December 7, 2023

The Penalty Box Post - Thursday, December 7, 2023

December 7, 2023

Saturday events – Tour of Ridder and Teddy Bear Toss

We provide one more reminder that our behind-the-scenes tour of Ridder Arena this Saturday, December 9, will start in the ticket lobby around 1 p.m. Once again, this is an exclusive event for enrolled PPC members; you can still register for the 2023-2024 season through our membership page on powerplayclub.org.

And bring a new stuffed animal (or several) to Saturday's game for the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by White Bear Mitsubishi! You'll have an opportunity to toss your bagged animal(s) onto the ice at the first intermission, with all the collected animals donated to the Masonic Children's Hospital. Thank you for supporting this great program!!

PPC and GWH events to open season's “second half”...

Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 6 at 9:45 a.m. – Join us early in the new year in the 3M Arena at Mariucci Club Room as we welcome University of Connecticut women's hockey head coach Chris MacKenzie (pictured) and our own Brad Frost. We look forward to hearing from Coach MacKenzie about playing in Hockey East and battling for a league title & an NCAA Tournament berth. Entering December, the Huskies sit atop the Hockey East standings. Register by Saturday, December 30 using the downloadable form (PDF) available here, which can be submitted by mail to the listed address or at the Power Play Club table at Ridder Arena this weekend. Tickets are $30 per person and Power Play Club membership is not required.

Skate with the Gophers – postgame on January 6 – Skate with the Gophers returns following the Saturday contest against UConn. Stick around to skate on the Ridder ice, play games on the concourse and get autographs from Gopher players. All participants must register here by Friday, December 29. Attendance at the game is required.

Locker Sponsor gathering – January 13 – We thank all of our Power Play Club members for supporting Gopher Women's Hockey. Our special event for Locker Sponsors with the team is scheduled for Saturday, January 13, before that afternoon's game against Ohio State. More details will be shared as that date approaches.

Goals for a Goal: Gophers' goal total reaches 68 (19 on PP)

With an 18 goal outburst last weekend against Bemidji State and one more at St. Cloud State, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has lit the lamp 68 times this season, with 19 of those coming while on the power play! Help us to convert each of those goals into donations back to the team through our Goals for a Goal program. Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score during the regular season and postseason, with the option to double your pledge for power play goals. Pledges can be submitted electronically through this online form. Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!

#2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-2-1, 9-2-1-1 in WCHA)
vs. #3 University of Wisconsin Badgers (13-3-0, 9-3-0-0)
Friday, December 8 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 9 at 2:00 p.m.
Ridder Arena

Gophers. Badgers. The 2023-2024 edition of the women's hockey Border Battle begins at Ridder Arena. The national top-three series opens tomorrow (Friday) night, December 8, at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, December 9, at 2:00 p.m. at Ridder Arena.

Limited tickets remain for this weekend's games but you can still get yours here. The ticket office website shows there are “Not Many Left” for Friday's game and those for Saturday's contest are “Almost Gone”. We look forward to seeing many Maroon & Gold-clad fans in the stands for the Border Battle!!

Saturday's game televised – FOX 9+ will be televising Saturday's matchup between the Gophers and Badgers. For a channel guide, go to fox9.com/plus.

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

Last year against Wisconsin – The Gophers and Badgers met six times in 2022-2023, including a pair of postseason games. Wisconsin was 2-0-2 in the four regular-season meetings, with a 3-3 tie and 4-1 victory in Madison and a 2-2 tie and 7-5 win at Ridder Arena; the teams split the two shootouts after the ties. The Gophers earned a 4-1 victory in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals, but the Badgers ended Minnesota's season with a 3-2 overtime win in the NCAA Frozen Four semis.

Taylor Heise led the Gophers with 9 points in the six Border Battle games on 5 goals & 4 assists, while Grace Zumwinkle added 7 points on 2 goals & 5 assists. Catie Skaja tallied two goals & four assists, including a 3-point performance in the WCHA semifinal, while Abbey Murphy netted 3 goals and dished out 2 assists. Jesse Compher recorded 8 points for the Badgers in the head-to-head meetings with 3 goals & 5 assists, while Casey O'Brien posted 2 goals & 4 assists for 6 points. Laila Edwards tallied 5 points on 3 goals & 2 assists while Lacey Eden dished out 5 helpers. Kirsten Simms also lit the lamp 3 times with an assist. Gopher goaltender Skylar Vetter posted a .905 save percentage with a 3.11 goals-against average, but Cami Kronish recorded a .929 SV% and 2.52 GAA for Wisconsin.

Analyzing the Badgers – Wisconsin is looking to repeat as NCAA Champion after becoming the first school to win the title as an unseeded team playing four games in the national tournament last March. But despite having four players in the top ten for Division I points-per-game, a loss this past weekend – their third this season – dropped them below the Gophers in the latest polls.

Graduate player Britta Curl (#17) leads the Badgers in total scoring with 32 points, finding the back of the net 12 times and dishing out a team-high 20 assists. Sophomore Kirsten Simms (#27) and redshirt junior Lacey Eden (#6) have each lit the lamp 13 times; Simms has 17 assists for 30 points, while Eden has recorded 12 helpers for 25 points. Senior Casey O'Brien (#26) has also passed the 20-point mark, recording 24 on 7 goals & 17 assists. Sophomore defender Caroline Harvey has only 19 points with two goals and 17 assists, but she's only played in 9 games and returned from injury last weekend.

Redshirt junior Jane Gervais (#1) and freshman Ava McNaughton (#30) have split starts between the pipes for Wisconsin. Gervais is 7-1-0 with four shutouts, posting a .928 save percentage and 1.38 goals-against average, while McNaughton has a 6-2-0 mark with 2 shutouts, a .933 SV% and 1.44 GAA. Redshirt freshman Chloe Baker (#32) made a 20-minute relief appearance against Bemidji State earlier this season, stopping all 7 shots she faced.

Last action for Wisconsin – Facing Minnesota Duluth at LaBahn Arena, the Badgers peppered Bulldogs netminder Ève Gascon with 51 shots, getting a goal & an assist from Britta Curl, goals from Kelly Gorbatenko and Lacey Eden, and a 20-save shutout performance from Jane Gervais to win the opener 3-0. The two teams played a scoreless first 40 minutes of the rematch before Clara Van Wieren & Mannon McMahon put UMD up 2-0 at the 5:13 mark of the third period. Cassie Hall pulled UW within one 2:20 later, but Jenna Lowry restored a two-goal lead for the Bulldogs with 5:20 to play. Casey O'Brien scored for the Badgers with an extra attacker, but UMD earned the weekend split with a 3-2 victory behind 42 saves from Hailey MacLeod and a 3-assist performance from Ida Karlsson. Curl added two assists on Sunday for a 4-point (1g, 3a) weekend while Ava McNaughton made 23 saves.

Gophers earn shootout standings point after tie in St. Cloud – Skylar Vetter stopped 29 of 30 shots on goal and Peyton Hemp lit the lamp for the 7th time this season, but Minnesota had to settle for a 1-1 overtime tie at St. Cloud State after Addi Scribner knotted the score and Sanni Ahola made 27 saves through the extra period for the Huskies. With the tie, the game went to a shootout to award the “bonus” point in the WCHA standings; Ella Huber and Allie Franco found the back of the net for the Gophers, while Vetter stopped both shots she faced from the Huskies at the other end of the ice for a 2-0 decision.

Abbey Murphy, Ava Lindsay earn weekly league honors

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

Lindsay was named Rookie of the Week, her first weekly honor from the league, netting 3 goals & dishing out 2 assists for 5 points with a +5 plus-minus rating against Bemidji State.

Murphy picked up her second-straight Forward of the Week award after tallying 8 points against the Beavers. She recorded 2 goals and an assist Friday, then added another 2 goals and 3 assists on Saturday. She also had a +7 plus-minus rating for the series.

GWH alumna Savannah Norcross signs with PWHL New York

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Savannah Norcross signed a one-year contract with PWHL New York, as announced by the team on X (formerly Twitter) this past Tuesday, December 5.

