Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Saturday, July 20, 2024

All-American defender Sydney Morrow transfers to Gophers

Gopher Women's Hockey and head coach Brad Frost announced yesterday (July 19) the signing of 2023-2024 Second Team All-American defender Sydney Morrow as a transfer to the team for the 2024-2025 season.  The Darien, CT, native will join Minnesota's roster as a junior.

Playing last season at Colgate University, Morrow collected several awards for her on-ice performance.  Her 13 goals & 26 assists earned her selection to the All-ECAC Second Team & ECAC All-Tournament Team.  She was also honored as ECAC Defender of the Month in December 2023 and was a three-time ECAC Defender of the Week.  Off the ice, Morrow earned ECAC Hockey All-Academic honors for her work in the classroom.

Morrow played for Ohio State in 2022-2023, tallying 3 goals and 5 assists.  Prior to college, she skated at Shattuck St. Mary; her 89 points in her senior year were a new school record for most in a season by a defender.

Morrow becomes the tenth player making her Gopher debut in 2024-2025, joining fellow transfers Krista Parkkonen & Natálie Mlýnková and incoming freshmen Hannah Clark, Kendra Distad, Gracie Graham, Carly Humphrey, Kate Kosobud, Ayla Puppe & Chloe Primerano.

Welcome Sydney!!  We look forward to seeing you in Maroon & Gold this fall!!

Gophers to face Bemidji State in U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game
Women's Face-Off Classic scheduled for Jan. 1st at 5 p.m. in Lakeville

The Gopher Women's Hockey team also announced Thursday that it has been selected to play in the 2025 U.S. Hockey of Fame Museum Women's Face-off Classic, being held Wednesday, January 1st, 2025 at 5 p.m. at Lakeville Hasse Arena in Lakeville.  Minnesota will face the Bemidji State University Beavers.

The game will be the Gophers' seventh all-time U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic appearance.  They have a 5-1 record in their previous six Face-Off Classic contests.

Additional event details including ticket information will be announced at a later date.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Madeline Wethington named First Team Academic All-American

Following being honored last month as an Academic All-District At-Large Team member, an AHCA 'Krampade All-American Scholar', a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and posting a perfect 4.0 GPA for the school year, 2023-2024 Gopher Women's Hockey alternate captain Madeline Wethington was named a Women's Division I At-Large First Team Academic All-American yesterday by the College Sports Communicators.

Congratulations, Madeline, on this great honor!!  We send best wishes on the ice next season with PWHL Ottawa as well as in your next endeavor off the ice!!

Six Gophers headed to USA Hockey's Women's National Festival

 We send even more congratulations to Madeline Wethington, her 2023-2024 GWH teammates Peyton Hemp & Ella Huber, and Minnesota alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle as the six received invitations to the 2024 USA Hockey Women's National Festival, being held August 4 through 11 in Lake Placid, New York.

In addition to the 75 Festival invitees who have been playing professionally or collegiately, another 76 players were invited to the Under-18 Select Player Development Camp, also being held in Lake Placid.  At the end of the two events, USA Hockey will select rosters for the U.S. Under-18 Select and U.S. Collegiate Select Teams, who will each face their Canadian counterparts in games on August 14, 15 & 17 at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario.  We'll share the Collegiate Select Team roster when it's announced and information on how to follow the team's games as it becomes available.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.
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.

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Gophers to face Bemidji State for Hockey Day Minnesota 2025
19th-annual outdoor event to be played at Valleyfair in Shakopee

 The Minnesota Wild, in conjunction with Bally Sports North, Minnesota Hockey and the Shakopee Local Organizing Committee, announced January 25, 2025, as the date for the 19th Annual Hockey Day Minnesota (HDM), presented by UnitedHealthcare, with Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee serving as the host site.  Additionally, game matchups were also announced and include the Gopher Women's Hockey team taking on the Bemidji State University Beavers.  The game will be televised on BSN, though the exact time of puck drop will be announced at a later date.

