively.  The awards align with their Player of the Week honors received following the series at St. Thomas on December 6 & 7.

Murphy tied her career high in the Friday night game with 5 points on 2 goals & 3 assists, then added her 3rd goal of the series and two more helpers on Saturday to complete an 8-point weekend.  Primerano tallied a goal and an assist in each of the two contests to finish with 4 points in the series.

She's baaack!  Olivia King returns to Gopher roster

Sixth-year goaltender Olivia King will return to the Gopher Women's Hockey roster for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season after re-signing with the program, as announced by head coach Brad Frost yesterday.

King, a native of Garrison, MN, spent the first four years of her collegiate career with the Maroon & Gold.  She transferred to St. Thomas for the 2023-24 season, where she went 5-12-1 with a .873 save percentage and posted a career-high 51 saves on March 2, 2024 against Wisconsin.

King is a four-time WCHA All-Academic Team selection, a three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete, and two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Welcome back, Olivia!!  We look forward to your Gopher return!!

Gopher alumna Morgan signs 10-day contract with MN Frost

In roster news of the professional variety, Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Lucy Morgan signed a 10-day Standard Player Agreement with the PWHL's Minnesota Frost yesterday, ahead of the team's home game last night against Boston.  Morgan was dressed for the contest, backing up starting goaltender Nicole Hensley.

Morgan, hailing from Mandan, ND, began the season on the Frost’s Reserve Player List after finishing her collegiate career with the Gophers in 2023-2024.  Previously, she played four seasons at St. Lawrence University.

Congratulations and best wishes on this opportunity, Lucy!!

Copyright © 2025 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Penalty Box Post - January 2, 2025

Goals for a Goal

After the New Year’s Day 2025 contest against Bemidji State, the Gophers have tallied 65 goals this season, fifteen (15) of which have come on the power play!  We are still looking for help converting each of those goals into donations back to the team through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program!  Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  GO GOPHERS!!

PPC and GWH Event Reminder Redux...

Brunch with the Coaches this Saturday, January 4 – Registrants for our annual Brunch with the Coaches are reminded that the event will start at 8:45 a.m. Saturday in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room.  Enter through the Sundet Lobby on the southwest corner of the arena (closest to the Ridder lobby) and take the elevator to the 3rd floor.  We look forward to hearing from Bemidji State University assistant coach Emma Sobieck and Gopher head coach Brad Frost.

Locker Sponsor gathering, January 11 – Locker Sponsorship tier members of the Power Play Club are reminded that our special event is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, before the second game of the series against St. Thomas.  You are asked to arrive in the Ridder Arena lobby no later than 8:45 a.m.

Skate with the Gophers, January 11 – Following the Saturday game against St. Thomas, the Skate with the Gophers event returns to the Ridder Arena ice.  Fans are encouraged to attend this fun time with the team, though you must have a ticket to the game and register in advance at z.umn.edu/WHOSkate2025

East/West Showcase at Ridder Arena

Friday, January 3
Bemidji State University Beavers (3-15-1)
vs. #11/12 Penn State Univ. Nittany Lions (15-4-1) – 1:00 p.m.
#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-4-1)
vs. Brown University Bears (8-7-1) – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 4
Bemidji State vs. Brown – 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota vs. Penn State – 4:30 p.m.

Coming off of their U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic victory, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has a short turn-around as they close out regular-season non-conference play, hosting the East/West Showcase at Ridder Arena.  The Brown University Bears and Penn State Nittany Lions both make the trip west to Minneapolis, and the Bemidji State Beavers also remain in the Twin Cities.  Action begins tomorrow, Friday, January 3, when Bemidji State faces Penn State at 1:00 p.m., followed by Minnesota vs. Brown at 4:30 p.m.  Pairings will be swapped on Saturday, January 4, as the Beavers take on the Bears at 1:00 p.m. and the Gophers square off against the Nittany Lions at 4:30 p.m.

Traffic alert – Please note that two other Golden Gopher teams are in home action this weekend.  The Men's Hockey team will be hosting Mercyhurst at 3M Arena at Mariucci, with puck drops at 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.  Gopher Gymnastics is hosting Central Michigan at Maturi Pavilion at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Game coverage – All four women's hockey contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service, including both Gopher games Friday and Saturday.  As usual, Dan Hamann will have his free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com Friday & Saturday, and live stats can be found here.

Last time against Brown – The Gophers and Bears have not met in over 19 years, with Minnesota earning a weekend sweep at home in November 2005.  After Hayley Moore gave Brown a 1-0 first-intermission lead in the opening game, Erica McKenzie erupted for four goals in a 5-1 come-from-behind victory.  Jenelle Philipczyk scored on a first-period power play in game two, Whitney Graft added a goal & an assist, and Kim Hanlon needed only 12 saves for a 3-0 shutout win.  Across both games, Bobbi Ross tallied six points on a goal & 5 assists, while Gigi Marvin dished out 4 helpers.

Last time against Penn State – The Gophers' history against the Nittany Lions is a bit more recent, having played each other two seasons ago in the Henderson Collegiate Hockey Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend (2022).  Maddie Kaiser, Taylor Heise, Peyton Hemp and Grace Zumwinkle put Minnesota up 4-0 at the first intermission.  Courtney Correia got Penn State on the board late in the second period, but Skylar Vetter & Mikayla Pahl combined to stop 26 of 27 shots and Ella Huber added a third-period goal for a 5-1 victory.  Kaiser & Hemp each added an assist to their respective goals, Crystalyn Hengler dished out two helpers, and Vetter recorded an offensive assist on Heise's goal.

Analyzing the Bears – Brown started this season 6-0-0, including upset wins over Quinnipiac and Princeton.  However, they've cooled off since then, going only 2-7-1.  They currently sit 9th in the twelve-team ECAC with a 4-7-1 league record.

The Bears have five players in double-figures for points so far.  Freshman Monique Lyons (#2) leads the team in total scoring with 12 points on 7 goals & 5 assists.  Sophomore Ava DeCoste (#3) has a team-high 8 goals plus 3 assists, while senior Cameron Sikich (#23; 4g, 7a) and junior India McDadi (#26; 3g, 8a) join DeCoste with 11 points apiece.  Sophomore Margot Norehad (#18) has added 5 goals & 5 assists (10 points).

Brown lists only two goaltenders on its roster.  Sophomore Rory Edwards (#35) has started 10 of their 16 games, going 6-4-0 with a .919 save percentage and 2.30 goals-against average.  Freshman Anya Zupkofska (#31) got the other six starts, going 2-3-1 with a .915 GAA and 2.12 GAA.

