November 19, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Also includes information from the November 15th Two-Minute Minor.

Help us raise $20,000 on Give to the Max Day for GWH!!

This Thursday, November 21, is Give to the Max Day. Including matching funds from the Power Play Club's board of directors, our goal is to raise $20,000 to support Gopher Women's Hockey.

Donate at: bit.ly/GWH_GTMD2024

All gifts donated between now and 11:59 p.m. CT on the 21st will also qualify for double (x2) Gopher Score Points toward future Gopher Loyalty Program benefits.

The team has indicated that funds raised will go to towards...

Hockey Day Minnesota jerseys & apparel,
nutritional needs, and...
analytical software.

Our thanks for your consideration of this program.

Ticket specials for Friday (November 22) against St. Cloud State

Gopher Sports Marketing and the U. of M. Ticket Office have announced two ticket specials for the game against St. Cloud State next Friday night, November 22 (with puck drop at 6:00 pm).

High School Night – Any Minnesota high school hockey team can receive free tickets to the game (subject to availability) by reaching out to gsm@umn.edu. If you have contacts in the high school ranks, we encourage you to share this opportunity!

BOGO special – As part of association with Gopher Football and the "Bye Week = Buy Week" promotion, numerous Gopher sports events have buy one, get one ticket deals. This includes the November 22 Gopher Women's Hockey game, where you can get two reserved seats for $12.50 (plus fees). The offer runs only through tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 16) and you can purchase those tickets here.

This Friday (November 22) – Teddy Bear Toss!!

Doing some early 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 this Friday's (November 22) game against St. Cloud State and you'll have an opportunity to toss it onto the ice during the first intermission. All bears tossed will be donated to the M Health Fairview Children's Hospital.

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-3-1, 6-3-1-0 WCHA)
vs. #10 St. Cloud State Huskies (8-4-2, 4-4-2-1 WCHA)

Friday, November 22 at 6:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena
Saturday, November 23 at 3:00 p.m. - Herb Brooks National Hockey Center – St. Cloud

The Gopher Women's Hockey team goes from one rivalry into another as they take on the St. Cloud State University Huskies in a home-and-home series. The matchup starts this Friday, November 22, at 6:00 p.m. at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, then continues Saturday, November 23, at 3:00 p.m. at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Game coverage – Both games will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play for both contests will also be streamed (Friday / Saturday) and live stats will be available via GopherSports.com.

Last season against St. Cloud State – With some oddities to the schedule last year, the Gophers went 3-0-1 against the Huskies, but only with a 6-goal scoring differential as two of the three victories came in one-goal contests. Due to SCSU receiving a late invitation to the 2023 Ice Breaker Tournament, the fall home-and-home series was split up; the Gophers won their first meeting 2-1 on Tuesday, October 17 at Ridder Arena, and the teams played to a 1-1 tie in St. Cloud on Tuesday, December 5 with Ella Huber & Allie Franco scoring in the shootout for the bonus point. In their second home-and-home series in February, Minnesota won a tight 1-0 contest in St. Cloud and followed it up with a 5-1 victory at Ridder.

In addition to her shootout goal, Huber netted two goals and an assist during the run of play across the four contests; meanwhile, Madison Kaiser added a goal & two assists, while Emma Kreisz dished out 3 helpers. Abbey Murphy lit the lamp twice, the first being the lone goal scored in St. Cloud in February, coming on a power play; Ava Lindsay also found the back of the net twice, while Peyton Hemp scored the Gophers' only goal in the December game and added an assist in February. Avery Farrell netted two of the Huskies' three goals, with Addi Scribner tallying the other. Skylar Vetter stopped 67 of 69 shots in three games for Minnesota, earning the one shutout and posting a 0.65 goals-against average and .971 save percentage, while Lucy Morgan won the fourth meeting with 21 saves on 22 shots (.955 SV%). Sanni Ahola & Jojo Chobak each got two starts between the pipes for SCSU; Ahola stopped 51 of 55 shots (1.95 GAA, .927 SV%) but got credit for the December tie, while Chobak took two losses despite stopping 48 of 51 shots (1.53 GAA, .941 SV%).

Analyzing the Huskies – As we mentioned last year, St. Cloud State is looking to finish in the top half of the WCHA standings, which they have not accomplished since 2009-2010. While they've been ranked in the top ten nationally this season, getting a tie with a shootout win at home against Ohio State last month, they still remain only 5th in the league after settling for a tie against St. Thomas and needing overtime in their second game against Minnesota State to salvage a series split. Their four non-conference wins have come against Atlantic Hockey America's Lindenwood (on the road) and Mercyhurst (at home).

Sophomore Greta Henderson (#18) is SCSU's leader in total scoring with 8 points, coming on 3 goals & 5 assists. A quartet of Huskies are right behind with 7 points each; graduate student Emma Gentry (#20) has a team-high 5 goals with 2 assists, and senior Dayle Ross (#2) & sophomores Alice Sauriol (#4) and Sofianna Sundelin (#34) have matched Henderson's five assists apiece while each lighting the lamp twice. Junior Avery Farrell (#16) is second on the team in goals with four (4).

The Huskies are relying on a connection to Finland for their goaltending needs, having an in-road after hiring Gopher alumna and goaltending great Noora Räty as an assistant coach. Sanni Ahola (#1) is back for her fifth year in St. Cloud; she's 4-2-0 with two shutouts in six starts so far this season, with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Freshman Emilia Kyrkkö (#42) has joined the team and seen more action than Ahola; she's 4-2-2 in eight starts, also posting two shutouts, with a .931 SV% and 1.35 GAA. Canadian sophomore Paige Hoogendam (#31) has yet to see any official action.

Last weekend for St. Cloud State – As mentioned above, the Huskies were only able to split their home series against Minnesota State. Jamie Nelson tallied a goal & two assists for the Mavericks, Taylor Otremba added a goal and an assist, and Hailey Hansen stopped 29 of 30 shots in a 4-1 upset; Emilia Kyrkkö made 29 saves for SCSU but took the loss. MSU took leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the rematch on goals by JuliAnna Gazdik and Mackenzie Bourgerie, but Emma Gentry & Avery Farrell evened the score for St. Cloud State to force overtime, and Sofianna Sundelin scored 24 seconds into the extra period for a Huskies 3-2 win; Kyrkkö earned the victory with 17 saves, while Hansen lost despite 27 saves.

Golden Gophers battle to series sweep in Duluth

Two very different games against the UMD Bulldogs still resulted in a pair of wins and a weekend sweep for the Gopher Women's Hockey team, 4-1 and 3-2.

Sydney Morrow opened the scoring for the Gophers Friday with a power-play tally, the 20th goal of her collegiate career, but Hanna Baskin lit the lamp for the Bulldogs to send the contest to the first intermission knotted 1-1. However, Abbey Murphy one-timed a centering pass from Natalie Mlynkova to put the Gophers back in the lead on her 80th career goal; Murphy then assisted on a pair of Ella Huber goals, the first short-handed and the second into an empty net with only 5 seconds remaining in the contest. Hannah Clark made 27 saves for Minnesota as they outshot Minnesota Duluth 52-28.

UMD's Kamdyn Davis tallied her first collegiate goal to give the Bulldogs an early lead, but Gracie Graham evened the score and Peyton Hemp lit the lamp on a power play, with Murphy assisting on both goals, to put the Gophers up 2-1 after 20 minutes. Following a scoreless second period, Emma Conner netter her first goal of the season, which turned out to be critical as Nina Jobst-Smith converted on a late 5-on-3 power-play for Minnesota Duluth. However, Clark kept the Bulldogs off the board in the final 3:21 for the win, finishing with 31 saves in the contest. Huber dished out two assists as well to complete a 4-point weekend.

UMD netminder Ève Gascon stopped 83 shots in the series but took both losses.

Clark, Murphy earn league honors as Abbey reaches milestone

Gopher Women's Hockey freshman Hannah Clark and senior co-captain Abbey Murphy earned respective honors as WCHA Goaltender and Forward of the Week for their performances in Duluth.

Clark earned both wins against UMD by stopping 58 of 61 shots, good for a 1.50 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage, which included making some critical saves in Saturday's contest. It's the first league award of her collegiate career.

Murphy earned her first conference recognition this season with a 5-point performance, netting her 80th career goal and dishing out four assists. Additionally, the third of those assists, coming on Gracie Graham's goal on Saturday, was Murphy's 150th career point; she now has 151 (80g, 71a).

Congratulations Hannah and Abbey!!

Announcement posted after the November 19th Penalty Box Post was sent out:

Field Trip Day - January 24, 2025

Minnesota Women's Hockey is hosting its first ever FIELD TRIP DAY presented by Kwik Trip! All schools K-8th grade are invited to attend the game for FREE when the Gophers take on Bemidji State on January 24 at 12 PM. Interested schools can learn more and RSVP at bit.ly/GWH_FieldTrip_20250124 .

Tickets must be requested by Sunday, December 1.

Around the WCHA...

