The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, October 19th
Goals for a Goal 2022-2023: Make Your Pledge Today!
The Power Play Club and the Golden Gopher Fund invite you to pledge your support to Gopher Women’s Hockey. Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score during the regular season and postseason. You can also choose to double your pledge for power play goals. Your donation will help fund updates and improvements to Ridder Arena, such as the new GWH Olympian display.
Through the first four games of the 2022-2023 season, the Gophers tallied an amazing 30 goals, with five of those coming on the power play!
To make a pledge, fill out this online form (preferred) or download the PDF version, print it, and mail it in to the listed address. After the postseason, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. All contributions are tax-deductible donations to the Golden Gopher Fund.
PPC membership enrollment continues!
Enrollment into the Power Play Club for the 2022-2023 Gopher Women's Hockey season is still open!! We encourage all our fellow GWH fans to sign up as a way to support the program. As noted last week, we are close to reaching the goal of having 50 Locker Sponsorships this year. The locker sponsor program raises a significant amount of revenue for the team. If you are interested in sponsoring a locker, please contact Rennie McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.
We also provide a reminder that you can still join at the basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address, with a minimum donation of $50. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC22; 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".
Note that donations for both membership tiers are 100% tax-deductible! Additionally, new memberships are entitled to a Gopher Women's Hockey automobile decal showing support of the team; decals are also available to renewing members needing a replacement. You can inquire at the PPC table on the Ridder Arena concourse during any regular-season home game.
For those of you who have signed up to be a locker sponsor in 2022-2023, thank you!. The Golden Gopher Fund will be sending out emails to you this month with instructions on how to pay for your locker sponsorship. If you have not received those instructions by October 31, please contact Rennie McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.
#2/2 Minnesota Gophers (4-0-0, 4-0-0 in WCHA)
vs. St. Cloud State Univ. Huskies (2-4-0, 0-4-0 in WCHA)
Friday, October 21 at 3:00 p.m. CT, Herb Brooks National Hockey Center – St. Cloud
Saturday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. CT, Ridder Arena
Gopher Women's Hockey faces another home-and-home series, taking on their I-94 rivals, the St. Cloud State University Huskies. They also have another Friday afternoon matinee start with the puck drop scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on October 21 at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. The series then relocates to Ridder Arena for the second game on Saturday, October 22, starting at 2:00 p.m.
We hope you can join us for Saturday's contest as the University of Minnesota celebrates 25 seasons of the Gopher Women's Hockey program and the anniversaries of their 2012 & 2013 NCAA Championships!!
Last season against St. Cloud State – The Gophers swept the season series against the Huskies last year, winning 6-2 & 5-1 in November and 5-3 & 5-1 in February. Scoring was again spread out as fifteen (15) different Gophers recorded a point over the four contests. The top line of Taylor Heise, Catie Skaja, and Abigail Boreen combined for 11 goals and 26 points against SCSU; Heise & Skaja each tallied 9 points on 3 goals & 6 assists, while Boreen lit the lamp a team-high 5 times while dishing out 3 assists. Olivia Knowles added 2 goals & 4 assists for 6 points, all coming in St. Cloud. Makayla Pahl played those two games at the National Hockey Center, stopping 42 of 45 shots (a .933 save percentage and 1.50 GAA), while Skylar Vetter made 20 saves in the November contest at Ridder Arena and Lauren Bench stopped 14 shots in the February home game. Emma Gentry & Olivia Cvar each lit the lamp twice and added an assist for SCSU, while Addi Scribner recorded a goal & an assist. Between the pipes for the Huskies, Sanni Ahola played in three of the four games, recording a 5.00 GAA and .878 SV%, while Emma Polusny stopped 55 of 59 shots (.932 SV%) in her one start.
About the Huskies – St. Cloud State finished seventh in the 2021-2022 WCHA regular-season standings with a 4-20-3 league record (1-1 in overtime, 1-2 in the shootout), though they went 5-1-0 in non-conference play. Their season came to an end in the conference quarterfinals, being shut out by Ohio State 6-0 & 3-0 in Columbus.
The Huskies' 2022-2023 campaign started with a hint of promise after sweeping Renssalaer in non-conference action at home, 5-0 & 3-2. However, the transition to WCHA play has not been kind as they have lost their last four games, falling to Ohio State and Wisconsin, though they picked up a point in the league standings by going to overtime against the Badgers last Saturday (more on that shortly).
The most-notable change for St. Cloud State during the off-season was with their coaching staff. Brian Idalski was hired as their head coach on May 19, returning to the WCHA after previously leading North Dakota 11 seasons (before that program disbanded in 2018). Gopher alumna Mira Jalosuo was named as an assistant coach at SCSU on September 1, coming in from the high school coaching ranks. Jinelle Siergiej, a Wisconsin alumna, remains as a carry-over from the previous staff and is now in her 9th season as an assistant coach for the Huskies.
On the ice, the Huskies' top eleven scorers from last year are back for the 2022-2023 season. Senior co-captain Taylor Lind (#13) had a team-high 25 points and 17 assists, while lighting the lamp 8 times herself. Junior Emma Gentry (#20) netted a team-high 15 goals while dishing out 8 assists for 23 points. Fifth-year co-captain Jenniina Nylund (#81) was third in scoring with 15 points on 7 goals & 8 assists despite only playing 18 games due to Finland Olympic team commitments. All three are atop the scoring table starting the new year; Nylund leads the way with 5 goals & 2 assists, Lind has 2 goals & 4 assists, and Gentry has 3 goals & a helper.
