Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
#4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (.588 pts%, 9-7-1-1, 0-1 in OT)
at Bemidji State Univ. Beavers (.240 pts%, 2-12-2-1*, 2-4 in OT)
Friday, February 19 at 6:07 p.m.
Saturday, February 20 at 3:07 p.m.
Sanford Center, Bemidji
The Gopher Women's Hockey team heads out on the road for its final series of the regular-season, traveling north to face the Bemidji State University Beavers for the first time in 2020-2021. Action at the Sanford Center begins Friday evening, February 19, at 6:07 p.m., and continues Saturday, February 20, at 3:07 p.m.
Video and audio streaming – Video of the games in Bemidji will be streamed by FloHockey; subscription and schedule information can be found at FloSports.tv. While no Gopher audio will be available, the Bemidji State radio broadcasts of both games will be available for free at beaverradionetwork.com.
Last season against Bemidji State – The Gophers swept the season series against the Beavers in 2019-2020, winning 7-1 and 3-0 at Ridder Arena in November and following it up with 4-1 and 6-3 victories in Bemidji last February. Sarah Potomak reached double-digit points against BSU, lighting the lamp 4 times and dishing out 6 assists. Grace Zumwinkle scored twice and added 4 assists for 6 points, while Taylor Heise and Alex Woken each added 3 goals and 2 assists. Reece Hunt scored all three of the Beavers' goals for the hat trick in the fourth head-to-head contest; Haley Mack assisted on all three after also recording a helper in the earlier series. Sydney Scobee played all 240 minutes in goal for the Gophers, stopping 64 of 69 shots for a 1.25 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. Three different BSU netminders saw action. Lauren Bench played the first two periods of the series at Ridder and both games in Bemidji, making 76 saves but yielding 14 goals for a 5.26 GAA and .844 SV%; Lexi Baker relieved Bench in the first contest, stopping 10 of 12 shots in 20 minutes of work; and Kerigan Dowhy stopped 39 of 42 shots (.929 SV%) in the second game in Minneapolis.
Analyzing the Beavers – Bemidji State has the distinction of playing a lot of bonus hockey this season, with 8 of their 16 games going to overtime. The extra periods have also been the only source of their 11.5 conference standings points, as they have an 0-8 record in games decided in regulation but are 2-4-2 in overtime games, including an win and a no-decision (worth a half-point) in their two shootouts.
Offense has been lacking for the Beavers, scoring only a total of 19 goals as a team. No individual player has reached 5 goals or 10 points. Senior Clair DeGeorge (#26) leads the team with 9 points on 4 goals and 5 assists, while sophomore Reece Hunt (#29) has a team-leading 7 helpers but has yet to score herself. Two more seniors – Paige Beebe (#18; 3g, 2a) and Tina Kampa (#11; 5a) – each have 5 points.
After Lauren Bench earned her bachelor's degree from BSU and came to the U. of M. for grad school, senior Kerigan Dowhy (#33) took over as the Beavers' primary goaltender. Dowhy is 2-11-2 in 15 starts, with one shutout, a 2.47 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. Freshman Hannah Hogenson (#1) and junior Lexi Baker (#30) have only seen spot duty; Hogenson has one start and one relief appearance but has yielded 8 goals on 62 shots in only 56 minutes of action, while Baker stopped 13 of 15 shots in one period of work.
Last weekend for Bemidji State – A trip to Madison to play top-ranked Wisconsin did not go well for the Beavers. Sixteen different Badgers recorded at least one point, including 2 goals and an assist apiece from Lacey Eden & Sophie Shirley, and Kennedy Blair needed only a combined 18 saves to shut out BSU 4-0 and 7-0. Bemidji State's Kerigan Dowhy made 54 saves in 104 minutes of action but yielded 8 goals, and Hannah Hogenson gave up another 3 goals with only 6 saves over the final 16 minutes.
