The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, August 20, 2024

2024-2025 GWH Locker Sponsor selections due September 1

We provide a reminder that "pre-enrollment" for our Locker Sponsorship program is open, as we once again look forward to sponsoring the lockers of all 26 Gopher Women's Hockey players and raise funds for the program.  Each sponsorship requires a minimum donation of $600, for which a placard with the sponsor's name is placed on the player's locker and all sponsors are invited to a special event (this season scheduled for January 11).

This year, we ask that you send your top three (3) locker sponsorship preferences to Bob Milligan (milligandanes@gmail.com) by September 1; however, you will not receive an invoice for your donation from the Golden Gopher Fund until after November 1, 2024.  See the full GWH roster here.

 PPC Board of Directors Meeting – Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7 pm

The next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3 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.  This will be the last meeting before the start of the 2024-2025 season.  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.

Amanda Kessel named 2024 M Club Hall of Fame inductee,
will not play in PWHL after front office promotion from Penguins

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Amanda Kessel was named one of eight members of the Gopher Athletics M Club Hall of Fame Class of 2024 yesterday.

Kessel collected a number of honors over her collegiate career with the Gophers, including winning the 2013 Patty Kazmaier Award and three NCAA championships (2012, 2013 & 2016).  She was also a two-time All-American, 2013 WCHA Player of the Year, 2011 WCHA Rookie of the Year and 2012-2013 WCHA scoring champion.  Her 248 career points and 11 short-handed goals both remain second in the Gopher Women's Hockey records; she is also in the top 10 in several other scoring categories, and she is one of only three players (joining Natalie Darwitz & Krissy Wendell) to exceed the century mark for points in a season when she lit the lamp 46 times and dished out 55 assists in 2012-2013.

As a member of the USA Hockey program, Kessel was a three-time Olympian, winning gold in 2018 and recording 15 points (6g, 9a) in total.  Over seven IIHF Women's World Championships, Kessel recorded 59 career points (20g, 39a) and won four gold medals.  Professionally, Kessel played two seasons in the NWHL with the New York / Metropolitan Riveters and two years in the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).

However, despite making herself eligible for the 2024 PWHL Draft and being selected 41st overall in the seventh round by Montréal, Kessel will apparently not being playing in the upcoming season, per reporting yesterday by The Hockey News.  As part of a broad announcement by the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, Kessel was promoted to be their Manager of Minor League Operations and assistant GM of the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.  Kessel has spent two previous seasons in the Penguins organization, serving last year as Special Assistant to the General Manager in Pittsburgh.

The M Club Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, September 6, at Williams Arena.  We send Amanda congratulations on the honor and also wish her much success in her new position with the Penguins!

Primerano records 5 points for Canada's U-18 Selects; Three Gophers dish out assists in Collegiate Series

Incoming Gopher freshman defender Chloe Primerano was one of two Canadian players to tally five (5) points in last week's U-18 Series in Thorold, Ontario.  Primerano lit the lamp twice and dished out an assist in Canada's 4-2 opening win over Team USA Wednesday, then added an assist in their 3-1 win Thursday and another in their 4-3 shootout loss Saturday.  She also converted on one of two shootout attempts in the finale.

Gophers Ella Huber (USA) and Gracie Graham (CAN) each recorded an assist in the opening contest of the Collegiate Series, with Huber's helper coming on the game-winning goal for an American 4-3 overtime victory.  Canada won the second game Thursday by a 5-3 score to even the series and took a 1-0 lead in Saturday's deciding third contest, but Team USA responded with seven unanswered goals – five on the power play – for a 7-1 win; new Gopher Sydney Morrow dished out a PP assist.

The "senior" national teams for the U.S. and Canada are scheduled to play a five-game Rivalry Series starting in November and continuing in February, before the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship in April in České Budějovice, Czechia.  The 2025 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship will be held January 4 through 12 in Vantaa, Finland.

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.

Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Monday, August 12, 2024

Four Gophers to play in USA-Canada Collegiate Series this week; fifth named to Canadian U-18 squad for series against U.S.

Five (5) members of the Gopher Women's Hockey program will be in action this, representing their home countries as U.S. and Canada National Collegiate Select Teams and National U-18 Teams square off in a pair of three-game series later this week at Canada Games Park in Thorold, Ontario.  Both series will feature action on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, August 14, 15 & 17, with the U-18 squads playing at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT and the Collegiate teams dropping the puck at 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT.

Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, and new transfer Sydney Morrow were named to the U.S. Women's Collegiate Select Team this morning, and will wear the red, white, and blue in Thorold.

A pair of incoming Gopher freshmen defenders will be wearing the Canadian maple leaf.  Gracie Graham was among 24 players named to their Collegiate Select / National Development Team on August 1 and Chloe Primerano was named to the Canada National U-18 Team yesterday.

As of the time of publishing this email, no information has been shared about coverage of any of the six games.  We will post updates to our accounts on Facebook and X as they become available.

GWH alumna Noora Räty hired as assistant coach at SCSU

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Noora Räty was named one of two new assistant coaches of the St. Cloud State Huskies women's hockey team on Friday, August 2.  Emily Ach will also join Brian Idalski's coaching staff after serving last year as an assistant coach at Merchyhurst.

