The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, September 21, 2022

The Penalty Box Post
Wednesday, September 21st

Postgame "ice-breaker" reception outside this Saturday

Following the exhibition opener against Manitoba this Saturday, September 24, the Power Play Club will be partnering with the GWH parents and the team as we take our postgame reception outside to the plaza on the east side of 3M Arena at Mariucci. In addition to meeting the new Gophers for 2022-2023 season plus potentially the other members of the squad, pizza and beverages (water & soft drinks) will be provided. Please bring your own chair(s) for seating, and you are also welcome to bring treats to share.

Inclement weather plans will be shared during the game at the Power Play Club table on the Ridder Arena concourse if necessary.

Club registration continues for 2022-2023 season

We continue to encourage you, our fellow Gopher Women's Hockey fans, to enroll in the Power Play Club for the 2022-2023 season if you have not done so already!

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC22; 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".

For a minimum $600 donation, you can become a Locker Sponsor for the season, our top membership tier. Your name would be posted on a nameplate next to a player's or coach's locker, with an opportunity to meet with your respective player(s) at our event in January. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org (before making a donation).

We provide a reminder that our three Chalk Talks are exclusive member-only events, with the first of those coming up during the Gophers' regular-season opening weekend on Saturday, October 8.

Special Exhibition Opener!! Minnesota Golden Gophers vs. University of Manitoba Bisons
Saturday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m. CT - Ridder Arena

The 26th season of Minnesota Women's Hockey begins with a pair of exhibition contests, the first occurring on Saturday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m. CT when the Gophers host the University of Manitoba Bisons.

FREE ADMISSION!! Saturday's game features free admission with no ticketing. We hope to see many of you there!!

Live streaming of the game will be available on the BTN+ subscription service.

About the Bisons – Manitoba enters 2022-2023 after finishing fourth in the Canada West Conference last year with a 13-7-0 regular-season record, but their season came to an end in the league's quarterfinals, being swept by the Univ. of Saskatchewan, 4-2 and 3-0.

The Bisons have already started their new season, first with a four-game tour of western Europe in late August and early September, falling twice to the French National Team (5-2 & 6-0) but defeating the Dutch National Team (3-2) and the Bracknell Queen Bees Ice Hockey Club (Slough, UK; 7-1). Returning to North America, the Bisons were swept in a pair of exhibition games by their rival Saskatchewan this past weekend, 5-3 & 3-1. This coming weekend, their game against the Gophers is the second of three in Minnesota; they will play at Minnesota State on Friday and St. Thomas on Sunday.

The University of Manitoba has yet to post an official team roster for the 2022-2023 season, but a trio of second-year forwards led the team in scoring in the regular-season last year. Halle Edwards (#11) was atop the team's scoring sheet with 16 points on 7 goals & 9 assists in 18 games, Sarah Dennehy (#18) tallied 13 points on 2 goals & 11 assists in 19 contets, and Kate Gregoire (#7) added 12 points (4G, 8A) in 18 appearances. Between the pipes, Erin Fargey (#30) saw the most action for the Bisons as a third-year player, going 7-4-0 in her 11 games (including playoffs) with a .931 save percentage and 1.97 goals-against average. Two rookies also saw action in net; Kimberley Davidson (#20) went 5-3-0 with a .954 SV% and 1.39 GAA, and Meagan Relf (#31) posted a 1-2-0 record with a .901 SV% and 2.74 GAA.

Analyzing the Gophers – Despite a 1-3-0 start to the 2021-2022 season, all in league play, Minnesota bounced back to win the program's 11th WCHA Regular-Season Championship with a 21-6-1-1 conference record plus a 5-1-0 mark in regular-season non-conference action. However, losses to Ohio State in the conference championship game and Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA Quarterfinals brought the Gophers' season to an end.

That said, the team enters the new year with nine (9) fifth-year players looking to make additional improvements. Patty Kazmaier Award winner Taylor Heise (#9) and linemates Abigail Boreen (#22) and Catie Skaja (#3) all return after setting career-best single-season marks last year, combining for 72 goals and 100 assists. Grace Zumwinkle (#12) rejoins to the Gophers after earning an Olympic silver medal with Team USA. Meanwhile, Crystalyn Hengler (#13), Savannah Norcross (#27), Emily Oden (#21), and Gracie Ostertag (#6) also return to the squad, while Lizi Norton (#28) joins the Gophers as a graduate transfer after four seasons at Minnesota Duluth.

On top of the experienced veterans, two other important players return to the Gophers offensive attack. Peyton Hemp (#15) enters her sophomore season after earning WCHA and National Rookie of the Year honors, lighting the lamp 12 times and adding 20 assists for 32 points. Abbey Murphy (#18) joins Zumwinkle as a returning Olympian; the redshirt sophomore recorded 8 goals and 10 assists in her condensed 20-game freshman campaign.

Senior Makayla Pahl (#33) and sophomore Skylar Vetter (#31) are likely to split time between the pipes in 2022-2023. Last year, Pahl started 9 games and made one relief appearance, posting a 9-1-0 record with a 1.70 goals-against average and .934 save percentage. Vetter made 8 starts with a 6-2-0 record and appeared in one game in relief, recording a 1.57 GAA and .926 SV%. Senior Olivia King (#1) also returns; she saw 52 minutes of action last year across two relief appearances against RIT, yielding one goal on 11 shots.