#2 Buckeyes hand #1 Badgers first loss in series split – Skating on home ice, Ohio State took a two-goal lead after the first period against Wisconsin on Friday as Maddi Wheeler and Jenna Buglioni lit the lamp just 14 seconds apart, but Lacey Eden & Casey O'Brien evened the score in the second stanza, Eden found the back of the net again in the 3rd to put the Badgers ahead, and she assisted on an empty-netter by Caroline Harvey for a 4-2 result. OSU took another 2-0 lead in the rematch on goals by Makenna Webster and Wheeler (PP), only to see Kirstin Simms respond for Wisconsin on a power play; however, this time the Buckeyes were able to maintain the lead, extend it to 3-1 on Kiara Zanon's short-handed tally, and hold on for a 3-2 victory and the weekend split.

Beavers earn first two conference wins in sweep of the Tommies – The first of two goals by Raeley Carney gave Bemidji State a 2-1 lead over St. Thomas in the opener of their series; BSU would light the lamp twice more, including Carney's second tally, for a 4-1 victory. Four different Beavers scored to take a 4-1 second-intermission lead in the rematch, with Shelby Sandberg netting the fourth goal; Ella Boerger and Lauren Stenslie lit the lamp in the third to pull the Tommies within one, but they fell 4-3 as BSU netminder Kaitlin Groess made 39 saves in game (and 56 in the series).

Upcoming games – Conference action continues with Friday-Saturday series league-wide. Minnesota Duluth will host Bemidji State in a matinee matchup. In the other two series starting Friday evening, Ohio State visits Minnesota State, while St. Thomas heads to Wisconsin.

Minnesota announces signings of six 2025-2026 freshmen

Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced Wednesday and yesterday the signings of six players to become the members of the team's freshman class of 2025-2026:

Sydney Bailey (Defense / Rogers, MN / Rogers H.S.)
Sienna D'Alessandro (Forward / Pointe-Claire, QC / John Abbott College)
Bella Fanale (Forward / Webster, NY / Bishop Kearney H.S.)
Layla Hemp (Goaltender / Chanhassen, MN / Minnetonka H.S.)
Avery Hovland (Forward / West Fargo, ND / North American Hockey Academy)
Tereza Plosova (Forward / Šimonovice, Czechia / Djurgårdens IF)

We pass along our warmest greetings, and we look forward to seeing Sydney, Sienna, Bella, Layla, Avery & Tereza wearing the Maroon and Gold next fall!!

Twelve GWH alumnae attending PWHL training camps

Confirming our reporting from mid-October, twelve (12) Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae have been listed as attending training camps for the six Professional Women's Hockey League squads in preparation for the 2024-2025 season. Camps opened league-wide this past Tuesday, November 12. We again congratulate and send wishes of good luck to...

Lauren Bench, Minnesota Frost
Abigail Boreen, Montréal Victoire
Hannah Brandt, Boston Fleet
Emily Brown, Boston Fleet
Taylor Heise, Minnesota Frost
Olivia Knowles, Toronto Sceptres
Lucy Morgan, Minnesota Frost
Savannah Norcross, New York Sirens
Kelly Pannek, Minnesota Frost
Lee Stecklein, Minnesota Frost
Madeline Wethington, Ottawa Charge
Grace Zumwinkle, Minnesota Frost

We'll share final roster announcements when they're made. The second year of the PWHL begins with preseason games next week in Montréal, QC, and Etobicoke, ON. The regular season starts on November 30 with Boston at Toronto & Ottawa at Montréal, followed by New York at Minnesota on December 1.

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 X at x.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 X at x.com/GopherWHockey.

Power Play Club

November 13, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Power Play Club

November 13, 2024

Looking ahead #1... Give to the Max Day, November 21

Give to the Max Day, the annual day of giving to nonprofit and educational organizations in the state of Minnesota, is scheduled for Thursday, November 21. The Power Play Club is partnering with the Golden Gopher Fund again this year to fundraise for Gopher Women's Hockey. Funds collected on Give to the Max Day for the team will go towards (1) Hockey Day Minnesota jerseys & apparel, (2) nutritional needs, and (3) analytics software. Additionally, gifts made on GTMD in support of this initiative will receive double (x2) Gopher Score Points toward future Gopher Loyalty Program benefits. Watch for additional details by email and on social media over the next eight days!

Looking ahead #2... Brunch with the Coaches, January 4

The Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches returns Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase. We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person. Cash or checks – made payable to the Power Play Club – are preferred. You can register at the PPC table on the Ridder Arena concourse during Gopher home games through December, or download the form here and mail it in with your payment to the address listed by December 28.

Looking ahead #3... GWH schedule change, Jan. 24 vs. BSU

The U. of M. Intercollegiate Athletics Department and Gopher Women's Hockey team have announced that the home game on Friday, January 24 at Ridder Arena against Bemidji State will now start at 12 PM.

All tickets previously issued will be valid for the new start time. Any fans who are unable to attend the 12 PM matchup can exchange their ticket for another game by contacting the ticket office at 1-800-U-GOPHER or gophersports@umn.edu.

Goals for a Goal - Supporting Women’s Gopher Hockey

The Gophers have tallied 37 goals, nine (9) of which have come on the power play! Help us turn those into donations to the GWH program through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program! Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!

GO GOPHERS!!

#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-3-1, 4-3-1-0 WCHA)
at #4/4 Univ. of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (6-3-1, 5-2-1-1)
Friday, November 15 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m.
AMSOIL Arena – Duluth

Coming off an idle weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team is on the road again, this time headed up Interstate 35 for a national #3-vs.-#4 rivalry matchup against the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at AMSOIL Arena. The series begins Friday evening, November 15 at 6:00 p.m., then continues on Saturday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both games will be televised in the Twin Cities and surrounding area on Fox 9+ and will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play for both contests will be streamed (Friday / Saturday) and live stats will be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Minnesota Duluth – The Gophers claimed 11 of the 12 available WCHA standings points in their four 2023-2024 meetings against the Bulldogs, sweeping the November series in Duluth by matching 3-1 scores, playing to a 1-1 tie in the February series opener at Ridder Arena and taking the shootout 1-0, then winning 4-2 to conclude the regular season.

Abbey Murphy & Peyton Hemp each tallied five points and combined for 7 of the Gophers' 11 goals against UMD; Murphy lit the lamp four times with one assist, while Hemp added 3 goals and 2 helpers. Josefin Bouveng and Ava Lindsay each dished out three assists across the four contests, and Madison Kaiser & Emma Kreisz each posted a goal and an assist. Ella Huber scored once during the second game between the teams and netted the lone shootout goal after the tie in the third game. Mary Kate O'Brien recorded two goals and an assist for the Bulldogs (all coming at Ridder), Mannon McMahon added a goal & an assist, and Clara Van Wieren dished out two helpers.

Between the pipes, Skylar Vetter & Lucy Morgan each started two games; Vetter stopped 58 of 60 shots in her two starts for a .967 save percentage and 0.96 goals-against average, while Morgan made 51 saves on 54 shots for a .944 SV% and 1.50 GAA. Ève Gascon played three of the four games for Minnesota Duluth, making 88 saves but yielding 8 goals, resulting in a 2.72 GAA and .917 SV%. Hailey MacLeod stopped 26 of 27 shots (.963 SV%) for UMD in the tie in Minneapolis.

Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth finished fourth the WCHA in 2023-2024 with a 15-11-2 conference record, 13 points behind the Gophers but 9 ahead of fifth-place St. Cloud State. They shut out the Huskies in the league quarterfinal series, but were in-turn shut out by Ohio State in the Final Faceoff semifinals. Receiving an NCAA Tournament bid, they topped UConn 1-0 in a double-overtime nail biter, but were again blanked by the Buckeyes in the quarterfinal round, ending their season.

The Bulldogs got a measure of revenge to open 2024-2025 when they swept the Buckeyes in Columbus, but they lost three of their next four, splitting a non-conference series at Colgate and being swept at Wisconsin. Since then, though, they've gone 3-0-1 with a sweep of St. Thomas and a win & tie against Minnesota State.

After finishing behind graduate students Reece Hunt & Mannon McMahon in scoring in 2023-2024, Clara Van Wieran (#25) and Olivia Wallin (#14) are now both grad students themselves and top UMD's scoring table so far this year; Van Wieran leads with 10 points on 5 goals & 5 assists, while Wallin has 8 points on 3 goals & 5 helpers. Freshman Caitlin Kraemer (#11) has gotten attention with two WCHA Rookie of the Week honors and one Rookie of the Month award; she has 5 goals plus an assist. Another fifth-year player, Olivia Mobley (#15), transferred in from Ohio State and has posted 6 points so far for UMD on 4 goals & 2 assists.

Sophomore Ève Gascon (#1) is back between the pipes for Minnesota Duluth and is 5-2-0 with one shutout this season, posting a .932 save percentage and 2.15 goals-against average. Senior Tindra Holm (#30) joined the Bulldogs this season, transferring from Long Island; she is 1-1-1 in her three starts, with her win coming by shutout, an .878 SV% and 2.95 GAA. Redshirt freshman Anna Byczek (#31) has yet to see any official action.

Last action for Minnesota Duluth – As with most of the WCHA teams, the Bulldogs were idle this past weekend. As mentioned above, they defeated Minnesota State, 4-1, in the opener of the series two weekends ago but played the Mavericks to a 3-3 tie in the rematch. Caitlin Kraemer lit the lamp twice, Olivia Wallin dished out two assists, and Ève Gascon stopped 20 of 21 shots in the victory. Wallin & Clara Van Wieran scored to put UMD up 3-2 with 1:40 left in regulation of the second game, but Shelbi Guttormson responded for MSU to even the score just 21 seconds later for the final result. Neither team scored in the first seven rounds of the subsequent shootout, but Tova Henderson found the back of the net for the Bulldogs in round 8 for the bonus standings point.