Norcross becomes the seventh Gopher to sign a PWHL contract, following Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek, Taylor Heise & Grace Zumwinkle with PWHL Minnesota and Hannah Brandt & Emily Brown with PWHL Boston. Congratulations, Savannah!!

Around the WCHA...

Upcoming games – As we noted earlier this week, “first half” action before the holiday break concludes with all eight teams in another round of league play. Bemidji State visits St. Thomas and St. Cloud State hosts Minnesota Duluth on Friday & Saturday, while Minnesota State faces Ohio State in a Saturday-Sunday series in Columbus.

Standings:
1. Ohio State – 31 points (.861 pts%), 11-1-0-0, 2-0 in OT (14-2-0 overall)
2. Minnesota – 30 points (.833 pts%), 9-2-1-1, 0-1 in OT (13-2-1 overall)
3. Wisconsin – 28 points (.778 pts%), 9-3-0-0, 0-1 in OT (13-3-0 overall)
4. St. Cloud State – 22 points (.611 pts%), 7-4-1-0, 0-0 in OT (12-5-1 overall)
5. Minn. Duluth – 21 points (.583 pts%), 7-5-0-0, 0-0 in OT (10-5-1 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 9 points (.333 pts%), 3-9-0-0, 1-1 in OT (7-10-0 overall)
7. Bemidji State – 3 points (.167 pts%), 1-11-0-0, 1-1 in OT (1-14-1 overall)
8. St. Thomas – 0 points (.000 pts%), 0-12-0-0, 0-0 in OT (6-13-0 overall)

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

December 4, 2023

The Penalty Box Post - Monday, December 4, 2023

Power Play Club

December 4, 2023

Saturday events – Tour of Ridder and Teddy Bear Toss

Come join us before the Border Battle contest against Wisconsin this coming Saturday, December 9th, for a behind-the-scenes tour of Ridder Arena as we check out the updates to the lower level and other areas. The tour will start in the ticket lobby around 1 p.m., an hour before game time. This is an exclusive event for enrolled PPC members and we provide a reminder that you can still register for the 2023-2024 season through our membership page on powerplayclub.org.

And don't forget to do some shopping beforehand to pick up a new stuffed animal (or several) for the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by White Bear Mitsubishi! You'll have an opportunity to toss your bagged animal(s) onto the ice during an intermission of Saturday's contest against the Badgers. All the collected animals will be donated to the Masonic Children's Hospital. Thank you for your support of this great program!!

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-2-0, 9-2-0 in WCHA)
at
#10 St. Cloud State University Huskies (12-5-0, 7-4-0)
Tuesday, December 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, St. Cloud

After posting a high-scoring sweep in their first two-game home series of the 2023-2024 season, the Gopher Women's Hockey team will head up I-94 to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for their last road contest of the calendar year, facing the St. Cloud State Huskies for a second midweek game. The Gophers and Huskies will drop the puck tomorrow (Tuesday) night, December 5, at 6:00 p.m. (Note: listed rankings are from prior to this past weekend's games.)

Game coverage – As with all WCHA league contests, video coverage will be available on the B1G+ subscription service. Free audio play-by-play will be available on GopherSports.com here, starting around 5:45 p.m.

Last time against St. Cloud State – Minnesota defended home ice in their Ridder Arena opener with a 2-1 victory over the Huskies on October 17. Ava Lindsay lit the lamp in the 2nd period, cleaning up the rebound of an initial shot by Emily Zumwinkle. The score stayed 1-0 into the final minute when Taylor Stewart tallied her first goal as a Gopher, a short-handed bouncer into an empty net despite a deflection off a Huskies defender's stick. Stewart's goal turned into the game winner as SCSU's Avery Farrell broke up the shutout bid, lighting the lamp with 5.2 seconds remaining, but Skylar Vetter's 14 saves were enough for the win. Emma Kreisz assisted on both Minnesota goals, and St. Cloud State netminder Jojo Chobak stopped 29 shots.

Analyzing the Huskies – As we mentioned before the first meeting between Minnesota & St. Cloud State this season, the Huskies are looking to finish in the top four of the WCHA standings and earn home ice for the first round of the playoffs, something they have not accomplished since 2009-2010. They are on their way to making it happen this year, starting with a 7-4-0 conference record and a 12-5-0 mark overall including a big win in Columbus this past weekend.

Scoring has been very spread out for SCSU. Fifth-year forward Klára Hymlárová (#12) is the team's points leader with 14 and is tied with a team-high 6 goals, while grad student Katie Kaufman (#10) has the assist lead with 9 while scoring 3 goals of her own for 12 points. Grad student CC Bowlby (#28; 6g, 3a) and freshman Alice Sauriol (#4; 3g, 6a) are tied for third to scoring with 9 points apiece.

Goaltending has been a definite strong point for the Huskies. Seniors Sanni Ahola (#1) and Jojo Chobak (#29) have combined for 8 shutouts in St. Cloud State's 17 games. Ahola is 7-1-0 with five of those shutouts, a ridiculous .967 save percentage and 0.75 goals-against average. Chobak has a 5-4-0 record this season with a .932 SV% and 1.69 GAA. Freshman Paige Hoogendam (#31) has yet to see any action.

Last action for St. Cloud State – Making the longer trip to Columbus, the Huskies found themselves down 1-0 to the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in the first period Friday on a Makenna Webster goal, but CC Bowlby & Greta Henderson each lit the lamp for SCSU on second-period power plays. That was enough for Sanni Ahola, who stopped 46 shots and earned the 2-1 upset victory. Cayla Barnes again gave OSU a 1-0 lead on Saturday only to have Laura Zimmerman knot the score for the Huskies; however, the Buckeyes took control, scoring the next five goals including two by Olivia Mobley. Taylor Lind converted another power-play late for SCSU but they had to settle for a split after a 6-2 loss. OSU held a 90-33 shots-on-goal advantage in the series.

Gophers sweep Beavers at Ridder – After spotting Bemidji State a 1-0 lead on Friday night, Minnesota exploded for 18 goals in a 9-2, 9-1 weekend sweep at Ridder Arena. Abbey Murphy scored early and often, recording 8 points on 4 goals & 4 assists, Ella Huber dished out 5 assists while also lighting the lamp once for a 6-point weekend, and Ava Lindsay (3g, 2a) & Peyton Hemp (2g, 3a) each added 5 points. Josefin Bouveng also lit the lamp twice with two assists, Emma Kreisz tallied a goal and two assists, and Solveig Neunzert dished out 3 helpers. Skylar Vetter stopped 17 shots on Friday, and Lucy Morgan posted 25 saves – including one on Friday in a brief appearance while Vetter made a skate change. BSU's line of Genevieve Hendrickson, Talya Hendrickson, and Kate Johnson accounted for all their scoring as each recorded a goal and assisted on the other two.

Additionally, two Gophers each netted their first goals in Maroon & Gold. Freshman Lauren O'Hara lit the lamp not once but twice in Friday's contest, while junior Sadie Lindsay found the back of the net with a rebound goal on Saturday. Congratulations, Lauren & Sadie!!

Murphy closes in on century mark after earning monthly award

Gopher Women's Hockey junior Abbey Murphy continued to collect awards as she was named Sterling Trophy WCHA Forward of the Month for November on Thursday, following recognition as the Forward of the Week and having the Howie's Hockey Tape Performance of the Week for her play over Thanksgiving weekend.

For the moment, attention now turns to Murphy's career statistics. Recording four goals and four assists this past weekend against Bemidji State, she now sits at 99 points as a Gopher on 56 goals and 43 assists.

Heise, Murphy, Pannek & Zumwinkle to join Team USA this month

Abbey Murphy and Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle will don the Red, White & Blue again later this month, being named to the U.S. National Team roster for the third and fourth games of the 2023-2024 Rivalry Series against Canada. Those contests are scheduled for Thursday, December 14 in Kitchener, Ontario, and Saturday, December 16, in Sarnia, Ontario.

All four Gophers played in the opening two games of the seven-game series last month, with Team USA winning 3-1 in Tempe, Arizona, and 5-2 in Los Angeles. Heise posted a goal and an assist while Murphy dished out a pair of helpers.

