January 21, 2022

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, January 21, 2022

January 21, 2022

The Two Minute Minor
Friday, January 21st

Gopher Women's Hockey Game Day!!
We hope to see many of you tonight at Ridder Arena as #5-ranked Minnesota squares off against top-ranked Wisconsin in the latest chapter of the Border Battle, with puck drop scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Tonight is also a Gold Out as all fans are encouraged to wear gold-colored apparel. Tickets are available here.

If you cannot attend in person, video of today's game will be streamed on B1G+ here. Free, live audio is available on GopherSports.com, while live statistics are available here. Game two of the series is tomorrow at 4 p.m.

Go Gophers!! Beat the Badgers!!

GWH recruit Laitinen Olympics-bound with Team Finland

Newly signed Gopher Women's Hockey recruit Nelli Laitinen is headed to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, as a member of the Finland Olympic Team. The Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced their women's team roster yesterday.

She becomes the ninth player with University of Minnesota ties headed to the Games, joining Americans Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle. Laitinen, Murphy and Zumwinkle will be first-time Olympians.

Team Finland opens the tournament against Team USA on Thursday, February 3, at 9:10 p.m. local time in Beijing / 7:10 a.m. U.S. Central Time. The full schedule of games is available here.

Congratulations and good luck, Nelli!!

WCHA switches to points percentages for 2021-2022 standings

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Wednesday that points percentages will be used to determine the league's 2022 regular-season champion and seedings for the conference playoff tournament, due to cancelled games which cannot be rescheduled and the resulting imbalance of games played.

The WCHA shared the decision in conjunction with the announced rescheduling of three previously-cancelled contests. That was followed by news yesterday of a fourth rescheduled game.

At this time, the switch to a points percentage-based ranking makes no changes to the order of the conference teams in the standings. Minnesota remains third with a .741 points percentage (40 of a possible 54).

Bench named to national goaltending award "watch list"

We send congratulations to Gopher graduate player Lauren Bench as she was named to the "watch list" for the National Women's Goalie of the Year, as announced yesterday by the Hockey Commissioners Association. The 19 goaltenders on the list represent all five NCAA Division I conferences, and were selected by their respective league offices.

As noted in the release from the HCA, a committee of voters will pare the list down within the next two weeks and then choose the winner who will be announced in March during the NCAA Frozen Four. Congratulations and good luck, Lauren!!

Copyright © 2022 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

Follow the Power Play Club 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 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.

Power Play Club

January 19, 2022

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Power Play Club

January 19, 2022

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, January 19

Goals for a Goal – Gophers roll past 100 goal mark!!

The Gopher Women's Hockey team netted 11 goals – including 3 on the power play – against Minnesota State, increasing their season total to-date to 104 goals, with 16 on the power play!!

Our Goals for a Goal campaign collects pledges for every goal scored throughout the regular season and postseason, converting them into contributions to support Minnesota's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season. The program includes an option to double your pledge for power-play tallies. We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

#5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-6-1, 12-5-1-1 WCHA)
vs. #1 Wisconsin Badgers (18-1-3, 13-1-2-1 WCHA)

Friday, January 21 at 6:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, January 22 at 4:00 p.m. CT
Ridder Arena

The Gopher Women's Hockey team looks to rebound from a tough Saturday loss, but they will be challenged as they host the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the 114th and 115th all-time editions of the Border Battle. The action begins at Ridder Arena on Friday evening, January 21 at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, January 22 at 4:00 p.m.

GOLD OUT on Friday – Fans coming to Friday's game at Ridder Arena are encouraged to wear gold attire to support the Gophers!

Last time against Wisconsin – Minnesota never trailed in its road series against the Badgers in early December. Taylor Heise and Emily Oden put the Gophers up 2-0 through one period of their opening game. Wisconsin came back with a second-stanza goal by Casey O'Brien and the tying tally by Maddi Wheeler in the third, but Catie Skaja converted a Badger turnover into an unassisted go-ahead goal just 9 seconds later. Lauren Bench made 31 saves to earn a 3-2 victory. The two teams traded goals in the rematch; Peyton Hemp scored for the Gophers in the first period, O'Brien tied things up in the second, Emily Zumwinkle put Minnesota back ahead in the third, and O'Brien netted her third goal of the weekend to draw the Badgers even again. A scoreless overtime resulted in a 2-2 tie, with Bench making another 37 saves in the game. The subsequent shootout needed 8 rounds before Zumwinkle won it to give Minnesota the extra point in the WCHA standings; Heise (1st round) and Emily Brown (4th) scored for the Gophers, while Daryl Watts (2nd) and Nicole LaMantia (4th) found the back of the net for the Badgers. Hemp and Oden each recorded an assist to accompany their respective goals.

Analyzing the Badgers – Wisconsin continues to be at the top of the WCHA, with only the one loss and two ties in their 16 conference games. Combined with a 5-0-1 non-conference record, the Badgers have maintained the #1 national ranking since the start of the season.

Wisconsin has a trio of players each recording 30+ points so far. Sophomore Casey O'Brien (#26) has a team-leading 21 goals and 38 points, dishing out 17 assists in the process. Classmate Makenna Webster (#8) is the Badgers' assists leader with 20 while lighting the lamp 15 times herself for 35 points. Fifth-year and past Patty Kazmaier Award winner Daryl Watts (#19) also has 15 goals plus 19 assists for 34 points. Another sophomore, Maddi Wheeler (#28), is the fourth Badger with double-digit goals, lighting the lamp 10 times and dishing out 12 assists.

Little has changed goaltending-wise for Wisconsin since the last Border Battle meeting. Fifth-year goaltender Kennedy Blair (#29) has been the only Badger between the pipes in their last 6 games; her record this season now stands at 16-1-3 with 5 shutouts, a 1.20 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. As before, redshirt junior Cami Kronish (#30) has not yielded a goal in 4 periods of action, making a combined 14 saves, while redshirt freshman Jane Gervais (#1) has stopped 23 out of 25 shots over 5 periods of action for a 1.20 GAA and .920 SV%.

Last action for Wisconsin – The Badgers have not played since January 2 following a scheduled bye week and the cancellation of their home series this past weekend against St. Thomas. In their last games, a top-five non-conference series against Quinnipiac in Madison, Nicole LaMantia recorded a goal & 2 assists and Casey O'Brien scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal to break a 2-2 tie en route to a 5-2 victory in the opener. However, Bobcats goaltender Corinne Schroeder stopped 41 of 42 shots in the rematch; Sarah Wozniewicz scored early in the second period for the Badgers, but Maddy Samoskevich lit the lamp for QU later in the stanza and the game finished in a 1-1 overtime tie.

Gophers split with Minnesota State

Minnesota found itself trailing after MSU scored the opening goal of both their games this past weekend. However, the results after that were very different between the two contests. The Gophers netted the next 7 goals on Friday night in Mankato, including a first-period hat trick from Amy Potomak, en route to a 7-2 victory. Emily Zumwinkle, Taylor Heise, Madeline Wethington, and Emma Conner also lit the lamp, though Kelsey King scored in the final minute for the Mavericks. Skylar Vetter stopped 29 of 31 shots for the Gophers, while Calla Frank made 41 saves for MSU.