Junior goaltender Sanni Ahola (#1) is the top returner for SCSU; through her first two seasons, she has an 8-18-1 career record (5-13-0 last year) with a 3.60 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. The Huskies also picked up the services of junior Jojo Chobak (#29), who transferred in from Minnesota Duluth; she had a breakout season last year with a 10-4-1 record and 3 shutouts for the Bulldogs, while posting a career 1.88 GAA and .926 SV%. Freshman Julia Bachetti (#31) also joined the St. Cloud State roster this season. So far in 2022-2023, Ahola is 1-3-0 with a 3.78 GAA and .902 SV%, while Chobak is 1-1-0 with a 2.58 GAA and .925 SV%.
St. Cloud State swept at home by Wisconsin – Hosting their first WCHA home series of the season, the Huskies had a tough time against the Badgers, losing 5-0 and 3-2 (OT). SCSU held a 2-0 lead in Saturday's game on a pair of goals by Jenniina Nylund before Wisconsin battled back; Casey O'Brien scored an extra-attacker goal with 1:01 left in regulation to force overtime, and Caroline Harvey completed a 2-goal, 2-assist weekend with the gamewinner 3:10 into the extra period. For the Badgers in the series, Jesse Compher recorded a goal & 3 assists and Nicole LaMantia tallied 2 goals & an assist. Jojo Chobak made 45 saves for the Huskies on Friday, and Sanni Ahola stopped 42 shots on Saturday.
Gophers post offensive outburst in sweep of Mavericks – For the first time in 23 years, Minnesota Women's Hockey lit the lamp 20 times in a two-game weekend series, defeating Minnesota State 11-0 in Mankato and 9-4 at Ridder Arena. Grace Zumwinkle, Abbey Murphy, and Josefin Bouveng accounted for 10 of those goals; Zumwinkle tallied a hat trick plus an assist on Friday and added another goal & 2 assists on Saturday for a 7-point series, Bouveng dished out a pair of assists Friday and followed it with a hat trick on Saturday, and Murphy recorded 6 points on 3 goals and 3 assists. Emily Oden also had a four-point series, dishing out four helpers. Skylar Vetter earned the shutout on Friday with 17 saves; Makalya Pahl earned the win on Saturday but exited early after MSU's fourth goal, making 18 saves, and Vetter played the last 16-1/2 minutes with two more saves. Alexis Paddington scored twice for the Mavericks.
Zumwinkle, Vetter earn WCHA honors – GWH fifth-year Grace Zumwinkle and sophomore Skylar Vetter earned WCHA recognition as Forward & Rookie of the Week, respectively, as announced by the league on Monday following their performances against Minnesota State. Zumwinkle's award is the tenth weekly honor of her Gopher career, while Vetter was honored for the third time. Congratulations, Grace & Skylar!!
Zumwinkle continues climbing Gopher goal list – Additionally, Grace Zumwinkle's four goals against the Mavericks pushed her total to 89 for her collegiate career, moving her into a 8th-place tie with Ambria Thomas on Minnesota's all-time goal scoring list, passing Gigi Marvin (87 goals) in the process.
Note that Dani Cameranesi is currently 7th on the list with 93 goals.
Kaiser, Laitinen, Bouveng net first collegiate goals!
Three Gopher freshmen each recorded their first collegiate goals in the series against Minnesota State. Madison Kaiser & Nelli Laitinen lit the lamp in Friday's game in Mankato. On Saturday at Ridder Arena, Josefin Bouveng not only scored her first career goal but also her second & third for her first collegiate hat trick!! Congratulations, ladies!!
Around the WCHA...
Buckeyes remain undefeated after sweep of Beavers – Sophie Jaques posted a 6-point series on 4 goals & 2 assists, and Kenzie Hauswirth & Emma Maltais each added a goal & 2 assists to keep Ohio State undefeated with a 4-0, 5-2 sweep on the road against Bemidji State. Genevieve Hendrickson and Kendra Fortin scored for the Beavers, and Hannah Hogenson made a combined 79 saves.
St. Thomas splits with Franklin Pierce – Hosting the Ravens in non-conference action, the Tommies earned their first-ever shutout victory as a Division I program on Friday, winning 3-0 on goals by Maija Almich, Molly Grundhoffer, and Anna Solheim (PP), and 11 saves by Saskia Maurer. Eagan, MN, native Mikayla Kelley put Franklin Pierce ahead in the second period on Saturday, but UST's Maddie Clough lit the lamp, her 3rd point of the series, to equalize 3 minutes later; however, Ravens goaltender Suzette Faucher made 55 saves in regulation to force overtime and Kelley scored again 2:54 into the extra period to get the 2-1 win and the weekend split.
Upcoming games – Action begins early this week with a pair of Thursday-Friday series as Bemidji State visits Wisconsin while St. Thomas & Minnesota State play home-and-home, starting in Mankato. The feature series of the weekend is the league's first meeting of nationally ranked teams as #1/1 Ohio State hosts #4/5 Minnesota Duluth in Columbus on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
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