Tickets for the upcoming pair of games are available through Hockey Canada here.

PWHL releases inaugural season schedules for all six teams

The Professional Women's Hockey League announced its composite 2024 regular-season schedule this past Thursday, November 30, featuring 72 games among its six teams.

The schedule includes a pair of breaks for international competition. The first will occur in February for Rivalry Series games and other contests. The second will span 3½ weeks, starting in late March and running into April, for the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship.

The league also announced it will have players participating as part of the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, in the Canadian Tire PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase™ on Thursday, February 1. Festivities that day begin at 6 p.m. ET and will conclude with the showcase event. More details are forthcoming.

Univ. of Delaware adds varsity women's ice hockey for 2025-2026

The University of Delaware will add women's ice hockey as a varsity sport, starting competition in the 2025-2026 season, as announced by the school this past Friday, December 1. The Blue Hens will become the 45th Division I women's ice hockey program and will join the College Hockey America conference. The team will play at the Fred Rust Ice Arena in Newark, DE, the home of the university's current club hockey programs.

A formal press conference will take place this morning (Monday, December 4) at 10 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CT and will be streamed live on YouTube.

Around the WCHA

Badgers, Bulldogs split in Madison – Despite a 48-save performance by UMD netminder Ève Gascon, Wisconsin took the opener of their series 3-0; Britta Curl recorded a goal & an assist, Kelly Gorbatenko and Lacey Eden also lit the lamp, and Jane Gervais stopped all 20 shots she faced. After two scoreless periods, Clara Van Wieren & Mannon McMahon put Minnesota Duluth up 2-0 in the rematch; Cassie Hall pulled UW within one 2:20 later, but Jenna Lowry restored a two-goal lead for the Bulldogs with 5:20 to play. Casey O'Brien scored for the Badgers with an extra attacker, but UMD earned the weekend split with a 3-2 victory behind 42 saves from Hailey MacLeod and a 3-assist performance from Ida Karlsson. Curl assisted on both Wisconsin goals on Sunday for a 4-point (1g, 3a) weekend while Ava McNaughton made 23 saves.

Mavericks sweep Tommies in home-and-home series – Sydney Langseth tallied 3 goals & 2 assists and Lauren Barbro stopped a combined 38 of 40 shots as Minnesota State completed a weekend sweep of St. Thomas, 7-1 in Mankato and 3-1 in Mendota Heights. Taylor Otremba (2g, 1a) and Jamie Nelson (1g, 2a) each added 3 points in the opener for MSU, who had an 87-40 shot advantage in the series. Lauren Stenslie and Ellah Hause lit the lamp for the Tommies, and Calla Frank made 61 saves in a little over four periods of action.

Upcoming games – This next weekend will conclude action before the holiday break, with all eight teams in another round of league play. In addition to the Border Battle between the Gophers and Badgers, Bemidji State will visit St. Thomas and St. Cloud State will host Minnesota Duluth on Friday & Saturday, while Minnesota State faces Ohio State in a Saturday-Sunday series in Columbus.

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 30, 2023

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Thursday, November 30, 2023

Power Play Club

November 30, 2023

GWH schedule reminder – Tuesday, Dec. 5 at St. Cloud State

We provide a reminder to our members and other fellow fans that, after this weekend's series against Bemidji State, Gopher Women's Hockey has a rare midweek game on Tuesday, December 5, at 6:00 p.m., on the road at St. Cloud State. We hope to see a lot of Maroon & Gold at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center for this league contest. We'll also have a special edition of the Penalty Box Post on Monday previewing the contest against the Huskies.

Looking ahead to upcoming PPC and GWH events:

Tour of Ridder – Saturday, December 9 at 1:00 p.m. – Come join us before the Border Battle contest on December 9th for a behind-the-scenes tour of Ridder Arena as we check out the updates to the lower level and other areas. The tour will start in the ticket lobby roughly an hour before game time. This is an exclusive event for enrolled PPC members, and we provide a reminder that you can still register for the 2023-2024 season through our membership page on powerplayclub.org.

Teddy Bear Toss on December 9 – Come help us and the Gopher Women's Hockey team support the patients at the Masonic Children's Hospital with the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by White Bear Mitsubishi! Bring a new stuffed animal (or two, or three...) in a bag to the game against Wisconsin on Saturday, December 9, and you'll have an opportunity to toss it onto the ice during the intermission.

Skate with the Gophers – postgame on January 6 – Gopher Women's Hockey is pleased to announce the return of Skate with the Gophers following the Saturday contest against UConn. Stick around afterward to skate on the Ridder ice, play games on the concourse and get autographs from Gopher players. Space is limited and all participants must register here by Friday, December 29. Attendance at the game is required.

Locker Sponsor “save the date” reminder – We thank all of our Power Play Club members for supporting Gopher Women's Hockey. Our special event for Locker Sponsors with the team is scheduled for Saturday, January 13, before that afternoon's game against Ohio State. More details will be shared as that date approaches.

Murphy recognized for league's Performance of the Week

Following her three-goal, one-assist showing at the D1 In DC Showcase and being named the Sterling Trophy WCHA Forward of the Week on Monday, Gopher Women's Hockey junior Abbey Murphy was further recognized by the league Tuesday as having the Howie's Hockey Tape Performance of the Week!!

We again send our congratulations to Abbey!!

PWHL announces playing venues, schedule of home openers

The Professional Women's Hockey League released its list of playing venues for its six teams and the schedule of home openers this past Tuesday. The inaugural season will begin on New Year's Day – Monday, January 1 – as Toronto will host New York at the Mattamy Athletic Center. Minnesota will start its season on the road at Boston on Wednesday, January 3, before opening its home schedule at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul against Montreal on Saturday afternoon, January 6.

We continue to watch league news and announcements regarding the Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae signed, drafted, or invited to PWHL training camps, and will share updates as they are published.

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 28, 2023

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Power Play Club

November 28, 2023

Chalk Talk – Saturday (December 2) at 12:30 p.m.

Join us this Saturday, December 2, at 12:30 p.m. for the first of our three 2023-2024 Chalk Talks!! A member of the GWH coaching staff will review video of Friday night's game with us and discuss team strategy. We will be meeting in the Ridder Arena weight room, across the hall from the suite seating upstairs. This is an exclusive event for enrolled PPC members and we look forward to seeing many of you there.

Register in the Power Play Club for 2023-2024!!

With our Chalk Talk and the December 9th Tour of Ridder events approaching, we want you to join us in supporting the Gopher Women's Hockey team as a member of the Power Play Club!

Registration for our basic membership tier includes up to two adults and any children at same address and requires a minimum donation of $50. Online registration is preferred - click here to register then 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".

Goals for a Goal: Gophers add 8 more goals (2 on PP)

After lighting the lamp eight times at the D1 In DC Showcase this past weekend, including twice on the power play, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has recorded 49 goals through 13 games, with 15 of those coming while on the power play! We continue to request your support in converting those goals into donations back to the team by registering for the Goals for a Goal program. Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score during the regular season and postseason, with the option to double your pledge for power play goals.

Pledges can be submitted electronically through this online form. Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-2-0, 7-2-0 in WCHA)
vs.
Bemidji State University Beavers (1-12-1, 1-9-0)

Friday, December 1 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Ridder Arena

The Golden Gopher Women's Hockey team returns to Ridder Arena for only its third and fourth home games of the 2023-2024 season. It will host the Bemidji State University Beavers in WCHA league play, with action beginning Friday, December 1 at 6:00 p.m. and continuing Saturday, December 2 at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage - Video coverage will be available on the B1G+ subscription service for both contests. Free audio play-by-play will be available on GopherSports.com for both Friday and Saturday, starting 15 to 20 minutes before each game.