Darwitz, Wendell-Pohl inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame

We send another round of congratulations to Minnesota Women's Hockey alumnae Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl following their induction Monday night (November 11) into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, after being named to the Class of 2024 in June.

Darwitz's induction to the HHOF in Toronto follows her induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame in May. 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).

Congratulations, Krissy and Natalie, on these well-deserved honors!!

International break recap...

Canada takes 2 games to 1 lead in Rivalry Series – The U.S. National Team struck for five goals in the opening period of Game 1 of the Rivalry Series, going on to win the contest over Canada, 7-2. Game 2 ended up going down to the wire as the Canadians looked to be in control, leading 4-1 with under eight minutes to play, before the Americans rallied to tie the score, 4-4, and force overtime followed by a shootout; however, Canada won in the "game-winning shots," 2-0. They then controlled Game 3, defeating Team USA 4-1 to take a two games to one lead in the five-game series.

Gophers in the Rivalry Series: Abbey Murphy & Grace Zumwinkle each tallied two goals and an assist for Team USA; Murphy scored both her goals and Zumwinkle dished out her assist in Game 1, and the two reversed that in Game 2. Kelly Pannek recorded one assist, coming on the lone U.S. goal in Game 3. Chloe Primerano did not score during the run of play for Canada, but netted the shootout-clinching goal in Game 2 (video courtesy of TSN).

Euro Hockey Tour / Lidl Hockey Games – Meanwhile, two tournaments were occurring in Europe. In the Euro Hockey Tour / Lidl Hockey Game event being hosted by Sweden, Czechia took first place with wins in all three of their games against the host Swedes (2-1, OT), Finland (2-1), and Switzerland (3-0). The Finns finished second after defeating Switzerland (3-0) and Sweden (3-1), while the Swedes salvaged third place with a 2-1 win over the Swiss. Gopher forward Josefin Bouveng played in all three games for Sweden but did not score.

Deutschland Cup – Hosting another four-team round-robin tournament, Germany took first place with wins over France (4-1), Slovakia (2-1), and Hungary (3-1). The Hungarians finished second thanks to victories over the Slovaks (4-3) and the French (4-3, OT). France claimed third with a 5-3 win over Slovakia.

Around the WCHA...

Tommies split with Lindenwood – The lone WCHA team in action this past weekend, St. Thomas posted a 7-2 victory to open their non-conference series against Lindenwood; Nicole Vallario, Rylee Bartz & Cara Sajevic each tallied a goal and an assist, Ella Boerger dished out three helpers, and Sadie Lindsay netted her first goal as a Tommie. But the Lions responded with a 6-1 victory of their own in the rematch; Morgan Neitzke became the first player in Lindenwood program history to reach 100 career points with a goal & two assists in the game, and Josey Dunne scored her first goal as a Lion.

Upcoming games – In addition to the Gophers vs. the Bulldogs, the other three series in the league also feature Friday evening and Saturday afternoon action. Eyes will be on Columbus as Ohio State hosts Wisconsin in a #1-vs.-#2 matchup. Elsewhere, St. Thomas visits Bemidji State and Minnesota State heads to St. Cloud State.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

Power Play Club

November 5, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Power Play Club

November 5, 2024

Locker Sponsor update – Invoices coming soon

We again encourage those of you who committed to be Locker Sponsors to watch your email inboxes, as sponsorship donation invoices – including remittance instructions – are expected over the next few days. Thank you for your support.

Looking ahead #1... Give to the Max Day, November 21

Save the Date!! Give to the Max Day, the annual day of giving to nonprofit and educational organizations in the state of Minnesota, is scheduled for Thursday, November 21. The Power Play Club will again be participating in this effort as part of its fundraising for the Gopher Women's Hockey team. More details will be provided over the next two weeks as the event approaches, and we kindly ask for your contributions to this effort.

Looking ahead #2... Brunch with the Coaches, January 4

Goals for a Goal

Just over one-third of the way through the regular season, the Gophers have now tallied 37 goals, with nine (9) coming on the power play! Help us turn those into donations to the GWH program through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program! Use the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal to submit your pledge for each goal scored this year, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies! Following the conclusion of the playoffs, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. Thanks and GO GOPHERS!!

Bouveng, Murphy, Primerano, 3 GWH alums in int'l action

We send wishes of good luck to Minnesota Women's Hockey senior Abbey Murphy, junior Josefin Bouveng, freshman Chloe Primerano, and alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle as they play with their respective national teams.

Heise, Murphy, Pannek and Zumwinkle will be suiting up for the U.S. National Team as they take on Team Canada and a debuting Primerano to open the 2024-2025 Rivalry Series. Canada has reverse-swept the Americans each of the last two years, coming back to win both series 4 games to 3 after trailing 3-0. This season, the series features only five games, with the teams playing the first three of those this week:

Tomorrow (Wedneday, Nov. 6) at 9 p.m. CT at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, CA
Friday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. CT at the Maverik Center in West Valley, UT
Sunday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. CT at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, ID

All three Rivalry Series games will be televised on NHL Network.

Euro Hockey Tour – Bouveng will be playing for Sweden's National Team as they host the second weekend of the 2024-2025 Euro Hockey Tour in the city of Södertälje. The team is scheduled to play...

vs. Czechia, tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 6) at 6 p.m. local / 11 a.m. U.S. Central
vs. Switzerland, Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. local / 11 a.m. Central
vs. Finland, Saturday, Nov. 9 at 4 p.m. CT local / 9 a.m. Central

Gophers sweep Beavers behind power-play performance

The Gophers Women's Hockey team went a combined 4-for-7 on the power play as Natalie Mlynkova and Abbey Murphy each lit the lamp twice with the advantage in 2-1 and 4-1 victories on the road against Bemidji State. Mlynkova also scored once at even strength for a three-goal weekend, Emma Kreisz found the back of the net as well, and Hannah Clark made 27 saves on a combined 29 shots for the two wins.

Mlynkova's first power-play goal and her even-strength tally came in the first period of Friday's contest to put the Gophers up 2-0, outshooting the Beavers 14-1 during the first 20 minutes. However, BSU clamped down and outshot Minnesota 18-13 over the remainder of the contest, getting their own power-play goal from Izy Fairchild in the second period to pull within one. The Gophers killed off seven minutes of penalty time in the final stanza, including a major infraction followed by another two-minute minor in which the Beavers pulled goalie Kaitlin Groess for a 6-on-4 attack; however, Bemidji State was unable to find the equalizer.

The Gophers put up a four-spot in the opening period Saturday with Murphy's two power-play conversions, Mlynkova's third goal (2nd on the PP), and Kreisz's tally, outshooting the Beavers 16-4. Morgan Smith scored for BSU in the second period, though that was one of only six shots they put on goal over the final 40 minutes.

Murphy and Ella Huber also finished with 3-point weekends; Murphy assisted on one of Mlynkova's goals to go with her own two, while Huber dished out three helpers. Audrey Wethington & Sydney Morrow each recorded two assists in the series.

Huber joins 100-point club; Puppe, Johnson record firsts

With the second of her three assists on the weekend, senior co-captain Ella Huber joined the Gopher Women's Hockey 100-point club!! Huber now has 101 points on 39 goals and 62 assists in the Maroon & Gold. Congratulations, Ella!!

At the other end of the spectrum, we send congratulations to another pair of Gophers each recording firsts with the team. Freshman Ayla Puppe (left) tallied the first point of her collegiate career, assisting on Kreisz's goal on Saturday. Later in the contest, junior netminder Sophia Johnson made her collegiate debut for the Gophers, relieving Clark with 3:19 to play. Congratulations, Ayla and Sophia!!

Around the WCHA...

Ohio State sweeps St. Thomas, needing OT Saturday – Joy Dunne tallied two goals & two assists, and Jordyn Petrie & Jenna Buglioni each added a goal and two assists as the Buckeyes opened their road series with a 5-1 win over the Tommies. In the rematch, UST netminder Dani Strom stopped 39 shots to keep the contest scoreless through regulation, but OSU's Emma Peschel lit the lamp 21 seconds into the extra period for a 1-0 Ohio State victory and weekend sweep.

Wisconsin improves to 12-0-0, shutting out St. Cloud State – Laila Edwards tallied 3 goals and an assist, Caroline Harvey recorded a goal & 3 helpers, Cassie Hall added two goals and an assist, and Ava McNaughton stopped all 56 shots she faced to shut out the Huskies in St. Cloud, 6-0 and 4-0, maintaining a perfect record on the season.

UMD gets 5 points in win, tie at MSU – Caitlin Kraemer lit the lamp twice, Olivia Wallin dished out two assists, and Ève Gascon stopped 20 of 21 shots as Minnesota Duluth defeated Minnesota State in Mankato, 4-1, to open their weekend series. The rematch saw the Mavericks take 1-0 and 2-1 leads, but Wallin & Clara Van Wieran scored to put the Bulldogs up 3-2 with 1:40 left in regulation; however, Shelbi Guttormson responded for MSU to even the score again just 21 seconds later and it finished in a 3-3 overtime tie. Neither team scored in the first seven rounds of the subsequent shootout, but Tova Henderson found the back of the net for UMD in round 8 for the bonus standings point.