Norton is one of 5 new faces to the Gopher Women's Hockey roster, being joined by 4 incoming freshman. The Gophers get some European flavor with an additional pair of 2022 Olympians – Swedish forward Josefin Bouveng (#11) and Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen (#7). Closer to home, Minnesota natives Allie Franco (#16) and Madison Kaiser (#29) join the program; Kaiser was a 2022 Minnesota Ms. Hockey finalist and Star Tribune All-Metro 2nd Team honoree, while Franco was a Ms. Hockey semifinalist.

Around the WCHA...

This weekend – Wisconsin will get the action started among WCHA teams; they head to Penn State for non-conference action tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday. Also in non-conference competition, Bemidji State will host Lindenwood on Friday & Saturday, while Minnesota Duluth travels to Brooklyn, NY, to face Long Island University on Saturday & Sunday. As previously mentioned, Minnesota State will host Manitoba on Friday and St. Thomas will face the Bisons on Sunday in exhibition action. St. Cloud State also hosts an exhibition game on Sunday, taking on the Durham West Jr. Lightning. Ohio State will start its season next weekend.

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Sunday, September 18, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor
An Edition of the Penalty Box Post
Sunday, September 18, 2022

PPC member registration & event reminders...

As we noted previously, 2022-2023 registration for the Power Play Club is open at all levels!!

A minimum donation of $50 is required for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Exclusive access to our three in-person Chalk Talk events is included. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC22; 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".

For a minimum $600 donation, you can become a Locker Sponsor for the season, our top membership tier. Your name would be posted on a nameplate next to a player's or coach's locker, with an opportunity to meet with your respective player(s) at our event in January. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Susan "Rennie" McPherson at lockersponsorship@powerplayclub.org (before making a donation).

Board of Directors meeting, September 20 – Here's another reminder that the Power Play Club Board of Directors will be meeting this Tuesday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m. This is the last board meeting before puck drops to start the 2022-2023 season, and will occur in-person at Ridder Arena. As always, board meetings are open to all registered club members; both 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 members are welcomed to attend.

Postgame reception, Saturday, Sept. 24 – Following the exhibition opener against Manitoba this Saturday, September 24, the Power Play Club will be hosting a postgame reception with the team, our first in-person event after more than two seasons!! As with the game itself, we hope that many of you can stick around as the new Gophers for the 2022-2023 season are introduced (and possibly some of those added in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 as well). Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.

Chalk Talk, Saturday, October 8 at 12:30 p.m. – The first of this season's Chalk Talks, in which a member of the Gopher coaching staff joins club members to discuss team strategy, review game film, and have a brief question & answer session, is scheduled for Saturday, October 8, prior to the second game of the series against Bemidji State. This is an exclusive event for registered Power Play Club members. We will have more details following this week's PPC board meeting.

Gopher Women's Hockey tops WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll; Heise named WCHA Preseason Player of the Year

In a very fractured vote of WCHA coaches, the Gopher Women's Hockey team placed atop the league's preseason poll, receiving 3 of the 8 first-place votes and 44 voting points. Minnesota was only one point ahead of Ohio State (43 pts), which also received 3 first-place votes, while Wisconsin was in third with 42 points and the other two 2 first-place selections. The poll continued with Minnesota Duluth fourth (31 pts), Minnesota State fifth (25 pts), then Bemidji State (16 pts), St. Cloud State (15 pts), and St. Thomas (8 pts).

Meanwhile, Taylor Heise was named the conference's Preseason Player of the Year after receiving 7 of the 8 votes (with OSU's Emma Maltais earning the other vote). Heise becomes the first Gopher to earn the award since Hannah Brandt prior to the 2015-2016 season. Additionally, she was named to the Preseason All-WCHA Team, joined by Gabbie Hughes (F-UMD), Maltais (F-OSU), Sophie Jaques (D-OSU), Ashton Bell (D-UMD), and Amanda Thiele (G-OSU). Minnesota's Grace Zumwinkle was among several other players earning votes in the team selection.

Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey, already a veteran of the U.S. Women's National Team, was named as the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year, earning 6 votes. Badger teammate Kirsten Simms received the other two votes.

Minnesota ranked in top three in both national polls

The Gopher Women's Hockey team was also ranked in the top three in both national polls, published this past week, taking the #2 position with two first-place votes in the DCU/USCHO Division I poll published on Monday, Sept. 12, and the #3 spot in the USA TODAY / USA Hockey Magazine poll (click “Women's Poll” on the page).

Defending NCAA champion Ohio State received the top position in both rankings, with 17 of 20 first-place votes in the DCU/USCHO poll and 16 of 19 in the USA TODAY / USA Hockey Magazine poll. Wisconsin was third in the DCU/USCHO poll, garnering one first-place vote, and second in the USA TODAY / USA Hockey Magazine poll with 3 first-place votes. Northeastern took the #4 spot and Minnesota Duluth #5 in both polls.