On Saturday at Ridder Arena, Minnesota State took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission after two goals by Charlotte Akervik and one by Kennedy Bobcyk, though Abigail Boreen converted a power play for Minnesota. In the second stanza, Makayla Pahl replaced Lauren Bench in net for the Gophers, Savannah Norcross scored on a laser shot high short-side, and a 2-on-0 passing play from Catie Skaja to Ella Huber and back to Skaja for a tap-in goal knotted the game 3-3 after 40 minutes. Going to the third, Jessica Kondas put the Mavericks ahead again with 12:20 to play, but Boreen netted her second power-play goal of the game to tie the score 4-4 with 8:27 left. Neither team scored again in regulation, but MSU broke their 53-game losing streak to the Gophers when King scored with 1:11 left in 3-on-3 overtime. Frank made another 41 saves for the Mavericks; Bench recorded 5 saves in the first period, and Pahl stopped 22 shots over the remainder of the contest.

King finished with a 5-point series, dishing out 3 assists to go with her two goals. Potomak (3g, 1a), Heise (1g, 3a), and Norcross (1g, 3a) recorded 4-points apiece, while Audrey Wethington also tallied 3 assists.

Vetter earns second-straight weekly conference award!!

Gopher freshmen Skylar Vetter earned a second-straight weekly conference award, being named WCHA Rookie of the Week for her career-high 29-save performance and .935 save percentage Friday night against Minnesota State, following being named Goaltender of the Week on January 10. As noted in the separate press release from the U. of M., Vetter is the 6th goaltender in GWH program history to earn a Rookie of the Week award. Congratulations, Skylar!!

Gophers add Finland native Laitinen to 2022-2023 freshman class

Gopher Women's Hockey and head coach Brad Frost announced Monday that Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen has signed with the team as the third member of the 2022-2023 recruiting class, joining Allie Franco and Madison Kaiser. Laitinen has already played in two IIHF Women's World Championships with the (senior) Finland National Team along with two U18 Women's World Championships. She is currently playing club hockey with Kiekko-Espoo, the two-time defending regular-season champions and current leaders of the Finnish Women's League. Welcome, Nelli!!

Finland Olympic Team to be named Thursday

The Finnish Hockey Association will announce the rosters for the 2022 Finland Olympic Men's and Women's Hockey Teams tomorrow – Thursday, January 20 – at 7 p.m. Eastern European Time / 11 a.m. U.S. Central Time. Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Noora Räty and newly-signed recruit Nelli Laitinen have been participants in the recent Finnish training camps. We will share more information following the announcement.

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – In addition to the cancellation of the St. Thomas-Wisconsin series, the games between Ohio State and St. Cloud State in St. Cloud were also called off. The WCHA again indicated it will be making every effort to reschedule all in-conference series.

Minnesota Duluth, coming out of an unscheduled prior weekend off, swept visiting Bemidji State, 8-2 and 3-0. Anna Klein led the Bulldogs with 3 goals and 2 assists, Naomi Rogge added 3 goals and one assist, and Elizabeth Giguere recorded a goal and 3 helpers. Emma Söderberg posted a 28-save shutout on Saturday for UMD, while BSU's Kerrigan Dowhy made 29 saves.

Upcoming games – Barring more unplanned cancellations, St. Cloud State visits Bemidji State and Ohio State hosts Minnesota Duluth in a pair of Friday-Saturday series. St. Thomas and Minnesota State will play a home-and-home series, starting Friday night at the St. Thomas Ice Arena before taking things outside on Sunday afternoon as part of Hockey Day Minnesota festivities at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato.

Standings: 1t. Wisconsin – 14-1-3-1, 2-0 in OT, 40 points (18-1-3 overall); Ohio State – 13-3-0-0, 0-1 in OT, 40 points (17-3-0 overall); Minnesota – 12-5-1-1, 0-2 in OT, 40 points (17-6-1 overall); 4. Minnesota Duluth – 10-6-0-0, 1-1 in OT, 30 points (13-7-0 overall); 5. Minnesota State – 6-11-1-1, 1-1 in OT, 20 points (10-11-1 overall); 6. Bemidji State – 4-12-2-0, 1-0 in OT, 13 points (7-12-3 overall); 7. St. Cloud State – 2-11-1-1, 1-1 in OT, 8 points (7-12-1 overall); 8. St. Thomas – 2-13-1-0, 0-0 in OT, 7 points (4-15-1 overall).

Power Play Club

January 13, 2022

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Power Play Club

January 13, 2022

The Penalty Box Post
January 12, 2022

#4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (16-5-1, 11-4-1-1 WCHA)
vs. Minnesota State Univ. Mavericks (9-10-1, 5-10-1-1 WCHA)

Friday, January 14 at 6:00 p.m. CT, Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center – Mankato
Saturday, January 15 at 4:00 p.m. CT, Ridder Arena

After sweeping a home-and-home series this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team heads into another one, facing the Minnesota State University Mavericks. The two teams open the weekend Friday evening, January 14 at 6:00 p.m. at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato. The second game of the series will be at Ridder Arena on Saturday, January 15 at 4:00 p.m.

Last time against Minnesota State – The Gophers earned their first series sweep the season, defeating the Mavericks 3-0 at Ridder Arena and 6-2 in Mankato in October. All three goals in the opener came on the power play as Madeline Wethington, Gracie Ostertag, and Taylor Heise lit the lamp. At the other end of the ice, Makayla Pahl stopped all 14 shots on goal she faced for the shutout. Ostertag opened the scoring in the rematch with her second PPG of the weekend, Savannah Norcross tallied her first goal as a Golden Gopher, and Peyton Hemp and Amy Potomak extended the lead to 4-0 early in the second period. MSU's Sydney Langseth and Kennedy Bobyck cut the Mavericks' deficit in half, but Potomak converted a steal into her second goal of the game and Emily Oden lit the lamp in the third stanza to complete the sweep. Pahl earned the win with 9 saves in two periods of work; Skylar Vetter entered for the final 20 minutes and stopped the two shots she faced. MSU netminder Calla Frank made a combined 87 saves in the series. Ella Huber led all Gophers in total scoring, dishing out 4 assists over the weekend, and Emily Zumwinkle tallied her first collegiate point, assisting on Potomak's first goal.

Analyzing the Mavericks – Minnesota State has been a streaky team at times this season; after winning three-straight early in the season, the earlier series against the Gophers started an 8-game losing skid. However, the Mavs did bounce back a little, winning their first four December games. With a 5-10-1-1 WCHA record, they sit fifth in the conference standings.

Senior Brittyn Fleming (#19) is their overall scoring leader with 24 points, netting 7 goals and dishing out a team-high 17 assists. Three juniors follow in scoring for the Mavericks; junior Kelsey King (#20) has an MSU-leading 10 goals while adding 7 assists for 17 points, defender Charlotte Akervik (#8) has 4 goals & 11 assists for 15 points, and Kennedy Bobcyk (#12) has 14 points on 6 goals & 8 assists. Senior Brooke Bryant (#17) has also lit the lamp 7 times with 5 assists for 12 points.