Upcoming games – St. Thomas is the only WCHA team in action this week, hosting a non-conference series against Lindenwood with games Thursday night and Friday afternoon.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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Power Play Club

October 30, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Power Play Club

October 30, 2024

Locker Sponsor update – Invoices coming soon

We thank all of our fellow club members who have committed to be Locker Sponsors for the 2024-2025 season! Sponsors are encouraged to watch their email inboxes, as sponsorship donation invoices including remittance instructions are expected next week (week of November 3). Your support of the Gopher Women's Hockey team through this program is very much appreciated!!

Looking ahead... Brunch with the Coaches, January 4

The Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches returns, scheduled for Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase. We will be joined by and hear from Bemidji State University assistant coach and Beavers alumna Emma Sobieck, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person. Cash or checks – made payable to the Power Play Club – are preferred. You can register at the PPC table on the Ridder Arena concourse during Gopher home games through December, or download the form here and mail it in with your payment to the address listed by December 28.

Goals for a Goal

Lighting the lamp 11 times last weekend, including two power-play conversions, the Gophers have tallied 31 goals this season, with five (5) coming on the power play! Help us with a conversion of our own, turning those goals into donations to the GWH program through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program! Use the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal to submit your pledge for each goal scored this year, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies! Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. Thanks and GO GOPHERS!!

#3/3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-3-1, 2-3-1-0 WCHA)
at Bemidji State University Beavers (1-8-1, 0-6-0-0)
Friday, November 1 at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Sanford Center – Bemidji

The Gopher Women's Hockey team heads back out on the road, travelling northward to face the Bemidji State University Beavers at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, the first two of five scheduled meetings this season. The series begins with a Friday afternoon matinee on November 1 at 3:00 p.m., then continues on Saturday, November 2 at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both games will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Saturday's contest will also be televised in the Twin Cities and surrounding area on Fox 9+. Free audio play-by-play for both games will be streamed (Friday / Saturday) and live stats will be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Bemidji State – The Gophers took care of business in their four-game sweep of the Beavers last year. Offense was the story for Minnesota last December in 9-2 & 9-1 victories at Ridder Arena. Scores were tighter when the teams met in Bemidji in January, but the Gophers still earned 2-0 & 3-1 wins.

Abbey Murphy was Minnesota's scoring leader against BSU, posting 8 points on 4 goals and 4 assists (all coming in the two games at Ridder). Ava Lindsay also lit the lamp 4 times and dished out 3 assists, while Peyton Hemp added 2 goals and 5 helpers. Four others – Josefin Bouveng (4g, 2a), Emma Kreisz (2g, 4a), and Ella Huber (1g, 5a) – each tallied 6 points. Bemidji State's line of Genevieve Hendrickson, Talya Hendrickson, and Kate Johnson accounted for all their scoring in the December series, each recording a goal and assisting on the other two.

Between the pipes, Skylar Vetter & Lucy Morgan each started two games, though Morgan also made a brief relief appearance in the first contest as Vetter resolved an equipment issue. Vetter stopped 41 of 44 shots in her two appearances for a .932 save percentage and 1.54 goals-against average. Morgan made 49 saves on 50 shots, earning one shutout and recording a .980 SV% and 0.49 GAA. Abbie Thompson saw 4 periods of action for Bemidji State in the series in Minneapolis, yielding 11 goals on 63 shots (.825 SV%, 8.25 GAA), while Eva Filippova appeared in all four games (starting three), allowing 12 goals on 102 shots (.882 SV%, 4.62 GAA).

Analyzing the Beavers – After a tough 2023-2024 season which saw Bemidji State finish with a 4-30-2 overall record and a last-place 3-24-1 mark in WCHA play, Jim Scanlon announced his departure as head coach, turning the reins over to BSU alumna Amber Fryklund, a long-time assistant. Unfortunately for the Beavers, they continue to struggle, going only 1-8-1 so far this year with their only success coming in a non-conference series against Lindenwood. They've been outscored 36-14 across all games (24-2 in WCHA action) and are still looking for their first standings point in league play (after six games).

Part of the Beavers' scoring drought stems from the graduation of four of their top five players from last season. Sophomore Hailey Armstrong (#29) and redshirt freshman (and former Gopher) Isa Goettl (#9) each have five points in their first 10 games this year; Armstrong has a team-high four goals plus an assist, while Goettl has 3 goals and 2 helpers. Sophomore Riley Reeves (#18; 2g, 2a) and freshman Morgan Smith (#21; 1g, 3a) have four points apiece.

Bemidji State's goaltending corps has gone through a makeover as well. Only sophomore Eva Filippova (#30) remains from last year's roster, but despite starting 20 of their 36 games during her freshman season and posting team bests in goals-against average (4.31) and save percentage (.880) with a 4-15-1 record and one shutout, she has yet to play in 2024-2025. Rather, freshman Kaitlin Groess (#1) has come in to be the primary netminder for the Beavers so far this year, earning the team's lone win in seven starts (1-6-0) while posting a 2.88 GAA and .916 SV%. Josie Bothun (#33) joined the BSU roster as a graduate transfer from Penn State; she's 0-2-0 in her two starts, yielding 12 goals on 64 shots (5.88 GAA, .813 SV%). Another freshman, Lauren Mooney (#35), stopped 21 of 24 shots (.875 SV%) in a 3-3 overtime tie against Lindenwood.

Last action for Bemidji State – For the second time this year, the Beavers were shut out in both games of a road series, being swept by Wisconsin, 4-0 & 6-0. Lacey Eden tallied two goals and an assist, and Cassie Hall and Kirsten Simms each added a goal & three helpers for the Badgers. Ava McNaughton needed only 21 saves (combined) to earn both shutouts, while Kaitlin Groess stopped 77 shots for BSU.

Gophers sweep Mavericks, earn program's 500th WCHA victory

Though only playing one of two games at Ridder Arena, Homecoming weekend at the U. was good for the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they swept a home-and-home series against Minnesota State, winning 8-2 and 3-2 (OT).

Natalie Mlynkova contributed on both ends of the series, opening the scoring Friday just 43 seconds into the contest and assisting on Saturday's overtime game-winner by Peyton Hemp; Mlynkova led the Gophers with 2 goals and 2 assists against the Mavericks. Hemp's OT goal at the 2:01 mark of the extra period Saturday was the third time she lit the lamp in the series, earlier converting a pair of power plays (one in each game). Josefin Bouveng & Abbey Murphy each added a goal and three helpers, Ella Huber tallied a goal and two assists, and Lauren O'Hara, Madison Kaiser, and Ava Lindsay also scored. Saturday's win was in a come-from-behind fashion; trailing 2-1 past the midway point of the third, Lindsay corralled a long stretch pass from Sydney Morrow and put the puck past MSU goalie Jessie McPherson to knot the score and force the overtime. Hannah Clark made 18 saves Friday, while Skylar Vetter stopped 13 shots Saturday and also earned an offensive assist on Lindsay's goal. Whitney Tuttle and Madison Mashuga each recorded a goal and two assists in the series for Minnesota State, Hailey Hansen made 27 saves Friday, and McPherson stopped 34 shots Saturday.

Friday's victory over the Mavericks was the 500th for the Gopher Women's Hockey program in WCHA league play. After Saturday's win, Minnesota has a 501-110-50 record all-time in conference action. We congratulate current GWH head coach Brad Frost, inaugural head coach Laura Halldorson, and all Gopher players past and present who contributed to this milestone achievement!

Primerano named to Canadian roster for Rivalry Series

We send congratulations and wishes of good luck to Minnesota Women's Hockey freshman defender Chloe Primerano upon being named to the Canada Women's National Hockey Team roster for the upcoming Rivalry Series games against Team USA. Primerano is the youngest member of the Canadian lineup for the games at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, CA, next Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. CT; the Maverik Center in West Valley, UT, on Friday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m. CT; and Idaho Central Arena in Boise, ID, on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. CT.

We provide a reminder that current Gopher forward Abbey Murphy and alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle were selected to the U.S. National Team roster for next week's games.

We'll have another look at the Rivalry Series in next week's Penalty Box Post. For those considering travelling to the games, tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster; links for the individual games can be found on the USA Hockey website. NHL Network will have television coverage of all three contests.

Around the WCHA...

Ohio State wins Icebreaker Tournament – Two very different games both resulted in Buckeye victories to claim the Icebreaker Tournament championship. OSU dominated the Stonehill College Skyhawks 11-0 in the semifinal round Friday, outshooting them 72-9; they then scored seven times on only 25 shots in a 7-3 victory over Cornell in Saturday's title game. Joy Dunne led Ohio State with 3 goals & 3 assists, Sloane Matthews added 2 goals and 4 helpers, and Jocelyne Amos (3g, 2a), Maddie Wheeler (1g, 4a) and Kiara Zanon (1g, 4a) each tallied 5 points.

