Penalty Box Post
Thursday, August 20th
GWH alumnae updates...
Schammel returns to high school alma mater Red Wing as asst. coach
Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna Nicole Schammel was named as a new assistant coach – pending board approval – for her high school team, the Red Wing H.S. Wingers, as announced by the school on Twitter this past Tuesday, August 18.
As noted in the announcement, Schammel appeared in the Minnesota State High School League tournament with Wingers five times in her prep career. She also set a school career scoring record and reached #2 on the MSHSL all-time scoring list.
Congratulations and best wishes on this new opportunity, Nicole!!
Kessel named as seventh Gopher alum signing with PWHPA for 2020-'21
2013 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Amanda Kessel was named as the seventh Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna to sign with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) for the 2020-2021 season, as posted on Twitter on August 6 in the organization's on-going series of signing announcements. Kessel joins Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Gigi Marvin, Sarah Potomak, and Sydney Scobee as Gophers in the PWHPA for the upcoming year.
Hockey rule changes ratified by NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the rule change proposals forwarded by the Men's & Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committees, as announced by the organization on July 22.
As reported when the proposals were first announced in early June, the biggest change involved a switch of overtime format in regular-season games to a single five-minute 3-on-3 sudden-victory period if the game score is tied after regulation. An optional 3-player-per-side shootout is (still) allowed for conference games and in-season tournament contests requiring advancement. Other approved changes include:
Allowing a team in the offensive zone to choose from which side to take the faceoff following an icing infraction or penalty by the opposing team.
Allowing officials to issue a warning on faceoff violations instead of ejecting the center. A second violation by the same team during the same faceoff would result in a two-minute, bench-minor penalty for delay of game. (Note that the penalty for two faceoff infractions was an existing rule.)
Removing the national rule requiring team members to shake hands after a game, allowing conferences or schools to determine postgame sportsmanship protocols.
Additional to the previously-publicized proposals, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel also approved another change making the 360° spin-o-rama maneuver illegal during a shootout.
NCAA to allow uniform patches supporting social justice issues,
commemorative purposes
On top of ratifying the ice hockey rule changes, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved rules to allow student-athletes in all sports to wear patches on their uniforms for commemorative and memorial purposes, as well as to support social justice issues, as announced on July 30.
As noted in the press release, panel members reaffirmed and expanded existing rules, now allowing student-athletes two places on the uniform, one on the front and one on the back, to express support and voice their opinions.
The patch on the front, which most sports already allowed, may be a commemorative/memorial patch (names, mascots, nicknames, logos and marks) intended to celebrate or memorialize people, events or other causes. While not all team members are required to wear the patch, they must be identical for those who choose to wear them.
On the back of the uniform where the player name is traditionally located, players will be allowed names/words intended to celebrate or memorialize people, events or other causes. The names or words may vary by team member.
Any patches or messages in either location must be authorized by the school and/or conference.
PPC Board of Directors update
The Power Play Club Board of Directors held its regular monthly off-season meeting on August 12 in preparation for the 2020-2021 Gopher Women's Hockey season, though some decisions were tabled due to the uncertainty of the team's schedule and spectator attendance policy should games be held.
The board continued to discuss expanding fundraising efforts this coming season. As noted in the July 10th letter to club members and GWH fans, financial assistance will be more critical than ever to support the program and the young women who comprise the team. A fundraising committee of both board and non-board club members is developing plans for increased giving opportunities.
Also per the July 10th letter, the club's annual Silent Auction will be moving online for the 2020-2021 season. Logistics and exact timing are still being discussed, but the auction will tentatively be held over a two week period in January.
In-person club events and merchandise sales are dependent on the team's playing schedule, which is still very much in flux. We again thank you for your patience as we work through this unprecedented situation.
The next PPC board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, at 7:00 p.m. As with the previous meetings this off-season, the September meeting will be held virtually on Zoom, but will be open to all club members (2019-2020 membership applies). If you are interested in participating, please contact PPC president Bill Johnson at president@powerplayclub.org.
Copyright © 2020 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
Follow the Power Play Club online at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on Twitter at twitter.com/powerplayclub.
Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at www.gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.