Last year against Bemidji State - The Gophers opened the 2022-2023 season with a weekend sweep of the Beavers at Ridder Arena, 6-0 & 4-1. The teams met again in Bemidji in January, and Minnesota completed the season sweep with 7-0 and 4-1 victories. In addition to the combined 21-2 scoring differential, the Gophers outshot BSU by a 177-68 margin. Taylor Heise led Minnesota in total scoring across the four games with 9 points on 2 goals & 7 assists, while the trio of Abigail Boreen, Abbey Murphy, and Grace Zumwinkle each tallied 4 goals & 2 assists. Madeline Wethington dished out 6 assists as well. Kate Boland and Claire Vekich lit the lamp for Bemidji State. Makayla Pahl posted a 17-save shutout in the opener, while Skylar Vetter won the other three games with 45 saves (a .957 save percentage and 0.75 goals-against average); Olivia King also made a relief appearance, stopping the 4 shots she faced in 20 minutes of action. BSU netminder Hannah Hogenson played all four contests, posting an .886 SV% with a 5.02 GAA.

Analyzing the Beavers - Bemidji State entered 2023-2024 without the three players who led them last year in total points, goals, and assists, all having transferred elsewhere. Their primary goaltender in 2022-2023 also did not return. They started this season 0-11-1 before getting their first win two weekends ago (more on that shortly), and they've been outscored 59-15 in their fourteen games.

Freshman Hailey Armstrong (#29) has tallied nearly half of Bemidji State's goals, lighting the lamp 7 times. Senior Taylor Nelson (#8) also has 7 points so far this year, netting 3 goals and dishing out 4 assists. Senior Gabbie Smith (#20) is third in total scoring with 6 points on a goal and 5 assists.

Junior Abbie Thompson (#35) has started 10 games between the pipes for the Beavers this season, going 0-9-1 with a 4.07 goals-against average and .892 save percentage. Freshman Eva Filippova (#30) has earned BSU's lone win; she's 1-2-0 in her 3 starts with a pair of relief appearances as well, posting a 2.90 GAA and .909 SV%. Junior Emerald Kelly (#1) transferred to Bemidji State from Minnesota State; in her lone appearance so far for the Beavers, she yielded 7 goals to Wisconsin with 26 saves in 40 minutes of action. Sophomore Madison Faucher (#33) has not seen any ice time so far this year, having played only one period last season.

Last action for Bemidji State - As we noted last week, the Beavers and Minnesota State Mavericks each earned their first victory in WCHA conference play two weekends ago, playing each other in Bemidji with both games going to overtime. BSU won 3-2 in the series opener and MSU took the rematch, also 3-2. Minnesota State battled back from a 2-0 Friday night deficit, getting a pair of goals from Jamie Nelson to force OT, but Taylor Nelson scored for Bemidji State 14 seconds into the extra period for the victory. Each team held a one-goal lead in regulation of Saturday's contest before Jamie Nelson netted her third goal of the series for the Mavericks 40 seconds into overtime. BSU's Hailey Armstrong recorded goals in each game and Khloe Lund added a goal & two assists.

Gophers complete D1 In DC Showcase “sweep” - A holiday weekend trip to the Washington, DC, area was a success for the Minnesota Women's Hockey team as they defeated Harvard, 3-1, and then-#8 Cornell, 5-1, in the D1 In DC Showcase. Ella Huber opened the scoring against the Crimson on Friday for a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Gwynn Lapp knotted the score for Harvard with a second-period power-play goal, but Ava Lindsay put the Gophers back in the lead with her own power-play conversion, and Abbey Murphy added another power-play marker in the third. Lucy Morgan earned the win with 11 saves, while Harvard's Alex Pellicci stopped 41 shots. The Wethington sisters gave Minnesota a 2-0 after one period against the Big Red; Madeline opened the scoring, and Audrey tallied the team's sixth short-handed goal of the season four minutes later. Murphy extended the Gopher lead to 3-0 before Katie Chan scored for Cornell, but Murphy added her third goal of the showcase 36 seconds into the third period. Later in the stanza, Madison Kaiser picked the pocket of a Big Red player and scored unassisted for the final margin. Skylar Vetter stopped 12 shots for the victory while Cornell's Annelies Bergmann made 27 saves. Murphy also recorded an assist for a 4-point weekend, Audrey Wethington also dished out an assist to accompany her goal, and Emma Kreisz recorded 3 helpers.

Murphy earns league honor after netting 50th collegiate goal

Following her three-goal, one-assist performance in the D1 In DC Showcase, Gopher Women's Hockey junior alternate captain Abbey Murphy was named Sterling Trophy WCHA Forward of the Week, her second weekly honor this season and the fourth of her collegiate career. Murphy also posted a +2 plus-minus rating in the two contests.

Additionally, Murphy's power play conversion on Friday against Harvard was her the 50th goal in Maroon & Gold. Following Saturday's game agianst Cornell, she now sits at 91 career points on 52 goals and 39 assists. Congratulations, Abbey!!

Around the WCHA

All-session tickets for the 2024 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff, being held for the ninth-straight year at Ridder Arena on March 8 & 9, are NOW ON SALE. - Package prices are $40 for reserved chairback seating, $30 for adult general admission, $22.50 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $12 for general admission group seating (groups of 10+). Tickets can be purchased from the U. of M. Ticket Office here or by phone at 1-800-U-GOPHER, and will be issued electronically.

St. Thomas falls to Cornell, beats Harvard - In the other two games of the D1 In DC Showcase, the Tommies were defeated by the Big Red, 4-1, but posted a 4-3 victory over the Crimson. Cornell took a 4-0 lead with Piper Grober & Izzy Daniel each recording a goal and an assist, but Maddie Brown scored for UST to break up the shutout attempt. Brown lit the lamp twice more and Ella Boerger dished out two assists as St. Thomas built a 4-1 lead over Harvard; the Crimson came back with a pair of power-play goals to pull within one but could not find an equalizer as UST held a 40-24 shot advantage.

Buckeyes rout St. Lawrence in Columbus – A top-ten matchup between Ohio State and St. Lawrence turned into a pair of one-sided affairs as the host Buckeyes earned an 11-0, 5-1 sweep. Makenna Webster and Jocelyne Amos each tallied 3 goals & an assist, Kiara Zanon added a goal & 3 assists, and Kenzie Hauswirth dished out four helpers. Raygan Kirk earned Friday's shutout with a 15-save performance as OSU outshot the Saints 82-24. Abby Hustler netted the lone goal for SLU.

Bulldogs get win, tie at home against Colgate - In another top-ten non-conference series, Minnesota Duluth earned a 3-0 upset victory over the visiting Raiders, and the two squads played to a 1-1 overtime tie in the rematch. In the opener, Clara Van Wieren, Danielle Burgen, and Reece Hunt each lit the lamp for UMD, Olivia Wallin & Hanna Baskin dished out two assists apiece, and Hailey MacLeod stopped all 29 shots she faced for the shutout. Burgen assisted on Grace Sadura's second-period goal on Saturday and MacLeod made another 37 saves, but Allyson Simpson knotted the score for Colgate on an extra-attacker goal with 44 seconds remaining in regulation.

Mavericks take home Smashville Classic guitar trophy - Sydney Langseth tallied 3 goals & an assist, and Whitney Tuttle and Claire Vekich each added 2 goals & 2 assists as Minnesota State defeated Robert Morris 5-1 on Saturday and Boston University 7-2 on Sunday to claim the guitar trophy at the Smashville Classic showcase in Nashville, TN. MSU outshot its opponents by a combined 93-48.

Upcoming games - All eight WCHA teams are in action this coming weekend with a full slate of conference games. In a pair of Friday-Saturday series, St. Cloud State heads to Columbus to face Ohio State while St. Thomas & Minnesota State play home-and-home starting in Mankato. Wisconsin hosts Minnesota Duluth in a Saturday-Sunday matchup.

Watch for our Two-Minute Minor email later this week with more event announcements and any breaking news!

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 21, 2023

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Power Play Club

November 21, 2023

The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, November 21st

Upcoming Events

Chalk Talk – Saturday, December 2 at 12:30 p.m. – Our popular Chalk Talks are back for another season! Join us for the first of these in 2023-2024 with a member of the GWH coaching staff as we review and discuss team strategy and the team's performance the previous night. We will be meeting in the Ridder Arena weight room, across the hall from the suite seating upstairs. This is an exclusive event for enrolled PPC members and we look forward to seeing many of you there.