Junior Calla Frank (#77) is Minnesota State's goaltending leader, starting 17 of the team's 20 games this season; she has an 8-8-1 record with 3 shutouts, a 2.69 goals-against average, and a .908 save percentage. Sophomore Lauren Barbro (#37) won her only start (non-conference against Merrimack), stopping 27 of 30 shots. Sophomore Emerald Kelley (#55) stopped 9 of 11 shots in a one-period relief appearance (against St. Cloud State). The Mavericks also brought in freshman Avery Stilwell on an emergency basis for their November series at Ohio State; she made a combined 84 saves in the two games.

Last action for Minnesota State – The Mavericks have yet to play in 2022 after their scheduled non-conference series at home against Syracuse was cancelled.

MSU claimed only 2 standings points on the road against Bemidji State in mid-December. Claire Vekich recorded the game-winning power-play goal & an assist and Paige Beebe dished out two helpers as the Beavers came from behind to win 3-2 in the opener. BSU's Lindsay Featherstone and MSU's Madison Mashuga lit the lamp in the rematch as the two squads skated to a 1-1 overtime tie; the Mavericks earned the bonus point when Sydney Langseth was the only player to score in the three-round shootout.

Gophers roll past St. Thomas – Fourteen different Minnesota Women's Hockey players recorded a point as they cruised to a sweep in their first-ever series against St. Thomas, 8-0 and 8-2. Abigail Boreen lit the lamp twice in the opener and followed that up with her first career hat trick plus an assist in the rematch. Saturday's contest also featured Savannah Norcross' first multi-goal game as a Gopher, Tristana Tatur's first collegiate point, and a 16-save shutout by Skylar Vetter. Taylor Heise posted a 6-point weekend with a goal and 5 assists, Madeline Wethington tallied a goal and dished out 4 helpers, and Amy Potomak matched Norcross with 2 goals and 2 assists. Peyton Hemp netted a short-handed goal Saturday and a power-play goal & an assist on Sunday for 3 points. Lauren Bench stopped 11 shots in Sunday's game. UST goaltender Alexa Dobchuk made a combined 74 saves in the series.

Boreen, Hemp, Vetter earn weekly conference recognition!!

A trio of Gophers – senior Abigail Boreen (center) and freshmen Peyton Hemp & Skylar Vetter – were honored as the WCHA Forward, Rookie, and Goaltender of the Week, respectively, following their performances against St. Thomas. Vetter was additionally recognized for having the Howies Hockey Tape Performance of the Week. Congratulations, Abigail, Peyton, and Skylar!!

GWH promotions & events this week and looking ahead...

Gopher Women's Hockey has numerous promotions and events scheduled over its remaining seven regular-season home games. Here are some highlights...

This Saturday, January 15 – Stop by the marketing table at Ridder Arnea to receive a FREE 25 Seasons of Gopher Women's Hockey autographed poster!
Friday, January 21: Gold Out – Wear gold to the Border Battle against Wisconsin! Fans will receive a FREE gold pom pom!
Saturday, February 5: GWH 25th Anniversary Celebration – Invite your family & friends to the game featuring a special $25 ticket package (including two tickets plus concessions). Season ticket holders will receive a commemorative ticket, and the team will host a post-game skate; bring your own skates or rent a pair at the 3M Arena at Mariucci Student Lobby.

The full list of promotions is available on GopherSports.com. Additionally, our Gopher Women's Hockey / Power Play Club Silent Auction is tentatively scheduled for the first week of February!!

Goals for a Goal campaign continues to roll!

Minnesota lit the lamp 16 times – including 3 on the power play – this past weekend, pushing their season total to-date to 93 goals, with 13 on the power play!! We ask for your help to convert every goal the team scores throughout the regular season and postseason into a contributions to support their participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season.

Our Goals for a Goal campaign collects pledges for every goal scored, with the option to double your pledge for power-play tallies. We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – In addition to the cancellation of the Minnesota State-Syracuse series, the games between Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State in St. Cloud were also called off. The WCHA indicated it will be making every effort to reschedule the UMD-SCSU series.

Ohio State throttled visiting Lindenwood in Columbus, winning 8-2 and 10-0. Sophie Jaques continued her hot hand with a 7-point series on 3 goals and 4 assists. Paetyn Levis added 3 goals and 2 assists, Liz Schepers lit the lamp twice and dished out 3 helpers, and Brooke Bink posted a hat trick on Saturday.

Upcoming games – With six weekends left in the regular season, all eight WCHA teams will be in conference action for the duration. The upcoming weekend features St. Cloud State at Ohio State, Minnesota Duluth hosting Bemidji State, and St. Thomas on the road for a Saturday-Sunday series at Wisconsin.

Standings: 1t. Wisconsin – 14-1-3-1, 2-0 in OT, 40 points (18-1-3 overall); Ohio State – 13-3-0-0, 0-1 in OT, 40 points (17-3-0 overall); 3. Minnesota – 11-4-1-1, 0-1 in OT, 36 points (16-5-1 overall); 4. Minnesota Duluth – 8-6-0-0, 1-1 in OT, 24 points (11-7-0 overall); 5. Minnesota State – 5-10-1-1, 0-1 in OT, 18 points (9-10-1 overall); 6. Bemidji State – 4-10-2-0, 1-0 in OT, 13 points (7-10-3 overall); 7. St. Cloud State – 2-11-1-1, 1-1 in OT, 8 points (7-12-1 overall); 8. St. Thomas – 2-13-1-0, 0-0 in OT, 7 points (4-15-1 overall).

Copyright © 2022 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

Follow the Power Play Club 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 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.

Power Play Club

January 1, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Saturday, January 1st, 2022

Power Play Club

January 1, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Saturday, January 1st

Gophers vs. Whitecaps exhibition game canceled;
time change for second half opener vs. St. Thomas on Jan. 8

The U. of M. published the following announcement last night:
The University of Minnesota women's hockey exhibition contest against the Minnesota Whitecaps on Tuesday, Jan. 4 has been canceled due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols within the Whitecaps organization. The exhibition will not be rescheduled.

Minnesota is scheduled to start the second half of its season on Jan. 8 against the University of St. Thomas at Ridder Arena. Game time is set for 4 p.m., and will be televised on Bally Sports North.

Please note that the 4 p.m. start next Saturday is a time change to accommodate the television coverage.

Eight (8) Gophers Beijing-bound with U.S. Olympic Team!

Eight representatives of the U. of M. Women's Hockey program – Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle – have been named to the U.S. Women's Olympic Hockey Team roster for the upcoming 2022 Winter Games being held in Beijing, China!

The eight players have been members of USA Hockey's Women's Residency Program centralized since October, and account for more than one-third of the 23-member Olympic team roster announced earlier this evening. The U. of M. also published a press release here.

The Americans are looking to defend their gold medals after a 3-2 shootout victory in the 2018 Winter Games. In the My Why Tour schedule of games in pro-Olympic preparation in November and December, Team USA went 2-4 against their Canadian counterparts.

The Olympic Women's Hockey Tournament begins on Thursday, February 3, with the Gold Medal Game set for Thursday, February 17 (though starting late on Feb. 16 in the U.S. Central Time Zone). The Americans' schedule starts against Finland at 9:10 p.m. local time / 7:10 a.m. U.S. Central on February 3. The full schedule of games for all teams is available here.