Last action for Brown – A weekend on the road did not go well for the Bears to complete the 2024 portion of its schedule, falling to Rensselaer on December 6 and Union on December 7 by matching 4-1 scores.  Each game was 1-1 in the second period with Brown's goals coming from Ava DeCoste & Monique Lyons (PP), but the Engineers and Garnet Chargers each scored 3 unanswered goals in their respective contests to defeat the Bears.

Analyzing the Nittany Lions – Penn State is in charge in the renamed Atlantic Hockey America conference, posting an 8-0-0-0 record in league play.  With a 7-4-1 non-conference mark entering the East/West Showcase, they are ranked in both major national polls.  However, their current #13 position in the Pairwise Rankings means they will likely need to win the AHA playoff championship to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State is heavily reliant on its junior class.  Tessa Janecke (#15), who has played on the (senior) U.S. National Team, leads PSU outright in points (31) and assists (17) while being tied for goals (14).  Maddy Christian (#26) joins Janecke with 14 goals, and her 7 assists puts her second in total scoring with 21 points.  Katelyn Roberts (#22), is third on the team with 18 points on 5 goals and 13 assists.  Kendall Butze (#17; 3g, 14a) and freshman Grace Outwater (#8; 8g, 9a) have 17 points apiece.

The Lions' top-two netminders are also classified as juniors.  Katie DeSa (#35) is their primary goaltender, starting 16 of their 20 games; she has a 12-4-0 record with 3 shutouts, a .931 save percentage, and a 1.44 goals-against average.  Lauren Barbro (#37), having transferred from Minnesota State, is 3-0-1 in her four starts with a .912 SV% and 2.03 GAA.  Grad student Annie Spring (#31) has one 30-minute relief appearance (coming against Stonehill), stopping the 9 shots she faced.

Last action for Penn State – The Nittany Lions finished the 2024 portion of their schedule on the road December 6 & 7 against Mercyhurst, sweeping the Lakers 4-2 and 3-2.  In the opener, Maddy Christian put PSU up 2-0, Mercyhurst knotted the score early in the third, but Grace Outwater lit the lamp with 16:02 to play and Tessa Janecke added an insurance goal after two earlier assists.  The teams traded goals in the rematch, sending the contest to the third period tied 2-2, but Janecke's second goal of the contest – and 6th point of the series – with 7:54 to play proved to be the difference.  Katie DeSa made a combined 73 saves in the series, 35 in game one and 38 in game two, to earn both wins.

Gophers Defeat BSU in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Game

In front of an announced sell-out crowd, the Gopher Women's Hockey team earned a come-from-behind victory over Bemidji State in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic last night, winning 4-1 at Hasse Arena in Lakeville.

After an early goal by BSU's Kate Johnson, Natalie Mlynkova knotted the score later in the first period, and the contest remained tied 1-1 after 40 minutes.  But Ella Huber lit the lamp on a shot which deflected off a Beaver defender 5:51 into the third period and Mlynkova tallied twice more to complete her first career hat trick.  Mlynkova also recorded an assist on Huber's goal to post a career-high 4-point performance, Huber also earned an assist, and Abbey Murphy dished out two helpers.  Hannah Clark made 24 saves to earn the victory, while BSU's Eva Filippova stopped 28 shots.

Around the WCHA...

Upcoming games – Ohio State and Wisconsin will square off in a #1-vs.-#2 battle, starting tonight (Thursday) in Madison before playing outside in The Frozen Confines Big Ten Hockey Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday.  Minnesota Duluth hosts a Thursday-Friday non-conference series against Syracuse, and Minnesota State will make the trip to Missouri to face Lindenwood Friday & Saturday.  St. Thomas and St. Cloud State will play an exhibition contest Saturday in St. Louis Park.

Copyright © 2025 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Monday, December 30, 2024

Goals for a Goal

Entering 2025, the Gophers have tallied 61 goals this season, fifteen (15) of which have come on the power play!  We are still looking for help converting each of those goals into donations back to the team through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program!  Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  GO GOPHERS!!

Power Play Club Event Reminders…

Brunch with the Coaches this Saturday (Jan. 4) – Registrants for our annual Brunch with the Coaches are reminded that the event will start at 8:45 a.m. Saturday in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room.  Enter through the Sundet Lobby on the southwest corner of the arena (closest to the Ridder lobby) and take the elevator to the 3rd floor.  We look forward to hearing from Bemidji State University assistant coach & Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck and Gopher head coach Brad Frost.

Locker Sponsor gathering, January 11 – Locker Sponsorship tier members of the Power Play Club are reminded that our special event is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, before the second game of the series against St. Thomas.  You are asked to arrive in the Ridder Arena lobby no later than 8:45 a.m.

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic
#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-4-1, 9-4-1-0 WCHA)
vs.
Bemidji State University Beavers (3-14-1, 2-12-0-0 WCHA)
Wednesday, January 1, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
Lakeville Hasse Arena

The Gopher Women's Hockey team and Bemidji State University Beavers lead off the 2025 portion of the season, meeting in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic, played this year at Lakeville Hasse Arena, 8525 - 215th Street W (County Road 70) in Lakeville, on New Year's Day, this Wednesday, January 1.  Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.  Note that, while this game will count in the teams' overall records for the season, it is not a WCHA league game and will not count in the conference standings.

Tickets are still available through the Lakeville Booster Club.  Seats are $16.75 each (including fees) and must be purchased online.

Game coverage update: Video streaming will be available for this game through the B1G+ subscription service.  Audio play-by-play with Dan Hamann can be found on GopherSports.com.  Live stats can be found here.

This season against Bemidji State – At the Sanford Center in Bemidji at the start of November, the Gophers went a combined 4-for-7 on the power play as Natalie Mlynkova and Abbey Murphy each lit the lamp twice with the advantage in 2-1 and 4-1 victories over the Beavers.  Mlynkova also scored once at even strength for a three-goal weekend, Murphy added an assist to her two goals, Emma Kreisz found the back of the net as well, Ella Huber dished out 3 assists, and Hannah Clark made 27 saves on a combined 29 shots for the two wins.  Izy Fairchild and Morgan Smith each scored for BSU, and Kaitlin Groess stopped 55 shots between the pipes.

Analyzing the Beavers – Bemidji State finds itself at the bottom of the WCHA standings, with their only wins in league play coming in a home series sweep of St. Thomas in mid-November.  They also got a win and a tie in non-conference action at Sanford Center against Lindenwood, but they were swept by Robert Morris earlier in the season.  They've been outscored 66-28 in all contests, and are also at the bottom of the league rankings in shots-on-goal per game and penalty kill percentage.