Räty remains the winningest goaltender in GWH history with 114 victories, also holding the records for career shutouts (43) and saves (3,250).  She sits in the second spot for career save percentage (.946) and third in goals-against average (1.34).  Her 38 wins in the 2012-2013 are tied for most in a single season in program history (matched by Amanda Leveille the following year).

Räty is well known for her international play representing her home nation of Finland, earning two Olympic bronze medals in four Winter Games and five IIHF Women's World Championship medals (one silver and four bronze) across nine tournaments.  She also earned individual honors at both venues; at the Olympics, she was named an All-Star once and at the World Championships, she won the Best Goaltender Award five times, was named to the All-Star team four times and earned MVP honors once.

While playing professionally with a number of different teams across several leagues, including some appearances on men's teams in Finland, Räty performed at a top level, winning three league championships while playing in Russia (Russian Women's Hockey League / Zhenskaya Hockey League) and being named the Goaltender of the Year in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL).  She last played in 2022-2023 with HPK in the Naisten Liiga (Finnish Women's League).

Moving over to the coaching side, Räty spend last season (2023-2024) as the goaltenders coach for Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star of the Chinese Women's Ice Hockey League (WCIHL).

We send Noora congratulations on this new opportunity, and we'll see her this fall when the Gophers face the Huskies in WCHA competition!

WCHA names Michelle McAteer as new commissioner
The UMD alumna takes over after 14 years as head coach at Augsburg

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Thursday (Aug. 8) that 14-year Augsburg University women's hockey head coach Michelle McAteer has been selected as the league's new commissioner, following approval by the WCHA’s Board of Directors.

McAteer played collegiately at Minnesota Duluth from 1999 through 2003, earning three NCAA championships and being named a three time WCHA All-Academic Team and AWHCA All-American Scholar selection (2001, 2002, 2003).  She immediately switched to coaching, serving as a graduate assistant with the Bulldogs for two more seasons (2003-2005).  McAteer moved up to an assistant coaching position at Harvard for two years (2005-2007), spent one year as an assistant coach in the CWHL with the Vaughan Flames (2007-2008), then returned to UMD as an assistant coach there for two more seasons (2008-2010).  Following that, she was hired as the head coach of the Augsburg University Auggies women's hockey team in 2010, where she remained through last season.

As noted in the press release from the WCHA, McAteer also assisted with Augsburg's Athletics Department administrative duties including serving as the Assistant NCAA Compliance Director and as a Student Athlete Advisory Committee Advisor.  She has also served on multiple NCAA committees including the Division I Women's Ice Hockey Championship Committee and Division I & II Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee.

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.

Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Note: This was sent out to the Power Play Club mailing list on July 31st, but was not added to the website until August 12, 2024.

PPC Board of Directors Meeting – Tuesday, August 6 at 7 pm

The next meeting of the Power Play Club Board of Directors is scheduled for Tuesday, August 6 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.

2024-2025 Gopher Women's Hockey roster released

 The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey team released its roster for the 2024-2025 season Monday, featuring ten new members to the squad and some first-time jersey numbers.

We again welcome transfers Natálie Mlýnková (5th year – #96), Sydney Morrow (junior – #32) & Krista Parkkonen (junior – #64), and incoming freshmen Hannah Clark (#56), Kendra Distad (#17), Gracie Graham (#47), Carly Humphrey (#24), Kate Kosobud (#5), Ayla Puppe (#6) & Chloe Primerano (#8).

Rule changes on scholarship, roster size limits – Following a settlement of several legal cases last Friday, the NCAA will be imposing roster size limits for sports teams but eliminating scholarship limits (so long as the roster limits are not exceeded).  As reported by The Hockey News, women's hockey rosters will be capped at 26 players; previously, teams were limited to the equivalent of 18 full-time scholarships.

GWH alumna goaltender Amanda Leveille announces retirement

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) last Tuesday, July 23, Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Amanda Leveille announced her retirement from playing, switching her focus to coaching going forward.

Leveille was a three-time NCAA champion with the Gophers and goalie of record in the 2015 & 2016 title games.  She sits at or near the top of the U. of M. record books for career goaltending statistics, still leading in goals-against average (1.18) and save percentage (.947) while placing second in wins (98) and shutouts (32).  Leveille is also tied for most wins in a season with 38 (set in 2013-2014).

Following her time in the Maroon & Gold, Leveille played seven seasons in the NWHL/PHF, first with the Buffalo Beauts for two years before joining the Minnesota Whitecaps.  Amanda continued to shine in the league, winning two Isobel Cup championships (2017 with Buffalo, 2019 with Minnesota) and being named the Goaltender of the Year in 2018 and 2021.  With the debut of the PWHL in 2023, Leveille was drafted by Minnesota in the 11th round but did not see any playing time last season.

Thank you, Amanda, for your contributions to the Gopher Women's Hockey team and the sport of women's ice hockey overall!  We congratulate you on a fantastic career and wish you all the best in your next endeavor!!

WCHA signs three-year streaming extension with BTN+

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Monday the signing of a three-year extension with BTN+ as the league's exclusive streaming platform, running through the 2026-2027 season.

As noted in the release, “Games at all eight WCHA campuses will be streamed on the B1G+ platform, while the league is set to host at least two televised matchups on the Big Ten Network.”  Details on how to subscribe are also provided in the release.

We will share details on streaming and/or television coverage of the 2025 WCHA Final Faceoff as they become available.  We provide a reminder that that event will be held at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth on March 7 & 8.


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.

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.