The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, September 21st
Online Preseason Chalk Talk – TODAY (9/21) at 4:00 p.m. CT
With the Minnesota Women's Hockey season just 10 days away, we're providing an opportunity to hear from Coach Brad Frost at a preseason Chalk Talk this afternoon (Sept. 21) at 4:00 p.m. CT He will preview the year to come and the changes to the team, including nine new players in the Maroon & Gold. We may also be joined by other members of the GWH coaching staff.
We hope many of you will be able to join us on Zoom using this link, as we get ready for puck drop. We will also touch base on club-led fundraising efforts for this historic season.
2021-2022 PPC membership now open at all levels!!
To our fellow Gopher Women’s Hockey fans –
Registration to the Power Play Club for the 2021-2022 season is now open AT ALL LEVELS! Join us to support Gopher Women's Hockey as it enters its 25th season of competition and the 20th year playing at Ridder Arena!
As the official booster association of Gopher Women’s Hockey, the Power Play Club seeks to:
Build a bigger fan base.
Raise money to support the Gopher Women’s Hockey team.
Enrich the hockey experience at Ridder Arena (and at away games!).
Provide opportunities for member fun.
The Power Play Club is continuing its partnership with the Golden Gopher Fund on all fundraising efforts, with the GGF managing the club's membership enrollment again this season. Starting this year, all membership donations are 100% tax deductible while still counting toward the $1,000 minimum Gopher Athletics giving threshold for Ridder Arena Club Room access.
Last season we consolidated our number of member levels from four down to two. Those two levels remain for the 2021-2022 year as follows...
Locker Sponsor level – Please consider sponsoring a GWH player’s or coach's locker this season through our top membership tier. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker, and the donor will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s) over Zoom. A minimum $600 donation (per locker) is required, though any amount over and above that is encouraged. Our goal for the 2021-2022 season is to have two Locker Sponsorships for each GWH player and coach. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.
Basic Membership level – A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Exclusive access to our three in-person Chalk Talk events is included.
Online registration is preferred at give.umn.edu/giveto/powerplayclub; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. To register offline, download the form here and send it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".
As a Power Play Club member, you will have the opportunity to experience women’s hockey on a more personal level as you develop friendships with other fans, coaches and players. Your membership provides support and encouragement for the University of Minnesota Women’s Hockey Team players in their quest for academic and athletic excellence.
Gophers announce plans for program's 25th season!!
The University of Minnesota has announced plans honoring the history of Gopher Women's Hockey as the team enters its 25th year of competition on Friday, October 1 at Ridder Arena.
As noted in the press release and displayed here, a commemorative logo paying homage to the Gophers' 25th season and seven national championships will be used throughout the year. The logo will be displayed on merchandise available for purchase, and on signage throughout Ridder Arena. Some initial 25th season items are already available for purchase online; see the U.'s announcement for details.
Top 25 GWH Moments & 25th-season Celebration Game – As the season progresses, the top-25 moments in Gopher Women's Hockey history will be revealed, beginning with No. 25 being unveiled during the opener at Ridder Arena and on social media on October 1. The countdown will continue down to moment #1, which will be shared during the 25th Season Celebration Game on Saturday, February 5, against Bemidji State. More details about that game will be shared as it approaches.
All-Time Fan Favorites Team – The program will also call on fans to submit a lineup of their favorite Gopher stars. More information on this will be announced at a later date.
Brown, Knowles, Heise & Ostertag named as team captains
Catching up on releated news, the Gopher Women's Hockey team announced on September 10 that Emily Brown, Olivia Knowles, Taylor Heise, and Gracie Ostertag have been selected as team captains for the 2021-2022 season.
Fifth-year players Brown and Knowles will serve as the squad's captains, while seniors Heise and Ostertag will be assistant captains. This season will be Brown's third wearing the captain's 'C', while Knowles was an assistant captain last year.
Gophers ranked 4th in both national preseason polls
The Gopher Women's Hockey team was ranked fourth in both the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine preseason poll last Tuesday and the USCHO preseason poll released yesterday. The Gophers find themselves tied with WCHA rival Minnesota Duluth in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll while just edging out the Bulldogs for the fourth position in the USCHO poll.
Wisconsin tops both rankings, garnering 18 of the 19 first-place votes in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll and 13 of the 15 first-place votes in the USCHO poll. Northeastern is the only non-WCHA program in the top five in either ranking, placing second in both and picking up the remaining first-place votes. Both polls list Ohio State third, Colgate sixth, Boston College seventh, and Cornell eighth. Princeton and Penn State round out the top ten in both rankings, though the Tigers are ninth in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll while the Nittany Lions hold the #9 spot in the USCHO poll.
Gophers, St. Cloud State to play U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Game – The WCHA league game between Minnesota and St. Cloud State at Ridder Arena on Saturday, November 20, has been designated as the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic. The Gophers are the defending Face-Off Classic champions after defeating Minnesota State 4-0 at Dakotah! Ice Center in Prior Lake in December 2019.
As noted in the press release from the U., Gopher assistant coach – and 2018 inductee – Natalie Darwitz will be one of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame members acknowledged at the event.
Aound the WCHA – Action begins this weekend for 4 teams
While Minnesota, Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, and St. Cloud State are idle for one more weekend before starting their respective 2021-2022 campaigns, action begins this weekend for the other four Western Collegiate Hockey Association programs.
The St. Thomas Tommies will open their first season as a Division I team and WCHA member with a league series on the road, facing the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. Meanwhile, Minnesota State heads to the East Coast for a non-conference matchup against Merrimack, and Wisconsin travels south to face Lindenwood on the road.
All three series feature Friday evening and Saturday afternoon games. Game recaps will be posted to wcha.com, and we will provide links to them on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
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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.