GWH alumna update...
Engelhardt earns coaching contract extension with Whitecaps while being named as new staff member of NHL's Predators

Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna Ronda (Curtin) Engelhardt made news this past Wednesday with a pair of announcements.

Engelhardt was named to the staff of the NHL's Nashville Predators “as a North American Amateur Scout based out of Minnesota,” the first female scout in team history.

Within two hours of the Predators' news, the Minnesota Whitecaps announced that Engelhardt had been signed to a two-year head coaching contract extension. Engelhardt has served as co-head coach of the Whitecaps during the team's first four seasons in the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly the National Women's Hockey League). She will be transitioning into leading the team in a solo role. The 'Caps will also be hosting their home games at Richfield Ice Arena starting this coming season after previously playing at TRIA Rink in St. Paul.

Congratulations, Ronda, and best wishes of continued success!!

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.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Wednesday, September 7th

Gophers add two exhibition contests later this month; PPC postgame reception returns following Sept. 24 match

Gopher Women's Hockey and head coach Brad Frost announced yesterday the addition of two exhibition contests to the 2022-2023 schedule, both occuring at Ridder Arena later this month as warm-ups to their regular-season slate of games.

The Gophers will open action against the University of Manitoba Bisons on Saturday, September 24, with puck drop scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT. The following weekend, the Maroon & Gold will host the PHF's Minnesota Whitecaps on Friday, September 30, at 6:00 p.m.; confirmed signees on Whitecaps' 2022-2023 roster include Gopher alumnae Sydney Baldwin, Olivia Knowles, Amanda Leveille, and Patti Marshall.

Both games are free and open to the public (with no tickets issued). We hope to see many of you there!! Fans planning on attending the Gophers-Whitecaps game on the 30th should note that the University of Minnesota's Homecoming Parade is scheduled for that evening, so please allow extra time and caution for increased vehicular & pedestrian traffic around campus.

PPC postgame reception, Saturday, Sept. 24 – Following the exhibition opener against Manitoba on September 24, the Power Play Club will be hosting a postgame reception with the team, our first in-person event after more than two seasons!! As with the game itself, we hope that many of you can stick around as the new Gophers for the 2022-2023 season are introduced (and possibly some of those added in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 as well). Additional details will be shared as the date approaches.

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.

Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, September 6th

Power Play Club Announcements

Locker sponsorship registration continues for the 2022-2023 season! Each sponsorship requires a minimum tax-deductible donation of $600.00 (per locker), with all funds going to the Gopher Women’s Hockey Enhancement Fund to support the team. Member benefits include the Power Play Club membership, a photo with your player, and meal with your player and the team on a game day (tentatively set for January 7, 2023).

GWH fans who are interested in sponsoring a player’s or coach's locker should contact Rennie McPherson at susanmcp@drsusanmcp.com. Please provide FIVE names of players and/or coaches you are interested in sponsoring; we try to make sure that each player is sponsored before doubling and tripling up. The current team roster – including the incoming players – can be found at gophersports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster.

Basic membership registration opens soon! Registration for our basic membership tier will be opening soon. As with the past couple of seasons, a minimum donation of $50.00 per family/address is required for registration. Thanks for your patience as we finalize the details.

Chalk Talks scheduled, starting October 8 – Our popular Chalk Talk events, in which a member of the Gopher coaching staff joins club members to discuss team strategy, review game film, and have a brief question & answer session, are scheduled for the 2022-2023 season. Specificlly, they are planned for October 8 (Bemidji State series), November 5 (Minnesota Duluth), and February 4 (Ohio State), starting 90 minutes prior to each day's game time. The location for each date is still being finalized. These are member-exclusive events.

Board of Directors meeting, September 20 – The next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors, the last before puck drops to start the 2022-2023 season, is scheduled for Tuesday evening, September 20, at 7:00 p.m. This is planned to be in-person at Ridder Arena. As always, board meetings are open to all registered club members; both 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 members are welcomed to attend.

IIHF Women's Worlds: Potomak, Canada claim Gold Medal; Heise named MVP, Best Forward as Team USA takes Silver

Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna Sarah Potomak and the Canada National Women's Hockey Team defeated Team USA, 2-1, on Sunday to win gold at the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship. The win marks the third major tournament victory for the Canadians over the Americans in roughly 12 months following the 2021 WWC and the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Potomak finished with 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points in the tournament, while recording a +9 plus-minus rating.

Meanwhile, Taylor Heise was racing up the individual player scoreboard in her Women's World Championship debut with Team USA. Heise was named the tournament's MVP and Best Forward after tallying 18 points on 7 goals and 11 assists. Her point total was second-most on the all-time single-tournament scoring list and the highest in the past 30 years, trailing only Cindy Curley's 23 points from the 1990 WWC. (Photo by Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images)

Amanda Kessel joined Heise on the media-selected All Star Team, recording 17 points on 6 goals & 11 assists and placing third on the single-tournament scoring list. Kessel also led Team USA with a +17 plus-minus rating.

Other Gophers at the Women's World Championship – Here's how our other GWH representatives fared at the tournament...

