Power Play Club

PPC events reminders this week and next:

Brunch with the Coaches – Our first reminder is that our annual Brunch with the Coaches, featuring University of Connecticut women's hockey head coach Chris MacKenzie and our own Brad Frost, will begin this Saturday, January 6, at 9:45 a.m. in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room. We look forward to seeing everyone who registered for this event. Enter the arena through the Sundet Lobby in the southwest corner, then take the elevator or stairs up to the third floor.

Locker Sponsor gathering – The Locker Sponsor pregame meal with the GWH team will be held on Saturday, January 13th. Locker sponsors should meet in the ticket lobby of Ridder Arena NO LATER than 8:45 a.m. Photos with the coaches and players will begin at 9:00 a.m., with the meal to follow at 10:00 a.m. Note that, due to the team's pregame video review, there will be a gap between photos and breakfast. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Rennie McPherson at susanmcp58@gmail.com.

Goals for a Goal: Gophers at 74 goals (20 on PP) & counting

As the Gopher Women's Hockey team returns to action, we continue counting the goals they've scored in 2023-2024. Through December, they've lit the lamp 74 times, with 20 of those coming while on the power play! Another way to support the program financially is through the Power Play Club's Goals for a Goal program, which converts each of those goals into charitable contributions back to the team by pledging to donate a dollar amount per goal scored during the regular season and postseason. We also encourage you to exercise the option to double your pledge for power play goals. Pledges can be submitted electronically through this online form. Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!

#2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-3-1, 10-3-1-1 in WCHA)
vs.
#11 Connecticut Huskies (11-4-2, 9-3-1-0 in Hockey East)

Friday, January 5 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 6 at 2:00 p.m.
Ridder Arena

Happy New Year!! The Gopher Women's Hockey team opens the 2024 portion of its schedule in non-conference action, hosting their second & third games ever against the University of Connecticut Huskies. Puck drop at Ridder Arena is scheduled for Friday night, January 5, at 6:00 p.m., and the series continues Saturday, January 6, at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage – If you cannot get to Ridder Arena, video will be streamed on the B1G+ subscription service for both contests, and audio play-by-play can be found on GopherSports.com for Friday and Saturday starting 15 to 20 minutes before each game.

Last time against Connecticut – The one previous meeting between the Gophers and Huskies occurred way back in the opener of the 2005-2006 season at Ridder Arena. Freshman Gigi Marvin opened the scoring with a first-period power-play goal, Andrea Nichols doubled the Gopher lead midway through the third period, Erica McKenzie lit the lamp short-handed with 2:32 remaining, Allie Sanchez dished out a pair of assists, and Brittony Chartier posted an 18-save shutout for a 3-0 victory. Kaitlyn Shain stopped 40 shots between the pipes for UConn.

Analyzing the Huskies – Connecticut is looking to make a breakthrough in Hockey East, battling for their first league regular-season and playoff championships plus their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With a 9-3-1-0 conference record, they are currently tied atop the league standings with Boston College while having a game in hand. They are also 2-1-1 in non-conference play, including a win and a tie on the road at Penn State to open the season.

Senior Jada Habisch (#25), a Buffalo, MN native, leads the Huskies with 11 goals, 16 points, and a +13 plus-minus rating. Graduate student Coryn Tormala (#12) has dished out a team-high 12 assists while lighting the lamp twice herself for 14 points. Sophomore Brooke Campbell (#14) is also in double-digit scoring with 11 points on 6 goals & 5 assists.

Though UConn has netted only 40 goals in 17 games, they've only allowed 20. Junior Tia Chen (#88) is 5-4-1 in her 10 starts, recording 3 shutouts and posting a .948 save percentage and 1.48 goals-against average. Junior Megan Warrener (#1) has not lost this season, sporting a 6-0-1 record with 3 shutouts of her own, a .961 SV% and a miniscule 0.72 GAA. Freshman Shannon Moran (#35) stopped the 3 shots she faced in a 9-minute relief appearance against Providence.