Tour of Ridder – Saturday, December 9 at 1:00 p.m. – You've heard us talk about it for Give to the Max Day; now join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of Ridder Arena and see the updates to the lower level and other areas. The tour will start in the ticket lobby roughly an hour before game time. This, too, is an exclusive event for enrolled PPC members.

Teddy Bear Toss on December 9 – As we enter the holiday season, Gopher Women's Hockey and the Power Play Club encourage you to pick up a teddy bear (or two, or three...) for the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by White Bear Mitsubishi! Bring a new stuffed animal in a bag to the game on Saturday, December 9, against Wisconsin, and you'll have an opportunity to toss it onto the ice during the intermission. All bears tossed will be donated to the Masonic Children's Hospital.

Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 6 at 9:45 a.m. – Join us early in the new year as we welcome University of Connecticut women's hockey head coach Chris MacKenzie (pictured) and our own Brad Frost. We look forward to hearing from Coach MacKenzie about playing in an eastern conference and battling for a league title & an NCAA Tournament berth. The brunch location is still being finalized, but tickets will be $30 per person and registration will open next week.

Enroll in the Power Play Club for 2023-2024!!

With our Chalk Talk & Tour of Ridder events approaching, we want you to join us in supporting the Gopher Women's Hockey team as a member of the Power Play Club!

This is your last opportunity to sponsor a player’s or coach’s locker for the season with a minimum of $600 donation. A plaque with your name will be affixed to a player's or coach's locker and you'll receive an invitation to our January event where we'll get a photo of you with that player or coach and have a pregame meal with the team. If you wish to sponsor a locker, please contact Rennie McPherson as soon as possible (and before donating) at susanmcp58@gmail.com.

Registration also remains open for our basic membership tier, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address and requires a minimum donation of $50. Online registration is preferred at bit.ly/GWH_PPC_2324; 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".

Goals for a Goal: Gophers increase total to 41 with 13 on PP

The Gopher Women's Hockey team has scored 41 goals in its first eleven games, with 13 of those coming on the power play! You can help us convert those goals into donations back to the team by registering for the Goals for a Goal program. Pledge a dollar amount for every goal the Gophers score during the regular season and postseason, with the option to double your pledge for power play goals.

Goals for a Goal pledges can be submitted electronically through this online form.

Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!

D1 In DC Showcase - MedStar Capitals Iceplex – Arlington, Virginia

Friday, November 24
#4 Minnesota (9-2-0) vs. Harvard (1-8-1) – 1 pm ET / Noon CT
St. Thomas (5-10-0) vs. #8 Cornell (10-2-1) – 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT

Saturday, November 25
St. Thomas Tommies vs. Harvard Crimson – 1 pm ET / Noon CT
Minnesota Gophers vs. Cornell Big Red – 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT

Following a big rivalry series sweep, the Minnesota Women's Hockey team heads east one more time in the regular season. They and the St. Thomas Tommies will spend Thanksgiving weekend in the greater Washington, DC area and will each face the Harvard University Crimson & Cornell University Big Red of the ECAC in the D1 In DC Showcase at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia. Action starts Friday, November 24, with the Gophers facing the Crimson at 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT, followed by the Tommies and Big Red at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT. Pairings will switch on Saturday, November 25, with the Tommies taking on the Crimson at 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT and a top-ten matchup between the Gophers and Big Red at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT.

Ticket information – Tickets for the entire showcase or for single days – Friday or Saturday – are available through the Washington Pride Youth Hockey Association here.

Game coverage – Due to the neutral site location of the showcase, no video is expected this coming weekend. That said, free audio play-by-play for Minnesota's games will be available on GopherSports.com for both Friday against Harvard and Saturday vs. Cornell, starting 15 to 20 minutes before each contest.

Last time against Harvard – The Gophers and Crimson met Thanksgiving weekend four years ago in the Country Classic showcase in Nashville. Sarah Potomak lit the lamp twice, Alex Woken & Abigail Boreen also scored, and Sydney Scobee posted a 21-save shutout for a 4-0 Minnesota victory. Lindsay Reed stopped 39 shots for Harvard.

Analyzing the Crimson – Under new head coach Laura Bellamy, a Harvard alumna, the Crimson started with a 0-8-1 record, all in ECAC conference play, and were outscored 39-13 over those nine games. They earned their first victory of the season a week ago in non-conference action (more on that momentarily).

Senior Shannon Hollands (#22) leads Harvard in total scoring with six points on 2 goals & 4 assists. Junior Gabi Davidson Adams (#26) is their goal leader but only with three; she also has two assists for 5 points. First-year player Zoe Boosamra (#12) also has five points on a goal & 4 assists, and is the Crimson's plus-minus leader at +5.

Junior goaltender Alex Pellicci (#27) has started all 10 games this season, posting a 3.92 goals-against average and .879 save percentage. Fellow junior Daisy Boynton (#30) has made 3 relief appearances for nearly 78 minutes of combined action; she's stopped 39 of 45 shots for a 4.63 GAA and .867 SV%. Sophomore Emily Davidson (#31) has not seen any action so far this year.

Last action for Harvard – As mentioned above, the Crimson earned their first victory of the season last Tuesday night (November 14) against cross-town opponent Boston University, 3-1. Kayley Crawford & Gabi Davidson Adams each recorded a goal and an assist as they built a 3-0 lead. Alex Pellicci stopped 30 of 31 shots to earn the win.

Last time against Cornell – The Gophers and Big Red last squared off in the 2019 NCAA Semifinals in Hamden, CT. Nicole Schammel scored on a second-period power play, Sarah Potomak tacked on an empty-netter, and Alex Gulstene posted a 15-save shutout for a 2-0 Minnesota win. Marlene Boissonnault stopped 25 shots for Cornell.

Analyzing the Big Red – Cornell got off to a program-best 10-0-1 record this season, earning a #6 ranking in both national polls last week, but suffered their first two losses of the year this past weekend (more on those shortly). Their 6-2-0 mark in ECAC conference play has them third in the league standings, and they've outscored all opponents by a combined 52-22.

Senior Izzy Daniel (#22) – a Minnesota native and Blake School alumna – has already surpassed the 30-point mark with 12 goals & 19 assists, leading Cornell in all three scoring categories. Another Blake alumna, junior Lily Delianedis (#21), has 8 goals and 9 assists for 17 points. Fellow junior Katie Chan (#26) also has 17 points on 7 goals & 10 assists.

The Big Red have turned to freshman Annelies Bergmann (#43) to be their primary goaltender; she's 7-2-1 in her 10 starts with a a 1.70 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Senior Deanna Fraser (#1) is a perfect 3-0-0 in the games she's started, earning one shutout with a 1.34 GAA and .926 SV%. Juniors Brynn DuLac (#31) and Belle Mende (#48) have yet to play this season.

Last action for Cornell – Hosting a pair of ranked opponents, the Big Red fell to then-#9 Quinnipiac, 3-1, on Friday and to #13 Princeton, 4-3, on Saturday, despite outshooting both. Cornell trailed the Bobcats 2-0 after two periods before Kaitlin Jockims scored short-handed to make it a 2-1 game; unfortunately they got no closer and Quinnipiac added an empty-netter. Jockims also netted the opening goal against the Tigers, but the teams battled to a 3-3 tie midway through the third period before Sarah Paul lit the lamp for Princeton with 6:37 to play. Annelies Bergmann made a combined 30 saves for Cornell and Izzy Daniel dished out 3 assists.

Gophers earn road sweep of Minnesota Duluth

Minnesota collected all six WCHA standings points with back-to-back 3-1 victories over UMD, never trailing in the weekend series at AMSOIL Arena. While the Bulldogs took a 14-4 shots-on-goal advantage after the first 20 minutes of the opener, the game remained scoreless. However, Abbey Murphy buried a one-timer on a second-period power play. Hanna Baskin evened the score for the Bulldogs 9:13 into the third period, but Taylor Stewart – in her first game in Duluth since transferring from UMD to the Gophers – lit the lamp less than two minutes later to restore the lead, Peyton Hemp added an empty-netter, and Skylar Vetter stopped 32 of 33 shots for the win. After another scoreless first period in the rematch, Ella Huber completed a nice passing play from Murphy & Josefin Bouveng to again put Minnesota ahead. Later in the period, Murphy got free on a short-handed breakaway; her first shot was stopped, but she collected the rebound, spun, and scored for a 2-0 lead. Gabby Krause pulled the Bulldogs within one in the third stanza, but Hemp netted the Gophers' second shorty of the game 47 seconds later for the final margin and Lucy Morgan made 28 saves on 29 shots. Bouveng & Audrey Wethington each dished out two assists in the series. UMD netminder Ève Gascon recorded a combined 62 saves in the two contests.

