The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, November 14th
Help us raise $10,000 on Give to the Max Day for GWH!!
This Thursday, November 16, is Give to the Max Day. Help us raise $10,000 to support the Gopher Women's Hockey team!! The PPC board and volunteers have pledged to match the first $7,500 in donations!!
Donate here
Video: Hear from GWH head coach Brad Frost
Once again, the donation site is open! All gifts between now and 11:59 p.m. CT on Thursday will count toward the match. Additionally, Gopher Athletics is also doubling Gopher Score points for these gifts.
Funds raised will go to support...
Ridder Arena updates, such as the redesigned displays in the lower level outside the Gopher locker room.
Other expenses beyond the team's normal operating budget, such as extra travel costs for the D1 In DC Showcase later this month.
Many thanks for your consideration of this program, especially to those who have already donated!!
Pregame gathering in Duluth on Friday
Making the trip to Duluth this weekend? Join us for a time of socializing before Friday's game at the 310 Pub in Canal Park (310 S. Lake Avenue). Arrive at your leisure, and we hope to see many of you there!!
#4/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-2-0, 5-2-0 WCHA)
vs. #8/7 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (8-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA)
Friday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 18 at 3:00 p.m.
AMSOIL Arena – Duluth
It's a rivalry week for the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they head north on I-35 to take on the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. The national top-ten matchup starts this Friday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, November 18, at 3:00 p.m.
Game coverage – Video from both games will be streamed on the B1G+ subscription service. As always, free audio play-by-play is available on GopherSports.com for both Friday and Saturday, starting roughly 20 minutes before each contest.
Last season against Minnesota Duluth – The Gophers faced the Bulldogs five times in 2022-2023 and came away with a 5-0-0 record in those contests, sweeping last November's series at Ridder Arena 3-2 (OT) & 5-3, winning 3-1 & 4-3 in Duluth in January, and shutting out UMD in the NCAA Quarterfinals 3-0 in Minneapolis in March. Grace Zumwinkle was an assist machine, dishing out 6 helpers across the five meetings. Catie Skaja lit the lamp 4 times and added an assist, while Abbey Murphy also found the back of the net 4 times. Taylor Heise & Madeline Wethington each tallied a goal & 3 assists, while Abigail Boreen, Josefin Bouveng & Peyton Hemp added two goals and an assist apiece. Between the pipes, Skylar Vetter averaged 1.80 goals against, 27 saves per game, and a .938 save percentage. Mannon McMahon scored twice with an assist for the Bulldogs, while Nina Jobst-Smith added a goal & two helpers, Hanna Baskin & Ashton Bell each dished out 3 assists, and Gabby Krause lit the lamp twice. UMD netminder Emma Söderberg started all five games, posting a 3.87 GAA and .879 SV%, while Hailey MacLeod stopped all 15 shots she faced in a 28-minute relief appearance.
Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth has a couple of notable similarities to the Gophers: seeing 9 fifth-year players from last year's team depart but having their only two losses so far this season come at the hands of Ohio State. The 'Dogs are looking for a return to the NCAA Frozen Four after finishing as national runner-up in 2022 but falling to the Gophers in last year's quarterfinal.
Current grad student Mannon McMahon has taken the reins as UMD's leading scorer; she has 13 points on 7 goals & 6 assists this year after tallying 29 points (10g, 19a) last season. Former Bemidji State Beaver Reece Hunt (#29) has joined the Bulldogs as a grad transfer and also has 13 points on 6 goals & 7 assists. Seniors Clara Van Wieren (#25) & Olivia Wallin (#14) are third and fourth in scoring; Van Wieren has 6 goals & 5 assists, while Wallin – a transfer after three years at Penn State – has 3 goals and 6 assists.
A big question for Minnesota Duluth entering 2023-2024 was their goaltending situation after the graduation of Sweden National Team member Emma Söderberg. The answer has been the tandem of sophomore Hailey MacLeod (#35) and freshman Ève Gascon (#1). While mostly splitting time, Gascon got both starts against Ohio State, resulting in a 4-2-0 record; three of her four wins have been by shutout, giving her a .958 save percentage and a 1.17 goals-against average. MacLeod is a perfect 4-0-0 this year with one shutout, yielding only 3 goals for a .962 SV% and 0.75 GAA, and she has not suffered a loss in collegiate play after posting a 5-0-1 record in her six starts last year. UMD's third netminder, freshman Anna Byczek (#31), has yet to see any official action.
Last action for Minnesota Duluth – Hosting St. Thomas two weekends ago, Reece Hunt scored twice Friday and dished out 3 assists on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs to 3-1 & 4-0 victories and the series sweep. Mannon McMahon lit the lamp in both games and Olivia Wallin added a goal & two assists. Hailey MacLeod stopped 23 of 24 shots on Friday, and Ève Gascon stopped all 26 shots she faced on Saturday.
Looking ahead: Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday, December 9
Getting ready for some holiday shopping? Gopher Women's Hockey and the Power Play Club encourage you to pick up a teddy bear (or two, or three...) for the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by White Bear Mitsubishi! Bring a new stuffed animal in a bag to the game on Saturday, December 9, against Wisconsin, and you'll have an opportunity to toss it onto the ice during the intermission. All bears tossed will be donated to the Masonic Children's Hospital.
Rivalry Series: Team USA takes 2-0 series lead with Saturday win
Hannah Bilka's second-period goal gave the U.S. Women's National Team a 3-1 lead in Game Two of the 2023-2024 Rivalry Series this past Saturday in Los Angeles and proved to be the game-winning tally as the Americans won 5-2 to sweep the November portion of the series (after a 3-1 win in Game One).
Gopher Abbey Murphy assisted on an insurance goal by Gabbie Hughes and Minnesota alumna Taylor Heise assisted on a second Hughes goal. For the week, Heise (1g, 1a) and Murphy (2a) each recorded two points.
Alex Carpenter opened the scoring for Team USA but Laura Stacey evened the contest for the Canadians. Britta Curl capitalized on a turnover to light the lamp unassisted before Bilka's goal. Jamie Lee Rattray pulled Team Canada back within one before Hughes put things away. Nicole Hensley made 23 saves for the Americans, while Kristen Campbell stopped 19 shots for Canada.
The Rivalry Series will resume with a pair of games in Ontario on December 14 & 16. Tickets for those games – plus Games 5 & 6 in Saskatchewan in February – are available here.
Around the WCHA...
St. Thomas tops Minnesota State in Hall of Fame Game – Something had to give as the Tommies and Mavericks entered the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic on matching 8-game losing streaks. Shelbi Guttormson put MSU up 1-0 after 20 minutes, but Ellah Hause & Ella Boerger lit the lamp for UST in the second period, Rylee Bartz tallied a pair of power-play goals in the third, and Calla Frank stopped 21 of 22 shots against her former team to end the Tommies' skid with a 4-1 victory. Lauren Barbro made 25 saves for the Mavericks. We provide a reminder that this game counted in overall records but not the conference standings.
Upcoming games – All eight WCHA teams are back in conference action on Friday and Saturday. Most notably, top-ranked Wisconsin will visit #2 Ohio State in Columbus. Elsewhere, St. Cloud State & St. Thomas will play a home-and-home series starting in Mendota Heights, while Bemijdi State hosts Minnesota State.
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