  • Hannah Brandt (USA) – 2 goals, 3 assists, 5 points

  • Nelli Laitinen (Finland) – 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points

  • Kelly Pannek (USA) – 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points

  • Lee Stecklein (USA) – 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points

  • Grace Zumwinkle (USA) – 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points

  • Josefin Bouveng (Sweden) – 1 assist, 1 point


Gold Medal Game: Canada 2, USA 1 – In both their preliminary round meeting and the championship game, Canada took a 2-0 lead over Team USA; however, unlike the contest on August 30 in which the Americans came from behind with 5-straight goals to win, they couldn't overcome the deficit the second time. After Brianne Jenner scored both Canadian goals on Sunday, Abby Roque lit the lamp – with Kessel getting an assist – to bring Team USA within one with over a period remaining. However, Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens made 12 saves in the final 20 minutes to keep the Americans from finding the equalizer.

We congratulate Potomak on her gold medal, and Brandt, Heise, Kessel, Pannek, Stecklein & Zumwinkle on their siver medals!!

Elsewhere in the tournament...

After finishing atop Group B in the preliminary round, Czechia made history. First, they upset Finland in the quarterfinals, 2-1 in overtime. Though they were crushed by the U.S. 10-1 in the semifinals, they bounced back to win bronze with a 4-2 victory over Switzerland, their first World Championship medal.

Japan was winless in the preliminary round, going 0-4 im Group A and being outscored 31-4, including 9-3 against Finland. A second loss to Switzerland in the quarterfinals sent them to the placement round (consolation bracket). They got their first victory of the tournament in significant come-frome-behind fashion, defeating Sweden 5-4 after trailing 3-0. They followed it up with a 1-0 shootout win in their 5th-Place Game rematch against the Finns, getting 61 saves through OT from goaltender Miyuu Masuhara. What this means for the 2023 Women's World Championship is uncertain; despite the win, Japan was leapfrogged in the world ranking by the bronze-medal winning Czechs, and Finland remains third in the ranking despite their 6th-place result this year.

Sweden was the second-place team in Group B upon completion of the preliminary round, but a 3-0 loss to Canada in the quarterfinals followed by the loss to Japan in the placement round resulted in a 7th-place overall result. Hungary was the third-place team in Group B, the last team to advance to the quarterfinals; they lost to the U.S. in the quarters and fell to Finland in overtime in the placement round to finish 8th.

Germany and tournament host Denmark were 4th & 5th in Group B entering their head-to-head final preliminary round game, and it went down to literally the last second. While the Danes were playing to move up and into the quarterfinals, the Germans needed a regulation-time win to avoid relegation. Denmark led 2-1 with 5 minutes remaining in the third period, but Laura Kulge knotted the score with 4:11 to play. Still needing another goal before the stanza ended, the Germans pulled goaltender Sandra Arbstreiter with 2:12 left, and it paid off as Tanja Eisenschmid beat the horn and lit the lamp with 1 second remaining. The 3-2 German victory relegated Denmark to Division 1 for 2023; they will be replaced by 2022 Division 1 Group A champion France.

Following the cancellation of the 2020 IIHF Women's World Championship and the restriction of not having any fans in attendance at the 2021 tournament, Canada has been named the host country for the 2023 championship. Dates and the host city (or cities) are to be announced.

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Sunday, August 28, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Sunday, August 28th

Gophers' non-conference game schedule announced!

The University of Minnesota announced the Gopher Women's Hockey team's 2022-2023 non-conference schedule on Friday, featuring four games across two weekends.

The Gophers will again be participating in a neutral-site tournament over Thanksgiving weekend, heading to Henderson, Nevada, for the 2022 Vegas Showcase. Minnesota will face Penn State on Friday, November 25, at 3 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. CT. They will then play either Boston University and Yale on Saturday, November 26, with game time dependent on Friday's results.

Ridder Arena will host the East-West Showcase on January 6 & 7, as the Gophers and St. Cloud State Huskies each face New Hampshire and Merrimack from Hockey East. Minnesota will take on the UNH Wildcats on Jan. 6 at 6:00 p.m., and the Warriors from Merrimack on Jan. 7 at 4:30 p.m. The Huskies will play the Warriors on the 6th and the Wildcats on the 7th, with both of those contests expected to be played before the Gopher games.

The full Gopher regular-season calendar, including the 28-game WCHA conference schedule and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Game, can be found here.

2022 IIHF Women's World Championship update...
Kessel, Heise lead all players with 6 points apiece after 2 games

The last two Gophers to win the Patty Kazmaier Award, Amanda Kessel (2013) and Taylor Heise (2022), are making waves at the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship, each recording 6 points apiece through two contests to lead all players.

Heise tied an all-time WWC single-game record in her major tournament debut with the senior U.S. National Team, dishing out 5 assists in the Americans' 10-0 victory over Japan on Thursday, earning her the honor as Team USA's Best Player in that game. She added a 6th assist in yesterday's 6-1 win over Finland.

Kessel tallied a goal and two assists against the Japanese, then followed it up with 2 goals, an assist, and the U.S. Best Player award against the Finns.

Among other Gophers playing at the World Championship, Hannah Brandt (USA) recorded two points on a goal and an assist against Finland; Kelly Pannek (USA) lit the lamp and Lee Stecklein (USA) tallied an assist against Japan; Josefin Bouveng dished out an assist in Sweden's 5-2 win Thursday over Denmark; Nelli Laitinen was named Team Finland's Best Player in their 4-1 loss to Canada despite not scoring; and Sarah Potomak (CAN) & Grace Zumwinkle (USA) have yet to record a point.

