The Penalty Box Post
Thursday, November 9th
Goals for a Goal 2023-2024: Make Your Pledge Today!
Through its first 9 games, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has recorded 35 goals, including converting 12 power-play opportunities. Help us support the squad through our Goals for a Goal program, pledging to convert each goal scored throughout the regular season and postseason into a donation for the program, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies.
Goals for a Goal pledges can be submitted electronically through this online form. 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. Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!
Looking ahead... Schedule change vs. St. Thomas (Feb. 3, 2024)
Fox 9+ will be televising the Gophers' home game against St. Thomas at Ridder Arena on Saturday, February 3. As a result, the start time of that game has been pushed back to 4:30 p.m. You can find the updated GWH schedule here.
Recap: Gophers sweep home-and-home series vs. MN State
The Gopher Women's Hockey team found itself down a goal in both games of its home-and-home series against Minnesota State Univerity, as Whitney Tuttle scored early for the Mavericks on Friday at Ridder Arena and Lauren Zawoyski netted her first collegiate goal Saturday in Mankato. However, those were the only blemishes allowed by Gopher netminders Lucy Morgan and Skylar Vetter.
After Tuttle's goal just 1:11 into the weekend opener, Abbey Murphy ripped home a power-play goal in the second period to knot the score, Nelli Laitinen lit the lamp on a blue-line bomb in the third, Ava Lindsay added a power-play insurance tally, and Morgan finished with 33 saves for a 3-1 win.
Moving to the Mayo Clinic Health System Events Center for the rematch, Emma Kreisz netted the second goal of her career to draw the Gophers even, Madison Kaiser put away her own rebound to take the lead with 6:14 to play, and Vetter stopped 20 shots in total to give the Maroon & Gold a 2-1 victory and complete the series sweep.
Laitinen, Lindsay, and Kreisz finished with two points apiece in the series, each adding an assist to their respective goals.
Next up: The Gophers will head up I-35 to face Minnesota Duluth at AMSOIL Arena on November 17 at 6:00 p.m. and November 18 at 3:00 p.m.
Minnesota announces signings of four 2024-2025 freshmen
Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced yesterday via X/Twitter and Facebook that forwards Ayla Puppe (Northfield, MN; Northfield HS) & Kendra Distad (Burnsville, MN; Minnetonka HS) and defenders Kate Kosobud (Moorhead, MN; Moorhead HS) & Carly Humphrey (Elk River, MN; Elk River HS) have signed to become the members of the team's freshman class of 2024-2025.
We pass along our warmest greetings, and look forward to seeing Ayla, Kendra, Kate & Carly wearing the Maroon and Gold next fall!!
GWH alumna Emily Brown signs deal with PWHL Boston
Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Emily Brown signed a one-year contract with PWHL Boston, as announced by the team on X (formerly Twitter) and reported by The Hockey News this past Monday, November 6.
Brown is the sixth Gopher to sign a PWHL contract and will join Hannah Brandt in Boston. Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek, Taylor Heise, and Grace Zumwinkle have all signed with PWHL Minnesota. Congratulations, Emily!!
Rivalry Series, Game 1: Heise nets gamewinner for Team USA
Taylor Heise lit the lamp 3:28 into the third period to give the U.S. Women's National Team a 2-1 lead over Canada in the first game of the 2023-2024 Rivalry Series last night in Tempe, Arizona. That goal proved to be the game-winning tally as the Americans took a 1-0 series lead with a 3-1 victory.
Abbey Murphy recorded an assist as Hilary Knight opened the scoring for the U.S. in the first period, but Brianne Jenner evened things up for Canada in the second stanza. Alex Carpenter added an insurance goal for the Americans with 2 minutes to play. Unofficially, Aerin Frankel made 35 saves for Team USA while Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 24 shots for the Canadians.
Game 2 of the Rivalry Series is set for this Saturday, November 11, at 3 p.m. CT, with television coverage on the NHL Network.
Around the WCHA...
Wisconsin still perfect after sweeping St. Cloud State – Kirsten Simms recorded two goals & three assists, Layla Edwards tallied two goals & two assists, and Casey O'Brien added a goal & three helpers to lead the Badgers to 4-2 and 5-2 road wins over the Huskies. Alice Sauriol lit the lamp in both games for SCSU.
Minnesota Duluth sweeps visiting St. Thomas – Reece Hunt scored twice Friday and dished out 3 assists on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs to 3-1 & 4-0 victories over the Tommies. Mannon McMahon lit the lamp in both games, Olivia Wallin added a goal & two assists, and Ève Gascon stopped all 26 shots she faced in Saturday's contest. Allie Monrean netted the lone goal for UST.
Buckeyes rout Beavers in Bemidji – Ohio State started their weekend road series against Bemidji State with three goals in the first two minutes, then continued to roll to 9-1 and 5-0 victories. After the early blitz, OSU's Joy Dunne netted a hat trick plus an assist on Friday, then added another goal and a helper on Saturday for a 6-point weekend. Kiara Zanon recorded two goals and two assists in the series, Sloane Matthews lit the lamp twice, and Emma Peschel tallied a goal and three assists. Kayla Santl scored the lone goal for BSU, but they were outshot 95-24.
TONIGHT , November 9th – St. Thomas faces Minnesota State in the 2023 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic, being played this year at the Maple Grove Ice Arena at 7 p.m. The game is an extra meeting between the Tommies and Mavericks and will count in their overall records but not the conference standings.
The other six WCHA teams, including the Gophers, are idle this week and will resume play on November 17.
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