Redshirt freshman and former Gopher Isa Goettl (#9) leads the Beavers in total points with 9, coming on 3 goals and 6 assists.  Sophomore Hailey Armstrong (#29) is BSU's goals leader with 6 while dishing out a pair of assists for 8 points, while freshman Morgan Smith (#21) also has 8 points on 5 goals & 3 assists.  Sophomore Kate Johnson (#14) is fourth in total scoring with 6 points on a goal and 5 helpers.

Four different goaltenders have seen action for Bemidji State.  Freshman Kaitlin Groess (#1) has had the majority of ice time, going 3-10-0 in her 13 starts, posting a 3.18 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.  Sophomore Eva Filippova (#30) and grad student Josie Bothun (#33) each started two games but are winless; Filippova has a 3.93 GAA and .885 SV%, while Bothun has a 5.88 GAA and .813 SV%.  Freshman Lauren Mooney (#35) stopped 21 of 24 shots (.875 SV%) in a 3-3 tie against Lindenwood.

Last action for Bemidji State – Visiting Minnesota State in Mankato on December 13 & 14, the Beavers were on the wrong end of a 5-0 shutout to open the series; Madison Mashuga netted a hat trick for the Mavericks and Hailey Hansen needed only 12 saves for the clean sheet.  BSU got its own hat trick from freshman Morgan Smith in the rematch, but they never led as Jamie Nelson & Claire Vekich each lit the lamp twice for MSU and Mackenzie Bourgerie netted the game-winning goal in a 5-3 Mavericks victory and weekend sweep.

Primerano playing with Canada at IIHF U-18 Women's Worlds

 We provide a reminder that Gopher Women's Hockey freshman defender Chloe Primerano was named to the roster of Canada's Under-18 Women's National Team which plays at the 2025 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship in Vantaa, Finland, from January 4 through 12.

The U-18 tournament has switched format to two groups of equal strength.  Canada will face Slovakia, Switzerland, and Czechia in Group B preliminary round play before the elimination round.  Group A features the United States, Finland, Japan, and Sweden.

We again send Chloe best wishes for a good tournament in Finland!!

BSU head coach Fryklund at U-18 Women's Worlds – We also provide a reminder that Bemidji State Beavers head coach Amber Fryklund will be serving as an assistant coach for Team USA at the IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship, and will miss Wednesday's game along with BSU's contests in the East-West Showcase at Ridder Arena this coming weekend.

Upcoming GWH Event and Game Notes...

Skate with the Gophers, January 11 – Following the second game of the series against St. Thomas on Saturday, January 11, the Skate with the Gophers event returns to the Ridder Arena ice.  Fans are encouraged to attend this fun time with the team, though you must have a ticket to the game and register in advance at z.umn.edu/WHOSkate2025.

Field Trip Day game (January 24) SOLD OUT – The Gopher Women's Hockey "Field Trip Day" game at Ridder Arena against Bemidji State on Friday, January 24 at noon is sold out.  If you are still in need of tickets to the game, you are encouraged to check the SEATGEEK secondary market.

 Around the WCHA...

East-West Showcase at Ridder – Following Wednesday's contest in Lakeville, the Gophers and Beavers will relocate to Ridder Arena where they will each face Brown and Penn State in non-conference action on Friday and Saturday.  Watch for another issue of the Penalty Box Post on Thursday (Jan. 2) with our preview of the event!

Other upcoming games – Ohio State and Wisconsin will square off in a #1-vs.-#2 battle later this week, starting Thursday in Madison before playing outside in The Friendly Confines Big Ten Hockey Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday.  Minnesota Duluth will host a Thursday-Friday non-conference series against Syracuse, and Minnesota State will make the trip to Missouri to face Lindenwood Friday & Saturday.  St. Thomas and St. Cloud State will play an exhibition contest Saturday in St. Louis Park.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Last call for Brunch with the Coaches on January 4

We provide one final reminder that ticket orders for the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches must be received by Saturday, December 28.  The event will be held in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room on Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase.  We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club.

Team USA claims Six Nations Tournament championship
Murphy leads tourney with 9 points, two Player of the Game awards

 The U.S. Women's Collegiate Select Team won the championship game of the Euro Hockey Tour's Six Nations Tournament, defeating Canada's National Development Team on Sunday, 5-3.

The American squad claimed the top position in the tournament's Group A with a 4-0 win over host Finland last Wednesday and a 6-2 victory over Switzerland on Thursday.  Canada finished atop Group B after holding on to defeat Sweden 2-1 on Wednesday and blanking Czechia, 3-0.  The Finns advanced to the semifinals with a 4-0 victory over the Swiss, while the Swedes advanced by defeating the Czechs, 3-0.  Team USA shut out Sweden, 5-0, to advance to the title contest, while Canada knocked off Finland, 3-0.

Sweden upset Finland 2-1 in the Bronze Medal Game, while the Czechs claimed 5th Place with a sweep of their two-game series against Switzerland, 2-0 & 3-0.

Gophers at the Six Nations Tournament – We once again send congratulations to all eight Minnesota Women's Hockey representatives playing with their respective national teams, including Americans Peyton Hemp, Abbey Murphy, Ella Huber & Sydney Morrow (pictured at right after winning the championship), Finland's Nelli Laitinen & Krista Parkkonen, and Czechia's Natálie Mlýnková & future Gopher Tereza Plosová.

Murphy found the scoresheet with at least 2 points in each contest, finishing with 5 goals & 4 assists.  Her fifth goal of the week was the game-winner in the championship contest, coming with only 4:34 remaining in regulation and just 80 seconds after Canada had tied the score 3-3.  Murphy was named Player of the Game in both Team USA's opener against Finland and the finale.

Morrow tallied two points, both coming in the championship game; she assisted on the title-winning goal after scoring her own goal (assisted by Murphy) earlier in the contest.  Huber lit the lamp 3 times at the tournament, once in each of Team USA's first three games.  Meanwhile, Plosová dished out a pair of assists for Czechia, once in each of the 5th-6th Place games against the Swiss.  Hemp, Laitinen, Mlýnková, and Parkkonen did not score.

Kreisz fuels Hungary to 2nd-place finish at 4 Nations event

Not to be overlooked, we send a special shout-out to Gopher sophomore forward Emma Kreisz, who was selected to play on Hungary's Women's National Team for a separate 4 Nations tournament hosted by Denmark last week, with Japan and France also participating.  Kreisz netted two critical goals to lead them to a second-place performance at the event.

The Francs, Hungarians, and Japanese all earned regulation victories over the Danes, turning attention to the games between those three squads.  France got two goals from Chloé Aurard against Japan, her first in the 3rd period to tie the score at 2-2 and her second to win the game 3-2 in overtime.  Kreisz's first goal of the week came against the Francs as she lit the lamp in the second period to knot the score, 2-2; however, after regulation and overtime finished with no additional goals, France took the subsequent shootout (2-0 in 4 rounds) for a 3-2 victory.  Battling for the second spot in the standings, bonus hockey was again needed as Hungary and Japan were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation; Kreisz then converted a power play which carried over from the third period, scoring 55 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 victory.