Like Team USA, Canada is 2-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) in Group A after their win over Finland Thursday and a 4-1 victory over Switzerland. The Finns are 0-0-0-2, but look to rebound in their remaining preliminary round games. Over in Group B, Sweden is 1-1-0-0 with their win over Denmark and a 4-3 shootout victory over Germany. Here's the schedule of remaining preliminary round games for those four teams...

Sunday, August 28

  • Japan vs. Canada – 3 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. Central Time


Monday, August 29

  • Japan vs. Finland – 3 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. Central Time

  • USA vs. Switzerland – 7 p.m. local time, Noon Central Time

  • Hungary vs. Sweden – 7:30 p.m. local time, 12:30 p.m. Central Time


Tuesday, August 30

  • Czechia vs. Sweden – 3:30 p.m. local time, 8:30 a.m. Central Time

  • Switzerland vs. Finland – 4 p.m. local time, 9 a.m. Central Time

  • USA vs. Canada – 8 p.m. local time, 1 p.m. Central Time


Quarterfinals on Thursday, September 1; semifinals and consolation bracket games on Saturday, September 3; and 5th-6th place game & medal games on Sunday, September 4.

The full schedule of games, including results from completed contests, can be found on the tournament's website at www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/ww/schedule. All Team USA and Canada preliminary round games will be televised live on NHL Network in the United States.

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.

The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Thursday, August 25, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Thursday, August 25th

GWH at Minnesota State Fair – Tuesday, August 30 at 1 p.m.

University of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics teams will be back at the Minnesota State Fair, at the U. of M. Building along Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Underwood Streets, next week. The Gopher Women's Hockey team will be on stage at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30, and we hope to see many of you there!!

More information about all the Gopher sports participating at the Fair can be found here.

2022 IIHF Women's World Championship begins Thursday Morning
Nine Gopher representatives in action, playing across four national teams

We provide a reminder that the 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship begins this morning – Thursday, August 25 – in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark. Nine Minnesota Women's Hockey representatives will be playing with their respective national teams, including current (2022-2023) Gophers Josefin Bouveng (SWE), Taylor Heise (USA), Nelli Laitinen (FIN) & Grace Zumwinkle (USA) and alumnae Hannah Brandt (USA), Amanda Kessel (USA), Kelly Pannek (USA), Sarah Potomak (CAN) & Lee Stecklein (USA). The tournament runs through Sunday, September 4.

Teams USA, Canada, and Finland will play in the tournament's Group A, along with Japan and Switzerland; all five teams automatically qualify for the elimination round. Sweden joins Czechia, Germany, Hungary, and hosts Denmark in Group B, with the top 3 teams in that group advancing to the elimination round. Here's the list of preliminary round games for the four teams with Gopher players...

Thursday, August 25

  • Japan vs. USA – 3 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. Central Time

  • Finland vs. Canada – 7 p.m. local time, Noon Central Time

  • Denmark vs. Sweden – 7:30 p.m. local time, 12:30 p.m. Central Time


Saturday, August 27

  • Finland vs. USA – 3 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. Central Time

  • Germany vs. Sweden – 3:30 p.m. local time, 8:30 a.m. Central Time

  • Switzerland vs. Canada – 7 p.m. local time, Noon Central Time


Sunday, August 28

  • Japan vs. Canada – 3 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. Central Time


Monday, August 29

  • Japan vs. Finland – 3 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. Central Time

  • USA vs. Switzerland – 7 p.m. local time, Noon Central Time

  • Hungary vs. Sweden – 7:30 p.m. local time, 12:30 p.m. Central Time


Tuesday, August 30

  • Czechia vs. Sweden – 3:30 p.m. local time, 8:30 a.m. Central Time

  • Switzerland vs. Finland – 4 p.m. local time, 9 a.m. Central Time

  • USA vs. Canada – 8 p.m. local time, 1 p.m. Central Time


Quarterfinals on Thursday, September 1; Semifinals and consolation bracket games on Saturday, September 3; and 5th-6th place game & medal games on Sunday, September 4.

The full schedule of games can be found on the tournament's website at www.iihf.com/en/events/2022/ww/schedule. All Team USA and Canada preliminary round games will be televised live on NHL Network in the United States.

We again wish good luck to all nine Gopher representatives!!

Pre-tournament recaps: Canada crushes Denmark, defeats U.S.

Tuesday, August 16 & Thursday, August 18: Finland sweeps Japan, 6-1 & 7-1 – Nelli Laitenen dished out a power-play assist in last Thursday's contest.

Saturday, August 20: Canada 14, Denmark 1 – Sarah Potomak netted Canada's first two goals and added a later assist as the visitors lit the lamp a total of six times in the first period and four more times each in stanzas 2 & 3. Josephine Asperup scored for the Danes in the third period to avoid a shutout. Hockey Canada recap here.

Sunday, August 21: Finland 8, Denmark 0 – Laitinen recorded two more assists as the Finns rolled in their final tune-up before the tournament.

