Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, January 13
Member-only Chalk Talk tentatively planned for next week
An online edition of our Chalk Talks with GWH head coach Brad Frost is tentatively scheduled for next week, though exact timing is still being finalized with the coach and his staff. As with the in-person version of the event held in past seasons, topics will include a review of the recent series and a discussion of playing strategy. This is a member-only event for 2020-2021 Power Play Club members. We will share the date and time of the event via email and on our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter) as soon as it is determined.
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Membership registration remains open!! A donation of $50 of more to the Power Play Club Fund at the University of Minnesota Foundation will enroll your household into the PPC for the season. To make your donation online, go to the Power Play Club Fund web page here. If you prefer to submit your donation by check, you can download the registration form here, fill it out, and mail it and your check to Laura Halldorson at the address listed on the form. If you have already enrolled as a Locker Sponsor for 2020-2021, you do not need to register again. If you need to verify your membership status, contact Laura by email at halld002@umn.edu.
Locker Sponsorships still available!! With a donation of $600 or more, Locker Sponsors are recognized with their name(s) listed on the locker of their designated player or coach. If you are interested in being a Locker Sponsor, do not use the links above, but instead please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at membership@powerplayclub.org.
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Ostertag named 2020-21 PPC Scholarship recipient
The Golden Gopher Fund announced that GWH defender Gracie Osterag is the recipient of the Power Play Club Scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year. The junior from Shakopee intends to major in Business Marketing Education. In 78 career games played, Ostertag has 17 points on one goal and 16 assists. Congratulations, Gracie!!
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#1 Univ. of Minnesota Golden Gophers (24 pts, 8-1-0, 0-0 in OT)
at #2 Univ. of Wisconsin Badgers (13 pts, 4-2-0, 0-1 in OT)
Friday and Saturday, January 15 & 16
Both games at 2:07 p.m.
LaBahn Arena, Madison
After flipping positions in both national polls, the top two teams meet up for the first time this season. The #1-ranked Gopher Women's Hockey team heads to Madison to play the #2 Wisconsin Badgers in a pair of afternoon games, playing on Friday and Saturday, January 15 & 16 at 2:07 p.m. both days.
Saturday's game on FOX Sports North, video streaming of series on BTN+ – The University of Minnesota announced yesterday that Saturday's game will be televised live on FOX Sports North; check the FSN channel finder or with your television provider for the channel. Video from both games will be streamed online via BTN+; subscription packages by conference, school, or sport are available here. Watch our social media accounts for game-specific video links and any updates on audio coverage.
Last year against Wisconsin – The Gophers went 1-2-1 against Badgers last season. Minnesota earned 5 WCHA standings points at Ridder Arena with a 4-2 victory followed by a 2-2 tie with a shootout win, but the Badgers earned a series sweep at LaBahn Arena in January, 5-4 (OT) and 3-0.
Grace Zumwinkle led the Gophers with 7 points against Wisconsin, lighting the lamp 4 times (with two 2-goal games) and dishing out 3 assists. Sarah Potomak (3g, 2a) and Taylor Heise (1g, 4a) each tallied 5 points over the four games, while Amy Potomak added a goal & two assists in the season series plus the lone goal of the shootout in the second game at Ridder. Sydney Scobee made 107 saves but yielded 11 goals, resulting in a .907 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average. Presley Norby led the Badgers with 3 goals and 2 assists against the Gophers, Abby Roque recorded a hat trick in the first game in Madison while dishing out an earlier assist, and Daryl Watts (2g, 1a), Caitlin Schneider (1g, 2a), and Delaney Drake (3a) each tallied 3 points. Kristen Campbell stopped 83 of 93 shots for an .892 SV% and 2.47 GAA.
Analyzing the Badgers – Wisconsin has seen limited action this season, playing only a single series before the holiday break. That said, they've already played four games against Ohio State, including last weekend (more on that momentarily). With 13 WCHA standings points in six contests, their 2.17 points-per-game average is second-best in the league.
Senior Daryl Watts (#19) is again leading the Badgers in goals and total scoring, averaging better than a point per game with 4 goals, 3 assists, and 7 points. Junior Sophie Shirley (#9) is one of three Wisconsin players with 4 assists apiece; she has also netted two goals of her own for 6 points. Junior defender Nicole LaMantia (#21) has a game-winning goal plus 4 assists for 5 points. Senior Grace Bowlby (#13) is the third Badger with 4 assists, while classmate Brette Pettet (#20) has 2 goals and 2 assists.
Graduate transfer Kennedy Blair (#29) has been the only Badger goaltender to see action so far this season. Two of her four wins have been shutouts; across her six games, she has a 1.34 goals-against average and .954 save percentage. Senior Breanna Blesi (#32) is 4-1-0 in 5 career starts and 2 relief appearances, with one shutout, a 1.07 GAA and a .908 SV%, while junior Cami Kronish (#30) has only a single 40-minute relief appearance in which she yielded 2 goals on 11 shots. Freshman Jane Gervais (#1) has yet to play.