GWH alumna Marvin announces retirement from USA Hockey

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Gigi Marvin announced her retirement from the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team Program on December 16, completing a 13-year international career with one gold and two silver Olympic medals, five IIHF Women's World Championship gold medals, and 4 Four Nations Cup titles. Marvin played in 126 games with U.S. national teams (at both the senior and U22 levels), recording 74 points on 24 goals and 50 assists.

Marvin currently sits tied for ninth in GWH program history in all three scoring categories, tallying 87 goals and 108 assists for 195 points. She played in 152 career games for Minnesota between 2005 and 2009.

Congratulations on a great career Gigi, and best wishes on your next adventure!

Multiple international games & tournaments cancelled

Prior to the cancellation of the Gophers' exhibition against the Whitecaps, a number of international hockey events were called off over the past 3 weeks due to ongoing concerns about and adhering to protocols for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final three games of the My Why Tour between the U.S. and Canada Women's National Hockey Teams were scrapped, including the December 20th game in St. Paul and two games in Alberta this coming week. Both teams are still preparing for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February.

Meanwhile, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced on December 24th that six January tournaments would be cancelled. Included in that list was the 2022 edition of the Women's Under-18 World Championship, marking the second-straight year that event will not be played.

The IIHF attempted to hold the 2022 Men's Under-20 World Championship – the "World Juniors" – in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. However, after positive COVID tests forced the forfeiture of three-straight games on the third and fourth days of the tournament, that event, too, was cancelled on December 29th. Additional positive tests from the participating teams, plus one from an on-ice official, were announced on December 30th.

Power Play Club

December 17, 2021

Penalty Box Post: Quick Hit - Thursday, December 16, 2021

Power Play Club

December 17, 2021

Penalty Box Post: Quick Hit
Thursday, December 16th

PBP Quick Hit - Thursday, December 16th

NCAA announces expansion of NC Women's Ice Hockey Championship to 11 teams effective for 2022 tournament

The NCAA's Division I Council yesterday (Wednesday, Dec. 15) approved the recommendations from the Division I Competition Oversight Committee to increase the Beach Volleyball Championship field to 16 teams and Women's Ice Hockey Championship to 11 teams. The expansion of the two tournaments will go into effect for the 2022 championships.

Quoting the press release from the organization:

The 2022 National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship will feature the top five seeds in the tournament receiving a first-round bye. The fifth-seeded team will play at the campus site of one of the top four seeds. Three first-round games will be played at the campus sites of three of the top four seeds in the tournament.

The winners of the first-round games will have a day off before playing in the quarterfinals. The tournament will stay on its current schedule since no weekends will be added with this format. The 2022 Women's Frozen Four is slated for March 18-20 at Penn State.

Minnesota currently sits 5th in both the DCU/USCHO and USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine national polls, and also 5th in the USCHO.com PairWise Rankings.

Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

Follow the Power Play Club 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 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.

Power Play Club

December 15, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Power Play Club

December 15, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 15th

Goals for a Goal, overall fundraising campaign updates

Minnesota Women's Hockey heads into the holiday break with 77 goals scored so far this season, with 10 of those coming on the power play. Help us support the team's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season by making a pledge to our Goals for a Goal campaign, pledging a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason with the option to double your pledge for power play goals!

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

We thank our club members and our Give to the Max Day donors for their generosity. Combining our membership donations and monies collected on Give to the Max Day, we've raised more the $62K for the Minnesota Women's Hockey program this season! We're also not done, with the final Goals for a Goal amount to be factored in and our online auction planned for late January and early February.

Mid-season recap...

Gophers split with Minnesota Duluth – Minnesota tallied the first goal in each of its two games against UMD at Ridder Arena this past weekend, and also held a one-goal lead entering the third periods of both contests. However, the games differed after that. Following a top-shelf stick-side rocket by Catie Skaja in the second period on Friday to put the Gophers up 1-0 through 40 minutes, Gabbie Hughes and Naomi Rogge lit the lamp 97 seconds apart to put the Bulldogs up 2-1. Amy Potomak knotted the score with 8:53 left in regulation, but Elizabeth Giguere put Minnesota Duluth back ahead 42 seconds later. The Gophers could not find another equalizer, falling 3-2; UMD netminder Emma Söderberg made 29 saves, while Lauren Bench stopped 19 shots. In Saturday's rematch, Audrey Wethington and Peyton Hemp put Minnesota up 2-0 after the first period, but Gabbie Krause lit the lamp for Minnesota Duluth in the second period. However, Makalya Pahl made 12 saves in that stanza, 6 more in the final period, and 24 for the game to earn a 2-1 victory. Söderberg posted another 33 saves to bring her weekend total to 62. Potomak and Wethington each recorded an assist to accompany their respective goals, while Crystalyn Hengler dished out two helpers on Saturday.

Overall Analysis – Minnesota currently sits third in the WCHA standings with a 30 points, posting a 9-4-1-1 conference mark (0-1 in OT). They trail both Wisconsin and Ohio State, who sit in a first-place tie with 40 points apiece, though the Gophers have two games in hand over both. Minnesota was 5-1-0 in non-conference play for a 14-5-1 overall record.

Seven (7) different Gopher players have recorded double-digit points and the team's season-long scoring average is 3.85, which is fifth among all Division I teams. Though while 17 players have lit the lamp, Taylor Heise remains the only one with double-digit goals, recording 14. Heise also holds the team lead in the other two scoring categories, dishing out 17 assists for 31 total points. Abigail Boreen and Amy Potomak each have 8 goals apiece; Boreen also has 15 assists to sit second in total scoring with 23 points. Peyton Hemp, Catie Skaja, and Emily Oden have each netted 7 goals; Hemp is the team's third 20+ point scorer with 21, Skaja has 19 points, and Oden has 17. Potomak has 7 assists for 15 points, and Ella Huber has 10 points on 3 goals and 7 assists. Madeline Wethington is the top-scoring defenseman with 9 points on 3 goals and 6 assists.

The Gophers' scoring defense is still yielding less than two goals per game, but their 1.95 mark (39 goals in 20 games) is only third in the WCHA and tied for 11th in the NCAA. Graduate player Lauren Bench has seen the most action, going 5-3-1 in nine starts with a shutout, a 2.13 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. Junior Makayla Pahl is a perfect 6-0-0 in her starts, also recording one shutout; her 1.57 GAA and .926 SV% are both third among qualifying goaltenders in the WCHA. Freshman Skylar Vetter is 3-2-0 in her five starts, with a 1.94 GAA and a .913 SV%, while junior Olivia King stopped 10 of 11 shots over a combined 52 minutes of action in two appearances against RIT.

Minnesota's power-play conversion rate currently stands fifth among WCHA teams at 18.5% (10 of 54), while the penalty kill unit is fourth in the league at 83.1% (54 of 65). Taylor Heise has netted three short-handed goals for the Gophers, who have yet to allow any shorties on their own power play.

Exhibition reminder – Gophers vs. Whitecaps, January 4 – We provide a reminder that action resumes for the Gophers with an exhibition contest against the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation at Ridder Arena on Tuesday, January 4 at 7 p.m. The Whitecaps feature seven U. of M. alumnae on their roster: Chelsey Rosenthal, Winny Brodt-Brown, Alex Woken, Meghan Lorence, Nicole Schammel, Patti Marshall, and Amanda Leveille. Admission is free, with general admission seating for all seats. We hope to see many of you there.