As noted in the press release from the U., Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 will mark the third outdoor game in GWH history.  In the 2014 Hockey City Classic, Minnesota shut out Minnesota State 4-0 at Huntington Bank Stadium.  Then, on Hockey Day Minnesota 2020, the Gophers tallied a 2-1 victory over Ohio State at Parade Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

Five 2023-2024 Gophers receive additional academic recognition

Following up on our Penalty Box Post from two weeks ago, we send additional congratulations to five members of the 2023-2024 Gopher Women's Hockey team upon receiving more accolades for their academic performance.

Allie Franco, Peyton Hemp, Maggie Nicholson, Audrey Wethington and Madeline Wethington were named among 122 U. of M. student-athletes recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars on Thursday, June 25.  Both Audrey and Madeline Wethington were honored as two of 28 to post perfect 4.0 GPAs for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Distinguished Scholar Award recipients must have earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition in the previous academic year, must have been enrolled full time at the institution for the entire previous academic year (two semesters or three quarters) and earned a minimum GPA of 3.70 or better during the previous academic year, excluding any summer grades.

We also provide a reminder than Madeline Wethington has been selected as a CSC Academic All-America® finalist, with the First-, Second- and Third-Team honorees scheduled to be announced next Tuesday, July 16.

Current & alumni Gophers in summer league action at Braemar

A handful of current & incoming Gopher Women's Hockey players and U. of M. alumnae are participating in a pair of summer leagues.

Da Beauty League will feature women's hockey action for the first time this year, holding one women's game to go along with two men's games each Wednesday night starting tonight (July 10) through August 28, plus Monday, August 26, at Braemar Arena in Edina.  Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.  For tonight's women's contest, Team Tradition Mortgage will include Gophers Ava Lindsay, Savannah Norcross, Kelly Pannek, Audrey Wethington, Madeline Wethington and Grace Zumwinkle, while Team Tradition Capital Bank features Abby Boreen, Emily Brown, Lee Stecklein, and Skylar Vetter.  The teams will play two 23-minute halves of 4-on-4 action, with a unique overtime detailed here.  Tickets are $15 for adults, with kids under 48" tall getting in free, and are available through tixr.com.  The league has also indicated that games will be streamed free on YouTube.

The Summer Celly League is already underway, also playing games at Braemar Arena through the rest of July.  The five-team league, comprised of current and incoming collegiate hockey players, includes Gophers Emma Conner, Kendra Distad, Allie Franco, Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, Carly Humphrey, Maddie Kaiser, Elly Klepinger, Ava Lindsay, Maggie Nicholson, Lauren O'Hara, and Ayla Puppe.  Contests are played as two 25-minute halves with the clock stopping at penalties and at the close of each half, and ties at the end of regulation will go directly to a single-player sudden-death shootout.  The third night of games is tomorrow, July 11, starting at 5:10 p.m., with the rest of the schedule here.  Admission is FREE, and games are also being streamed on the MNHockey.tv subscription service.

USA, Canada announce initial 2024-2025 Rivalry Series schedule

USA Hockey and Hockey Canada jointly announced yesterday their five-game schedule for the 2024-2025 Rivalry Series (USA Hockey link).  The teams will play three contests in November, meeting in San Jose, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Boise, ID.  Games 4 & 5 will be hosted by Canada in February in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

Ticket information for the November games can be found on USA Hockey's Rivalry Series page.  Details for the tickets for February's games are not yet available but will be posted on Hockey Canada's tickets page soon.

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Darwitz, Wendell-Pohl named Hockey Hall of Fame inductees

We send many congratulations to Minnesota Women's Hockey alumnae Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl following yesterday's announcement that they are two of the seven Class of 2024 inductees to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto!!

