Power Play Club

Goals for a Goal

After the New Year’s Day 2025 contest against Bemidji State, the Gophers have tallied 65 goals this season, fifteen (15) of which have come on the power play! We are still looking for help converting each of those goals into donations back to the team through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program! Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies! GO GOPHERS!!

PPC and GWH Event Reminder Redux...

Brunch with the Coaches this Saturday, January 4 – Registrants for our annual Brunch with the Coaches are reminded that the event will start at 8:45 a.m. Saturday in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room. Enter through the Sundet Lobby on the southwest corner of the arena (closest to the Ridder lobby) and take the elevator to the 3rd floor. We look forward to hearing from Bemidji State University assistant coach Emma Sobieck and Gopher head coach Brad Frost.

Locker Sponsor gathering, January 11 – Locker Sponsorship tier members of the Power Play Club are reminded that our special event is scheduled for Saturday, January 11, before the second game of the series against St. Thomas. You are asked to arrive in the Ridder Arena lobby no later than 8:45 a.m.

Skate with the Gophers, January 11 – Following the Saturday game against St. Thomas, the Skate with the Gophers event returns to the Ridder Arena ice. Fans are encouraged to attend this fun time with the team, though you must have a ticket to the game and register in advance at z.umn.edu/WHOSkate2025

East/West Showcase at Ridder Arena

Friday, January 3
Bemidji State University Beavers (3-15-1)
vs. #11/12 Penn State Univ. Nittany Lions (15-4-1) – 1:00 p.m.
#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-4-1)
vs. Brown University Bears (8-7-1) – 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 4
Bemidji State vs. Brown – 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota vs. Penn State – 4:30 p.m.

Coming off of their U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic victory, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has a short turn-around as they close out regular-season non-conference play, hosting the East/West Showcase at Ridder Arena. The Brown University Bears and Penn State Nittany Lions both make the trip west to Minneapolis, and the Bemidji State Beavers also remain in the Twin Cities. Action begins tomorrow, Friday, January 3, when Bemidji State faces Penn State at 1:00 p.m., followed by Minnesota vs. Brown at 4:30 p.m. Pairings will be swapped on Saturday, January 4, as the Beavers take on the Bears at 1:00 p.m. and the Gophers square off against the Nittany Lions at 4:30 p.m.

Traffic alert – Please note that two other Golden Gopher teams are in home action this weekend. The Men's Hockey team will be hosting Mercyhurst at 3M Arena at Mariucci, with puck drops at 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. Gopher Gymnastics is hosting Central Michigan at Maturi Pavilion at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Game coverage – All four women's hockey contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service, including both Gopher games Friday and Saturday. As usual, Dan Hamann will have his free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com Friday & Saturday, and live stats can be found here.

Last time against Brown – The Gophers and Bears have not met in over 19 years, with Minnesota earning a weekend sweep at home in November 2005. After Hayley Moore gave Brown a 1-0 first-intermission lead in the opening game, Erica McKenzie erupted for four goals in a 5-1 come-from-behind victory. Jenelle Philipczyk scored on a first-period power play in game two, Whitney Graft added a goal & an assist, and Kim Hanlon needed only 12 saves for a 3-0 shutout win. Across both games, Bobbi Ross tallied six points on a goal & 5 assists, while Gigi Marvin dished out 4 helpers.

Last time against Penn State – The Gophers' history against the Nittany Lions is a bit more recent, having played each other two seasons ago in the Henderson Collegiate Hockey Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend (2022). Maddie Kaiser, Taylor Heise, Peyton Hemp and Grace Zumwinkle put Minnesota up 4-0 at the first intermission. Courtney Correia got Penn State on the board late in the second period, but Skylar Vetter & Mikayla Pahl combined to stop 26 of 27 shots and Ella Huber added a third-period goal for a 5-1 victory. Kaiser & Hemp each added an assist to their respective goals, Crystalyn Hengler dished out two helpers, and Vetter recorded an offensive assist on Heise's goal.

Analyzing the Bears – Brown started this season 6-0-0, including upset wins over Quinnipiac and Princeton. However, they've cooled off since then, going only 2-7-1. They currently sit 9th in the twelve-team ECAC with a 4-7-1 league record.

