Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Wednesday, December 11, 2025

Primerano named to Canada's Under-18 National Team ahead of IIHF U-18 Women's Worlds, January 4-12

 Coming off her 4-point (2g, 2a) performance against St. Thomas which earned her the WCHA Defender of the Week award, Gopher Women's Hockey freshman Chloe Primerano was named to the roster of Canada's Under-18 Women's National Team which will be headed to the 2025 IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship in Vantaa, Finland, being played January 4 through 12.

Primerano is one of five players on the roster returning from Canada's 2024 IIHF U-18 Worlds squad which took home a bronze medal.  Chloe was named MVP of that tournament, leading all players with 16 points (8g, 8a), the most ever by a defender and second overall all-time behind Amanda Kessel's 19 (tallied in 2009).  Primerano remains eligible for the upcoming tournament as her 18th birthday is after the calendar flips to 2025.

Congratulations, Chloe, on your selection and best wishes in Finland!!

Six Nations update – Bouveng out of lineup for Sweden

We share some unfortunate news, as Gopher Women's Hockey junior forward Josefin Bouveng has been ruled out of the Six Nations Tournament beginning today in Tempere, Finland.

The news of Josefin being unavailable came in a reply on X on Sunday by the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation in response to their roster announcement last Wednesday.  Bouveng appeared to become injured during the second period of Friday's Gopher game at St. Thomas and she did not play on Saturday.

We send our best wishes to Josefin for a speedy and complete recovery.

Ticket links for remaining special events this season

Here's an update to the ticket information we shared last Friday for the remaining special events in the 2024-2025 season.  (Note that prices listed are before fees & taxes unless otherwise indicated.)

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic, Jan. 1 vs. Bemidji State in Lakeville – Tickets are on sale through the Lakeville Booster Club for the Gopher Women's Hockey game against the BSU Beavers on Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. at Hasse Arena.  Seats are $16.75 each (including fees) and must be purchased online and quantities are limited.

Hockey Day Minnesota at Valleyfair in Shakopee, January 25 – The Gopher Women's Hockey team will be playing on Saturday, January 25 at 11:30 a.m. against the Bemidji State Beavers.  Tickets can be purchased at here.  Please note those for Saturday 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.

2025 WCHA Final Faceoff, March 7-8 in Duluth – All-session packages for the WCHA Final Faceoff, sponsored by Kwik Trip, are now on sale.  The tournament will be played at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth on Friday & Saturday, March 7 and 8.  Ticket can be purchased through the UMD Ticketmaster site.  Reserved seats – primarily from the faceoff dots at one end of the ice to the other, with some handicapped seating on the concourse – are $35 for adults and $25 for youth & seniors, while general admission seating in all other sections is $25 for adults and $20 for youth & seniors.  Single-session tickets will go on sale at a later date.

2025 NCAA Frozen Four, March 21 & 23 at Ridder Arena – The University of Minnesota is once again hosting the NCAA Frozen Four in Minneapolis, and tickets are now on sale through the U. of M. Ticket Office.  Chairback seating is $50 for adults and $35 for seniors, students & children, while bench seating is $40 for adults and $25 for seniors, students & children.  Reduced rate seating for groups of 15 or more is also available.  Single-day tickets are also on sale.

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.

Penalty Box Post - December 10, 2024

Tickets still available for Brunch with the Coaches on Jan. 4

Once again, the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches will be held 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.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed by December 28; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club. 

Goals for a Goal

Help us convert every goal scored by the Gopher Women's Hockey team into a donation back to the squad through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program!  At the holiday break, the Gophers have tallied 61 goals, fifteen (15) of which have come on the power play!  Submit your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  GO GOPHERS!!

Gophers conclude 2024 with road sweep of St. Thomas

A short trip across town proved to be no issue for the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they earned a weekend sweep of the St. Thomas Tommies at Saint Thomas Ice Arena, winning 5-0 and 6-2.