Gophers swept at home by Ohio State
Ohio State scored a combined 5 goals in the second periods of this past weekend's two games against the Gophers at Ridder Arena, and Buckeyes goaltender Andrea Brändli made 44 saves in the series to sweep Minnesota, 2-1 & 3-2. OSU controlled the first 40 minutes of Friday's game, holding a 30-7 advantage in shots on goal and taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Emma Maltais and Paetyn Levis. The Gophers outshot the Buckeyes in the third period but could only manage an extra-attacker goal by Emily Brown with 51 seconds remaining. Makalya Pahl made 36 saves. In the rematch, Minnesota took its own 2-0 lead when Abigail Boreen and Grace Zumwinkle scored in the first 3:21 of the contest, but Liz Schepers narrowed the Gopher lead to one just 48 seconds into the second stanza and Jennifer Gardiner & Levis scored 53 seconds apart midway through the period to give OSU the lead it would not relinquish. Lauren Bench stopped 20 shots for the Gophers. Amy Potomak and Taylor Heise each recorded two assists in the series.
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International and professional updates...
European national teams return to action – As reported by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), several European national teams have returned to action this month, playing in exhibition "friendly" competition as they prepare for the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship. This included two games the Russia National Team played against the WHL's KRS Vanke Rays and Gopher alumnae Megan Bozek & Noora Räty (Team Russia won both, 1-0 in regulation & 4-3 in a shootout).
The Women's World Championship is currently scheduled for April 7 through 17 in Halifax & Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. That said, this is subject to change, and the spectator attendance policy has yet to be announced. We will share any news as it becomes available.
PWHPA announces March games in Chicago while 'All Star' team finishes play in Tampa – The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association announced a partnership with a third NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks, and a pair of games in the Chicago area as part of the Secret® Dream Gap Tour. Action will be hosted at the United Center on Saturday, March 6, and Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, March 7. Additionally, NBCSN will televise live coverage of the March 6 game at 2 p.m. CT with an all-female broadcast crew. The Chicago games will follow the Dream Gap Tour's first contest on February 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. More details about all three days are to be announced.
Meanwhile, the PWHPA 'All-Star' team comprised of players from the Minnesota and New Hampshire Regional Training Hubs is wrapping up the last of its games in the U.S. Premier Hockey League's Hub City Tampa bubble. The team is 1-3-0 since last Wednesday, defeating the Islanders Hockey Club (8-5) but falling to the Northern Cyclones Premier (5-1), Hitmen Premier (4-1), and Twin City Thunder (6-4). Hannah Brandt scored twice against the Islanders, while Gigi Marvin and Amanda Kessel also lit the lamp in that game, and Kessel posted a 4-point performance against the Thunder with a goal and 3 assists. The team concludes its February Florida trip today (Feb. 17) against the Utica Junior Comets at Noon ET / 11:00 a.m. CT at AdventHealth Center Ice; video is available with a subscription on HockeyTV.com.
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Around the WCHA...
Upcoming games – Schedule changes involving both of the other two series planned for this weekend have been announced by the league. First, the series between Ohio State & St. Cloud State has been cancelled after it was reported on Monday that SCSU paused all team activities for seven days due to COVID-19 protocols. Yesterday, Minnesota State's road series at Minnesota Duluth was pushed back by a day; the Mavericks and Bulldogs will now play on Saturday & Sunday, with both games starting at 3:07 p.m. Wisconsin is idle.
Standings – 1. Wisconsin, .810 pts%, 34 points in 14 games (11-2-1-0, 1-1 in OT); 2t. Minnesota Duluth, .667, 24 pts in 12 gms (8-4-0-0, 1-1); Ohio State, .667, 32 pts in 16 gms (11-5-0-0, 1-0); 4. Minnesota, .588, 30 pts in 17 gms (9-7-1-1, 0-1); 5. Minnesota State, .370, 20 pts in 18 gms (7-10-1-0, 2-0); 6. St. Cloud State, .265, 13.5 pts in 17 gms (4-12-1-0, 1-1, 1 shootout no-decision); 7. Bemidji State, .240, 11.5 pts in 16 gms (2-12-2-1, 2-4, 1 shootout no-decision).
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