Team USA, Canada resume pre-Olympic competition tonight (Wednesday,, Dec. 15)
Action comes to Xcel Energy Center next Monday night (Dec. 20)

USA Hockey's My Why Tour presented by Toyota, featuring Women's National Team games against the Canadian National Team, continues tonight, Wednesday, December 15, at the Centene Community Ice Center in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, with puck drop at 7 p.m. CT. The two teams will plan again on Friday, December 17, also at the Centene Community Ice Center at 7 p.m. CT. Both of those games will be televised live on NHL Network.

Following the games in St. Louis, the teams will relocate to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the seventh game of their series on Monday, December 20, at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, and the game will be televised on NBC Sports Network.

The series is currently tied at two wins apiece through the first four games, with each team earning victories on the other's ice. Canada took the two October games in Allentown, PA, and Harford, CT, by scores of 3-1 & 3-2, but Team USA returned the favor by winning the next two contests in Ontario last month, 3-2 (OT) & 2-0. Amanda Kessel and Lee Stecklein are the only Gopher representatives to record points so far; Kessel lit the lamp twice while Stecklein dished out one assist.

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Hannah Hogenson made a combined 97 saves and Lydia Passolt lit the lamp twice for Bemidji State, but Daryl Watts recorded 4 goals & two assists while Nicole LaMantia dished out 5 helpers to earn WCHA Forward & Defender of the Week honors, respectively, as Wisconsin earned a series sweep, winning 5-1 and 5-2.

Calla Frank was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week after stopping 51 of 52 shots, Brooke Bryant netted two goals, and Taylor Wemple and Brittyn Fleming each added a goal & an assist as Minnesota State swept St. Cloud State, 3-0 and 3-1. Allie Cornelius tallied the lone goal for the Huskies.

St. Thomas' Nicole Vallario recorded two goals & two assists to earn her second WCHA Rookie of the Week award of the season & Saskia Mauer made a combined 70 saves, but Lindenwood's Casey Adimey tallied 3 goals & an assist and Sena Takenaka added a goal & 3 assists as the Lions swept the Tommies in non-conference action, 4-3 (OT) and 4-1.

Upcoming games – This coming weekend features one WCHA series as Bemidji State hosts Minnesota State on Friday evening & Saturday afternoon (Dec. 17 & 18). New Year's weekend sees Minnesota Duluth travel to Boston for non-conference action against Harvard (Dec. 31 & Jan. 1), Wisconsin hosts Quinnipiac in a top-five battle (Jan. 1 & 2), and St. Cloud State plays in the Battle in the 'Burgh in Pennsylvania, facing Penn State on January 1 and either Boston University or Syracuse on January 2.

Standings: 1t. Wisconsin – 13-1-2-1, 2-0 in OT, 40 points (17-1-2 overall); Ohio State – 13-3-0-0, 0-1 in OT, 40 points (15-3-0 overall); 3. Minnesota – 9-4-1-1, 0-1 in OT, 30 points (14-5-1 overall); 4. Minnesota Duluth – 8-6-0-0, 1-1 in OT, 24 points (9-7-0 overall); 5. Minnesota State – 5-9-0-0, 0-1 in OT, 16 points (9-9-0 overall); 6. Bemidji State – 3-10-1-0, 1-0 in OT, 9 points (6-10-2 overall); 7. St. Cloud State – 2-11-1-1, 1-1 in OT, 8 points (6-11-1 overall); 8. St. Thomas – 2-11-1-0, 0-0 in OT, 7 points (4-13-1 overall).

Power Play Club

December 8, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Power Play Club

December 8, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 8th

Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday vs. UMD

Before the Gophers head into 2022, this weekend's series against Minnesota Duluth is highlighted with a Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals, preferably in plastic bags, to receive free admission to the contest; they can then toss the bagged animals onto the ice at the indicated time.

Goals for a Goal campaign accepting additional pledges!

Help us support Minnesota Women's Hockey's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season by making a pledge to our Goals for a Goal campaign!!

Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason, with the option to double your pledge for power play goals! Minnesota lit the lamp another 5 times this past weekend at LaBahn Arena, bringing their total to-date to 73 with 10 coming on the power play.

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

#3/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-4-1, 8-3-1-1 WCHA)
vs. #7/9 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (8-6-0, 7-5-0-0 WCHA)

Friday, December 10 at 7:00 p.m CT
Saturday, December 11 at 3:30 p.m CT
Ridder Arena

Following a big rivalry series this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team moves on to face another top-10 opponent, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, at Ridder Arena. Action begins Friday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, December 11, at 3:30 p.m.

Time change reminder & TV coverage on Saturday – We remind everyone that the 3:30 p.m. start time on Saturday is 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network; check with your service provider for the channel and availability.

Last time against Minnesota Duluth – Going on the road for the first time in the 2021-2022 season, Minnesota took a 2-0 lead 20 minutes into its series at AMSOIL Arena; Audrey Wethington tipped home a shot by Peyton Hemp, then assisted on Ella Huber's first goal as a Golden Gopher later in the period. Elizabeth Giguere cut UMD's deficit in half in the second stanza, but the Gopher defense held firm in the third and Emily Oden found the back of an empty net late for a 3-1 Minnesota victory. The Gophers also got on the board first in Saturday's rematch when Taylor Heise scored just 39 seconds into the contest, but Gabbie Hughes scored two power-play goals and Mannon McMahon & Anna Klein each lit the lamp to give UMD a 4-1 lead just past the midway point of the second period. Minnesota came back, with Oden cutting the deficit to two just 27 seconds later and Abigail Boreen scoring twice in the final 3:38 left in regulation, the second with an extra attacker, to knot the score and force overtime. But UMD controlled the puck for much of the extra period and Maggie Flaherty scored at the 2:09 mark to give the Bulldogs the 5-4 win and the split. Despite the result officially being a loss, Minnesota earned a standing point for taking the game to OT, giving them 4 points for the series.

Hemp led the Gophers with 4 points, all on assists. Boreen (2g, 1a) and Heise (1g, 2a) tallied 3 points apiece, and Lauren Bench made 42 saves in the series. Giguere finished with 4 points for Minnesota Duluth (1g, 3a), while Hughes recorded 3 points (2g, 1a) and goaltender Emma Söderberg stopped 52 shots.

Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth has a mixed record at 7-5-0 in WCHA play and 8-6-0 overall. They have a sub-.500 mark at home at 2-4-0, but those games were series against the three teams ahead of them in the conference standings: Minnesota, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Their wins against the Gophers and Buckeyes are partially offset by losses to Minnesota State and Penn State. Still, they hold the #9 ranking in the latest USCHO poll and #7 spot in the USA TODAY / USA Hockey Magazine poll.

Special teams play has also returned mixed results for Minnesota Duluth. They have relied heavily on their power play, with more than 20% of their total goals coming with the advantage and converting at a 27.3% rate. On the flip side, their penalty kill has only been successful 74.4% of the time.

