The Penalty Box Post
Thursday, December 15th
Goals for a Goal: Gophers hit 90-goal mark at holiday break
Through 19 games and entering the holiday break, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has reached the 90-goal mark, including converting 17 power-play opportunities. We again request your assistance supporting the program and funding updates & improvements of Ridder Arena by enrolling in our Goals for a Goal program. Pledge to convert each Gopher goal scored during the regular season & postseason into donations to the team, with the option to double your pledge for power play goals.
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.
Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 14 at 9:45 a.m.
Our Brunch with the Coaches event is scheduled for Saturday, January 14, at 9:45 a.m. in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room as we welcome former Gopher associate head coach & current University of St. Thomas head coach Joel Johnson and our own Brad Frost. We look forward to hearing from Coach Johnson about his experiences leading the 2022 U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team. transitioning the Tommies to a Division I program, and balancing both of those at the same time. Tickets are $30 per person. Download the registration form here (PDF file) and return it with a check made out to the "Power Play Club" to the PPC table on the Ridder Arena concourse, or send it by mail to the address listed. Registrations must be received by Friday, January 6.
Gophers shut out the Huskies
For the second time this season, Gopher Women's Hockey saw players record hat tricks in both games of a weekend series. The team also posted a pair of 5-goal second periods in the process. Combined with solid defensive performances, they rolled to 6-0 & 9-0 victories over St. Cloud State.
Though the Huskies were able to keep Minnesota off the scoreboard in the first 20 minutes last Friday at Ridder Arena, Grace Zumwinkle lit the lamp just 51 seconds into the second stanza to get things rolling. Ella Huber doubled the lead, Emily Oden assisted on an Abigail Boreen goal to make it 3-0, and then Oden found the back of the net herself to make it 4-0. Late in the period, Zumwinkle scored on a short-handed rush, and she completed her hat trick 10:58 into the third with a power-play marker. Skylar Vetter stopped all 14 shots she faced, Taylor Heise dished out 4 assists, and Abbey Murphy recorded 3 helpers.
Relocating to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for the rematch, it appeared the first period would again be scoreless until Allie Franco (pictured right) tallied her first career goal with 1:07 left in the stanza. Josefin Bouveng lit the lamp 2:45 into the second period, again opening the floodgates. Huber netted her second goal of the weekend, Heise tallied the next two to push the lead to 5-0, and Boreen recorded her second goal of the series with under 45 seconds before intermission. Zumwinkle struck 1:11 into the third, Heise completed her hat trick with a power-play marker, and Boreen lit the lamp again to complete the scoring. Vetter made another 15 saves to keep the Huskies off the scoreboard. Heise dished out two assists to go with her 3 goals, posting a 5-point game. Boreen recorded an assist to accompany her two goals, Franco, Huber, and Zumwinkle each also earned an assist, and Oden dished out 3 helpers for a 5-point weekend (also recording a +8 plus-minus rating).
Heise, Vetter earn weekly league honors... Again!
Gopher fifth-year Taylor Heise and sophomore Skylar Vetter were both honored by the WCHA as the league's Forward & Goaltender of the Week, respectively, on Monday following their performances against St. Cloud State.
Heise recorded a team-high 9 points against the Huskies, recording her hat trick plus two assists on Saturday after dishing out 4 helpers on Friday, and posting a +7 plus-minus rating in the series. Vetter stopped all 29 shots she faced, extending her shutout streak to more than 11 periods as 223 minutes, 26 seconds.
Heise's honor is her third weekly award of the season, while Vetter's is her fifth and the second time she been recognized in back-to-back weeks.
Congratulations, Taylor and Skylar!!
Mid-season Recap
Minnesota currently sits atop the WCHA standings with 41 points, posting a 13-1-2-1 conference mark (1-0 in OT), though – due to an unbalanced schedule – Wisconsin holds a slight edge in points percentage (.881 vs. .854). Ohio State sits only one point back (40) with an .833 point percentage, while the Badgers have 37 points but two games in hand. Minnesota was 1-2-0 in non-conference play for a 14-3-2 overall record.
Ten (10) different Gopher players have recorded double-digit points and the team's season-long scoring average is 4.74, which is second among all Division I teams, trailing only Wisconsin (5.67). While the number of players having lit the lamp before the holiday break is down compared to last year (16 vs. last year's 17), the number finding the back of the net 10+ times has quadrupled; Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle have each tallied 13 goals, Abigail Boreen has scored 12 goals, and Abbey Murphy has 11. Heise also holds the team lead in the other two scoring categories, dishing out 21 assists for 34 total points. Zumwinkle has 18 helpers for 31 points, while Murphy dished out 12 assists for 23 points. Ella Huber is fourth in total scoring with 19 points on 8 goals and 11 assists, while Boreen has 6 assists for a total of 18 points. As with this time last year, Madeline Wethington is the top-scoring defenseman; though she has yet to light the lamp herself, she has dished out 11 assists.