Around the WCHA

MSU coach Harrington takes medical leave – Minnesota State University announced yesterday that women's hockey head coach John Harrington is taking a leave of absence to undergo hip surgery. We send him best wishes for a successful procedure and speedy recovery. In the interim, MSU alumna and long-time Mavericks assistant coach Shari (Vogt) Dickerson was named Associate Head Coach and Acting Head Coach while Harrington is away.

Beavers and Mavericks exchange overtime victories – Meanwhile, Bemidji State and Minnesota State each earned their first victory in conference play this season, coming against each other in overtime as the Beavers won 3-2 on Friday and the Mavericks took Saturday's game, also 3-2. Jamie Nelson lit the lamp twice for MSU in the opener to erase a 2-0 deficit and force OT, but BSU's Taylor Nelson scored 14 seconds into the extra period for the victory. Each team held a one-goal lead in regulation of Saturday's contest before Jamie Nelson netted her third goal of the series for the Mavericks 40 seconds into overtime. For the Beavers, Hailey Armstrong recorded goals in each game and Khloe Lund added a goal & two assists.

Buckeyes sweep Badgers in Columbus – Ohio State forward Jenn Gardiner lit the lamp 3 times, twice on the power play, Hannah Bilka netted an overtime gamewinner with an assist to Gardiner, and OSU goaltenders Raygan Kirk & Amanda Thiele stopped a combined 40 of 41 shots to sweep Wisconsin, 3-0 and 2-1 (OT), taking 5 of 6 points in the WCHA standings. Kirk posted the 19-save shutout on Friday. Cassie Hall scored the Badgers' lone goal, and Jane Gervais & Ava McNaughton combined for 59 saves.

Huskies shut out Tommies in home-and-home series – St. Cloud State goaltenders Sanni Ahola & Jojo Chobak needed only a combined 28 saves to earn a pair of shutouts of St. Thomas, 1-0 and 2-0. Avery Myers, Maddy Peterson, and Emma Gentry lit the lamp for SCSU. UST netminders Calla Frank and Olivia King stopped 70 of 73 shots in the series.

Upcoming games – The slate of holiday weekend contests features non-conference action. In a pair of Friday-Saturday series, Ohio State will host St. Lawrence and Minnesota Duluth will host Colgate. Minnesota State will play in the Smashville Showcase, facing Robert Morris on Saturday and Boston University on Sunday. Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, and Wisconsin are idle.

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 17, 2023

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Friday, November 17, 2023

Power Play Club

November 17, 2023

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit
Friday, November 17th

GWH Game Day – #4 Minnesota at #8 Minnesota Duluth
Puck drop at 6:00 p.m. at AMSOIL Arena

We hope many of you will be making the trip to the North Shore later today as the Gopher Women's Hockey team faces the rival Univ. of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs this evening, scheduled for a 6 p.m. start at AMSOIL Arena.

Video of today's game will be streamed on the B1G+ subscription service. Free, live audio is available on GopherSports.com, while live statistics are available here. Links for all Gopher Women's Hockey games, including tomorrow's rematch at 3 p.m., are available on the team's schedule page.

Pregame gathering in Duluth – Join us for a time of socializing before tonight's game at the 310 Pub in Canal Park (310 S. Lake Avenue). We'll see you there!!

Go Gophers!! Beat the Bulldogs!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Give to the Max Day donations plus match pass $20K mark

We send a very hearty and gracious thank you to everyone who contributed to our Give to the Max Day fundraiser yesterday. Our GTMD objective for full matching and the extended goal were both reached in the mid-afternoon, and as of 8:30 p.m. last night we had raised (including the match) over $20,000 !!

Goals for a Goal update

Our fundraising efforts for the 2023-2024 Gopher Women's Hockey season continue in the Goals for a Goal campaign. As with our Give to the Max Day effort, funds raised go into the Women's Hockey Enhancement Fund to support Ridder Arena improvements and expenses beyond the team's normal operating budget.

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! In their first 9 games, the team lit the lamp 35 times with twelve (12) of those coming on the power play.

Goals for a Goal pledges can be submitted online. After the postseason, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. All contributions are tax-deductible donations.

D1 In DC Showcase coming up next weekend (Nov. 24 & 25)

As we noted previously, some of the donations from yesterday's Give to the Max Day campaign will be used to support the team as they head to the greater Washington, D.C. region for the D1 In DC Showcase. The Gophers and St. Thomas Tommies from the WCHA will each play games against ECAC teams Harvard and Cornell at the Medstar Capitals Iceplex in Alexandria, VA on November 24 & 25.

Tickets for the entire showcase or for single days – Friday or Saturday – are available through the Washington Pride Youth Hockey Association here.

Watch for our preview of the games in next week's Penalty Box Post.

Another signing expands GWH 2024-2025 freshman class to six

Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced the team's sixth signing for the incoming freshman class of 2024-2025 as goaltender Hannah Clark (Oshawa, ON / Etobicoke Junior Dolphins) was named yesterday on Facebook and X/Twitter.

Clark will join Kendra Distad (F - Burnsville, MN), Gracie Graham (D - Kelowna, BC), Carly Humphrey (D - Elk River, MN), Kate Kosobud (D - Moorhead, MN), and Ayla Puppe (F - Northfield, MN) next fall in Maroon & Gold.

We pass along our warmest greetings to Hannah and look forward to seeing all the new freshmen at Ridder Arena next season!!

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 16, 2023

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Thursday, November 16, 2023

Power Play Club

November 16, 2023

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Thursday, November 16th

TODAY is Give to the Max Day! Help us raise funds for Gopher Women's Hockey!!

We kindly ask your help in raising $10,000 for the Gopher Women's Hockey program. The Power Play Club board and volunteers have pledged to match the first $7,500 of donations made today – Thursday, November 16 – dollar for dollar.

Donate at bit.ly/GWH_GTMD2023.

Watch a video featuring Coach Brad Frost!

Funds raised will go to support Ridder Arena updates – such as Olympian wall & “Gophers on the World Stage" display on the concourse and newly redesigned displays in the lower level outside the team's locker room – plus other expenses beyond the team's normal operating budget – such as extra travel costs for next week's D1 In DC Showcase.

Additionally, all donations made through 11:59 p.m. this evening will earn double Gopher Score loyalty program points by the U. of M. Intercollegiate Athletics Department.

Donations made on Give to the Max Day plus those for PPC membership
and Goals for a Goal are 100% tax-deductible!!

Fifth Minnesota 2024-2025 freshman signing announced

Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced yesterday via X/Twitter and Facebook that defender Gracie Graham (Kelowna, BC / Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna) has signed to become the fifth member of the team's freshman class of 2024-2025. Graham joins earlier signees Kendra Distad (F - Burnsville, MN), Carly Humphrey (D - Elk River, MN), Kate Kosobud (D - Moorhead, MN), and Ayla Puppe (F - Northfield, MN).

We pass along our warmest greetings to Gracie and look forward to seeing all five players represent the University of Minnesota next fall!!

GWH alumna Darwitz named to WCHA 25th Anniversary Team

We also send congratulations to Gopher Women's Hockey alumna and program all-time points-per-game leader Natalie Darwitz upon being named to the WCHA's 25th Anniversary Top 25 yesterday (Wednesday, November 15). Darwitz was among the second group of five honorees, joined by Wisconsin's Sara Bauer & Jessie Vetter, Ohio State's Tessa Bonhomme, and UMD's Kim Martin Hasson. Darwitz also joins Krissy Wendell-Pohl as Gophers named to the Top 25.