Josefin Bouveng netted Minnesota's first two goals of the weekend, with Abbey Murphy assisting on both.  Murphy then lit the lamp twice herself a short time later, and Chloe Primerano, already with an assist, also found the back of the net.  Both teams found the scoresheet in the first period of the rematch; Peyton Hemp opened the scoring for the Gophers, the Tommies' Rylee Bartz evened things up later in the stanza, but Nelli Laitinen put Minnesota back in the lead just 26 seconds after that.  Sydney Morrow converted on a power play and Hemp netted her second goal of the game in the second frame, and Murphy went down to one knee to bury a pass from Morrow in the third.  Former Gopher Sadie Lindsay lit the lamp for St. Thomas, but Primerano added another power-play goal in the final seconds of the contest.

Murphy, Primerano earn WCHA Player of the Week honors;
Clark records first collegiate shutout between the pipes

We send congratulations to Gophers Abbey Murphy and Chloe Primerano for earning honors as WCHA Forward and Defender of the Week, respectively, for their performances at St. Thomas.

Murphy tied her career high on Friday night with 5 points on her 2 goals & 3 assists, then added her 3rd goal of the weekend and two more helpers on Saturday to complete an 8-point series.  As noted above, Primerano lit the lamp once in each game but also recorded an assist in each contest as well to finish with 4 points on the weekend.

We also congratulate freshman goaltender Hannah Clark.  With a 14-save performance Friday night, Clark recorded the first shutout of her collegiate career.  She added another 20 saves on Saturday to earn her ninth victory of the season.

Other notable performances – Nelli Laitinen & Sydney Morrow each dished out two assists to go with their respective goals, finishing with 3 points apiece.  Ella Huber recorded 3 assists in the series.

Euro Hockey Tour Six Nations Tournament – December 11-15;
nine Gophers selected to play on respective national teams

We again congratulate and send best wishes to the nine (9) Gopher Women's Hockey representatives selected to play on their respective national teams at the Six Nations Tournament, part of the 2024-2025 Women's Euro Hockey Tour.  The event begins tomorrow, December 11, and runs through Sunday, December 15, in Tampere, Finland.

Eight current Gophers departed to join their national squads following the series against St. Thomas.  Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, Sydney Morrow, and Abbey Murphy were named to the U.S. Collegiate Select Team, Nelli Laitinen & Krista Parkkonen were selected for Finland's Women's National Team, Josefin Bouveng was named to Team Sweden, and Natálie Mlýnková was selected for the Czech National Team.  Future Gopher Tereza Plosová will join Mlýnková on Team Czechia.  Canada's National Development Team and the Swiss National Team will make up the field.  Though the four European squads are considered as "senior" national teams, they will trend younger since a large majority of PWHL players are not participating.

Tournament format – The Six Nations Tournament will feature 2 three-team groups, with Finland, Switzerland, and the U.S. in Group A and Canada, Czechia, and Sweden in Group B.  Following three days of intra-group round-robin play, the bottom teams from each group will play each other twice while the other four squads play in semifinals and medal contests.  Here's the schedule of games (times shown are U.S. Central):

• Group B: Sweden vs. Canada – Wednesday (12/11) at 7 a.m.

• Group A: Finland vs. USA – Wednesday (12/11) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group A: Switzerland vs. USA – Thursday (12/12) at 7 a.m.

• Group B: Canada vs. Czechia – Thursday (12/12) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group B: Czechia vs. Sweden – Friday (12/13) at 7 a.m.

• Group A: Finland vs. Switzerland – Friday (12/13) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group A 3rd place vs. Group B 3rd place (game 1) – Saturday (12/14) at 3:30 a.m.

• Semifinal #1 – Saturday (12/14) at 7 a.m.

• Semifinal #2 – Saturday (12/14) at 11 a.m.
   

• Group A 3rd place vs. Group B 3rd place (game 2) – Sunday (12/15) at 3:30 a.m.

• Bronze medal game – Sunday (12/15) at 7 a.m.

• Gold medal game – Sunday (12/15) at 11 a.m.

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, December 6, 2024

GWH Game Day!!
#3 Minnesota vs. St. Thomas - 7:00 PM at St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights

Series preview
Video stream on B1G+
Free audio play-by-play
Live stats

Give to the Max Day recap – Thank You!!

We once again thank everyone who contributed to our Give to the Max Day fundraising efforts this year.  We raised $6,490 in support of Gopher Women's Hockey!!

Another fundraising opportunity still open is our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program.  Pledge to make a donation every time the Gophers light the lamp this season, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies!  You can sign up today at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal.

