The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
2021 IIHF Women's World Championship Begins Friday, August 20; medal games on Tuesday, August 31 at Winsport Arena at Canada Olympic Park, Calgary, Alberta
Following a cancelled 2020 tournament, two postponements and a venue change for the 2021 edition, and all 10 teams successfully getting through quarantine with no positive COVID tests, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship will finally commence this Friday, August 20, at Winsport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta. The preliminary round runs through Thursday, August 26, with quarterfinals on August 28, the semifinals on August 30, and the Bronze- and Gold-Medal Games on Tuesday, August 31.
Storylines abound as the action gets underway. Team USA enters the tournament as the 5-time defending champions, looking to make it six in a row. Finland looks to avenge their 2019 championship game loss to the Americans after having an overtime goal waved off following video review. Meanwhile, host Canada looks to get back to the title game on home ice after being upset by the Finns in the 2019 semifinals.
Gophers at the World Championship – As previously reported seven representatives of the Minnesota Women's Hockey program will be participating at the World Championship. 2020-2021 Gophers Abbey Murphy & Grace Zumwinkle will make their tournament debuts with Team USA, and are joined on the squad by Minnesota alumnae Megan Bozek, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein. That said, Hannah Brandt is one of three Americans selected for the national team's pre-Olympic residency program this autumn but not participating at the World Championship, and the Finland Women's National Team enters the tournament with neither Gopher alumnae Mira Jalosuo nor Noora Räty for the first time since 2004.
Team USA opens action with a pre-tournament exhibition tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, August 18) at Noon MT / 1:00 p.m. CT against Russia. Their tournament schedule is as follows, with all games broadcast live on NHL Network:
Friday, August 20 at 7:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. CT vs. Switzerland;
Sunday, August 22 at 7:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. CT vs. Finland;
Tuesday, August 24 at Noon MT / 1:00 p.m. CT vs. Russia;
Thursday, August 26 at 4:00 p.m. MT / 5:00 p.m. CT vs. Canada.
The full schedule of games can be found here. You can find all the news and information about the tournament at www.iihf.com/en/events/2021/ww, or through USA Hockey or Hockey Canada.
Zumwinkle named At-Large Academic All-American
Following her honor as an At-Large Academic All-District selection by the College Sports Information Directors of America in early July, Gopher Women's Hockey senior Grace Zumwinkle was named as one of five University of Minnesota student-athletes to earn At-Large Academic All-American honors, as announced by on Friday, August 6.
Zumwinkle was joined by Ona Loper (women's gymnastics) on the Second Team, while Jack LaFontaine (men's hockey), Lexy Ramler (women's gymnastics), and Shane Wiskus (men's gymnastics) were First Team honorees. As noted in the press release, Blais Andries (First Team, football) and Laura Bagwell Katalinich (Third Team, women's basketball) earned honors earlier in the 2020-2021 season. Additionally, eight members of the Gopher Track & Field and Cross Country programs were also recognized last week: Alec Basten (First Team), Teddy Frid (Second Team), Bethany Hasz (First Team), Owen Hoeft (Third Team), Abby Kohut-Jackson (Third Team), Val Larson (Third Team), Kaleb Siekmeier (Third Team) and Amira Young (Third Team).
We send congratulations to Grace and the other 14 Gopher student-athletes earning Academic All-American honors!!
New Ridder Arena PA announcer named for 2021-2022 season
We send a warm welcome to Brian Sweeney, who was named as the new public address announcer for Gopher Women's Hockey at Ridder Arena. Sweeney is a member of the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers, winning the organization's Bob Sheppard P.A. Announcer of the Year Award for high school announcers in 2019-2020 for his work at Simley H.S. in Inver Grove Heights. Sweeney also serves as the PA announcer for Concordia University, St. Paul, and the Minnesota Vixen professional women's football team.
We also send a very gracious thank you to former PA announcer Rick Benson, who served many years at Ridder Arena for Gopher Women's Hockey and WCHA & NCAA Tournament contests. Rick also emceed several Power Play Club events, most notably our receptions with incoming freshmen and outgoing seniors.
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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.