Darwitz, playing three seasons for the Maroon & Gold from 2002-03 to 2004-05, tallied 246 total points (102g-144a) over her 99 career contests for an average of 2.48 points per game. Together with Wendell, she won back-to-back national championships, WCHA regular-season titles, and WCHA postseason crowns in 2004 and 2005, and both were the first three-time All-Americans in program history.

More names on the 25th Anniversary Top 25 Team are expected next month and throughout the rest of the current season.

Copyright © 2023 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

You can receive the Penalty Box Post newsletter via email by signing up here.

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

Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Paula Rice Biever

November 14, 2023

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Paula Rice Biever

November 14, 2023

The Penalty Box Post
Tuesday, November 14th

Help us raise $10,000 on Give to the Max Day for GWH!!

This Thursday, November 16, is Give to the Max Day. Help us raise $10,000 to support the Gopher Women's Hockey team!! The PPC board and volunteers have pledged to match the first $7,500 in donations!!

Donate here
Video: Hear from GWH head coach Brad Frost

Once again, the donation site is open! All gifts between now and 11:59 p.m. CT on Thursday will count toward the match. Additionally, Gopher Athletics is also doubling Gopher Score points for these gifts.

Funds raised will go to support...

Ridder Arena updates, such as the redesigned displays in the lower level outside the Gopher locker room.
Other expenses beyond the team's normal operating budget, such as extra travel costs for the D1 In DC Showcase later this month.

Many thanks for your consideration of this program, especially to those who have already donated!!

Pregame gathering in Duluth on Friday

Making the trip to Duluth this weekend? Join us for a time of socializing before Friday's game at the 310 Pub in Canal Park (310 S. Lake Avenue). Arrive at your leisure, and we hope to see many of you there!!

#4/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-2-0, 5-2-0 WCHA)
vs. #8/7 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (8-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA)
Friday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 18 at 3:00 p.m.
AMSOIL Arena – Duluth

It's a rivalry week for the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they head north on I-35 to take on the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. The national top-ten matchup starts this Friday, November 17, at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, November 18, at 3:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Video from both games will be streamed on the B1G+ subscription service. As always, free audio play-by-play is available on GopherSports.com for both Friday and Saturday, starting roughly 20 minutes before each contest.

Last season against Minnesota Duluth – The Gophers faced the Bulldogs five times in 2022-2023 and came away with a 5-0-0 record in those contests, sweeping last November's series at Ridder Arena 3-2 (OT) & 5-3, winning 3-1 & 4-3 in Duluth in January, and shutting out UMD in the NCAA Quarterfinals 3-0 in Minneapolis in March. Grace Zumwinkle was an assist machine, dishing out 6 helpers across the five meetings. Catie Skaja lit the lamp 4 times and added an assist, while Abbey Murphy also found the back of the net 4 times. Taylor Heise & Madeline Wethington each tallied a goal & 3 assists, while Abigail Boreen, Josefin Bouveng & Peyton Hemp added two goals and an assist apiece. Between the pipes, Skylar Vetter averaged 1.80 goals against, 27 saves per game, and a .938 save percentage. Mannon McMahon scored twice with an assist for the Bulldogs, while Nina Jobst-Smith added a goal & two helpers, Hanna Baskin & Ashton Bell each dished out 3 assists, and Gabby Krause lit the lamp twice. UMD netminder Emma Söderberg started all five games, posting a 3.87 GAA and .879 SV%, while Hailey MacLeod stopped all 15 shots she faced in a 28-minute relief appearance.

Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth has a couple of notable similarities to the Gophers: seeing 9 fifth-year players from last year's team depart but having their only two losses so far this season come at the hands of Ohio State. The 'Dogs are looking for a return to the NCAA Frozen Four after finishing as national runner-up in 2022 but falling to the Gophers in last year's quarterfinal.

Current grad student Mannon McMahon has taken the reins as UMD's leading scorer; she has 13 points on 7 goals & 6 assists this year after tallying 29 points (10g, 19a) last season. Former Bemidji State Beaver Reece Hunt (#29) has joined the Bulldogs as a grad transfer and also has 13 points on 6 goals & 7 assists. Seniors Clara Van Wieren (#25) & Olivia Wallin (#14) are third and fourth in scoring; Van Wieren has 6 goals & 5 assists, while Wallin – a transfer after three years at Penn State – has 3 goals and 6 assists.

A big question for Minnesota Duluth entering 2023-2024 was their goaltending situation after the graduation of Sweden National Team member Emma Söderberg. The answer has been the tandem of sophomore Hailey MacLeod (#35) and freshman Ève Gascon (#1). While mostly splitting time, Gascon got both starts against Ohio State, resulting in a 4-2-0 record; three of her four wins have been by shutout, giving her a .958 save percentage and a 1.17 goals-against average. MacLeod is a perfect 4-0-0 this year with one shutout, yielding only 3 goals for a .962 SV% and 0.75 GAA, and she has not suffered a loss in collegiate play after posting a 5-0-1 record in her six starts last year. UMD's third netminder, freshman Anna Byczek (#31), has yet to see any official action.

Last action for Minnesota Duluth – Hosting St. Thomas two weekends ago, Reece Hunt scored twice Friday and dished out 3 assists on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs to 3-1 & 4-0 victories and the series sweep. Mannon McMahon lit the lamp in both games and Olivia Wallin added a goal & two assists. Hailey MacLeod stopped 23 of 24 shots on Friday, and Ève Gascon stopped all 26 shots she faced on Saturday.

Looking ahead: Teddy Bear Toss – Saturday, December 9

Getting ready for some holiday shopping? Gopher Women's Hockey and the Power Play Club encourage you to pick up a teddy bear (or two, or three...) for the annual Teddy Bear Toss presented by White Bear Mitsubishi! Bring a new stuffed animal in a bag to the game on Saturday, December 9, against Wisconsin, and you'll have an opportunity to toss it onto the ice during the intermission. All bears tossed will be donated to the Masonic Children's Hospital.

Rivalry Series: Team USA takes 2-0 series lead with Saturday win

Hannah Bilka's second-period goal gave the U.S. Women's National Team a 3-1 lead in Game Two of the 2023-2024 Rivalry Series this past Saturday in Los Angeles and proved to be the game-winning tally as the Americans won 5-2 to sweep the November portion of the series (after a 3-1 win in Game One).

Gopher Abbey Murphy assisted on an insurance goal by Gabbie Hughes and Minnesota alumna Taylor Heise assisted on a second Hughes goal. For the week, Heise (1g, 1a) and Murphy (2a) each recorded two points.

Alex Carpenter opened the scoring for Team USA but Laura Stacey evened the contest for the Canadians. Britta Curl capitalized on a turnover to light the lamp unassisted before Bilka's goal. Jamie Lee Rattray pulled Team Canada back within one before Hughes put things away. Nicole Hensley made 23 saves for the Americans, while Kristen Campbell stopped 19 shots for Canada.

The Rivalry Series will resume with a pair of games in Ontario on December 14 & 16. Tickets for those games – plus Games 5 & 6 in Saskatchewan in February – are available here.

Around the WCHA...

St. Thomas tops Minnesota State in Hall of Fame Game – Something had to give as the Tommies and Mavericks entered the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic on matching 8-game losing streaks. Shelbi Guttormson put MSU up 1-0 after 20 minutes, but Ellah Hause & Ella Boerger lit the lamp for UST in the second period, Rylee Bartz tallied a pair of power-play goals in the third, and Calla Frank stopped 21 of 22 shots against her former team to end the Tommies' skid with a 4-1 victory. Lauren Barbro made 25 saves for the Mavericks. We provide a reminder that this game counted in overall records but not the conference standings.

Upcoming games – All eight WCHA teams are back in conference action on Friday and Saturday. Most notably, top-ranked Wisconsin will visit #2 Ohio State in Columbus. Elsewhere, St. Cloud State & St. Thomas will play a home-and-home series starting in Mendota Heights, while Bemijdi State hosts Minnesota State.

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Follow the Gopher women's hockey team and all Univ. of Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics at gophersports.com. You can also find the Gopher women's hockey team on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GopherWomensHockey and on Twitter/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 14, 2023

The Penalty Box Post - Thursday, November 9, 2023

Power Play Club

November 14, 2023

The Penalty Box Post
Thursday, November 9th

Goals for a Goal 2023-2024: Make Your Pledge Today!