Tommies take two points from Huskies – A week after claiming two WCHA standings points from Ohio State, St. Cloud State yielded two points to St. Thomas this past weekend. The teams played to a 1-1 tie on Friday; Maddie Brown put UST up 1-0 in the second period, but Avery Farrell knotted the score for SCSU in the third. After a scoreless overtime, the Tommies won the subsequent shootout, 3-2 in six rounds, with Haley Maxwell netting the deciding goal. In Saturday's rematch, Abby Promersberger scored for St. Cloud State against her former team, and Laura Zimmermann & Greta Henderson pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third; Chloe Boreen scored on a late St. Thomas power play, but they fell 3-1. SCSU netminder Emilia Kyrkkö stopped 42 of 44 shots across the two contests, while UST's Dani Strom made a combined 59 saves on 63 shots.

Upcoming games – All eight teams are in league play with action Friday & Saturday. St. Thomas hosts Ohio State, Wisconsin visits St. Cloud State, and Minnesota Duluth heads to Mankato to face Minnesota State.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

Power Play Club

October 23, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Power Play Club

October 23, 2024

Traffic alert – Busy Friday evening (Oct. 25) at the U.

If you are planning on attending the game against Minnesota State at Ridder Arena this Friday, October 25, please note that several activities are occurring on campus. On the athletics front, both Gopher Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving will be holding their annual Alumni Meet at Jean Freeman Aquatic Center, starting at 5 p.m., and Gopher Men's Hockey will be hosting St. Thomas at 3M Arena at Mariucci with a 5:30 p.m. puck drop. At 6:30 p.m., the 2024 Homecoming Parade along University Avenue will start. We encourage you to allow extra time for getting to campus, parking, and also departing.

Looking ahead... Brunch with the Coaches, January 4

The Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches returns, scheduled for Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m., before the second day of the East-West Showcase. We will be joined by and hear from the new head coach at Bemidji State University, Beavers alumna Amber Fryklund, plus GWH head coach Brad Frost.

Note: Head Coach Amber Fryklund will be with the U18 team in January and will not be able to be our guest at the Brunch. Assistant Coach Emma Sobieck will be attending the event in her place. Coach Sobieck was an assistant coach at Bemidji State from 2020-2023 and then spent one year as an assistant coach at UMD before coming back to Bemidji this season.

Tickets for the brunch are $30 per person. Cash or checks – made payable to the Power Play Club – are preferred. You can register at the PPC table on the Ridder Arena concourse during Gopher home games through December, or download the form here and mail it in with your payment to the address listed by December 28.
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GWH Friends & Family Online Store now open!!

The University of Minnesota Women's Hockey 2024 Friends and Family Online Store has launched, featuring a variety of clothing and accessories which can and must be personalized. Check it out here. Important note: Use of player names & numbers is restricted to immediate family members; other fans should use their own name. The store is open only through next Tuesday, October 29, at 11:59 p.m. CT. Thank you!!

Goals for a Coal

We continue our call for pledges to the Goals for a Goal program – a pledge-per-goal campaign for additional financial support for the team. Going into the fifth weekend of play, the Gophers have lit the lamp 20 times, including three times on the power play. Use the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal to submit your pledge for each goal scored this year, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies! Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. Thanks and GO GOPHERS!!

#4/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-3-1, 0-3-1-0 WCHA)
vs. Minnesota State University Mavericks (2-2-0, 0-2-0-0)

Friday, October 25 at 5:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena
Saturday, October 26 at 2:00 p.m. - Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Mankato

The Gopher Women's Hockey team will play its first home-and-home series of the 2024-2025 season, taking on the Minnesota State University Mavericks. Action begins at Ridder Arena this Friday, October 25, with a special 5:00 p.m. start time. The teams will then relocate to the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato for the rematch on Saturday, October 26, at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both games will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Saturday's contest will also be televised in the Twin Cities and surrounding area on Fox 9+ (as the second game of a doubleheader following St. Thomas at St. Cloud State). Both Gopher games will also have free audio play-by-play streaming via GopherSports.com (Friday / Saturday). Live stats will be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Minnesota State – The Gophers swept the four-game regular-season series against the Mavericks last year, but three of the contests were one-goal victories, 3-1 & 2-1 last November and 4-3 & 2-1 (OT) in January. The two squads met up again in the 3-vs.-6 pairing of the WCHA Tournament Quarterfinals, with Minnesota State pulling off a 5-4 upset in the first game before the Gophers responded with 7-1 & 3-0 victories in Games 2 and 3 to win the series and end the Mavericks' season.

Across the seven meetings, Josefin Bouveng led Minnesota in total points with 14 on 5 goals & 9 assists. Abbey Murphy was right behind with 5 goals & 8 helpers, while Ella Huber lit the lamp a team-high 6 times while dishing out 5 assists. Seven other Gophers also found the back of the net, and four more registered assists. Jamie Nelson was MSU's scoring leader against Minnesota, netting four goals with two assists, though all six points came in only two of the seven games. Madison Mashuga and Kamryn Van Batavia each added a goal and two assists for the Mavericks.

Between the pipes, Lucy Morgan earned four of the six wins with the one shutout, a .944 save percentage and a 1.25 goals-against average. Skylar Vetter went 2-1-0 in the other three meetings, posting an .892 SV% and 2.34 goals-against average. Minnesota State netminders Suzette Faucher and Hailey Hansen each yielded 12 goals to the Gophers; Hansen got the lone win but posted only an .864 SV% and 4.15 GAA, while Faucher recorded a .909 SV% and 2.96 GAA.

Analyzing the Mavericks – Minnesota State is one of three WCHA programs to feature a new head coach, as MSU alumna and long-time assistant coach Shari (Vogt) Dickerman has taken the helm. Though going 6-1-0 in regular-season non-conference play last season, the Mavs were only 6-22-0 in league action. They have played only four games so far this year, sweeping Long Island to open their schedule but falling twice to St. Thomas.

Junior Whitney Tuttle (#7) has tallied 5 of the Mavericks' 13 totals goals, plus has an assist for six points. Fellow junior Taylor Otremba (#24) is MSU's only other multi-goal scorer with 3, while also dishing out one assist. Grad player Sydney Langseth (#3) and seniors Madison Mashuga (#22) & Claire Vekich (#25) each have a goal and three helpers. Minnesota State's roster includes only three freshmen, none of whom have yet recorded a point.

In net, graduate transfer Jessie McPherson (#91) has joined the Mavericks from Vermont; she is 1-1-0 in her two starts so far this year, posting a .909 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against average. Senior Suzette Faucher (#31) is also 1-1-0 in two start with a .907 SV% and 2.05 GAA. Sophomore Hailey Hansen (#33) now finds herself as MSU's third goaltender after posting a 4-9-0 record with two shutouts, an .885 SV% and a 3.21 GAA as a freshman. Junior Avery Stilwell (#1) remains on the Mavericks roster as the emergency backup.

Last action for Minnesota State – The Mavericks enter the series with the Gophers after being idle this past weekend. Prior to that, they were swept by St. Thomas in a home-and-home series, 4-3 in Mendota Heights and 3-2 in Mankato, despite outshooting the Tommies by a combined 58-44. Whitney Tuttle lit the lamp three times for MSU and Sydney Langseth added a goal & an assist, but the Mavericks never held a lead that weekend.

Gophers swept by Wisconsin; winless streak hits four

Returning home to Ridder Arena did not help the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they were swept by Wisconsin, 5-0 & 4-3, to remain winless in their last four games, all in WCHA play.

The Badgers controlled the opener, holding Minnesota to only 18 shots on goal, all of which were stopped by UW netminder Ava McNaughton. Skylar Vetter kept the Gophers in the game through two periods, stopping 23 of 24 shots, but Wisconsin lit the lamp on four of their first six 3rd-period shots over the opening 7:40 of the stanza. Hannah Clark relieved Vetter for the remainder of the contest, stopping the two shots she faced.

After a scoreless first period of the rematch with Clark between the pipes for the Gophers, Minnesota then found a way to beat McNaughton in the second frame. Sydney Morrow lit the lamp twice in the opening two minutes, the second goal coming on a power play, and Madison Kaiser pushed the Gopher lead to 3-0 at the 8:44 mark of the period. Unfortunately, a power-play tally by Laila Edwards, her second goal of the series, started a Wisconsin comeback. The Gophers took their 3-1 lead into the third, but Lacey Eden netted another Wisconsin PP goal just 35 seconds in, Hannah Halverson knotted the score 4 minutes later, and Casey O'Brien put them ahead with 6:07 to play. McNaughton shut the door on Minnesota the rest of the way, finishing with another 26 saves, while Clark stopped 25 shots. Caroline Harvey assisted on all four Badger goals Saturday to give her five helpers for the weekend, and O'Brien posted a two-goal, two assist series.

Around the WCHA...

Bulldogs shut out Tommies – Minnesota Duluth outshot St. Thomas by a combined 76-46, and UMD netminders Ève Gascon and Tindra Holm stopped everything sent their way. Meanwhile, five different Bulldogs lit the lamp as they swept the series by scores of 3-0 and 2-0. Clara Van Wieran recorded a goal and two assists.