The Bulldogs feature three players having over 20 points apiece so far this season. Senior Gabbie Hughes (#17) leads the team in total scoring with 27 points on 9 goals and 18 assists. Graduate transfer Elizabeth Giguere (#8) is right behind with 26 points, also with 18 assists and 8 goals of her own. Fifth-year player Anna Klein (#19) is UMD's goals leader with 11 while dishing out 11 helpers for 22 points.

Senior Emma Söderberg (#30) has started all 14 games for the Bulldogs, recording 3 shutouts in her 8 wins, a 2.31 goals-against average, and a .913 save percentage. Sophomore Jojo Chobak (#31) has only made one relief appearance this season, stopping the 3 shots she faced in 28 minutes against St. Thomas. Freshman Holly Gruber (#35) has yet to see any official action.

Last action for Minnesota Duluth – The Bulldogs' two games against Ohio State were near-mirror images of each other as each team took a sizable lead in one of the games, their opponent responded with a couple of goals, but the result was sealed with an empty-netter. UMD upset the Buckeyes 5-2 on Friday, but OSU salvaged a split with a 6-2 win on Saturday. Anna Klein and Elizabeth Giguere each recorded two goals and an assist, Gabbie Hughes added a goal and 3 helpers, and Emma Söderberg made a combined 73 saves for the Bulldogs. Lexi Templeman scored twice and three other Buckeyes each added a goal and two assists.

Gophers take 5 of 6 standings points from Wisconsin – Minnesota never trailed in its road series against the top-ranked Badgers. Taylor Heise put the Gophers up just 27 into Friday's game and Emily Oden scored with 1:13 left in the first period. Wisconsin came back with a second-stanza goal by Casey O'Brien and the tying tally by Maddi Wheeler in the third, but Catie Skaja converted a Badger turnover into an unassisted go-ahead goal just 9 seconds later. Lauren Bench made 31 saves to earn a 3-2 victory. Peyton Hemp gave the Gophers an initial lead in Saturday's game in the first period but O'Brien tied things up in the second. Emily Zumwinkle put the Gophers ahead in the third frame, but O'Brien netted her third goal of the weekend to draw the Badgers even again. A scoreless overtime resulted in a 2-2 tie, with Bench making another 37 saves in the game. Heise lit the lamp in the first round of the subsequent shootout, but Daryl Watts pulled Wisconsin even in the 2nd round and neither team scored in the 3rd round. Nicole LaMantia tallied for the Badgers in the top half of the 4th round, but Emily Brown matched it in the bottom half to keep things going. The 5th, 6th, and 7th shooters for each squad were unsuccessful as was Wisconsin's Sophie Shirley in the 8th round, but Zumwinkle scored to end it and give the Gophers the extra point in the WCHA standings. Hemp and Oden each recorded an assist to accompany their respective goals.

Zumwinkle, Bench earn weekly conference honors

Freshman Emily Zumwinkle and graduate player Lauren Bench were recognized as the WCHA Rookie and Goaltender of the Week, respectively, following their performances against Wisconsin.

Zumwinkle earned her first conference award following her third-period goal, the second of her collegiate career, and the shootout winner on her first career attempt in Saturday's contest. She also recorded three blocked shots and a +2 plus-minus rating.

Bench set a career high with 68 saves in the weekend series, posting a .944 save percentage and 1.92 goals-against average over the two games. As noted by the league, the award is her first of the season, her fourth as a Gophers, and the 10th overall in her collegiate career.

Congratulations, Emily & Lauren!!

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Reece Hunt earned Forward of the Week honors for scoring 3 goals, including Saturday's overtime power-play gamewinner, and Hannah Hogenson made a combined 60 saves as Bemidji State swept St. Cloud State, 4-3 and 2-1 (OT). Taylor Lind recorded 2 goals and an assist for the Huskies.

Charlotte Akervik scored twice Friday, Brittyn Fleming tallied a goal and two assists Saturday, and Jessica Kondas took home the Defender of the Week award with 3 helpers as Minnesota State swept St. Thomas, 3-1 and 3-0. Calla Frank stopped 35 of 36 shots in the series. Jenna Hartung scored for the Tommies.

Upcoming games – Including the Gophers and Bulldogs, seven WCHA teams are in action with all games played Friday and Saturday. Wisconsin and Bemidji get things started Friday afternoon at the Sanford Center, Minnesota State hosts St. Cloud State, and St. Thomas is on the road for a non-conference series at Lindenwood. Ohio State is idle.

Power Play Club

December 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Thursday, December 2, 2021

Power Play Club

December 3, 2021

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Thursday, December 2nd

Online Chalk Talk – Tuesday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. CT

The Power Play Club gladly announces that we will hear from Coach Brad Frost at a Chalk Talk on Tuesday evening, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. CT, as the Gophers head into their final series of 2021. He will recap the season to-date and give us a preview of what is to come as the calendar flips over to 2022.

This is a member-exclusive event for anyone who has registered for the club this year. It's also an online event on Zoom, and the meeting link will be sent out on the morning of the 7th.

Membership enrollment still open, with GWH decal benefit

If you have yet to enroll in the Power Play Club for 2021-2022, there is still an opportunity to do so before next week's Chalk Talk!!

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier. Online registration is the preferred and most timely option. Go to give.umn.edu/giveto/powerplayclub; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. To register offline, download the form here and send it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

We are also still accepting registrations to sponsor a GWH player’s or coach's locker this season through our top membership tier. The donor's name is posted on a nameplate next to the locker, and the donor will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s) over Zoom. A minimum $600 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org.

GWH decal benefit reminder – If you have registered as a club member, you are also entitled to a GWH vinyl decal. If you have not picked yours up already, stop by the PPC table during pregame or either intermission of any Gopher home game!!

Please note that we're limiting to one decal per registered membership -- thank you!!

Copyright © 2021 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

Follow the Power Play Club 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 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.

Power Play Club

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Power Play Club

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, December 1st

Goals for a Goal campaign rolls into new month!

Our Goals for a Goal campaign continues in support of the Minnesota Women's Hockey's participation in a tournament in Las Vegas in the 2022-2023 regular season, and we ask for your assistance in that effort.

Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score throughout the regular season and postseason. There's also an option to double your pledge for power play goals! Minnesota netted 5 goals at the Smashville Showcase last weekend, bringing their total to-date to 68 with 10 coming on the power play.

We encourage you to make your pledge online, or download the pledge form here and mail it in to the Golden Gopher Fund.

Note of thanks from PPC Scholarship winner Gracie Ostertag

As noted in our October 11 Two-Minute Minor email, Gopher Women's Hockey senior defender Gracie Osterag was named the recipient of the Power Play Club Scholarship for 2021-2022, her second-straight year as the honoree.

The Power Play Club just received a thank you note from Gracie, which we graciously share with you here (PDF file).

Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday, December 11 vs. UMD

Before the Gophers head into 2022, they will conclude the 2021 portion of their schedule with a Teddy Bear Toss on Saturday, December 11 as part of their game against Minnesota Duluth. Fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals, preferably in plastic bags, to receive free admission to the contest; they can then toss the bagged animals onto the ice following the Gophers' first goal. Puck drop for that game is set for 3:30 p.m.