Last weekend for Wisconsin – Hosting Ohio State, the Badgers found themselves down 1-0 after 40 minutes following Paetyn Levis' second-period goal for the Buckeyes; however, Daryl Watts knotted the score midway through the third stanza and Nicole LaMantia lit the lamp with 6:21 left in regulation to give Wisconsin a 2-1 victory. The rematch started similarly, with Riley Brengman scoring on a second-period power play to put OSU up 1-0 and Watts tying the game in the third period, but this time the contest went to overtime and Liz Schepers netted the gamewinner for Ohio State 1:02 into the extra period. Wisconsin earned a WCHA standings point for finishing regulation tied, but the result still goes down as a loss on their record. Kennedy Blair made a combined 65 saves in the series for the Badgers, while Andrea Brändli stopped 53 shots for the Buckeyes. Ohio State's Madison Bizal was named WCHA Defenseman of the Week after assisting on all three of their goals.
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Gophers earn 3-game sweep over St. Cloud State
Minnesota also found itself down 1-0 after the first 40 minutes of its opening game of the weekend Thursday following a power-play goal by St. Cloud State's Olivia Cvar; however, Grace Zumwinkle netted an unassisted goal 1:41 into the third period to tie the contest, and scored off of an Anne Cherkowski faceoff win with 5:35 remaining to give the Gophers a 2-1 victory. Catie Skaja opened the scoring in Saturday's contest, lighting the lamp at the 4-minute mark of the first period, but much of the remainder of the series belonged to the line of Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, and Emily Oden; Heise doubled the Gopher lead to 2-0 and Murphy netted two more goals, all before the first intermission, to put Minnesota up 4-0. Laura Kluge converted a 2-on-1 rush for SCSU in the second stanza, but Minnesota went on to a 4-1 win. Heise found the back of the net twice in the opening period of Sunday's game in St. Cloud, Taylor Wente made the score 3-0 in the second period, Heise completed her hat trick with 2:04 remaining, and Lauren Bench stopped all 16 shots she faced for a 4-0 shutout. Oden dished out assists on all four of Heise's goals in the series. In total, 11 different Gophers recorded a point. Between the pipes, Bench stopped 43 of the 44 shots she faced in seven periods of action, while Makayla Pahl entered for the latter two periods of Saturday's game and made 14 saves on 15 shots. Huskies netminder Emma Polusny played the first four periods of the series before being relieved by Sanni Ahola for the duration; they each made 55 saves.
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Heise and Murphy earn WCHA weekly honors
Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy earned honors as WCHA Forward & Rookie of the Week, respectivly, following their performances against St. Cloud State. The linemates each finished with 5 points over the weekend; Heise recorded an assist to go with her 4 goals, while Murphy assisted on all three of Heise's Sunday goals after scoring her own two on Saturday. Heise's award is the fifth weekly recognition she's received from the WCHA in her collegiate career, and Murphy's is her first. Congratulations, Taylor and Abbey!!
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NCAA announces all winter sport tourney sites will be pre-selected
Amid the on-going coronavirus pandemic and following the announcement of plans for the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments, the NCAA announced Monday general plans for all other winter sport championships. As documented in the release, “The first portion of the plan calls for all rounds of the winter championships to be held at predetermined sites, rather than at traditional sites that are not predetermined. Bids for predetermined preliminary rounds will be accepted now through January 25, with the host sites to be announced the week of February 8. For championships that typically have predetermined sites that have previously been announced, those sites will continue to host as long as local public health authorities determine it is safe to do so.” Also, no final decisions have been made in regard to fans at any of the championships.
U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) documented the impact of the announcement on the Division III Hockey Championships. For the 9-team men's tournament, which includes a first-round play-in game before the quarterfinals, bids may propose host variations that: 1) combine rounds (e.g., first round and quarterfinals); 2) host more than one quarterfinal game at the same site; 3) accommodate hosting all nine teams for the entirety of the championship within the same venue; or 4) offer more than one venue in same locale. The D-III women's tournament is already planned for a single site at a location to be determined, with all three rounds played in a four-day span (March 19-22).
No specific plans or changes have been announced for the Division I men's and National Collegiate women's hockey tournaments. We will share any updates as they are made available.
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Around the WCHA...
Recent action – The third WCHA series this past weekend started very similarly to the other two, with Minnesota State coming from behind to win 2-1 after trailing Bemidji State 1-0 through 40 minutes of play; the Beavers took the lead on a goal by Lydia Passolt, but Brittyn Fleming lit the lamp for the Mavericks with 4:30 remaining and Tristen Truax scored on a power play with 2:34 left. In the rematch, MSU's Kelsey King scored twice, Jessica Kondas & Madison Mashuga each recorded a goal and an assist, and Calla Frank made 23 saves for a 4-0 shutout and the series sweep. Frank finished with a combined 41 saves on 42 shots, while BSU's Kerrigan Dowhy made 62 saves in the series.
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Upcoming games – Two other series in the league both feature Friday evening and Saturday afternoon contests. After the postponement of its series against the Gophers earlier this month, Minnesota Duluth will see its first action of 2021 when it hosts Ohio State. Meanwhile, Bemidji State will make the short road trip to face St. Cloud State. Minnesota State is idle.
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Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at www.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.