Beavers defeat, tie Lindenwood – Amber Fryklund earned her first win as head coach at Bemidji State as Hailey Armstrong recorded the game-winning goal plus two more insurance tallies for a hat trick in a 6-3 victory over Lindenwood. Isa Goettl's goal 3:56 into the third period after an earlier assist put the Beavers up 3-2 in the rematch, but Molly Henderson lit the lamp for the Lions with 11:46 to play and neither team found the back of the net after that, resulting in a 3-3 tie. Henderson netted the only goal in an exhibition shootout.

SCSU takes two points from OSU – Sanni Ahola made 42 saves for the Huskies Friday, but Joy Dunne & Jordyn Petrie each lit the lamp twice in a 5-1 victory for Ohio State. In the rematch, Brieja Parent and Abby Promersberger scored for St. Cloud State to erase a two-goal deficit and knot the score at 2-2. Jenna Buglioni's power-play goal put the Buckeyes up 3-2 with 2:47 to play, but OSU took a penalty of their own and Dayle Ross knotted things up again for the Huskies with 1:03 remaining. SCSU netminder Emilia Kyrkkö made 6 saves in overtime and 45 for the contest to preserve a 3-3 tie, and Sofianna Sundelin netted the only goal of the subsequent shootout to give St. Cloud State the bonus point.

Ohio State defeats Mercyhurst (last night) – In midweek action, the Buckeyes returned home to Columbus and defeated the visiting Lakers, 5-1, outshooting them 47-15. Amanda Thiele earned her 58th career victory to become OSU's all-time wins leader, stopping the single shot she faced in nearly 24 minutes of action before giving way to backup Genny Klein with a 3-0 lead. Jordyn Petrie led OSU at the other end with a goal and an assist, while Thea Johansson netted Mercyhurst's lone goal.

Upcoming games – Bemidji State and Wisconsin will open the weekend with a Thursday night / Friday night series in Madison. St. Cloud State and St. Thomas will square off in a home-and-home series starting Friday in Mendota Heights. Meanwhile, Ohio State will host the 2024 Women's Ice Breaker Tournament at The Schottenstein Center; the Buckeyes will face Stonehill on Friday, then take on either Cornell or Penn State on Saturday. Minnesota Duluth is idle.

Copyright © 2024 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

Power Play Club

October 18, 2024

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Friday, October 18, 2024

Power Play Club

October 18, 2024

GWH Border Battle Game Day!!
Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
6:00 PM at Ridder Arena

Purchase tickets
Beach towel & ticket package
Series preview from the U.

Watch on B1G+
Free audio play-by-play
Live stats

Twelve GWH alumnae named to PWHL training camp rosters;
2024-2025 schedules also released for all six teams

Twelve (12) Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae have been named to the training camp rosters of the six Professional Women's Hockey League squads for the upcoming 2024-2025 season, as announced last Friday, October 11. Camps open league-wide on Tuesday, November 12. We send congratulations and wishes of good luck to...

Lauren Bench, Minnesota Frost
Abigail Boreen, Montréal Victoire
Hannah Brandt, Boston Fleet
Emily Brown, Boston Fleet
Taylor Heise, Minnesota Frost
Olivia Knowles, Toronto Sceptres

Lucy Morgan, Minnesota Frost
Savannah Norcross, New York Sirens
Kelly Pannek, Minnesota Frost
Lee Stecklein, Minnesota Frost
Madeline Wethington, Ottawa Charge
Grace Zumwinkle, Minnesota Frost

The roster announcements were followed by the release of the league's season schedule this past Tuesday, October 15. Each team will play 30 games during the season, facing each opponent 6 times (3 at home, 3 on the road). The puck will drop on Saturday, November 30, when Toronto hosts Boston and Montréal hosts Ottawa. The defending Walter Cup champion Minnesota Frost will start their season at home at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, December 1 against the New York Sirens.

More information on training camp rosters can be found on the league's website, thepwhl.com; go to the "News" page for details. The full schedule is available here.

Power Play Club

October 17, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Thursday, October 17, 2024

Power Play Club

October 17, 2024

Chalk Talk – this Saturday, October 19 at 1:30 p.m.
Here's one more reminder that all enrolled Power Play Club members are invited to join us at the first of our club-exclusive Chalk Talks this Saturday, October 19, at 1:30 p.m. in the Ridder Arena weight room on the suite (upper) level. We will hear from one of the GWH coaches as we discuss team strategy and the previous night's contest against Wisconsin.

PPC membership remains open for 2024-2025 season
Speaking of membership enrollment, you can still register for the Power Play Club at either level for the 2024-2025 season.

We are still looking for additional Locker Sponsors! You can have your name placed on a player's or coach's locker and attend a special meal with the team in January by committing to a minimum $600 donation (per locker) and contacting Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible (though do not submit a donation at this time).

Or you can sign-up for a Basic Membership with a minimum donation of $50, enrolling online at z.umn.edu/PPC24; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

Goals for a Goal
We are also looking for additional pledges to the Goals for a Goal program – a pledge-per-goal campaign for additional financial support for the team. Entering this weekend's Border Battle, the Gophers have lit the lamp 17 times, including twice on the power play. Use the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal to submit your pledge for each goal scored this year, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies! Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. Thanks and GO GOPHERS!!

Border Battle!
#3/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-1-1, 0-1-1-0 WCHA)
vs.
#1/1 Wisconsin Badgers (6-0-0, 2-0-0-0)
Friday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Saturday, October 19 at 3:00 p.m. (CT)
Ridder Arena

The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey team returns to Ridder Arena for the first of two Border Battle series this season, squaring off against the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The puck will drop tomorrow evening, Friday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m., and action continues on Saturday, October 19, at 3:00 p.m.

Milestone watch continues – The Golden Gophers are still looking for their 500th WCHA victory all-time. Minnesota has a 499-108-50 record in league play through last weekend.

Beach Towel Ticket Package (Friday) – A special Goldy Gopher beach towel ticket package is still available for tomorrow evening's (Friday, 10/18) game against Wisconsin. The package is $17 per ticket (plus fees), and can be ordered here.

Game coverage – Friday's game will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service here, and Saturday's contest will be televised on Big Ten Network; check with your cable or satellite TV provider for availability. Both games will have free audio play-by-play streaming via GopherSports.com (Friday / Saturday). Live stats will also be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Wisconsin – The Gophers and Badgers split their series at Ridder Arena last December, with Minnesota taking the opener, 5-3, and Wisconsin responding the next day, 5-1. However, the Gophers earned only one standings point in Madison in February, falling 4-3 in OT and 4-0. The two squads met a fifth time in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals, with the Badgers again winning 4-3 in OT.

Josefin Bouveng was Minnesota's high scorer against Wisconsin, tallying six points on four goals & two assists. Abbey Murphy (2g, 3a) and Nelli Laitinen (1g, 4a) each added five points, but no other Gopher recorded more than two points. Kirsten Simms led the Badgers, hitting a double-digit point total across the five contests with 6 goals and 4 assists. Lacey Eden added 7 points with 4 goals & 3 assists, and Casey O'Brien tallied 5 points (2g, 3a). In net for the Gophers, Skylar Vetter made 105 saves across three of the games but yielded 13 goals, posting an .890 save percentage and 4.12 goals-against average; Lucy Morgan earned the win in the first contest, but recorded only an .896 SV% and 3.50 GAA in her two starts. Minnesota tagged UW netminder Jane Gervais for 8 goals on 51 shots in her two starts – a 3.99 GAA and an .843 SV%, but Ava McNaughton earned three wins with a 1.29 GAA and .938 SV%, stopping 60 of 64 shots.

Analyzing the Badgers – After finishing second in the 2023-2024 WCHA regular season standings, upsetting Ohio State for the league's Final Faceoff Championship, and completing last year as NCAA runner-up, Wisconsin was #1 in the USA Hockey / The Rink Live preseason poll. They have gotten off to a hot start to the new season, lighting the lamp 46 times in just six games and becoming the unanimous #1 team in both national rankings.

Fifth-year player Casey O'Brien (#26) is the Badgers' points and assists leader early on with 17 & 12, respectively, plus 5 goals of her own. Junior Laila Edwards (#10) is tied with a team-high 6 goals; her 7 assists put her second in total scoring with 13 points. Redshirt senior Lacey Eden (#6) also has 6 goals plus 6 assists; she is tied with junior Caroline Harvey (#4; 4g, 8a) and sophomore Kelly Gorbatenko (#7; 3g, 9a) at 12 points apiece.

Sophomore Ava McNaughton (#30) has been the Badgers' starter for all six games so far this year; she has one shutout, a 1.13 goals-against average, and a .942 save percentage. Redshirt sophomore Chloe Baker (#32) and graduate transfer Quinn Kuntz (#35) have each seen a period of relief action, both against Lindenwood. Baker made 5 saves in their season opener, only her second official collegiate appearance. Kuntz stopped 3 shots in the rematch against the Lions; previously as an Ohio State Buckeye, she was 5-0-0 in her five starts in 2022-2023 with three shutouts, but only saw one period of action (against Bemidji State) last season.

Last weekend for Wisconsin – A top-five matchup against Minnesota Duluth in Madison remained one-sided as the Badgers swept the Bulldogs, 5-1 & 7-3. Laney Potter, Laila Edwards, and Cassie Hall each tallied two goals & two assists, Caroline Harvey added a goal & three helpers, and Maggie Scannell lit the lamp twice and dished out an assist. Ava McNaughton stopped 53 of 57 shots to earn both victories. Olivia Mobley scored twice for UMD in game two of the series.