#5 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-4-0, 7-3-0-0 WCHA)
at #1 Wisconsin Badgers (15-0-1, 11-0-1-1 WCHA)

Friday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m CT
Saturday, December 4 at 3:00 p.m CT
LaBahn Arena, Madison, WI

With all non-conference games during the 2021-2022 regular-season now completed, the focus of the Minnesota Women's Hockey team returns to WCHA action and the next edition of the Border Battle against Wisconsin. The #5 Gophers and #1 Badgers will meet at LaBahn Arena in Madison on Friday, December 3, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 4, at 3:00 p.m.

Last year against Wisconsin – The Gophers went 0-4-1 against the Badgers in the 2020-2021 season. Minnesota fell 5-0 & 6-3 in Madison in mid-January, lost 4-3 in OT before salvaging a 2-2 tie and winning the subsequent shootout at Ridder Arena in early-February, but saw their season end with a 5-3 loss in the WCHA semifinals on March 6. Grace Zumwinkle led the Gophers with 4 goals and an assist, including the game-tying tally on February 6, while Amy Potomak recorded two goals & an assist and Emily Brown dished out four assists. Taylor Wente was the only player to light the lamp in the shootout. Lauren Bench made 74 saves but yielded 15 goals in just over 9 periods of action, while Makayla Pahl stopped 41 of 47 shots in the other 6 periods and an overtime. Wisconsin's Daryl Watts tallied 9 points on 5 goals and 4 assists, including the February 5 overtime gamewinner; Sophie Shirley added 3 goals & 5 helpers and Britta Curl recorded 4 goals & 2 assists. Badger netminder Kennedy Blair stopped 132 of 143 shots over all five games.

Analyzing the Badgers – After sweeping the 2021 WCHA Regular-Season & Playoff and NCAA Championships, Wisconsin has barely missed a step so far in the 2021-2022 campaign, going 15-0-1 so far with the only blip occurring when Bemidji State's Hannah Hogenson made 56 saves to shut them out in a 0-0 draw. Still, the Badgers hold an active 22-game undefeated streak dating back to February.

Wisconsin has lit the lamp 80 times this season, averaging 5 goals per game, with a trio of players having more than 25 points apiece. Sophomore Makenna Webster (#8) is the team's overall scoring leader with 33 points on 14 goals and 19 assists, sophomore Casey O'Brien (#26) holds the Badgers' goal lead with 16 while adding 15 assists, and fifth-year Daryl Watts (#19) continues to contribute in big ways with 11 goals and 17 assists.

Fifth-year goaltender Kennedy Blair (#29) is 13-0-1 in her 14 starts, with only 12 goals yielded for a 0.92 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage. Redshirt junior Cami Kronish (#30) has not yielded a goal in 4 periods of action, making a combined 14 saves. Redshirt freshman Jane Gervais (#1) has stopped 23 out of 25 shots over 5 periods of action for a 1.20 GAA and .920 SV%.

Last action for Wisconsin – Maddi Wheeler and Makenna Webster each tallied 2 goals & 4 assists as the Badgers earned a series sweep on the road against St. Thomas, 7-1 and 5-1, two weekends ago. Jane Gervais earned a 13-save victory in her first career start in the second game of the series while the Tommies' Saskia Maurer made 60 saves.

Gophers split games at Smashville Showcase – Taylor Heise scored in the first period, Catie Skaja lit the lamp in the second stanza, and both scored again in the third frame while Lauren Bench stopped all 28 shots she faced as Minnesota won their first game at the Smashville Showcase 4-0 over Mercyhurst. Heise recorded 4 points, assisting on both of Skaja's goals, while Skaja had an assist as well and Abigail Boreen dished out 3 helpers. The showcase's championship game matched the Gophers against Colgate for the third time this season. Madeline Wethington gave Minnesota a 1-0 second-period lead with a power play goal on Boreen's fourth assist of the weekend. However, the Raiders' Kalty Kaltounkova evened the score with her own power play marker and then lit the lamp again to take the lead. That was all Colgate netminder Hannah Murphy needed as she stopped 28 shots to defeat the Gophers, 2-1. Minnesota's Skylar Vetter made 22 saves.

Heise, Hemp earns monthly conference honors for November

Senior Taylor Heise and freshman Peyton Hemp were named WCHA Forward and Rookie of the Month, respectively, for November as announced by the conference yesterday.

Heise earned her first monthly award after tallying 16 points on 8 goals and 8 assists, recording a multi-point game in five of the six contests, a hat trick & 7-point series against RIT, and a +16 plus-minus rating.

Hemp's award is her second-straight after being recognized for her October performance, becoming the first Gopher to ever earn the honor twice in the same season. In November, she recorded 2 goals and 5 assists with three multi-point games and a +7 plus-minus rating.

Congratulations, Taylor & Peyton!!

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Sophie Jaques recorded 3 goals & 2 assists, Jennifer Gardner added 3 goals and an assist, and Clair DeGeorge tallied a goal and 4 assists as Ohio State defeated St. Lawrence 5-2 and Penn State 4-2 at the D1 in DC Tournament.

Also at the D1 in DC Tournament, Minnesota Duluth fell to Penn State 3-2 but rebounded to defeat St. Lawrence 4-3 in overtime. Anna Klein led the Bulldogs with 3 goals and 2 assists, while Elizabeth Giguere dished out 4 assists before netting Saturday's game-winning goal.

St. Cloud State went on the road and swept RPI, 4-1 and 4-2; Jenniina Nylund lit the lamp 4 times, including a hat trick on Saturday, and had an assist. Bemidji State swept a home series against Lindenwood, 4-1 and 4-3 (OT); Graysen Myers tallied 2 goals, including Saturday's overtime gamewinner, and an assist.

Upcoming games – The WCHA schedule this week features a full slate of conference contests, with all games played Friday and Saturday. Bemidji State visits St. Cloud State, Minnesota State and St. Thomas play a home-and-home series starting in Mankato, and Minnesota Duluth hosts Ohio State.

You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Power Play Club

December 1, 2021

The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, November 23rd

Note: This Post was added to the News Page on December 1st - it was sent to Power Play Club Members on Novemeber 23rd. We apologize for the late posting!

Smashville Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase
Ford Ice Center Bellevue – Nashville, Tennessee

Semifinals – Friday, November 26
#8 Colgate (13-4-1) vs. Boston Col. (8-5-0) – 1:00 pm CT
#3 Minnesota (11-3-0) vs. Mercyhurt (11-4-2) – 4:30 pm CT

Saturday, November 27
Third Place Game – 1:00 p.m. CT
Championship – 4:30 p.m. CT

Following their 10th-straight victory, Minnesota Women's Hockey returns to the site of its Thanksgiving 2019 trip, Ford Ice Center Bellevue in Nashville, Tennessee, for the 2021 Smashville Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase. The #3 Gophers will face the unranked Mercyhurst University Lakers on Friday, November 26 at 4:30 p.m. CT, following the first contest of the tournament featuring the #8 Colgate University Raiders against the Boston College Eagles at 1:00 p.m. CT. Action continues Saturday, November 27, with the 3rd Place Game at 1:00 p.m. and the Championship at 4:30 p.m. CT.