Darwitz's induction to the HHOF in Toronto follows her induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame last month.  In 55 combined games at the Olympics & World Championships, Darwitz scored 43 goals and dished out 40 assists for 83 points with Team USA.  Over her three-year, 99-game Gopher career, she tallied 246 points on 102 goals and 144 assists, enough to still be #1 in the U. of M. records for points-per-game & assists-per-game (with 2.48 & 1.45, respectively)

Across 39 combined Olympic and World Championship contests, Wendell-Pohl recorded 25 goals and 44 assists for 69 points, also with Team USA.  Playing 101 games in the Maroon & Gold, her 237 points on 106 goals and 131 assists put her second (behind Natalie) on the points-per-game & assists-per-game lists (with 2.35 & 1.30, respectively) and also second for goals-per-game (1.05, trailing Nadine Muzerall's 1.08).

The pair led the Gophers to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2003-2024 & 2004-2005.

The Hockey Hall of Fame will celebrate an “Induction Weekend” of events starting November 8 and concluding with the induction ceremony November 11 in Toronto.  More details will be posted to the 2024 Induction Celebration website.

Seven 2023-2024 Gophers recognized for academic excellence

Congratulations are also in order for seven members of the 2023-2024 Gopher Women's Hockey team who recently received accolades for their academic performance.

We first send a shout-out to Allie Franco, Lucy Morgan, Solveig Neunzert, Maggie Nicholson, Audrey Wethington and Madeline Wethington after they were named to the AHCA's eighth-annual Division I 'Krampade All-American Scholars' list on Monday, June 17.  To qualify, a student-athlete must have attained a 3.75 GPA for each semester, and had to appear in 40% of their team’s games (with exceptions granted for injuries and back-up goaltenders).

Peyton Hemp joined Madeline Wethington as two of ten U. of M. student-athletes named to the 2024 Academic All-District Men's & Women's At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicator and announced yesterday (June 25).  Among the qualifying criteria, undergraduate student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale), while graduate student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) as both an undergraduate and a grad student (unless they are in their first semester as a graduate student and don't have an established graduate GPA).  Additionally, Wethington has been selected as a CSC Academic All-America® finalist, advancing to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members; the NCAA and NAIA Women's At-Large Academic All-America® First-, Second- and Third-Team honorees will be announced on Tuesday, July 16.

PWHL: Gopher alums Brandt, Brown sign extensions with Boston

We also recognize Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Hannah Brandt and Emily Brown, who were among four players to sign contract extensions with PWHL Boston.  Brandt & Brown each received two-year extensions, keeping them with the current Walter Cup runners-up through the 2025-2026 season.

Both were selected by Boston in the inaugural PWHL Draft last summer – Brandt in the 5th round (21st overall) and Brown in the 8th round (46th overall).  In the 2024 PWHL season (regular season and playoffs combined), Brandt tallied 12 points on 6 goals & 6 assists, while Brown added 6 points on a goal and 5 assists.

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

The Two-Minute Minor: An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Grace Zumwinkle is your 2024 PWHL Rookie of the Year
PWHL MN forward also named to All-Star Second Team & Rookie Team

We send our congratulations to Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Grace Zumwinkle, who was named the PWHL's Rookie of the Year yesterday following a stand-out first season with PWHL Minnesota.  Zumwinkle was also honored as a member of the league's Second All-Star Team and Rookie Team.  (Image courtesy of the PWHL)

Zumwinkle tied for seventh league-wide in regular-season scoring, leading Minnesota with 19 points on 11 goals & 8 assists while also posting a +6 plus-minus rating and converting on all three of her shootout attempts.  She added another goal during the PWHL playoffs.

Boreen, Kessel drafted by PWHL Montréal; Wethington to Ottawa

Coming off her partial season with league champions PWHL Minnesota while continuing her graduate studies at the U. of M., Gopher alumna Abigail Boreen will now head north of the border to Montréal, being selected 17th overall in the second round of Monday night's 2024 PWHL Draft.