Gophers lose to Ohio State in opener, tie Buckeyes in rematch
A trip to Columbus turned into a tough weekend for the Gopher Women's Hockey team. Minnesota lost to Ohio State, 4-3, in the series opener. They played the Buckeyes to a 1-1 tie in the rematch, but OSU took the "bonus" WCHA standings point with a 2-1 result in a seven-round shootout.

The Buckeyes took an early lead on Friday as Joy Dunne scored 3:28 into the contest, but Abbey Murphy lit the lamp just 96 second later to knot the score. However, Jocelyne Amos put Ohio State back in the lead just before the first intermission and Kiara Zanon doubled OSU's advantage with a second-period power-play goal. Emma Kreisz cut the Gophers' deficit to 3-2 at the 2:16 mark of the third stanza, but Jenna Buglioni pushed the Buckeye lead back to two with another power-play goal four minutes later. A extra-attacker tally by Gracie Graham with 9.5 seconds was not enough as OSU controlled the subsequent faceoff to run out the clock. Skylar Vetter made 21 saves for Minnesota, while Amanda Thiele stopped 24 shots for Ohio State.

Minnesota again found themselves down a goal early in the rematch as OSU's Jordyn Petrie lit the lamp at the 4:08 mark of the first period; however, that was the only goal yielded by Hannah Clark as she stopped 29 shots, including five in overtime. The Gophers trailed for nearly 40 minutes before Josefin Bouveng evened the score with a rebound goal early in the third period. Thiele made 28 saves for the Buckeyes, resulting in the 1-1 tie. Going to the shootout, Dunne put the Buckeyes up 1-0 after round 1, but Murphy knotted it up in round 3; after three more rounds without a goal on either side, Amos gave Ohio State the extra point, scoring in round 7.

We recognize freshman defender Gracie Graham (pictured) for scoring her first collegiate goal last Friday in Columbus! Congratulations, Gracie!!

Around the WCHA...

Tommies sweep Mavericks in home-and-home series – Cara Sajevic lit the lamp twice Friday, Chloe Boreen recorded a goal & two assists over the weekend, and Calla Frank stopped 53 of a combined 58 shots as St. Thomas defeated Minnesota State, 4-3 in Mendota Heights and 3-2 in Mankato. Whitney Tuttle netted three of MSU's five goals.

SCSU shuts out BSU – Alice Sauriol tallied both game-winning goals for St. Cloud State, Friday's coming short-handed and unassisted, and assisted on an empty-netter. Meanwhile, Huskies goaltenders Sanni Ahola and Emilia Kyrkkö stopped all 31 shots they faced in the series to sweep Bemidji State, 1-0 and 2-0. Beavers netminder Kaitlin Groess made a combined 47 saves in the series.

Upcoming games – In Friday and Saturday action, Minnesota Duluth hosts St. Thomas in a matinee series, Ohio State goes on the road to face St. Cloud State, and Bemidji State hosts Lindenwood in non-conference play. Next Tuesday (10/22), the Buckeyes will host a non-conference game against Mercyhurst, the first half of a home-and-home series (to be concluded in December). Minnesota State is idle.

Power Play Club

October 10, 2024

The Penalty Box Post - Thursday, October 10, 2024

Power Play Club

October 10, 2024

Chalk Talk – Saturday, October 19 at 1:30 p.m.

All enrolled Power Play Club members are invited to join us at the first of our club-exclusive Chalk Talks on Saturday, October 19, at 1:30 p.m. We will hear from one of the GWH coaches as we discuss team strategy and the previous night's contest against Wisconsin. The event will be held in the Ridder Arena weight room on the suite (upper) level; use the stairs or elevator on the west end of the ticket lobby.

PPC membership remains open for 2024-2025 season

Do you still need to enroll in the Power Play Club for 2024-2025? You can still become a Locker Sponsor by committing to a minimum $600 donation (per locker) and contacting Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible (though do not submit a donation at this time).

Or you can sign-up for a Basic Membership with a minimum donation of $50, enrolling online at z.umn.edu/PPC24; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".

Goals for a Goal

Another way to support the Gopher Women's Hockey team financially is to enroll in the Goals for a Goal program – a pledge-per-goal campaign. Through the first four games of the season, the Gophers have lit the lamp 13 times, including twice on the power play. Submit your pledge for each goal scored this year, with the option to double your pledge for power play tallies, using the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions. Thanks and GO GOPHERS!!

2024-2025 WCHA Opener!
#2/2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (4-0-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at #4/5 Ohio State University Buckeyes (4-2-0, 2-2-0)
Friday, October 11 at 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT
Saturday, October 12 at 3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT
OSU Ice Rink, Columbus, Ohio

Following victories in four non-conference contests, the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey team will go back on the road to open the conference portion of its schedule, heading to Columbus, Ohio, to square off against the Ohio State University Buckeyes at the OSU Ice Rink. The puck will drop this Friday, October 11 at 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. CT, and continue on Saturday, October 12, at 3:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. CT.

Milestone watch – In addition to this weekend being considered a rivalry series, the Gophers will also be looking for their 500th WCHA victory all-time. Minnesota has a 499-107-49 record in league play entering the season.

Game coverage – Saturday's game will be televised in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas on Fox 9+; see the channel finder for availability. Both contests will have video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday), and free audio play-by-play streaming is available via GopherSports.com (Friday / Saturday). Live stats will also be available via GopherSports.com.

Last year against Ohio State – The Gophers came out on the short end of their four games against the Buckeyes last season, losing a pair of one-goal contests in Columbus last October, 4-3 (OT) & 6-5, then being routed at home in January, 7-0 & 6-1. Josefin Bouveng was Minnesota's high-scorer against OSU, tallying five points on a goal & 4 assists, while Ella Huber, Nelli Laitinen, and Abbey Murphy each added two goals and two assists. Jennifer Gardiner led Ohio State with 9 points (4g, 5a) in the four contests against Minnesota, Hannah Bilka recorded 8 points (4g, 4a), and Joy Dunne (3g, 2a) & Sloane Matthews each added (2g, 3a) each posted 5 points. In net for the Gophers, Skylar Vetter made 141 saves but yielded 18 goals, posting an .887 save percentage and 5.29 goals-against average; Lucy Morgan gave up 5 goals on only 16 shots in just over 35 minutes of action (.688 SV%, 8.45 GAA). OSU netminder Raygan Kirk stopped 62 of 66 shots over 3 games with a shutout, posting a 1.32 GAA and a .939 SV%; Amanda Thiele yielded 5 goals on 28 shots in the second meeting (.821 SV%) but still got the victory.

Analyzing the Buckeyes – Ohio State is looking to avoid what happened to them 3 weeks ago: being swept at home in a conference series. However, they've gone 4-0 on the road since then and remain a top-five team in both national rankings. Still, they're reloading after eight players from their roster last season were selected in the 2024 PWHL Draft.

Sophomore Joy Dunne (#16) returns as the Buckeyes' leader in goals last season, lighting the lamp 24 times while also dishing out 18 assists, and grad student Kiara Zanon (#11) also surpassed the 40-point mark with 14 goals and 27 assists. After a 38-point (15g, 23a) senior season, grad student Jenna Buglioni (#10) leads the team early this year with 7 points on 4 goals & 3 assists. Sophomore Jocelyne Amos (#17; 4g, 2a), Zanon (3g, 3a), and junior Emma Peschel (#7; 1g, 5a) have each added six points. OSU also added five new transfers, including Maddi Wheeler (#18; from Wisconsin) and former Gopher Emily Zumwinkle (#6).

Another of the five transfers to the Buckeyes is junior goaltender Hailey MacLeod (#35), who came over from Minnesota Duluth; after going 11-5-2 with 6 shutouts, a 1.42 goals-against average, and a .948 save percentage last year with the Bulldogs, she's 2-1-0 with one shutout, a 2.36 GAA, and an .894 SV% so far for OSU. Meanwhile, Amanda Thiele (#30) is back for her graduate season; she posted a 13-2-0 record as a senior with 2 shutouts, a 1.63 GAA, and a .905 SV%, and has started 2024-2025 with a 2-1-0 record, a 2.00 GAA, and an .842 SV%.

Last weekend for Ohio State – Jenna Buglioni netted both game-winning goals, her 2nd and 3rd of the series, as the Buckeyes travelled to northern New York State and swept St. Lawrence, 3-2 (OT) and 5-3. Jocelyne Amos also posted three points, netting a goal in each game and adding an assist. Ali McLeod led the Saints with a goal and two helpers. Amanda Thiele made 12 saves Friday and Hailey MacLeod stopped 18 shots Saturday for OSU, while SLU netminder Emma-Sofie Nordström played both games and recorded a combined 71 saves.

Gophers sweep home-opening series against Boston University

Abbey Murphy led Minnesota with two goals & an assist and Natalie Mlynkova dished out 3 helpers on Sunday as the Gopher Women's Hockey team swept their home-opening series against Boston University, 1-0 and 5-2. The wins improve Minnesota's record to 4-0-0.