Watch for news of more giving options after the holidays!  GO GOPHERS!!

Bouveng named to Sweden Women's National Team roster
for next week's Euro Hockey Tour Six Nations Tournament

Following this weekend's Gopher series against St. Thomas, one more member of the current Minnesota roster is headed to next week's Six Nations Tournament being played in Tampere, Finland.

Junior forward Josefin Bouveng was named to Sweden's National Team roster on Wednesday ahead of the tournament.  We send her our congratulations on the selection and wish her the best of luck in Tampere.  Action runs December 11 through 15, and we'll have a preview before the puck drops.

Bouveng is the eighth current Gopher and ninth overall U. of M. representative selected to participate, joining Minnesota teammates Peyton Hemp (USA), Ella Huber (USA), Nelli Laitinen (FIN), Natálie Mlýnková (CZE), Sydney Morrow (USA), Abbey Murphy (USA), and Krista Parkkonen (FIN), and future Gopher Tereza Plosová (CZE).

GWH Field Trip Day school registration deadline extended

The registration deadline has been extended for the Gopher Women's Hockey "Field Trip Day" home game against Bemidji State on Friday, January 24 at Noon at Ridder Arena.

School leaders should complete the interest form by Friday, December 20 to request tickets.  Tickets will be completely free to students 8th grade and under, faculty/staff, and administrators.  Again, there is no limit to tickets per school, but requests are subject to availability and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transportation is not included.

Ticket info: Hall of Fame Game, Final Faceoff & Frozen Four!!

 Ticket information has been published regarding a number of upcoming events.  Here's our rundown (note that prices listed are before fees & taxes unless otherwise indicated)...

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic, Jan. 1 vs. Bemidji State in Lakeville – Tickets will go on sale to the public early next week for the Gopher Women's Hockey game against the BSU Beavers on Wednesday, January 1 at 5 p.m. at Hasse Arena.  Seats are $16.75 each (including fees) and must be purchased online through the Lakeville Booster Club.  Limited tickets are available.  Watch the GWH and PPC social media accounts for the link.

2025 WCHA Final Faceoff, March 7-8 in Duluth – All-session packages for the WCHA Final Faceoff, sponsored by Kwik Trip, are now on sale.  The tournament will be played at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth on Friday & Saturday, March 7 and 8.  Ticket can be purchased through the UMD Ticketmaster site.  Reserved seats – primarily from the faceoff dots at one end of the ice to the other, with some handicapped seating on the concourse – are $35 for adults and $25 for youth & seniors, while general admission seating in all other sections is $25 for adults and $20 for youth & seniors.  Single-session tickets will go on sale at a later date.

2025 NCAA Frozen Four, March 21 & 23 at Ridder Arena – The University of Minnesota is once again hosting the NCAA Frozen Four in Minneapolis, and tickets go on sale to the general public this coming Monday, December 9, at 9 a.m. CT (with pre-sale events for Gopher Score members and past GWH ticket purchasers).  Chairback seating is $50 for adults and $35 for seniors, students & children, while $40 for adults and $25 for seniors, students & children.  Reduced rate seating for groups of 15 or more is also available.  Single-day tickets will also be on sale on Monday, and we again encourage you to watch the GWH and PPC social media accounts for the link.

GWH alumnae news quick hits...

Boreen named PWHL Third Star of the Week – We send more congratulations to Abby Boreen upon being named the PWHL's Third Star of the Week for netting the Victoire de Montréal's first goal of the season and adding an assist in her debut with the team last Saturday.

Apples all around!  We also send shout-outs to Gopher alumnae Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost), Hannah Brandt (Boston Fleet), and Emily Brown (Boston) on each recoding their first assist of the season in their game on Wednesday night.

Norcross signs to play in Sweden – Per reporting from The Hockey News, Savannah Norcross has signed with Luleå in the SDHL (Swedish Women's Hockey League) following her release from the PWHL's New York Sirens.  We wish Savannah continued success on the ice.

Editor's note – Have a Gopher Women's Hockey alumna update, either playing or coaching?  We want to share the news!  Send it to us at news@powerplayclub.org.

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, December 3, 2024

PPC Board of Directors meeting – tonight (12/3) at 7 p.m.