Other international action last week & looking ahead...

Norway, Germany split two-game series – Playing a pair of friendly contests in Füssen, the Norwegian and German Women's National Teams split the series.  Norway won 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday as Andrea Dalen netted the game-tying goal in the 3rd period and scored the winning shootout goal.  Germany responded with a 4-2 victory Friday as Emily Nix lit the lamp twice.

Slovakia, Netherlands, Poland advance in qualifying for 2026 Winter Olympics – Playing in separate "second round" qualifying tournaments for the 2026 Winter Olympics Games (after first round tournaments were cancelled), the women's national teams from Slovakia, Netherlands, and Poland each finished atop the standings after round-robin play, sending them to the final qualifying tournaments.

Final Olympic qualification in February – Those three teams winning this past week will be among 12 nations competing for the final three spots in the 2026 Olympics in Milano & Cortina, Italy.  The three final qualification tournaments with four teams apiece will be played this coming February 6-9, 2025.

• "Group G" – China, France, Japan (host) & Poland

• "Group H" – Denmark, Netherlands, Norway & Sweden (host)

• "Group I" – Austria, Germany (host), Hungary & Slovakia

More details are available on the IIHF website.

Sitting on top of the world rankings following the 2024 Women's World Championship, the United States, Canada, Finland, Czechia, and Switzerland have automatically qualified to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.  Russia will also qualify if it is reinstated for IIHF-sanctioned tournaments, and Italy will participate as the host nation.

Rivalry Series & Euro Hockey Tour in February – While the Olympic qualifying is occurring, those top-five teams will also be in action.  Teams USA & Canada will play the fourth and fifth games of the 2024-2025 Rivalry Series, in (respectively) Halifax, Nova Scotia on February 6 & Summerside, Price Edward Island on February 8; Canada leads this year's series two games to one.  Meanwhile, Czechia will host Finland and Switzerland in the next round of the Euro Hockey Tour that same week (February 3-9), though the game site(s) and exact schedule are still to be announced.

Around the WCHA...

Mavericks conclude 2024 with sweep of Beavers – Wrapping up the last WCHA action of the calendar year, Minnesota State opened their home series against Bemidji State with a hat trick from Madison Mashuga and a 12-save shutout performance from Hailey Hansen in a 5-0 victory.  BSU got its own hat trick from freshman Morgan Smith in the rematch, but they never led as Jamie Nelson & Claire Vekich each lit the lamp twice and Mackenzie Bourgerie netted the game-winning goal in a 5-3 MSU win.

Happy Holidays!!
The Penalty Box Post will be back after Christmas to preview the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic between Minnesota and Bemidji State on January 1st!

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Wednesday, December 11, 2025

Primerano named to Canada's Under-18 National Team ahead of IIHF U-18 Women's Worlds, January 4-12

 Coming off her 4-point (2g, 2a) performance against St. Thomas which earned her the WCHA Defender of the Week award, Gopher Women's Hockey freshman Chloe Primerano was named to the roster of Canada's Under-18 Women's National Team which will be headed to the 2025 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship in Vantaa, Finland, being played January 4 through 12.

Primerano is one of five players on the roster returning from Canada's 2024 IIHF U-18 Worlds squad which took home a bronze medal.  Chloe was named MVP of that tournament, leading all players with 16 points (8g, 8a), the most ever by a defender and second overall all-time behind Amanda Kessel's 19 (tallied in 2009).  Primerano remains eligible for the upcoming tournament as her 18th birthday is after the calendar flips to 2025.

Congratulations, Chloe, on your selection and best wishes in Finland!!

Six Nations update – Bouveng out of lineup for Sweden

We share some unfortunate news, as Gopher Women's Hockey junior forward Josefin Bouveng has been ruled out of the Six Nations Tournament beginning today in Tempere, Finland.

The news of Josefin being unavailable came in a reply on X on Sunday by the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation in response to their roster announcement last Wednesday.  Bouveng appeared to become injured during the second period of Friday's Gopher game at St. Thomas and she did not play on Saturday.

We send our best wishes to Josefin for a speedy and complete recovery.

Ticket links for remaining special events this season

Here's an update to the ticket information we shared last Friday for the remaining special events in the 2024-2025 season.  (Note that prices listed are before fees & taxes unless otherwise indicated.)

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic, Jan. 1 vs. Bemidji State in Lakeville – Tickets are on sale through the Lakeville Booster Club for the Gopher Women's Hockey game against the BSU Beavers on Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. at Hasse Arena.  Seats are $16.75 each (including fees) and must be purchased online and quantities are limited.

Hockey Day Minnesota at Valleyfair in Shakopee, January 25 – The Gopher Women's Hockey team will be playing on Saturday, January 25 at 11:30 a.m. against the Bemidji State Beavers.  Tickets can be purchased at here.  Please note those for Saturday are $79 each, though that covers the full slate of games being played that day plus admission into the Hockey Day Village and Valleyfair itself.

2025 WCHA Final Faceoff, March 7-8 in Duluth – All-session packages for the WCHA Final Faceoff, sponsored by Kwik Trip, are now on sale.  The tournament will be played at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth on Friday & Saturday, March 7 and 8.  Ticket can be purchased through the UMD Ticketmaster site.  Reserved seats – primarily from the faceoff dots at one end of the ice to the other, with some handicapped seating on the concourse – are $35 for adults and $25 for youth & seniors, while general admission seating in all other sections is $25 for adults and $20 for youth & seniors.  Single-session tickets will go on sale at a later date.

2025 NCAA Frozen Four, March 21 & 23 at Ridder Arena – The University of Minnesota is once again hosting the NCAA Frozen Four in Minneapolis, and tickets are now on sale through the U. of M. Ticket Office.  Chairback seating is $50 for adults and $35 for seniors, students & children, while bench seating is $40 for adults and $25 for seniors, students & children.  Reduced rate seating for groups of 15 or more is also available.  Single-day tickets are also on sale.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

Penalty Box Post - December 10, 2024

Tickets still available for Brunch with the Coaches on Jan. 4

Once again, the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches will be held Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase.  We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed by December 28; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club. 

Goals for a Goal

Help us convert every goal scored by the Gopher Women's Hockey team into a donation back to the squad through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program!  At the holiday break, the Gophers have tallied 61 goals, fifteen (15) of which have come on the power play!  Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  GO GOPHERS!!

Gophers conclude 2024 with road sweep of St. Thomas

A short trip across town proved to be no issue for the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they earned a weekend sweep of the St. Thomas Tommies at Saint Thomas Ice Arena, winning 5-0 and 6-2.