Terriers goaltender Callie Shanahan stopped the first 40 shots she faced on Friday night and held the Gopher power play unit scoreless on its first three opportunities. However, a major penalty by BU for direct head contact with 1:38 to play in regulation gave Minnesota another chance with the advantage, and Murphy corralled and buried the rebound of a shot from Josefin Bouveng for the only goal of the contest. Peyton Hemp earned the other assist. Skylar Vetter posted an 11-save shutout, including stopping a Terrier penalty shot opportunity earlier in the third period.

Gopher freshman Hannah Clark made her first collegiate start between the pipes on Sunday, stopping 12 of 14 shots. Hemp gave Minnesota the initial lead in the first period off a cross-ice pass from Mlynkova. Boston's Lilli Welcke knotted the score 13 minutes into the second period, but Murphy was slashed on a breakaway a minute later, earning a penalty shot which she converted with a chip past BU goalie Mari Pietersen; it was the Gophers' first penalty shot goal since Emily West scored in the 2012 NCAA Championship Game. Ella Huber doubled Minnesota's lead 3 minutes after that, netting the eventual game-winning goal, and Sydney Morrow tallied her first goal as a Gopher early in the third stanza. Riley Walsh pulled the Terriers back within two just 95 seconds later, but Nelli Laitinen pushed the lead back to three 64 seconds after that.

We again recognize junior defender Sydney Morrow (pictured) for scoring her first goal as a member of the Gopher Women's Hockey team, and we also send a shout-out to freshman blueliner Gracie Graham for earning her first collegiate point with an assist on the same play! Congratulations, ladies!!

Around the WCHA

Wisconsin routs Boston College – Casey O'Brien's hot hand continued with 7-point weekend, tallying three goals and dishing out four assists as the Badgers swept the Eagles, 7-1 and 7-0 in Boston. Laila Edwards added two goals & three assists, while Kirsten Simms tallied 2 goals & 2 helpers. Abby Newhook netted the lone goal for Boston College, who were outshot by a combined 104-29.

UMD, Colgate split – Mary Kate O'Brien recorded a goal & an assist, Clara Van Wieren also lit the lamp, and Ève Gascon stopped 25 of 27 shots as the Bulldogs defeated the Raiders, 3-2, on Friday. Gascon made another 33 saves and Van Wieren scored again on Saturday, but two goals by Colgate's Kaia Malachino, 42 saves by Hannah Murphy, and the game-winning tally by Sara Stewart after an earlier assist gave the Raiders the 3-2 victory and the weekend split.

SCSU edges Mercyhurst twice – Four different Huskies lit the lamp, Greta Henderson & Carmen Bray each dished out two assists, and Sanni Ahola & Emilia Kyrkkö each made 21 saves as St. Cloud State swept the Lakers, 2-1 and 2-0. Regina Metzler netted the lone Mercyhurst goal.

MSU sweeps LIU – Whitney Tuttle & Taylor Otremba each tallied two goals and an assist, Madison Mashuga added a goal & two assists, and Suzette Faucher & Jessie McPherson combined to stop 42 of 43 shots as Minnesota State defeated Long Island, 4-0 and 4-1. Abbie Thompson made a combined 78 saves and Anya Weilandt scored for the Sharks.

St. Thomas earns two wins vs. Post – Maddie Brown and Rylee Bartz each tallied two goals & two assists, and Chloe Boreen earned WCHA Rookie of the Week honors with a goal and two helpers as the Tommies cruised to 7-0 and 4-1 victories over the visiting Eagles. Macy Peterson netted the lone goal for Post, but they were outshot by UST 99-15.

Bemidji State falls short at Robert Morris – RMU netminder Maggie Hatch stoped all 46 shots she faced Friday, and Mya Neugent & Janelle Evans lit the lamp to give the Colonials the 2-0 shutout victory over the Beavers. Morgan Giannone recorded a goal & an assist and Neugent dished out two helpers as RMU took a 3-0 lead on Saturday, only to see nine Beavers each record a point as they battled back; Alyssa Watkins netted the tying goal on a power play with 8:04 remaining in regulation. However, BSU came home empty as Thalia D'Elia scored for the Colonials, with another assist for Giannone, 2:32 into overtime to win 4-3.

Upcoming games – In-conference action begin throughout the league. In a pair of Friday-Saturday series, St. Thomas will face Minnesota State home-and-home starting in Mendota Heights, and Bemidji State will host St. Cloud State. The other series features #3/4 Minnesota Duluth traveling to Madison to face #1/1 Wisconsin on Saturday & Sunday.

Power Play Club

October 9, 2024

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Power Play Club

October 9, 2024

GWH alumna Gigi Marvin announces retirement from hockey

Gopher Women's Hockey alumna, U.S. National Team veteran, and long-time professional player Gigi Marvin announced her retirement on Monday (Oct. 7) via social media, including on X and Facebook.

Marvin tallied 195 career points (87g-108a) in 152 games as a Gopher from 2005 through 2009. Her 31 power-play goals are fifth all-time in the U. of M. record book, and her 108 assists and 5 short-handed goals are currently tied for 10th. She was a two-time top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, WCHA Rookie of the Year in 2005-2006, and WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year 2008-2009.

On the international stage, Marvin played 13 years as part of Team USA, earning an Olympic Gold Medal in 2018, two Olympic Silver Medals (2010, 2014), five IIHF world championship titles, and recording 74 points (24g-50a) over 126 total games.

Following college, Gigi played for multiple organizations, primarily in the Boston area including the CWHL's Blades, the NWHL/PHF's Pride, and PWHPA New England. Skating this past year with PWHL Boston (now the Boston Fleet) in their inaugural season, she tallied a goal & 3 assists over 24 regular-season contests, then dished out another three assists during their eight-game playoff run.

We send our congratulations to Gigi on a great career and thanks for her outstanding performance as a representative of the University of Minnesota and the Gopher Women's Hockey program! We wish her well in her next endeavor!

U. of M. announces special package for Oct. 18 vs. Wisconsin;
Hockey Day Minnesota (January 25) tickets also on sale

The University of Minnesota has announced a special Goldy Gopher beach towel ticket package for the Border Battle game against Wisconsin on Friday evening, October 18; puck drop is at 6 p.m. The package is $17 per ticket (plus fees), and can be ordered here.

Tickets are also on sale for Hockey Day Minnesota 2025, being held at Valleyfair in Shakopee. The Gopher Women's Hockey team will be playing on Saturday, January 25 at 11:30 a.m. against the Bemidji State Beavers.

Tickets are now on sale at hockeydaymnshakopee.hometownticketing.com; please note that Saturday's are $79 each, though that covers the full slate of games being played that day plus admission into the Hockey Day Village and Valleyfair itself.

Watch for our regular Penalty Box Post tomorrow, featuring our preview of GWH vs. OSU and our look around the WCHA!

Power Play Club

October 4, 2024

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, October 4, 2024

Power Play Club

October 4, 2024

GWH captain Murphy, alums Heise, Pannek & Zumwinkle named to Team USA roster for November Rivalry Series games

We send congratulations and best wishes to current Minnesota Women's Hockey forward Abbey Murphy and alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle upon their selection to the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team roster for November's 2024-2025 Rivalry Series games against Canada.

The teams will be playing at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, November 6 at 9 p.m. CT; the Maverik Center in West Valley, Utah, on Friday, November 8 at 8 p.m. CT; and Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, on Sunday, November 10 at 6 p.m. CT. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster; links for the individual games can be found on the USA Hockey website. Television coverage of all three contests is also expected on NHL Network.

Ticket update for GWH series at Wisconsin – February 8 & 9

The University of Wisconsin Ticket Office has announced that tickets for the Badger Women's Hockey team's last three regular-season home series at LaBahn Arena, including the Border Battle against Minnesota on Saturday & Sunday, February 8-9, will go on sale this coming Monday, October 7, at 9:00 a.m. They can be purchased on the UW Ticket Office website or by phone at 608-262-1440, and are expected to go quickly. We hope many of you can make the trip to Madison!!

NCAA announces 2027, 2028 Women's Frozen Four sites
Minnesota Duluth, Sacred Heart University to serve as hosts

As part of an announcement of sites for 240 future NCAA events made Wednesday, AMSOIL Arena in Duluth was selected to host the 2027 National Collegiate Women's Frozen Four, while Martire Family Arena on the campus of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, will host the 2028 Women's Frozen Four.

We provide a reminder that our very own Ridder Arena in Minneapolis will be hosting the upcoming 2025 Women's Frozen Four, and Pegula Arena on the campus of Penn State University will host the event in 2026.

IIHF announces tournament format change for
Women's Hockey World Championship starting in 2025-2026

Returning to the international game, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced a format change to the top division of the annual Women's Hockey World Championship, going into effect in the 2025-2026 season. The decision came during the 2024 IIHF Semi-Annual Congress last month and recapped last Saturday.

While the tournament will continue with 10 teams, they will use “snake seeding” to create two sections of equal rank. The "snake seeding" methodology is used for the World Juniors (Men's U20 tournament) and was recently adopted for the Women's U18 tournament. For the senior Women's World Championship, this will likely place Teams USA and Canada into separate groups for at least the next few years.

In addition to the balanced groups, only one team will be relegated back to the Division IA tournament each year. The fifth-place teams in each pool after the preliminary round will play a relegation game to determine who remains in the top division.