The Bears have five players in double-figures for points so far. Freshman Monique Lyons (#2) leads the team in total scoring with 12 points on 7 goals & 5 assists. Sophomore Ava DeCoste (#3) has a team-high 8 goals plus 3 assists, while senior Cameron Sikich (#23; 4g, 7a) and junior India McDadi (#26; 3g, 8a) join DeCoste with 11 points apiece. Sophomore Margot Norehad (#18) has added 5 goals & 5 assists (10 points).

Brown lists only two goaltenders on its roster. Sophomore Rory Edwards (#35) has started 10 of their 16 games, going 6-4-0 with a .919 save percentage and 2.30 goals-against average. Freshman Anya Zupkofska (#31) got the other six starts, going 2-3-1 with a .915 GAA and 2.12 GAA.

Last action for Brown – A weekend on the road did not go well for the Bears to complete the 2024 portion of its schedule, falling to Rensselaer on December 6 and Union on December 7 by matching 4-1 scores. Each game was 1-1 in the second period with Brown's goals coming from Ava DeCoste & Monique Lyons (PP), but the Engineers and Garnet Chargers each scored 3 unanswered goals in their respective contests to defeat the Bears.

Analyzing the Nittany Lions – Penn State is in charge in the renamed Atlantic Hockey America conference, posting an 8-0-0-0 record in league play. With a 7-4-1 non-conference mark entering the East/West Showcase, they are ranked in both major national polls. However, their current #13 position in the Pairwise Rankings means they will likely need to win the AHA playoff championship to reach the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State is heavily reliant on its junior class. Tessa Janecke (#15), who has played on the (senior) U.S. National Team, leads PSU outright in points (31) and assists (17) while being tied for goals (14). Maddy Christian (#26) joins Janecke with 14 goals, and her 7 assists puts her second in total scoring with 21 points. Katelyn Roberts (#22), is third on the team with 18 points on 5 goals and 13 assists. Kendall Butze (#17; 3g, 14a) and freshman Grace Outwater (#8; 8g, 9a) have 17 points apiece.

The Lions' top-two netminders are also classified as juniors. Katie DeSa (#35) is their primary goaltender, starting 16 of their 20 games; she has a 12-4-0 record with 3 shutouts, a .931 save percentage, and a 1.44 goals-against average. Lauren Barbro (#37), having transferred from Minnesota State, is 3-0-1 in her four starts with a .912 SV% and 2.03 GAA. Grad student Annie Spring (#31) has one 30-minute relief appearance (coming against Stonehill), stopping the 9 shots she faced.

Last action for Penn State – The Nittany Lions finished the 2024 portion of their schedule on the road December 6 & 7 against Mercyhurst, sweeping the Lakers 4-2 and 3-2. In the opener, Maddy Christian put PSU up 2-0, Mercyhurst knotted the score early in the third, but Grace Outwater lit the lamp with 16:02 to play and Tessa Janecke added an insurance goal after two earlier assists. The teams traded goals in the rematch, sending the contest to the third period tied 2-2, but Janecke's second goal of the contest – and 6th point of the series – with 7:54 to play proved to be the difference. Katie DeSa made a combined 73 saves in the series, 35 in game one and 38 in game two, to earn both wins.

Gophers Defeat BSU in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Game

In front of an announced sell-out crowd, the Gopher Women's Hockey team earned a come-from-behind victory over Bemidji State in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic last night, winning 4-1 at Hasse Arena in Lakeville.

After an early goal by BSU's Kate Johnson, Natalie Mlynkova knotted the score later in the first period, and the contest remained tied 1-1 after 40 minutes. But Ella Huber lit the lamp on a shot which deflected off a Beaver defender 5:51 into the third period and Mlynkova tallied twice more to complete her first career hat trick. Mlynkova also recorded an assist on Huber's goal to post a career-high 4-point performance, Huber also earned an assist, and Abbey Murphy dished out two helpers. Hannah Clark made 24 saves to earn the victory, while BSU's Eva Filippova stopped 28 shots.

Around the WCHA...

Upcoming games – Ohio State and Wisconsin will square off in a #1-vs.-#2 battle, starting tonight (Thursday) in Madison before playing outside in The Frozen Confines Big Ten Hockey Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Saturday. Minnesota Duluth hosts a Thursday-Friday non-conference series against Syracuse, and Minnesota State will make the trip to Missouri to face Lindenwood Friday & Saturday. St. Thomas and St. Cloud State will play an exhibition contest Saturday in St. Louis Park.

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Follow the Power Play Club online at www.powerplayclub.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PowerPlayClubMN, or on X at x.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 X at x.com/GopherWHockey.