Boreen tallied 4 goals & an assist in just 9 regular-season contests, and added another assist during the semifinal round against Toronto.

Recent GWH graduate Madeline Wethington had to wait until the seventh – and final – round of the draft to hear her name called.  She was selected 38th overall by PWHL Ottawa, becoming the first Gopher associated with that organization.

Wethington completed her collegiate career by hitting the 100-point mark in her final game, becoming the 7th blueliner in program history to reach the milestone, recording 27 goals & 73 assists.

Three picks later, Montréal used their final selection to choose collegiate and international stand-out Amanda Kessel 41st overall, continuing her comeback bid after taking a year off from competitive action.

Kessel is second all-time in Gopher scoring with 248 points on 108 goals & 140 assists.  Internationally, she has 59 career points (20g, 39a) over six IIHF World Championships with Team USA, and 15 points (6g, 9a) at three Olympic Winter Games.

Congratulations and good luck, Abby, Madeline, and Amanda!!

Darwitz, PWHL Minnesota part ways

 News broke last Friday, June 7, that PWHL Minnesota and Natalie Darwitz had parted ways, ending her tenure as the team's general manager nine days after the squad won the inaugural Walter Cup Championship and just three days before the league's draft.

The Power Play Club takes no position on this development, but we wish Natalie all the best in her next opportunity.  We also send our congratulations following her formal Class of 2024 induction into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame on May 26.

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Monday, June 3, 2024

PPC Board Meeting – tomorrow (Tuesday, June 4) at 7 p.m.

Here's one more reminder that the next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduled for tomorrow evening – Tuesday, June 4 – at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be held online on Zoom.  PPC board meetings are open to all enrolled club members; 2023-2024 registration will apply for all off-season meetings this summer.  If you are interested in attending, please contact club president Bill Johnson at billjohnson013@gmail.com or vice president Dave Malerich at dmalerich@yahoo.com.

Maura Crowell named new head coach of Dartmouth Big Green;
Laura Schuler to lead UMD Bulldogs as interim head coach

Maura Crowell was named as the new head coach of the Dartmouth College Big Green women's hockey team this past Friday, May 31, departing Minnesota Duluth after nine seasons as the Bulldogs' bench boss, as announced in separate statements by Dartmouth and UMD.

Crowell led the Bulldogs to five NCAA Tournaments (including the last four), advancing to the Frozen Four in both 2021 & 2022 and an NCAA runner-up finish in 2022.  Across her nine years in Duluth, she posted a 174-115-28 overall record (including post-season play) and a 121-84-23 mark in WCHA regular-season action.

Per the press release from UMD, director of athletics Forrest Karr said that the university will begin a national search for Crowell's replacement.

In the meantime, Minnesota Duluth associate head coach Laura Schuler will take over as the program's interim head coach.  Schuler previously served a head coach of the Canada National Women's Team in the 2015-2016 & 2016-2017 seasons and Canada's 2018 Olympic silver medal-winning squad; she also has prior collegiate head coaching experience at UMass Boston, Northeastern, and Dartmouth.  A Northeastern University alumna, she was a three-time Women's World Championship gold medalist as a player with Team Canada.  Schuler has been a member of UMD's coaching staff a combined 10 years over two stints (2008-2015, 2021-present).

Gophers → PWHL quick hits...

 We give one more shout-out to the Gopher Women's Hockey representatives with 2024 Walter Cup winner PWHL Minnesota: Amanda Leveille, Abby Boreen, Grace Zumwinkle, Taylor Heise, Lauren Bench, assistant coach Mira Jalosuo, Kelly Pannek, strength coach Cal Dietz, Lee Stecklein, and general manager Natalie Darwitz!!

Ian Kennedy at The Hockey News documented GWH alumna Abby Boreen's entry into the 2024 PWHL Draft despite having played portions of the recently-completed season with PWHL Minnesota.  As noted by Kennedy, [Boreen will] become the first player in major professional sports to win a championship, and then need to be drafted afterward to be able to continue playing in the league.