Last time against Mercyhurst, Boston College, and Colgate – The Gophers hosted the Lakers to open the 2018-2019 regular season, sweeping the two-game series 4-2 and 5-0; Grace Zumwinkle recorded 2 goals and an assist, while Patti Marshall, Kelly Pannek, and Sarah Potomak each added a goal and two assists. Minnesota faced Boston College in the 2019 Country Classic in Nashville, playing to a 2-2 tie; Delaney Belinskas & Kelly Browne both scored short-handed and Maddy McArthur made 41 saves for the Eagles, while Taylor Wente & Grace Zumwinkle lit the lamp for the Gophers. Minnesota swept Colgate on the road earlier this season, winning 5-3 and 3-2 last month while getting a 4-point series from Abigail Boreen (1g, 3a) and 3 points apiece from Taylor Heise (2g, 1a) & Catie Skaja (1g, 2a).

Analyzing the Lakers & recent action – Mercyhurst is 3-1-0 in CHA conference action and 8-3-2 in non-conference play, but they've only faced one ranked team so far this year in the form of Colgate, who swept them 5-2 and 4-2. The Lakers earned their own sweep this past weekend, extending RIT's losing streak 3-1 and 6-1 with a hat trick on Friday by Chantal Ste-Croix and another on Saturday by Vanessa Upson. Upson (#24), only a freshman, leads Mercyhurst in points (20) and and goals (11). Fifth-year Kristy Pidgeon (#15; 7g, 8a) and sophomore Sara Boucher (#14; 6g, 9a) each have 15 points, while senior Liliane Perreault (#34) is the team's assist leader with 12 while lighting the lamp twice herself. Between the pipes, junior Jenna Silvonen (#30) is 5-2-2 with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and two shutouts, while junior Ena Nystrøm (#31), a transfer from RPI, is 6-2-0 with one shutout, a 1.81 GAA and .935 SV%.

Analyzing the Eagles & recent action – Boston College is 6-4-0 in Hockey East play and 2-1-0 in non-conference competition, but 0-3-0 against ranked teams. This past weekend, they defeated Holy Cross at home, 4-2, with two goals by Kelly Browne and a goal & assist from Abby Newhook, but lost at cross-town rival Boston University, 5-4, despite another goal by Browne and a goal & assist from Caroline Goffredo. Newhook (#21), a freshman, has the team's goal lead with 7 while adding 4 assists; junior Hannah Bilka (#19) also has 11 points on 4 goals and 7 assists. Senior Abigail Levy (#39), a transfer from Minnesota State, has been the lone Eagles goaltender to see action so far this season, posting a 2.37 goals-against average and .938 save percentage; fellow senior Maddy McArthur (#35) is a seasoned veteran with 67 career starts, a 2.23 GAA and a .913 SV%, but has not played this year.

Analyzing the Raiders & recent action – After starting the season 8-0-0, Colgate is 5-4-1 in their past 10 games. They, too, have struggled against ranked competition, going 1-3-1 including the series against Minnesota and their home games this past weekend hosting Princeton and Quinnipiac. The Raiders played the Tigers to a 1-1 tie on Friday night before being shut out by the Bobcats 4-0 on Saturday; junior Kaitlyn O'Donohoe scored Colgate's lone goal. Junior Danielle Serdachny (#9) is the team leader in points (26) and assists (17) while netting 9 goals. Sophomores Dara Greig (#77) and Kalty Kaltounkova (#98) are tied for the goals lead with 11 apiece; they each also have 13 assists for 24 points. Sophomore goaltender Kayle Osborne (#31) has a 9-3-1 record this season with 1 shutout, a 2.08 goals-against average, and .903 save percentage; freshman backup Hannah Murphy (#83) is 4-1-0 with a shutout, a 2.00 GAA, and a .839 SV%.

Gophers' winning streak hits 10 with sweep of St. Cloud State

Taylor Heise opened Minnesota's series against St. Cloud State with her third short-handed goal of the season, also marking third-straight game in which she tallied first. She finished the series leading the Gophers with 2 goals and 3 assists as the team swept the Huskies and extended their winning streak to 10 games with 6-2 and 5-1 victories.

SCSU's Emma Gentry tied the opening contest at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center later in the first period, but Audrey Wethington, Olivia Knowles, Abigail Boreen, and Heise lit the lamp in the second stanza to open a 5-1 lead, and the Huskies' Addi Scribner and Gophers' Gracie Ostertag traded power play goals in the final 20 minutes. Emily Brown, Ostertag, and Boreen put Minnesota up 3-0 after one period at Ridder Arena on Saturday, and Emily Oden made it 4-0 before Mackenzie Bourgerie tallied for St. Cloud State. Crystalyn Hengler added a power play goal in the final frame. Oden dished out 3 assists in the series to accompany her goal, and Catie Skaja recorded 4 helpers.

Between the pipes, Makayla Pahl made 23 saves on Friday while Skylar Vetter stopped 20 shots on Saturday. Huskies netminder Sanni Ahola made a combined 66 saves in the two contests.

Stecklein records an assist as Team USA earns first win of "My Why Tour" in come-from-behind fashion

The U.S. Women's National Team defeated Canada 3-2 in overtime on Sunday in Kingston, Ontario, after trailing 2-0 after two periods. Marie-Philip Poulin and Sarah Fillier scored in the first five minutes of the second stanza, but Gopher alumna Lee Stecklein assisted on Hayley Scamurra's goal 2:44 into the third frame to cut the American deficit to 2-1, and Hilary Knight evened the score just 82 seconds later. Going into a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime period, Knight needed just 54 seconds to bury a feed from Kendall Coyne Schofield past Canadian goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer for the victory. Maschmeyer finished with 21 saves in the game, while Nicole Hensley stopped 18 shots for Team USA.

The two teams will have a quick turn-around, facing each other again tonight (Tuesday, November 23) at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, ON. Game time is 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT with television coverage on NHL Network.

Around the WCHA...

Last weekend – Minnesota State turned to freshman Avery Stilwell, a member of the MSU tennis team with high school goaltending experience, to play in net on the road at Ohio State. Stilwell made a combined 84 saves, but the Buckeyes earned the series sweep with 6-3 and 9-0 victories behind 3 goals & 4 assists from Clair DeGeorge and 2 goals & 4 assists from Paetyn Levis.

Gabbie Hughes, Anneke Linser, and Clara Van Wieran each recorded a goal & 4 assists and Emma Söderberg stopped a combined 43 of 44 shots to give Minnesota Duluth a road sweep of Bemidji State, 9-0 and 4-1.

Maddi Wheeler and Makenna Webster each tallied 2 goals & 4 assists as Wisconsin also earned a road sweep, defeating St. Thomas 7-1 and 5-1. Sunday's contest saw Badgers goaltender Jane Gervais earn a win in her first career start while the Tommies' Saskia Maurer made 60 saves.

Upcoming games – Four other WCHA teams are in non-conference action with all games on Friday and Saturday. Bemidji State hosts Lindenwood, St. Cloud State heads to east-central New York to face RPI, and Ohio State & Minnesota Duluth will each play Penn State & St. Lawrence in the D1 in D.C. Tournament in Arlington, VA. Minnesota State, St. Thomas, and Wisconsin are idle.

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