The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 1st
Goals for a Goal campaign rolls into new month!
Our Goals for a Goal campaign continues in support of the Minnesota Women's Hockey's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season, and we ask for your assistance in that effort.
Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason. There's also an option to double your pledge for power play goals! Minnesota netted 5 goals at the Smashville Showcase last weekend, bringing their total to-date to 68 with 10 coming on the power play.
We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.
Note of thanks from PPC Scholarship winner Gracie Ostertag
As noted in our October 11 Two-Minute Minor email, Gopher Women's Hockey senior defender Gracie Osterag was named the recipient of the Power Play Club Scholarship for 2021-2022, her second-straight year as the honoree.
The Power Play Club just received a thank you note from Gracie, which we graciously share with you here (PDF file).
Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday, December 11 vs. UMD
Before the Gophers head into 2022, they will conclude the 2021 portion of their schedule with a Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11 as part of their game against Minnesota Duluth. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals, preferably in plastic bags, to receive free admission to the contest; they can then toss the bagged animals onto the ice following the Gophers' first goal. Puck drop for that game is set for 3:30 p.m.
#5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-4-0, 7-3-0-0 WCHA)
at #1 Wisconsin Badgers (15-0-1, 11-0-1-1 WCHA)
Friday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m CT
Saturday, December 4 at 3:00 p.m CT
LaBahn Arena, Madison, WI
With all non-conference games during the 2021-2022 regular-season now completed, the focus of the Minnesota Women's Hockey team returns to WCHA action and the next edition of the Border Battle against Wisconsin. The #5 Gophers and #1 Badgers will meet at LaBahn Arena in Madison on Friday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 4, at 3:00 p.m.
Last year against Wisconsin – The Gophers went 0-4-1 against the Badgers in the 2020-2021 season. Minnesota fell 5-0 & 6-3 in Madison in mid-January, lost 4-3 in OT before salvaging a 2-2 tie and winning the subsequent shootout at Ridder Arena in early-February, but saw their season end with a 5-3 loss in the WCHA semifinals on March 6. Grace Zumwinkle led the Gophers with 4 goals and an assist, including the game-tying tally on February 6, while Amy Potomak recorded two goals & an assist and Emily Brown dished out four assists. Taylor Wente was the only player to light the lamp in the shootout. Lauren Bench made 74 saves but yielded 15 goals in just over 9 periods of action, while Makayla Pahl stopped 41 of 47 shots in the other 6 periods and an overtime. Wisconsin's Daryl Watts tallied 9 points on 5 goals and 4 assists, including the February 5 overtime gamewinner; Sophie Shirley added 3 goals & 5 helpers and Britta Curl recorded 4 goals & 2 assists. Badger netminder Kennedy Blair stopped 132 of 143 shots over all five games.
Analyzing the Badgers – After sweeping the 2021 WCHA Regular-Season & Playoff and NCAA Championships, Wisconsin has barely missed a step so far in the 2021-2022 campaign, going 15-0-1 so far with the only blip occurring when Bemidji State's Hannah Hogenson made 56 saves to shut them out in a 0-0 draw. Still, the Badgers hold an active 22-game undefeated streak dating back to February.
Wisconsin has lit the lamp 80 times this season, averaging 5 goals per game, with a trio of players having more than 25 points apiece. Sophomore Makenna Webster (#8) is the team's overall scoring leader with 33 points on 14 goals and 19 assists, sophomore Casey O'Brien (#26) holds the Badgers' goal lead with 16 while adding 15 assists, and fifth-year Daryl Watts (#19) continues to contribute in big ways with 11 goals and 17 assists.
Fifth-year goaltender Kennedy Blair (#29) is 13-0-1 in her 14 starts, with only 12 goals yielded for a 0.92 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage. Redshirt junior Cami Kronish (#30) has not yielded a goal in 4 periods of action, making a combined 14 saves. Redshirt freshman Jane Gervais (#1) has stopped 23 out of 25 shots over 5 periods of action for a 1.20 GAA and .920 SV%.
Last action for Wisconsin – Maddi Wheeler and Makenna Webster each tallied 2 goals & 4 assists as the Badgers earned a series sweep on the road against St. Thomas, 7-1 and 5-1, two weekends ago. Jane Gervais earned a 13-save victory in her first career start in the second game of the series while the Tommies' Saskia Maurer made 60 saves.
Gophers split games at Smashville Showcase – Taylor Heise scored in the first period, Catie Skaja lit the lamp in the second stanza, and both scored again in the third frame while Lauren Bench stopped all 28 shots she faced as Minnesota won their first game at the Smashville Showcase 4-0 over Mercyhurst. Heise recorded 4 points, assisting on both of Skaja's goals, while Skaja had an assist as well and Abigail Boreen dished out 3 helpers. The showcase's championship game matched the Gophers against Colgate for the third time this season. Madeline Wethington gave Minnesota a 1-0 second-period lead with a power play goal on Boreen's fourth assist of the weekend. However, the Raiders' Kalty Kaltounkova evened the score with her own power play marker and then lit the lamp again to take the lead. That was all Colgate netminder Hannah Murphy needed as she stopped 28 shots to defeat the Gophers, 2-1. Minnesota's Skylar Vetter made 22 saves.
Heise, Hemp earns monthly conference honors for November
Senior Taylor Heise and freshman Peyton Hemp were named WCHA Forward and Rookie of the Month, respectively, for November as announced by the conference yesterday.
Heise earned her first monthly award after tallying 16 points on 8 goals and 8 assists, recording a multi-point game in five of the six contests, a hat trick & 7-point series against RIT, and a +16 plus-minus rating.
Hemp's award is her second-straight after being recognized for her October performance, becoming the first Gopher to ever earn the honor twice in the same season. In November, she recorded 2 goals and 5 assists with three multi-point games and a +7 plus-minus rating.
Congratulations, Taylor & Peyton!!
Around the WCHA...
Last weekend – Sophie Jaques recorded 3 goals & 2 assists, Jennifer Gardner added 3 goals and an assist, and Clair DeGeorge tallied a goal and 4 assists as Ohio State defeated St. Lawrence 5-2 and Penn State 4-2 at the D1 in DC Tournament.
Also at the D1 in DC Tournament, Minnesota Duluth fell to Penn State 3-2 but rebounded to defeat St. Lawrence 4-3 in overtime. Anna Klein led the Bulldogs with 3 goals and 2 assists, while Elizabeth Giguere dished out 4 assists before netting Saturday's game-winning goal.
St. Cloud State went on the road and swept RPI, 4-1 and 4-2; Jenniina Nylund lit the lamp 4 times, including a hat trick on Saturday, and had an assist. Bemidji State swept a home series against Lindenwood, 4-1 and 4-3 (OT); Graysen Myers tallied 2 goals, including Saturday's overtime gamewinner, and an assist.
Upcoming games – The WCHA schedule this week features a full slate of conference contests, with all games played Friday and Saturday. Bemidji State visits St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and St. Thomas play a home-and-home series starting in Mankato, and Minnesota Duluth hosts Ohio State.
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