Tuesday, August 23: Canada 3, USA 1 – Lee Stecklein put the Americans on the board first, with Grace Zumwinkle recording an assist, but the Canadians responded with a pair of goals in the 2nd period and one in the third to take the win. USA Hockey recap here; Hockey Canada recap here.

Tuesday, August 23: Switzerland 2, Sweden 1 (shootout) – The two teams played to a 1-1 tie after regulation and a scoreless overtime. In the subsequent shootout, scheduled for five rounds initially, Nadine Hofstetter put the Swiss ahead in round 3 but Josefin Bouveng knotted it up for the Swedes in round 5. After four more scoreless rounds, Switzerland's Kaleigh Quennec lit the lamp in round 10 for the victory. Swiss recap here.

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.

Penalty Box Post - Friday, August 19, 2022

Penalty Box Post
Friday, August 19th

PPC Locker Sponsorship registration reminder...

Locker sponsorships are now available for the 2022-2023 season! Each sponsorship requires a minimum tax-deductible donation of $600.00 (per locker), with all funds going to the Gopher Women’s Hockey Enhancement Fund to support the team.

Member benefits include the Power Play Club membership, a photo with your player, and meal with your player and the team on a game day (tentatively set for January 7, 2023).

GWH fans who are interested in sponsoring a player’s or coach's locker should contact Rennie McPherson at susanmcp@drsusanmcp.com. Please provide FIVE names of players and/or coaches you are interested in sponsoring; we try to make sure that each player is sponsored before doubling and tripling up. The current team roster – including the incoming players – can be found at gophersports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster.

Save the Dates!! In-person Chalk Talks for '22-'23 planned

As the 2022-2023 Gopher Women's Hockey season approaches, the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduling the club's events with a return to in-person activities!!

Three of those events are the popular Chalk Talks, in which a member of the Gopher coaching staff joins club members to discuss team strategy, review game film from the previous night's contest, and have a brief question & answer session. They are tentatively scheduled for October 8 (Bemidji State series), November 5 (Minnesota Duluth), and February 4 (Ohio State), starting 90 minutes prior to each day's game time. The location for each date is still being finalized.

The Chalk Talks are member-exclusive events. Locker Sponsor registration is now open for the upcoming season (as noted above), and registration for our standard membership tier is expected to begin soon.

S. Potomak joins Gopher representatives at World Championship

Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna Sarah Potomak increased the number of Gopher representatives attending the upcoming IIHF Women's World Championship to nine (9) when she was named to the Canada National Women's Hockey Team roster on Monday afternoon (August 15). Potomak's selection will mark her second World Championship and second overall appearance with Canada's senior squad; she scored 2 goals and an assist at the 2017 WWC.

Potomak joins current Gophers Josefin Bouveng (SWE), Taylor Heise (USA), Nelli Laitinen (FIN) & Grace Zumwinkle (USA) and alumnae Hannah Brandt (USA), Amanda Kessel (USA), Kelly Pannek (USA) & Lee Stecklein (USA) as a 2022 tournament participant.

The tournament is being held in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark, starting Thursday, August 25 and running through Sunday, September 4. The four national teams with Gopher representation all open their schedules on the 25th; Team USA begins the tournament against Japan at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Central Time, Canada and Finland will face each other at Noon CT, and Sweden will square off against tournament host Denmark at 12:30 p.m. CT.
Collegiate/Development Series: Canada & U.S. split first two games – Canada National Women's Development Team needed a shootout to defeat the U.S. Collegiate Select Team, 4-3 (2-0 in the SO), in their first meeting on Wednesday night, but the Americans came back with a 4-1 victory last night to knot the series at one game apiece going into tomorrow's final meeting. Gopher Abbey Murphy has two goals, one in each game, and Madeline Wethington dished out an assist for Team USA. Tessa Janecke (Penn State) leads the Americans with 3 goals and Maureen Murphy (Northeastern) has 3 assists; Danielle Serdachny (Colgate) leads Team Canada with 2 goals and an assist (plus one of the shootout tallies).

Whitecaps announce retirement of charter team member, GWH alumna Winny Brodt-Brown after 18 seasons

The Minnesota Whitecaps announced Tuesday (Aug. 16) on Facebook and Twitter that charter team member and GWH alumna Winny Brodt-Brown is retiring after 18 seasons with the club. (Photo courtesy of the Whitecaps)

Brodt-Brown played three seasons with the Gophers, where she remains second in program history for points by a defender (134), third in blueliner goals (41) and assists (93), and sixth across all positions in assists-per-game (0.97). A member of the Gophers' 2000 National Championship squad, Winny was inducted into the university's M Club Hall of Fame in 2021.

Brodt-Brown was renowned in her high school days, winning the inaugural Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award in the 1995-1996 season while competing for Roseville. Her collegiate career began at the University of New Hampshire, where she recorded 11 goals and 34 assists as a freshman for the Wildcats. Following her first two seasons with the Gophers, Winny was a member of the U.S. Women's National Team, earning silver medals at the 2000 and 2001 IIHF Women's World Championships and recording a combined 5 assists in 10 games.