Josefin Bouveng netted Minnesota's first two goals of the weekend, with Abbey Murphy assisting on both.  Murphy then lit the lamp twice herself a short time later, and Chloe Primerano, already with an assist, also found the back of the net.  Both teams found the scoresheet in the first period of the rematch; Peyton Hemp opened the scoring for the Gophers, the Tommies' Rylee Bartz evened things up later in the stanza, but Nelli Laitinen put Minnesota back in the lead just 26 seconds after that.  Sydney Morrow converted on a power play and Hemp netted her second goal of the game in the second frame, and Murphy went down to one knee to bury a pass from Morrow in the third.  Former Gopher Sadie Lindsay lit the lamp for St. Thomas, but Primerano added another power-play goal in the final seconds of the contest.

Murphy, Primerano earn WCHA Player of the Week honors;
Clark records first collegiate shutout between the pipes

We send congratulations to Gophers Abbey Murphy and Chloe Primerano for earning honors as WCHA Forward and Defender of the Week, respectively, for their performances at St. Thomas.

Murphy tied her career high on Friday night with 5 points on her 2 goals & 3 assists, then added her 3rd goal of the weekend and two more helpers on Saturday to complete an 8-point series.  As noted above, Primerano lit the lamp once in each game but also recorded an assist in each contest as well to finish with 4 points on the weekend.

We also congratulate freshman goaltender Hannah Clark.  With a 14-save performance Friday night, Clark recorded the first shutout of her collegiate career.  She added another 20 saves on Saturday to earn her ninth victory of the season.

Other notable performances – Nelli Laitinen & Sydney Morrow each dished out two assists to go with their respective goals, finishing with 3 points apiece.  Ella Huber recorded 3 assists in the series.

Euro Hockey Tour Six Nations Tournament – December 11-15;
nine Gophers selected to play on respective national teams

We again congratulate and send best wishes to the nine (9) Gopher Women's Hockey representatives selected to play on their respective national teams at the Six Nations Tournament, part of the 2024-2025 Women's Euro Hockey Tour.  The event begins tomorrow, December 11, and runs through Sunday, December 15, in Tampere, Finland.

Eight current Gophers departed to join their national squads following the series against St. Thomas.  Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, Sydney Morrow, and Abbey Murphy were named to the U.S. Collegiate Select Team, Nelli Laitinen & Krista Parkkonen were selected for Finland's Women's National Team, Josefin Bouveng was named to Team Sweden, and Natálie Mlýnková was selected for the Czech National Team.  Future Gopher Tereza Plosová will join Mlýnková on Team Czechia.  Canada's National Development Team and the Swiss National Team will make up the field.  Though the four European squads are considered as "senior" national teams, they will trend younger since a large majority of PWHL players are not participating.

Tournament format – The Six Nations Tournament will feature 2 three-team groups, with Finland, Switzerland, and the U.S. in Group A and Canada, Czechia, and Sweden in Group B.  Following three days of intra-group round-robin play, the bottom teams from each group will play each other twice while the other four squads play in semifinals and medal contests.  Here's the schedule of games (times shown are U.S. Central):

• Group B: Sweden vs. Canada – Wednesday (12/11) at 7 a.m.

• Group A: Finland vs. USA – Wednesday (12/11) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group A: Switzerland vs. USA – Thursday (12/12) at 7 a.m.

• Group B: Canada vs. Czechia – Thursday (12/12) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group B: Czechia vs. Sweden – Friday (12/13) at 7 a.m.

• Group A: Finland vs. Switzerland – Friday (12/13) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group A 3rd place vs. Group B 3rd place (game 1) – Saturday (12/14) at 3:30 a.m.

• Semifinal #1 – Saturday (12/14) at 7 a.m.

• Semifinal #2 – Saturday (12/14) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group A 3rd place vs. Group B 3rd place (game 2) – Sunday (12/15) at 3:30 a.m.

• Bronze medal game – Sunday (12/15) at 7 a.m.

• Gold medal game – Sunday (12/15) at 11 a.m.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, December 6, 2024

GWH Game Day!!
#3 Minnesota vs. St. Thomas - 7:00 PM at St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights

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

Give to the Max Day recap – Thank You!!

We once again thank everyone who contributed to our Give to the Max Day fundraising efforts this year.  We raised $6,490 in support of Gopher Women's Hockey!!

Another fundraising opportunity still open is our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program.  Pledge to make a donation every time the Gophers light the lamp this season, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  You can sign up today at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal.

Watch for news of more giving options after the holidays!  GO GOPHERS!!

Bouveng named to Sweden Women's National Team roster
for next week's Euro Hockey Tour Six Nations Tournament

Following this weekend's Gopher series against St. Thomas, one more member of the current Minnesota roster is headed to next week's Six Nations Tournament being played in Tampere, Finland.

Junior forward Josefin Bouveng was named to Sweden's National Team roster on Wednesday ahead of the tournament.  We send her our congratulations on the selection and wish her the best of luck in Tampere.  Action runs December 11 through 15, and we'll have a preview before the puck drops.

Bouveng is the eighth current Gopher and ninth overall U. of M. representative selected to participate, joining Minnesota teammates Peyton Hemp (USA), Ella Huber (USA), Nelli Laitinen (FIN), Natálie Mlýnková (CZE), Sydney Morrow (USA), Abbey Murphy (USA), and Krista Parkkonen (FIN), and future Gopher Tereza Plosová (CZE).

GWH Field Trip Day school registration deadline extended

The registration deadline has been extended for the Gopher Women's Hockey "Field Trip Day" home game against Bemidji State on Friday, January 24 at Noon at Ridder Arena.

School leaders should complete the interest form by Friday, December 20 to request tickets.  Tickets will be completely free to students 8th grade and under, faculty/staff, and administrators.  Again, there is no limit to tickets per school, but requests are subject to availability and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transportation is not included.

Ticket info: Hall of Fame Game, Final Faceoff & Frozen Four!!

 Ticket information has been published regarding a number of upcoming events.  Here's our rundown (note that prices listed are before fees & taxes unless otherwise indicated)...

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic, Jan. 1 vs. Bemidji State in Lakeville – Tickets will go on sale to the public early next week for the Gopher Women's Hockey game against the BSU Beavers on Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. at Hasse Arena.  Seats are $16.75 each (including fees) and must be purchased online through the Lakeville Booster Club.  Limited tickets are available.  Watch the GWH and PPC social media accounts for the link.