The Gophers' scoring defense is again yielding less than two goals per game, but their 1.89 mark (36 goals in 19 games) is only third in the WCHA and 10th in the NCAA. Sophomore Skylar Vetter has been the team's primary netminder, starting 17 of the team's 19 contests and going 12-3-2 with 4 shutouts, a 1.91 goals-against average, and a .923 save percentage. Senior Makayla Pahl won both of her two starts with one shutout; including two relief appearances, she has a 1.75 GAA and a .922 SV%.
Minnesota's power-play conversion rate currently stands second among WCHA teams and third nationally at 27.0% (17 of 63), but the penalty kill unit is fifth in the league at 82.0% (41 of 50). That said, a bright spot on the Gophers' PK is that they have only a -2 goal differential, tallying an NCAA-leading 7 short-handed goals with Heise and Murphy each having scored two. As with this time last year, Minnesota has yet to allow any shorties on their own power play.
Milestones galore!! There were multiple individual career milestones reached by the Gopher Women's Hockey team in the first part of the 2022-2023 season. Here's a recap of several...
With the team's 3-2 overtime victory over Minnesota Duluth on November 4, head coach Brad Frost reached 450 wins as the program's bench boss.
With the first of two goals against Minnesota State on December 2, Abigail Boreen reached the career 100-point mark. Additionally, her first goal this past Saturday against St. Cloud State was her 50th. Entering the break, she has 107 points on 51 goals & 56 assists.
With a goal and an assist this past Friday (Dec. 9) against SCSU, Emily Oden also reached the career 100-point mark. Adding 3 assists on Saturday, Oden now has 103 points on 29 goals & 74 assists.
Netting four goals this past weekend against the Huskies, Grace Zumwinkle moved into a tie for 6th on Minnesota's all-time goal scoring list with 97.
The Gophers' all-time total scoring list has a new entry into the top ten this season, as Taylor Heise currently sits in 10th with 194 points on 80 goals & 114 assists.
Return to action – The Gophers will resume play as hosts of the East/West Showcase at Ridder Arena in early January. Minnesota will face the Merrimack College Warriors on Friday, January 6 at 6:00 p.m., and the University of New Hampshire Wildcats on Saturday, January 7 at 4:30 p.m. St. Cloud State will also make another trip to Ridder, facing the Wildcats on Jan. 6 at 2:30 p.m. and the Warriors on Jan. 7 at 1:00 p.m.
Reminder: USA-Canada Rivalry Series games tonight & Monday
Tonight's game preceded by “Women of Gold” special on Bally Sports North
We reminder you, our fellow Gopher Women's Hockey fans, that the 2022-2023 Rivalry Series between the U.S. and Canada Women's National Teams resumes tonight (Thursday, December 15) in Henderson, NV, and continues next Monday, December 19, in Los Angeles. Both games will be televised on NHL Network at 9 p.m. CT.
As we noted last week, current Gophers Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, and Grace Zumwinkle are joining alumnae Hannah Brandt, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein on Team USA roster for the two games. Good luck, ladies!!
“Women of Gold” special on Bally Sports North, tonight at 8 p.m. CT – One hour prior to tonight's USA-Canada game (Thursday, Dec. 15), tune into Bally Sports North for a special called “Women of Gold”, as Gopher alumnae and USA Hockey veterans Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, and Lee Stecklein talk about their time in both programs.
Around the WCHA...
UMD earns win, tie vs. St. Thomas, but Tommies swipe two points – Ashton Bell tallied 2 goals & 2 assists and Mannon McMahon added a goal & 2 assists as Minnesota Duluth cruised to an 8-1 victory in their series opener against St. Thomas. McMahon gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the rematch, but UST netminder Saskia Maurer made 48 during run of play – including stopping McMahon on a second-period penalty shot – and Haley Maxwell netted her first collegiate goal on a power play to complete the game as a 1-1 overtime tie. The Tommies earned a second league standings point by winning the subsequent shootout 3-2; Maddy Clough netted the deciding goal in the fourth round.
Badgers sweep Mavericks in Mankato – Wisconsin earned another series sweep on the road, defeating Minnesota State 5-2 and 5-1. Britta Curl scored twice for the Badgers, Kirsten Simms & Laila Edwards each tallied a goal and 3 assists, and Natalie Buchbinder dished out 4 helpers. Alexis Paddington, Taylor Otremba, and Madison Mashuga scored for the Mavericks.
This weekend – Bemidji State visits St. Thomas in league play on Friday & Saturday. Two other WCHA teams will head to the state of New York for non-conference matchups, as Minnesota State plays a Friday-Saturday series at Long Island University while Ohio State has a Saturday-Sunday matchup at Cornell.
Looking ahead – More non-conference action on the road concludes 2022 and opens 2023. Ohio State will head west to face Lindenwood on December 30 & 31, while Wisconsin travels east for a top-five matchup on December 31 & January 1 at Quinnipiac.
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