Last action for UConn – Playing Merrimack on December 1, Brianna Ware scored for the Huskies just 43 seconds after the Warriors had taken a second-period lead, and Camryn Wong lit the lamp for Connecticut 2:51 into overtime for a 2-1 victory; Tia Chan stopped 25 of 26 shots. Taking on Boston College the next day, the Huskies trailed 2-0 after 40 minutes, but Jada Habisch assisted on Riley Grimley's goal 4:53 into the third period and knotted the score herself with an extra attacker & just 35.9 seconds remaining; after overtime, the contest finished tied 2-2, though BC took a five-round shootout, 2-1. Megan Warrener made 22 saves for UConn through OT.

Abbey Murphy, Ava Lindsay earn league honors for December

We send our congratulations to Gopher Women's Hockey players Abbey Murphy and Ava Lindsay on earning WCHA Hockey Player of the Month honors for December!!

Lindsay was named Rookie of the Month, her first monthly honor from the league, netting 3 goals & dishing out 3 assists for 6 points with one blocked shot and a +2 plus-minus rating.

Murphy picked up her second-straight Forward of the Month award after tallying 10 points over five games on 6 goals (two on the power play) and 4 assists. She also had a +5 plus-minus rating and four shot blocks.

Gigi Marvin named to Star Tribune Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Gigi Marvin has been named as a Class of 2023 inductee into the Start Tribune's Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, as announced by the publication last Thursday, December 28.

The 2005 Ms. Hockey Minnesota award winner at Warroad High School, Marvin recorded 195 career points in her four-year Gopher career on 87 goals and 108 assists. During her time in the Maroon & Gold, she earned All-WCHA First Team recognition in 2007 & 2008, Second Team All-WCHA in 2009, a Second Team All-American honor in 2008, and was a two-time Patti Kazmaier Top-Ten finalist (2007 & 2008). Following college, Marvin was named to three U.S. Olympic Teams, earning silver in 2010 & 2014 and gold in 2018; she also won multiple World Championship gold medals with the U.S. National Team. Professionally, she has played with the Minnesota Whitecaps (WWHL), Boston Blades (CWHL), Boston Pride (NWHL), and is continuing her career now with PWHL Boston. Congratulations, Gigi!!

Around the WCHA

Bemidji State splits games in Battle of the Burgh tournament – After falling behind Robert Morris by a goal after one period, Taylor Nelson knotted the score for the Beavers in the second period and assisted on Hailey Armstrong's go-ahead goal a mere 9 seconds later. Armstrong added an empty-netter with 34.9 seconds to play and Eva Filippova stopped 22 of 23 shots for a 3-1 victory. Filippova made another 48 saves in the championship game against Colgate, earning her the all-tournament team goaltender selection, but the Beavers failed to score and fell to the Raiders, 6-0.

Upcoming games – Three other WCHA teams are also in non-conference action this first weekend of 2024, playing Friday & Saturday. Minnesota Duluth is on the road at Quinnipiac, Minnesota State hosts Lindenwood, and Wisconsin hosts Merrimack. Bemidji State, Ohio State, St. Cloud State, and St. Thomas are idle.

Standings:
1. Ohio State – 37 points (.881 pts%), 13-1-0-0, 2-0 in OT (16-2-0 overall)
2. Minnesota – 33 points (.786 pts%), 10-3-1-1, 0-1 in OT (14-3-1 overall)
3. Wisconsin – 31 points (.738 pts%), 10-4-0-0, 0-1 in OT (14-4-0 overall)
4. St. Cloud State – 26 points (.619 pts%), 8-5-1-0, 0-1 in OT (13-6-1 overall)
5. Minn. Duluth – 23 points (.548 pts%), 8-6-0-0, 1-0 in OT (11-6-1 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 9 points (.214 pts%), 3-11-0-0, 1-1 in OT (7-12-0 overall)
7. Bemidji State – 6 points (.143 pts%), 2-12-0-0, 1-1 in OT (3-16-1 overall)
8. St. Thomas – 3 points (.071 pts%), 1-13-0-0, 0-0 in OT (7-14-0 overall)

Follow the Power Play Club online at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on Twitter at twitter.com/powerplayclub.

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at 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.