Through its first 9 games, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has recorded 35 goals, including converting 12 power-play opportunities. Help us support the squad through our Goals for a Goal program, pledging to convert each goal scored throughout the regular season and postseason into a donation for the program, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies.

Goals for a Goal pledges can be submitted electronically through this online form. After the postseason, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. All contributions are tax-deductible donations to the Golden Gopher Fund. Thanks, and GO GOPHERS!!

Looking ahead... Schedule change vs. St. Thomas (Feb. 3, 2024)

Fox 9+ will be televising the Gophers' home game against St. Thomas at Ridder Arena on Saturday, February 3. As a result, the start time of that game has been pushed back to 4:30 p.m. You can find the updated GWH schedule here.

Recap: Gophers sweep home-and-home series vs. MN State

The Gopher Women's Hockey team found itself down a goal in both games of its home-and-home series against Minnesota State Univerity, as Whitney Tuttle scored early for the Mavericks on Friday at Ridder Arena and Lauren Zawoyski netted her first collegiate goal Saturday in Mankato. However, those were the only blemishes allowed by Gopher netminders Lucy Morgan and Skylar Vetter.

After Tuttle's goal just 1:11 into the weekend opener, Abbey Murphy ripped home a power-play goal in the second period to knot the score, Nelli Laitinen lit the lamp on a blue-line bomb in the third, Ava Lindsay added a power-play insurance tally, and Morgan finished with 33 saves for a 3-1 win.

Moving to the Mayo Clinic Health System Events Center for the rematch, Emma Kreisz netted the second goal of her career to draw the Gophers even, Madison Kaiser put away her own rebound to take the lead with 6:14 to play, and Vetter stopped 20 shots in total to give the Maroon & Gold a 2-1 victory and complete the series sweep.

Laitinen, Lindsay, and Kreisz finished with two points apiece in the series, each adding an assist to their respective goals.

Next up: The Gophers will head up I-35 to face Minnesota Duluth at AMSOIL Arena on November 17 at 6:00 p.m. and November 18 at 3:00 p.m.

Minnesota announces signings of four 2024-2025 freshmen

Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced yesterday via X/Twitter and Facebook that forwards Ayla Puppe (Northfield, MN; Northfield HS) & Kendra Distad (Burnsville, MN; Minnetonka HS) and defenders Kate Kosobud (Moorhead, MN; Moorhead HS) & Carly Humphrey (Elk River, MN; Elk River HS) have signed to become the members of the team's freshman class of 2024-2025.

We pass along our warmest greetings, and look forward to seeing Ayla, Kendra, Kate & Carly wearing the Maroon and Gold next fall!!

GWH alumna Emily Brown signs deal with PWHL Boston

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Emily Brown signed a one-year contract with PWHL Boston, as announced by the team on X (formerly Twitter) and reported by The Hockey News this past Monday, November 6.

Brown is the sixth Gopher to sign a PWHL contract and will join Hannah Brandt in Boston. Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek, Taylor Heise, and Grace Zumwinkle have all signed with PWHL Minnesota. Congratulations, Emily!!

Rivalry Series, Game 1: Heise nets gamewinner for Team USA

Taylor Heise lit the lamp 3:28 into the third period to give the U.S. Women's National Team a 2-1 lead over Canada in the first game of the 2023-2024 Rivalry Series last night in Tempe, Arizona. That goal proved to be the game-winning tally as the Americans took a 1-0 series lead with a 3-1 victory.

Abbey Murphy recorded an assist as Hilary Knight opened the scoring for the U.S. in the first period, but Brianne Jenner evened things up for Canada in the second stanza. Alex Carpenter added an insurance goal for the Americans with 2 minutes to play. Unofficially, Aerin Frankel made 35 saves for Team USA while Emerance Maschmeyer stopped 24 shots for the Canadians.

Game 2 of the Rivalry Series is set for this Saturday, November 11, at 3 p.m. CT, with television coverage on the NHL Network.

Around the WCHA...

Wisconsin still perfect after sweeping St. Cloud State – Kirsten Simms recorded two goals & three assists, Layla Edwards tallied two goals & two assists, and Casey O'Brien added a goal & three helpers to lead the Badgers to 4-2 and 5-2 road wins over the Huskies. Alice Sauriol lit the lamp in both games for SCSU.

Minnesota Duluth sweeps visiting St. Thomas – Reece Hunt scored twice Friday and dished out 3 assists on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs to 3-1 & 4-0 victories over the Tommies. Mannon McMahon lit the lamp in both games, Olivia Wallin added a goal & two assists, and Ève Gascon stopped all 26 shots she faced in Saturday's contest. Allie Monrean netted the lone goal for UST.

Buckeyes rout Beavers in Bemidji – Ohio State started their weekend road series against Bemidji State with three goals in the first two minutes, then continued to roll to 9-1 and 5-0 victories. After the early blitz, OSU's Joy Dunne netted a hat trick plus an assist on Friday, then added another goal and a helper on Saturday for a 6-point weekend. Kiara Zanon recorded two goals and two assists in the series, Sloane Matthews lit the lamp twice, and Emma Peschel tallied a goal and three assists. Kayla Santl scored the lone goal for BSU, but they were outshot 95-24.

TONIGHT , November 9th – St. Thomas faces Minnesota State in the 2023 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic, being played this year at the Maple Grove Ice Arena at 7 p.m. The game is an extra meeting between the Tommies and Mavericks and will count in their overall records but not the conference standings.

The other six WCHA teams, including the Gophers, are idle this week and will resume play on November 17.

Power Play Club

November 6, 2023

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Monday, November 6, 2023

Power Play Club

November 6, 2023

The Two-Minute Minor
An edition of the Penalty Box Post
Monday, November 6th

Reminder: Give to the Max Day – Thursday, November 16

We provide a reminder that Give to the Max Day, the annual day of giving to non-profit organizations throughout the state of Minnesota, is scheduled this year for Thursday, November 16. The Power Play Club will again be participating in this event, and the club's Board of Directors has already pledged to match the first $10,000 in donations made that day.

Watch for more details coming soon. Thank you for your consideration of this program.

Donations made on Give to the Max Day plus those for PPC membership and Goals for a Goal are 100% tax-deductible!!

2023-2024 USA-Canada Rivalry Series begins this week with Murphy, three Gopher alumnae on Team USA roster

The 2023-2024 Rivalry Series between the U.S. and Canada Women's National Hockey Teams begins this week with games Wednesday, November 8, at 7:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. CT at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, and Saturday, November 11, at 1 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. CT at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Both contests will be televised live on NHL Network.

Team USA will feature a quartet of Minnesota Women's Hockey representatives as current Gopher assistant captain & junior forward Abbey Murphy and alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle were named to the roster on October 12. Hockey Canada announced its roster yesterday (November 5).

We also provide a reminder that the Rivalry Series is set to conclude at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Sunday, February 11, at 1 p.m. CT.

Tickets for this week's games plus the contest in St. Paul are available through USA Hockey's Rivalry Series page. Canada is set to host four games in the series, with two in Ontario in December and two in Saskatchewan earlier in February; tickets for those contests can be purchased through Hockey Canada's site.

We again send wishes of good luck to Abbey, Taylor, Kelly & Grace!!

GWH alums Zumwinkle, Brandt sign PWHL contracts

Grace Zumwinkle – the second Gopher Women's Hockey alumna selected in the inaugural Professional Women's Hockey League draft – has come to terms on a three-year contract with PWHL Minnesota, as announced by the team on X (formerly Twitter) and reported by The Hockey News last Wednesday, November 1. Meanwhile, Hannah Brandt, the third Gopher selected in the draft, signed a one-year deal with PWHL Boston this past Friday, November 3 (additional reporting here).

Zumwinkle & Brandt join fellow former Gophers Lee Stecklein (MIN), Kelly Pannek (MIN), and Taylor Heise (MIN) as PWHL signees. Congratulations, Grace and Hannah!!