2025 WCHA Final Faceoff, March 7-8 in Duluth – All-session packages for the WCHA Final Faceoff, sponsored by Kwik Trip, are now on sale.  The tournament will be played at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth on Friday & Saturday, March 7 and 8.  Ticket can be purchased through the UMD Ticketmaster site.  Reserved seats – primarily from the faceoff dots at one end of the ice to the other, with some handicapped seating on the concourse – are $35 for adults and $25 for youth & seniors, while general admission seating in all other sections is $25 for adults and $20 for youth & seniors.  Single-session tickets will go on sale at a later date.

2025 NCAA Frozen Four, March 21 & 23 at Ridder Arena – The University of Minnesota is once again hosting the NCAA Frozen Four in Minneapolis, and tickets go on sale to the general public this coming Monday, December 9, at 9 a.m. CT (with pre-sale events for Gopher Score members and past GWH ticket purchasers).  Chairback seating is $50 for adults and $35 for seniors, students & children, while $40 for adults and $25 for seniors, students & children.  Reduced rate seating for groups of 15 or more is also available.  Single-day tickets will also be on sale on Monday, and we again encourage you to watch the GWH and PPC social media accounts for the link.

GWH alumnae news quick hits...

Boreen named PWHL Third Star of the Week – We send more congratulations to Abby Boreen upon being named the PWHL's Third Star of the Week for netting the Victoire de Montréal's first goal of the season and adding an assist in her debut with the team last Saturday.

Apples all around!  We also send shout-outs to Gopher alumnae Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost), Hannah Brandt (Boston Fleet), and Emily Brown (Boston) on each recoding their first assist of the season in their game on Wednesday night.

Norcross signs to play in Sweden – Per reporting from The Hockey News, Savannah Norcross has signed with Luleå in the SDHL (Swedish Women's Hockey League) following her release from the PWHL's New York Sirens.  We wish Savannah continued success on the ice.

Editor's note – Have a Gopher Women's Hockey alumna update, either playing or coaching?  We want to share the news!  Send it to us at news@powerplayclub.org.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, December 3, 2024

PPC Board of Directors meeting – tonight (12/3) at 7 p.m.

The Power Play Club Board of Directors will be meeting TONIGHT – Tuesday, December 3 – at 7 p.m. online via Zoom.  The primary topic of the meeting will be fundraising plans for the Gopher Women's Hockey team for the remainder of the season.  The meeting is open to all club members; if you wish to attend, please contact vice president Dave Malerich at dmalerich@yahoo.com.

Goals for a Goal

Just under halfway through the regular season, the Gophers have tallied 50 goals, twelve (12) of which have come on the power play!  Help us turn those into donations to the GWH program through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program!  Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  GO GOPHERS!!

Brunch with the Coaches – January 4 at 8:45 a.m.

Once again, the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches will be held Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase.  We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed by December 28; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club. 

Ticket reminder – Hockey Day Minnesota, Saturday, Jan. 25

Tickets remain on sale for Hockey Day Minnesota 2025, being held at Valleyfair in Shakopee.  The Gopher Women's Hockey team will be playing on Saturday, January 25 at 11:30 a.m. against the Bemidji State Beavers.

Tickets can be purchased at hockeydaymnshakopee.hometownticketing.com.  Please note those for Saturday are $79 each, though that covers the full slate of games being played that day plus admission into the Hockey Day Village and Valleyfair itself.

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-4-1, 7-4-1-0 WCHA)
at University of St. Thomas Tommies (5-11-2, 2-9-1-1 WCHA)
Friday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 at 6:00 p.m.
Saint Thomas Ice Arena – Mendota Heights

The 2024 portion of the schedule comes to a conclusion as the Gopher Women's Hockey team heads across town to face the neighboring University of St. Thomas Tommies at the Saint Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights.  The matchup starts this Friday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, December 7 at 6:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both games will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday).  Free audio play-by-play for both contests will also be streamed (Friday / Saturday) and live stats will be available via GopherSports.com.

Last season against St. Thomas – The Gophers opened the 2023-2024 WCHA conference schedule against the Tommies, winning 8-0 at Xcel Energy Center and 4-0 in Mendota Heights.  Minnesota completed the season sweep with 3-1 and 5-2 victories at Ridder Arena last February.  Abbey Murphy tallied 7 of the Gophers' 20 goals against UST, including a natural hat trick in the first meeting, and tacked on 4 assists.  Josefine Bouveng recorded 3 goals with 4 helpers, and Ella Huber added two goals and four assists.  Nicole Vallario, Ella Boerger, and Lauren Stenslie netted the Tommies' goals.  Skylar Vetter and Lucy Morgan each got two starts between the pipes for Minnesota; Vetter stopped 41 of 43 shots for a 1.00 goals-against average and .953 save percentage, while Morgan made 33 saves on 34 shots for a 0.50 GAA and .971 SV%.  Calla Frank made 30 saves for UST in the first game (8.00 GAA, .789 SV%), while Olivia King made the other three starts and posted a 3.67 GAA and .875 SV%.

Analyzing the Tommies – St. Thomas has already gone through a lot of changes, starting behind the bench as Bethany Brausen took over as interim head coach two weeks ago.  The team also had multiple players enter the transfer portal after the 2023-2024 season.  They currently sit seventh in the WCHA standings with a 2-9-1-1 record, and a 5-11-2 mark overall.

Youth is the story of St. Thomas' scoring this season.  Sophomore Maddie Brown (#17) leads the Tommies with 9 goals and 12 total points, after recording 6 goals and 14 points during her full freshman year.  Freshman Chloe Boreen (#20), younger sister of Gopher alumna Abby, has 11 points on four goals and seven assists.  Another sophomore, Cara Sajevic (#7), has already exceeded her freshman totals for goals and points, lighting the lamp 5 times this season with 5 assists.  Two more sophomores who led St. Thomas in scoring last season each have 9 points this year: Rylee Bartz (#6) has 4 goals & 5 assists, while Ella Boerger (#15) has a goal & 8 helpers.

The Tommies' youth movement extends to the other end of the ice as freshman Dani Strom (#1) has started 13 of their 18 games, posting a 2-9-2 record with a 3.17 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.  Grad student Calla Frank (#32) is 3-1-0 in her four starts, with a 2.00 GAA and .927 SV%.  Junior Maggie Malecha (#33) lost her lone start this season; making three relief appearances before that start, she has a 3.41 GAA and .833 SV%.

Last weekend for St. Thomas – A trip to the SMASHVILLE Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase in suburban Nashville featured the Tommies taking two ranked teams to overtime, but they lost in the final seconds to Clarkson, 5-4, before a 1-1 tie against Penn State.

UST battled back from two 2-goal deficits against the Golden Knights.  Keara Parker lit the lamp twice to knot the score 2-2 and later added an assist, and Lauren Stenslie (PP) & Sadie Lindsay found the back of net 13 seconds apart in the third to pull the Tommies even at 4-4.  However, netminder Dani Strom was unable to hold on for the tie despite a 56-save performance; Caroline Goffredo netted the game-winning goal for Clarkson with just 1.5 seconds remaining in OT.