While her complete career stats with the Whitecaps are unavailable, Brodt-Brown's scoring line in the Premier Hockey Federation (formerly the National Women's Hockey League) includes a goal and 5 assists in 49 regular-season games and an additional two assists in 7 postseason contests over last four seasons. Winny and the Whitecaps competed in the Western Women's Hockey League from 2004 through 2011, then played multiple years as an independent club before joining the NWHL/PHF in 2018.

We send Winny our congratulations, thanks, and best wishes in retirement!!

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.



The Two Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Monday, August 15, 2022

The Two Minute Minor
An Edition of the Penalty Box Post
Monday, August 15th

Four current Gophers, four alumnae named to national teams for 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship in Denmark

Three Gopher representatives named to Select Teams for USA-Canada series this week; three U. of M. staff members assisting Team USA

Current (2022-2023) Gopher Women's Hockey players Josefin Bouveng, Taylor Heise, Nelli Laitinen & Grace Zumwinkle and Minnesota alumnae Hannah Brandt, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek & Lee Stecklein have been selected by their respective countries' ice hockey organizations to wear their national colors at the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship. The tournament is being held in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark, starting Thursday, August 25 and running through Sunday, September 4.

As reported last week, Laitinen was named to Finland's roster on August 3. Correcting our previous newsletter, this year's World Championship will mark her fourth top-level tournament appearance with the senior national team, following the 2019 & 2021 WWC and the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Bouveng was announced as a member of Team Sweden this past Thursday, August 11. This will be her first Women's World Championship appearance after she made her Olympic debut with the Swedes this past February.

Heise, Zumwinkle, Brandt, Kessel, Pannek & Stecklein were named to the Team USA roster yesterday morning (Aug. 14). Heise will be making her U.S. senior team debut after winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award last season as the best player in NCAA Division I women's hockey. The other five have previous WWC and Olympic experience, claiming the silver medal at the Beijing Winter Games.

Murphy, A. Potomak, Wethington named to Select/Development teams – In addition to the World Championship roster announcements, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada named their respective rosters yesterday for the head-to-head Development Series later this week. Current Gophers Abbey Murphy & Madeline Wethington were named to the U.S. Collegiate Women's Select Team, which will face Minnesota alumna Amy Potomak and the Canada Women's National Development Team. The two squads will meet at WinSport Arena in Calgary, Alberta, with games on Wednesday (8/17), Thursday (8/18), and Saturday (8/20); puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. CT all three nights. Per a note from USA Hockey, the games will be streamed on Hockey Canada's website (schedule here).

Three Minnesota staff members serving in USA Hockey roles – In addition to the player selections, three members of the U. of M. Athletics Department staff are serving in roles with USA Hockey. Cal Dietz, the strength and conditioning head coach for USA Hockey for the past several years, has been named to the staff roster for World Championship in Denmark. Minnesota Director of Hockey Operations Jessica Scott will be in Calgary to support the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team as they also play Canada in a three-game series this week. Brent Proulx, the long-time equipment manager for both the Gophers and USA Hockey, served at the recently-completed U.S. Women's National Festival.

We send congratulations and good luck wishes to all the Gopher representatives!!

Please note that Hockey Canada had not announced their World Championship roster at the time this issue of the Penalty Box Post was written. We encourage you to watch social media for any updates.

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.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit Thursday, August 11, 2022 and August 1st, 2022

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Thursday, August 11th

PPC Board Meeting – next Tuesday, August 16 at 7 pm

The next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduled for Tuesday, August 16 at 7 p.m., online via Zoom. A full agenda is expected as the new season of Gopher Women's Hockey approaches.

As always, the meeting is open to all enrolled Power Play Club members (2021-2022 membership applies for off-season meetings); if you are interested in attending, please contact PPC vice president Dave Malerich at vicepresident@powerplayclub.org.

PPC Locker Sponsor registration open for ‘22-‘23 season!

Locker sponsorships are now available for the 2022-2023 season! Locker sponsorships require a minimum tax-deductible donation of $600.00 (per locker), with all funds going to the Gopher Women’s Hockey Enhancement Fund to support the team.

Member benefits include the Power Play Club membership, a photo with your player, and meal with your player and the team on a game day (tentatively set for January 7, 2023).

GWH fans who are interested in sponsoring a player’s or coach's locker should contact Rennie McPherson at susanmcp@drsusanmcp.com. Please provide FIVE names of players and/or coaches you are interested in sponsoring; we try to make sure that each player is sponsored before doubling and tripling up. The current team roster – including the incoming players – can be found at gophersports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster.

Incoming Gopher freshman Laitinen named to Finland National Team roster for 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship

Incoming Minnesota Women's Hockey freshman defender Nelli Laitinen became the first Gopher representative officially named to a national team roster for the upcoming 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship when the Team Finland roster was released last week by the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. The tournament in Denmark, running August 25 through September 4, will be Laitinen's second World Championship and her third major competition with the senior national team after making her Olympic debut earlier this year in Beijing, China; the Finns claimed bronze if both of those events. (Laitinen photo courtesy of Keikko-Espoo Naiset hockey team.)