PWHL Draft ticket update – Ticket availability for the 2024 PWHL Draft, being held next Monday, June 10 at 6 p.m. at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, was postponed twice more.  As of the venue's website last night, tickets will be made available this afternoon, June 3, at 2 p.m. CT.

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Thursday, May 30, 2024

PWHL Minnesota wins inaugural Walter Cup Championship;

Gopher alumna Taylor Heise wins Kloss Award as playoff MVP


PWHL Minnesota claimed the inaugural Walter Cup Championship with a 3-0 victory in Game 5 of the Finals on the road against Boston. Nicole Hensley was named the game's MVP with a 17-save shutout performance, and Liz Schepers, Michela Cava, and team captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield (empty-net) lit the lamp. Mellissa Channell assisted on all three goals, and Gopher alumna Taylor Heise also dished out an assist. Aerin Frankel made 41 saves for Boston.

We send congratulations to all the Gopher Women's Hockey representatives with PWHL Minnesota: Heise, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, Grace Zumwinkle, Abby Boreen, reserve goaltenders Lauren Bench & Amanda Leveille, assistant coach Mira Jalosuo, and general manager Natalie Darwitz!!

We also send another shout-out to Gopher alums Hannah Brandt, Emily Brown, and Gigi Marvin on a great season and playoff run with PWHL Boston.

An additional round of congratulations goes to Heise on being named the inaugural winner of the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP Award!! She tallied a league-high 8 points in the post-season on 5 goals and 3 assists. Heise is pictured receiving the award from its namesake, Ilana Kloss, along with PWHL Board of Directors members Royce Cohen (left) and Stan Kasten (right).

PWHL Draft ticket availability postponed to today (May 30)

Event scheduled for Monday, June 10th at Roy Wilkins Auditorium

Updating the news we shared earlier this week, tickets for the 2024 PWHL Draft will be available to the public in limited quantities beginning today (Thursday, May 30) at 2:00 p.m. CT; the digital tickets will be required to attend. Fans can also purchase a PWHL Draft Premium Experience Upgrade for $125 (plus applicable fees and taxes). The seven-round, 42-player draft itself is being held on Monday evening, June 10, beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul.

We provide a reminder that Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Abby Boreen, Amanda Kessel, Lucy Morgan, Noora Räty, and Madeline Wethington were named in the list of 167 players who have been declared eligible for the draft, and we again send all five best wishes ahead of the event!!

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Five Gopher alumnae named to PWHL draft-eligible list
2024 PWHL Draft scheduled for Monday, June 10th in St. Paul

Five Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae were named Saturday in the list of 167 players who have been declared eligible for the 2024 PWHL Draft, being held on Monday evening, June 10, beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul.

As noted in our Two-Minute Minor email this past Friday (May 24), former Gopher great Amanda Kessel and recent GWH alumna Madeline Wethington were previously confirmed as draft-eligible.  Joining them on the list are forward Abigail Boreen and goaltenders Lucy Morgan & Noora Räty.

Boreen signed two 10-day contracts with PWHL Minnesota during the 2024 regular-season and also appearing in the Minnesota's league semifinal series against Toronto, recording 4 goals and 2 assists in 14 overall games.  As a Gopher, she tallied 125 points on 60 goals and 65 assists in 165 games over five seasons.

Morgan completed her collegiate play this past season with the Gophers, posting a 15-3-0 record with 3 shutouts, a 1.65 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage.  Over her NCAA career spanning 5 seasons, she posted a 57-46-22 record with 16 shutouts, a 1.94 GAA, and a .929 save percentage.

Räty remains the Gophers' all-time goaltending wins leader with 114, including a tie for the season record-high of 38 (set in 2012-2013); she also has program highs for shutouts (43) and saves (3,250), is 2nd in save percentage (.946), and 3rd in goals-against average (1.34).  She has played in several different leagues professionally since graduating, but is better known for her international play with the Finland National Team, winning two Olympic bronze medals and one silver & four bronze medals at the IIHF Women's World Championship, being named the World Championship Best Goaltender five times.