Strom stopped another 33 of 34 shots against the Nittany Lions.  Following a scoreless first 40 minutes, Maddy Clough put St. Thomas in the lead 4:26 into the third period, but Penn State's Maddy Christian knotted the score with an extra-attacker, power-play goal with 1:29 remaining in regulation.

Laitinen, Parkkonen named to Finland roster for upcoming event

We congratulate and send best wishes to Gopher Women's Hockey defenders Nelli Laitinen and Krista Parkkonen on being named to the roster of the Finland Women's National Team for the Six Nations Tournament, the second event of the 2024-2025 Women's Euro Hockey Tour.  The tournament is being hosted by the Finns next week, December 11 through 15, in the city of Tempere.

Laitinen and Parkkonen are the seventh and eighth Gopher representatives to be selected to national team rosters for the event, joining current Minnesota teammates Peyton Hemp (USA), Ella Huber (USA), Natálie Mlýnková (CZE), Sydney Morrow (USA), and Abbey Murphy (USA), and future Gopher Tereza Plosová (CZE).

Nine (9) GWH alumnae named to PWHL Opening Day rosters

Late but not overlooked, we send congratulations to the nine (9) Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae who were named to opening day rosters for the PWHL's six teams for the start of the league's second season:

• Abby Boreen (Montréal)

• Hannah Brandt (Boston)

• Emily Brown (Boston)

• Taylor Heise (Minnesota)

• Olivia Knowles (Toronto - reserve)

• Lucy Morgan (Minnesota - reserve)

• Kelly Pannek (Minnesota)

• Lee Stecklein (Minnesota)

• Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota)

We send special shout-outs to Boreen, Pannek and Zumwinkle for getting on the scoresheet in the PWHL's opening weekend.  Boreen lit the lamp this past Saturday in her Victoire debut.  Zumwinkle set a new PWHL record for fastest goal to start a game, finding the back of the net with an assist from Pannek 21 seconds into the Frost's season opener on Sunday.

Around the WCHA...

Wisconsin rolls to road sweep of Maine – Kirsten Simms (4g, 3a), Laila Edwards (3g, 4a), and Caroline Harvey (2g, 5a) each posted 7-point performances as the Badgers cruised to 9-0 and 6-1 victories over the host Black Bears.

Minnesota Duluth routs visiting Vermont – Four different Bulldogs lit the lamp Friday and Ève Gascon posted a 19-save shutout as they defeated the Catamouts, 4-0, to open their series in Duluth.  Caitlin Kraemer exploded in the rematch Saturday, becoming the first Bulldog freshman in 15 years to tally a hat trick and adding 2 assists in a 9-1 victory.  Including her assist Friday, Kraemer recorded 6 points in the series, while Danielle Burgen posted a two-goal, two-assist weekend and Clara Van Wieran lit the lamp 3 times.

Minnesota State earns road sweep at Dartmouth – Four different Mavericks scored and Hailey Hansen stopped all 32 shots she faced in a 4-0 shutout of the hosting Big Green to open their series on Friday.  The teams exchanged goals in regulation Saturday to send the contest to overtime knotted 2-2, but Jenessa Gazdik netted the game-winner with 42.2 seconds remaining in the extra period for a 3-2 MSU victory and the weekend sweep.  Jamie Nelson & Taylor Otremba each posted a goal and two assists for the Mavs in the series, and JuliAnna Gazdik dished out three helpers.

SCSU gets tie, win on road at Union – The Garnet Charges took a 2-0 second-intermission lead in their weekend opener against the visiting Huskies, but Ella Anick & Ally Qualley lit the lamp for St. Cloud State in the third period, knotting the score with 7:38 remaining in regulation; neither team found the go-ahead goal after that, resulting in a 2-2 tie.  Sofianna Sundelin & Avery Myers gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the rematch, and Union could only manage an extra-attacker power-play goal in the final minute, giving SCSU a 2-1 victory.

Ohio State at Mercyhurst postponed – Due to heavy lake-effect snow hitting Erie, PA, and the surrounding area, last night's contest between the Buckeyes and the Lakers was postponed.  Per the announcement from OSU, “the teams will work to reschedule the game at a later date.”

Upcoming games – Two other league series will also be played this coming Friday & Saturday.  St. Cloud State will host Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin will visit Minnesota State.  Bemidji State and Ohio State are idle.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Brunch with the Coaches – January 4 at 8:45 a.m.

Once again, the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches will be held Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase.  We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed by December 28; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club. 

GWH Field Trip Day – January 24 at Noon vs. Bemidji State

We provide another reminder that the Gopher Women's Hockey home game on Friday, January 24 at Ridder Arena against Bemidji State will start at 12 PM, and that the contest will be “Field Trip Day” presented by Kwik Trip.

Tickets will be completely free to students 8th grade and under, faculty/staff, and administrators.  Interested leaders should complete the interest form by this Sunday, December 1 to request tickets.  There is no limit to tickets per school, but requests are subject to availability and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transportation is not included.

For all other fans: With the influx of students expected for the game, you are encouraged to purchase your tickets early.  Single game tickets are available on the U. of M. Ticket Office website.

Goals for a Goal

Just under halfway through the regular season, the Gophers have tallied 50 goals, twelve (12) of which have come on the power play!  Help us turn those into donations to the GWH program through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program!  Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  GO GOPHERS!!

Gophers split with Huskies, retain #3 national ranking

The Gopher Women's Hockey team settled with a split in their home-and-home against St. Cloud State last weekend, winning the opener at Ridder Arena 5-2 before falling 3-1 at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Ella Huber opened the scoring Friday just 23 seconds into the contest, redirecting a shot from Sydney Morrow past Huskies netminder Emilia Kyrkkö.  SCSU evened the scored later in the first period as Abby Promersberger tallied on a power play, but Ava Lindsay put Minnesota back in the lead 86 seconds after that, burying a rebound.  Abbey Murphy extended the lead to 3-1 in the second stanza, blasting home a shot moments after appearing to have lost control of the puck.  Ally Qualley pulled St. Cloud State back within one on another power play, but Murphy netted her own power-play goal 24 seconds into the third period and tacked on an empty-netter late to complete her second career hat trick.  Huber assisted on Murphy's first two goals, and Peyton Hemp & Nelli Laitinen also each dished out two helpers.  Hannah Clark earned the win for the Gophers with 25 saves.