As mentioned in our previous newsletters, current Gopher Women's Hockey players Taylor Heise, Peyton Hemp, Madison Kaiser, Abbey Murphy, Makayla Pahl, Catie Skaja, Madeline Wethington & Grace Zumwinkle, and Minnesota alumnae Hannah Brandt, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek & Lee Stecklein are currently attending the USA Hockey Women's National Festival in Buffalo, New York, while alumnae Olivia Knowles, Amy Potomak & Sarah Potomak are at Hockey Canada's National Team Selection Camp in Calgary, Alberta. Both of those national organizations are expected to announce their World Championship rosters this coming weekend. Additionally, the Gophers' other incoming European freshman, Josefin Bouveng, participated in the Sweden National Team's training camp late last month; she is expected to be on that team's WWC roster when it is officially announced within the next two weeks.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Monday, August 1st

GWH alumnae Knowles, Amy & Sarah Potomak headed to Calgary for Hockey Canada Nat'l Women's Selection Camp

Hockey Canada announced Friday their list of 142 players invited to the BFL National Program Selection Camp, being held starting this Wednesday, August 3, at the Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta. The invitees include a trio of Minnesota Women's Hockey alumnae – recent grads Olivia Knowles & Amy Potomak and 2020 graduate Sarah Potomak.

As with USA Hockey's upcoming selection camp (in Buffalo, NY), the Canadian camp – previously known as the Summer Showcase – includes players both over and under 18 years of age. Following the completion of the camp on Sunday, August 14, the Canada National Team roster will be named for the upcoming 2022 IIHF Women's World Championship being held August 24 through September 4 in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark. Rosters will also be named for Canada's National Women’s Development Team and National Women’s Under-18 Team, both of which will play against their U.S. counterparts in Calgary on August 17, 18 & 20; those series are being held for the first time in three years.

We send congratulations and good luck wishes to Olivia, Amy & Sarah!!

Minnesota Whitecaps relocating to Richfield Ice Arena following lease agreement approval, starting with 2022-2023 season

The Premier Hockey Federation and Minnesota Whitecaps announced Friday that the team will relocate to the Richfield Ice Arena starting in the 2022-2023 season after reaching a 15-year lease agreement with the City of Richfield. The city published its own press release last Wednesday after the city council approved the agreement the previous evening.

As noted by both the team and the city, the Whitecaps gain a permanent locker room and training facility as part of the move from Saint Paul. They will be the Richfield arena’s main tenant, will hold sole advertising rights in Rink 1 and Rink 2, and will share a portion of advertising and concession revenues with the city.

Discussions regarding additional partnership opportunities between the team and the city are also expected.

Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Sydney Baldwin, Olivia Knowles, Amanda Leveille, and Patti Marshall have signed with the Whitecaps for 2022-2023.

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Thursday, July 28, 2022

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Thursday, July 28th

PPC Locker Sponsor registration open for ‘22-‘23 season!

Locker sponsorships are now available for the 2022-2023 season! Locker sponsorships require a minimum tax-deductible donation of $600.00 (per locker), with all funds going to the Gopher Women’s Hockey Enhancement Fund to support the team.

Member benefits include the Power Play Club membership, a photo with your player, and meal with your player and the team on a game day (tentatively set for January 7, 2023).

GWH fans who are interested in sponsoring a player’s or coach's locker should contact Rennie McPherson at susanmcp@drsusanmcp.com. Please provide FIVE names of players and/or coaches you are interested in sponsoring; we try to make sure that each player is sponsored before doubling and tripling up. The current team roster – including the incoming players – can be found at gophersports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster.

Eight current Gophers, four alumnae headed to 2022 USA Hockey Women’s National Festival in Buffalo, NY

National team for IIHF Women's World Championship in Denmark
plus two Select Teams to be named at the conclusion of camp


Current Gopher Women's Hockey players Taylor Heise, Peyton Hemp, Madison Kaiser, Abbey Murphy, Makayla Pahl, Catie Skaja, Madeline Wethington & Grace Zumwinkle (pictured), and Minnesota alumnae Hannah Brandt, Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek & Lee Stecklein were among 108 players named as attendees for the upcoming 2022 USA Hockey Women's National Festival, being held August 8-13 at the LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, N.Y.

Additionally, current Gophers Abigail Boreen & Gracie Ostertag and alumna Megan Bozek were invited to the Festival but are unable to attend.

As noted in the press release, “the 2022 U.S. Women’s National Team, along with the U.S. Under-18 Select Team and Collegiate Select Team will be named at the conclusion of camp. The National Team will compete at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark Aug. 25 – Sept. 5, while the select teams will head to Calgary and each play a three-game series against Canada on Aug. 17, 18 and 20.”

We send congratulations and good luck wishes to all 12 Gopher representatives!!

Jersey numbers announced for new, incoming Gophers!

On its social media accounts including Twitter and Facebook, the Gopher Women's Hockey program announced this past Tuesday the jersey numbers for the team's newcomers joining in the 2022-2023 season! On the ice this fall will be...

  • #7 – Nelli Laitinen

  • #11 – Josefine Bouveng

  • #16 – Allie Franco

  • #28 – Lizi Norton

  • #29 – Madison Kaiser


These updates have been noted on the team roster at gophersports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster.

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.