Per a separate press release from the PWHL, tickets for the draft are free and will be available to the public in limited quantities beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, May 29) at 2:00 p.m. CT; the digital tickets will be required to attend.  Fans can also purchase a PWHL Draft Premium Experience Upgrade for $125 (plus applicable fees and taxes).

We send all five Gopher alumnae best wishes ahead of the draft!!

PWHL Walter Cup Finals: Game 5 on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT
Series between Boston & Minnesota tied 2-2 after splitting Games 3 & 4

We again send best wishes to the seven Gopher alumnae on the active rosters of PWHL Boston and Minnesota – Hannah Brandt (BOS), Emily Brown (BOS), Taylor Heise (MIN), Gigi Marvin (BOS), Kelly Pannek (MIN), Lee Stecklein (MIN), and Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) – heading into tomorrow's (Wednesday, May 29) deciding Game 5 of the league's Walter Cup Finals.

Heise recorded a goal & an assist, Zumwinkle netted a short-handed empty-net goal, and Pannek tallied an assist as Minnesota won 4-1 in Game 3 to take a 2 games to 1 lead, but Boston avoided elimination with a 1-0 double-overtime victory in Game 4 as Alina Müller lit the lamp at the 18:36 mark of the second extra period.

Wednesday's Game 5 is set for 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, MA.  The game will be streamed on the PWHL's YouTube channel, and will be televised in the Twin Cities area on Bally Sports North Extra (tentative – may be moved to the primary Bally Sports North).

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, May 24, 2024

PPC Board of Directors Meeting – Tuesday, June 4 at 7 p.m.

 We provide a reminder that the next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be held online on Zoom.  PPC board meetings are open to all enrolled club members; 2023-2024 registration will apply for all off-season meetings this summer.  If you are interested in attending, please contact club president Bill Johnson at billjohnson013@gmail.com or vice president Dave Malerich at dmalerich@yahoo.com.

Gopher Women's Hockey announces 2024-2025 season schedule

 The Gopher Women's Hockey announced its 2024-2025 season schedule yesterday (accompanying press release here) as the program prepares for its 28th season of Division I varsity competition.

Similar to last year, the front-half of the season will feature only 6 home games.  Minnesota will begin the 2024-2025 campaign on the road against the Connecticut Huskies on September 27 & 28 before hosting Boston University for the home-opening series on October 4 & 6.  The last of the non-conference games will occur at the start of the second-half of the season when Penn State, Brown, and Bemidji State come to Minneapolis for an east-west showcase at Ridder Arena.  The schedule also features four home-and-home weekends, two against Minnesota State and two against St. Cloud State.

WCHA releases composite schedule of league games

Additionally, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association published its schedule of all 112 league games for the 2024-2025 season yesterday.  Defending WCHA regular-season and NCAA champion Ohio State will get things started early with back-to-back in-conference series, first at home against Minnesota Duluth September 21-22 and then on the road at Bemidji State September 27-28.

GWH alums Kessel, Wethington declare for 2024 PWHL Draft

After taking a year off from competitive action, it has now been confirmed that Minnesota Women's Hockey alumna and 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Amanda Kessel has declared herself eligible for the 2024 Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Draft.  As noted in reporting by Ian Kennedy at The Hockey News, Kessel (age 32) scored five points in six games for Team Adidas on the PWHPA's Dream Gap Tour in 2022-2023, and recorded nine points in seven games with Team USA at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship.  She spent this past year working for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins in a front office role.

Meanwhile, recent Gopher alumna Madeline Wethington has also declared for the draft.  She spoke about her upcoming plans with FOX 9's Dawn Mitchell on a recent episode of the Dawn Of Sports podcast.  Once again, Wethington was a three-time All-WCHA selection, playing in a program-high 173 career games and becoming the 7th GWH defender to score 100 career points.