Minnesota came out firing in the rematch Saturday, getting 23 shots on goal in the first period, but SCSU goaltender Sanni Ahola stopped all of them to keep the contest scoreless after 20 minutes.  Promersberger opened the scoring for the Huskies midway through the second, and Brieja Parent & Avery Farrell lit the lamp in the first 3:09 of the third to push St. Cloud State's lead to 3-0.  Natalie Mlynkova tallied for the Gophers with 13:33 to play, assisted by Hemp & Lindsay, to avoid a shutout, but they got no closer.  Clark took the loss despite another 25-save effort, while Ahola finished with 38 saves and the victory.

Despite Saturday's loss, the Gophers remained ranked #3 in both the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division I Women's Poll and the USA Hockey / The Rink Live Women's Poll.  St. Cloud State improved to #8 in both polls.

Peyton Hemp reaches milestone scoring mark

With her second assist in Friday's game against St. Cloud State, co-captain and senior Peyton Hemp became the latest member of the Gopher Women's Hockey program to join the 100-Point Club!!

Adding her third assist of the weekend on Saturday, Hemp now has 101 points on 47 goals and 54 assists.

Congratulations Peyton!!

Six Gophers headed to December Euro Hockey Tour event

Five current Gopher Women's Hockey players and an incoming 2025-2026 freshman have been named to represent their respective countries at the next Euro Hockey Tour event, the Six Nations Tournament being played December 11 through 15 at the Tampere Ice Stadium / Hakametsä Arena in Tampere, Finland.

Forwards Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber & Abbey Murphy and defender Sydney Morrow were named to the U.S. Collegiate Women's Select Team roster by USA Hockey last Thursday, November 21.  Meanwhile, teammate Natálie Mlýnková and future Gopher Tereza Plosová were selected to play on the Czech Women's National Team.  Unfortunately, no Gophers were chosed to play on Canada's National Women's Development Team, whose roster was released yesterday.  Announcements from the national federations of Sweden and Finland are still pending and expected within the next seven days.  We send congratulations to Peyton, Ella, Abbey, Sydney, Natálie and Tereza on being selected, and wish them good luck at the tournament!!

Around the WCHA...

#4 Bulldogs sweep Beavers in Duluth – Olivia Wallin recorded a hat trick plus an assist and Tova Henderson lit the lamp twice as Minnesota Duluth defeated Bemidji State 8-1 Friday night at AMSOIL Arena.  Henderson netted her third goal of the weekend, Wallin dished out another assist, and Tindra Holm earned her first shutout as a Bulldog in a 2-0 victory Saturday for the series sweep.  Olivia Mobley added two goals & an assist in the series for UMD, while Shelby Breiland netted the lone goal for BSU.

#1 Wisconsin earns home sweep of St. Thomas – Six different Badgers lit the lamp Friday as they topped the Tommies 6-1 to open their series in Madison.  Cassie O'Brien then tallied 2 goals and 2 assists Saturday after a pair of helpers in Friday's game to complete a six-point weekend and a sweep with a 5-2 victory.  Kirsten Simms recorded four points for Wisconsin on a goal & 3 assists, while Maddie Brown scored both goals for the Tommies on Saturday and Chloe Boreen recorded a goal and an assist in the series.

Mavericks take 4 points from visiting #2 Buckeyes – After being held off the scoreboard for two periods, Jocelyne Amos gave Ohio State a 1-0 lead early in the third stanza in their opener at Minnesota State, but Alexis Paddington knotted the score for MSU with an extra attacker and 46.4 seconds remaining in regulation.  OSU earned the victory 2-1 when Joy Dunne scored 2:29 into overtime, despite a 36-save performance from MSU netminder Hailey Hansen.  Hansen stopped another 30 of 31 shots in the rematch Saturday, Taylor Otremba tallied two goals and an assist, and Madison Mashuga recorded a goal & 3 helpers as the Mavericks never trailed in a 4-1 upset victory over the Buckeyes.

Upcoming games – The holiday weekend features several non-conference series and a tournament for one WCHA team, all being played Friday & Saturday.  Minnesota Duluth is the only team playing at home, hosting Vermont.  In road action, Wisconsin visits Maine, St. Cloud State takes on Union, and Minnesota State faces Dartmouth.  St. Thomas is participating in the SMASHVILLE Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase in Bellevue, Tennessee, taking on Clarkson on Friday and either Merrimack or Penn State on Saturday.

Following the weekend, Ohio State visits Mercyhurst on Monday night (December 2) to complete their split home-and-home series (OSU won 5-1 in Columbus on October 22).

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Give to the Max Day TOMORROW – Thursday, November 21

Give to the Max Day, the annual day of giving to nonprofit and educational organizations in Minnesota, is tomorrow, November 21.  With matching funds from the Power Play Club's board of directors, our goal is to raise $20,000 to support Gopher Women's Hockey.

Donate at: bit.ly/GWH_GTMD2024
 
All gifts donated between now and 11:59 p.m. CT tomorrow will also qualify for double (x2) Gopher Score Points toward future Gopher Loyalty Program benefits.

Once again we thank you for your consideration of this program.

“Field Trip Day” announced for January 24 vs. Bemidji State

Following up on last week's announcement that the Gopher Women's Hockey home game on Friday, January 24 at Ridder Arena against Bemidji State will start at 12 PM, the contest has been now designated as “Field Trip Day” presented by Kwik Trip.

Tickets will be completely free to students 8th grade and under, faculty/staff, and administrators.  Interested leaders should complete the interest form by Sunday, December 1 to request tickets.  There is no limit to tickets per school, but requests are subject to availability and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transportation is not included.

For all other fans: With the influx of students expected for the game, you are encouraged to purchase your tickets early.  Single game tickets are available on the U. of M. Ticket Office website.

St. Thomas announces leadership change for women's hockey; Johnson resigns, Brausen named interim head coach

The University of St. Thomas announced leadership changes to the Tommies Women's Hockey program yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, November 20).  Notably, Joel Johnson has submitted his resignation as head coach of the team.  St. Thomas was 28-88-4 in three-plus seasons with Johnson in charge, though he missed parts of his first season (2021-2022) while he was head coach of the U.S. Olympic team.  The Tommies have a 5-8-1 overall record and 2-7-1 mark in WCHA play so far this year.

UST assistant coach (and Golden Gopher alumna) Bethany Brausen has been named interim head coach of the team, taking over as they head to Madison for a league series against #1 Wisconsin.

The Gophers will face the Tommies for the first time in 2024-2025 on December 6 & 7 at the St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights.

Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m.
Tickets on sale through December 28

 We provide a reminder that the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches is set for Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase.  We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person.  Cash or checks – made payable to the Power Play Club – are preferred.  You can register at the PPC table on the Ridder Arena concourse during Gopher home games through December, or download the form here and mail it in with your payment to the address listed by December 28.

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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.