Shout-outs...

We send a shout-out to the 2023-2024 Gopher Women's Hockey team on having another great semester in the classroom, posting a 3.56 grade-point average for the Spring 2024 term!! Great job, ladies!!

PWHL Finals: Boston vs. Minnesota – Series tied 1-1 (best of 5)

We also send a shout-out to the seven Gopher alumnae on the active rosters of PWHL Boston and Minnesota – Hannah Brandt (BOS), Emily Brown (BOS), Taylor Heise (MIN), Gigi Marvin (BOS), Kelly Pannek (MIN), Lee Stecklein (MIN), and Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) – as they compete in the league's Walter Cup Finals.

Heise tallied two goals and an assist, but Brandt also lit the lamp, Brown dished out two helpers, and Marvin also recorded an assist as Boston took Game 1 by a 4-3 score.  No Gophers earned any points in Game 2, but two goals from Sophie Jaques and a 20-save performance by Nicole Hensley gave Minnesota a 3-0 victory to knot the series at one game apiece.

Game 3 is tonight (Friday, 5/24) at 6 p.m. CT and Game 4 is Sunday (5/26) at 5 p.m. CT at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  Both games will be streamed on the PWHL's YouTube channel, and tomorrow's game will be televised in the Twin Cities area on Bally Sports North Extra.  (Sunday's game will be on BSN or BSN Extra, but which one is TBA.)

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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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.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Gophers Sign Transfers Mlýnková, Parkkonen for 2024-2025

The Gopher Women's Hockey team and head coach Brad Frost announced Monday the signing of transfers Natálie Mlýnková and Krista Parkkonen to the program for the 2024-2025 season.  Both come to Minnesota after previously playing for the University of Vermont Catamounts and representing their respective home countries at the 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship last month.

Mlýnková will become the first Gopher to hail from the Czech Republic, and is the reigning Hockey East Player of the Year after tallying 26 points on a league-best 15 goals and 11 assists in conference play.  Over her 104 career games at Vermont, she posted 48 goals and 49 assists for 97 points.  At the 2024 World Championship, her fifth with Team Czechia, she recorded 4 goals & 2 assists; since 2019, she has 15 goals & 6 assists in World Championship play.  She also tallied a goal at the 2022 Olympic Games after recording a goal & 3 assists in the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Parkkonen, a blueliner from Finland, recorded 20 points on 4 goals and 16 assists in 60 games over two seasons at Vermont and was named to the Hockey East All-Stars Second Team in 2023-2024.  Though she didn't score at the 2024 Women's Worlds, she tallied a combined 5 points (1g-4a) with Team Finland in the 2022 & 2023 tournaments.

The duo joins incoming freshmen Hannah Clark, Kendra Distad, Gracie Graham, Carly Humphrey, Kate Kosobud, Chloe Primerano and Ayla Puppe as the newest class of Gophers.  Welcome, Natálie and Krista!!

Grace Zumwinkle voted finalist for PWHL Rookie of the Year

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Grace Zumwinkle was one of three players named as finalists for the PWHL Rookie of the Year award, as voted on by an 18-member selection committee and announced yesterday.  She is joined by Emma Maltais and Alina Müller.  (Photo courtesy of the PWHL)

Zumwinkle leads PWHL Minnesota with 19 points.  Her 11 goals are second-most in the league and include the PWHL's first-ever hat trick (January 6 vs. Montreal).  She also finished second in the PWHL's regular-season with four game-winning goals and tied for first in both shorthanded tallies (2) and shootout goals (3).  Her two power-play conversions tied for first among rookies.

Winners of all PWHL Awards, presented by Woody Creek Distillers, will be announced in June.  Congratulations and good luck, Grace!!

Copyright © 2024 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/X at twitter.com/GopherWHockey.