The Power Play Club Board of Directors will be meeting TONIGHT – Tuesday, December 3 – at 7 p.m. online via Zoom.  The primary topic of the meeting will be fundraising plans for the Gopher Women's Hockey team for the remainder of the season.  The meeting is open to all club members; if you wish to attend, please contact vice president Dave Malerich at dmalerich@yahoo.com.

Goals for a Goal

Just under halfway through the regular season, the Gophers have tallied 50 goals, twelve (12) 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!!

Brunch with the Coaches – January 4 at 8:45 a.m.

Once again, the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches will be held 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.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed by December 28; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club. 

Ticket reminder – Hockey Day Minnesota, Saturday, Jan. 25

Tickets remain 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 can be purchased at hockeydaymnshakopee.hometownticketing.com.  Please note those for Saturday 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.

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-4-1, 7-4-1-0 WCHA)
at University of St. Thomas Tommies (5-11-2, 2-9-1-1 WCHA)
Friday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 at 6:00 p.m.
Saint Thomas Ice Arena – Mendota Heights

The 2024 portion of the schedule comes to a conclusion as the Gopher Women's Hockey team heads across town to face the neighboring University of St. Thomas Tommies at the Saint Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights.  The matchup starts this Friday, December 6 at 7:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, December 7 at 6:00 p.m.

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. Thomas – The Gophers opened the 2023-2024 WCHA conference schedule against the Tommies, winning 8-0 at Xcel Energy Center and 4-0 in Mendota Heights.  Minnesota completed the season sweep with 3-1 and 5-2 victories at Ridder Arena last February.  Abbey Murphy tallied 7 of the Gophers' 20 goals against UST, including a natural hat trick in the first meeting, and tacked on 4 assists.  Josefine Bouveng recorded 3 goals with 4 helpers, and Ella Huber added two goals and four assists.  Nicole Vallario, Ella Boerger, and Lauren Stenslie netted the Tommies' goals.  Skylar Vetter and Lucy Morgan each got two starts between the pipes for Minnesota; Vetter stopped 41 of 43 shots for a 1.00 goals-against average and .953 save percentage, while Morgan made 33 saves on 34 shots for a 0.50 GAA and .971 SV%.  Calla Frank made 30 saves for UST in the first game (8.00 GAA, .789 SV%), while Olivia King made the other three starts and posted a 3.67 GAA and .875 SV%.

Analyzing the Tommies – St. Thomas has already gone through a lot of changes, starting behind the bench as Bethany Brausen took over as interim head coach two weeks ago.  The team also had multiple players enter the transfer portal after the 2023-2024 season.  They currently sit seventh in the WCHA standings with a 2-9-1-1 record, and a 5-11-2 mark overall.

Youth is the story of St. Thomas' scoring this season.  Sophomore Maddie Brown (#17) leads the Tommies with 9 goals and 12 total points, after recording 6 goals and 14 points during her full freshman year.  Freshman Chloe Boreen (#20), younger sister of Gopher alumna Abby, has 11 points on four goals and seven assists.  Another sophomore, Cara Sajevic (#7), has already exceeded her freshman totals for goals and points, lighting the lamp 5 times this season with 5 assists.  Two more sophomores who led St. Thomas in scoring last season each have 9 points this year: Rylee Bartz (#6) has 4 goals & 5 assists, while Ella Boerger (#15) has a goal & 8 helpers.

The Tommies' youth movement extends to the other end of the ice as freshman Dani Strom (#1) has started 13 of their 18 games, posting a 2-9-2 record with a 3.17 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.  Grad student Calla Frank (#32) is 3-1-0 in her four starts, with a 2.00 GAA and .927 SV%.  Junior Maggie Malecha (#33) lost her lone start this season; making three relief appearances before that start, she has a 3.41 GAA and .833 SV%.

Last weekend for St. Thomas – A trip to the SMASHVILLE Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase in suburban Nashville featured the Tommies taking two ranked teams to overtime, but they lost in the final seconds to Clarkson, 5-4, before a 1-1 tie against Penn State.

UST battled back from two 2-goal deficits against the Golden Knights.  Keara Parker lit the lamp twice to knot the score 2-2 and later added an assist, and Lauren Stenslie (PP) & Sadie Lindsay found the back of net 13 seconds apart in the third to pull the Tommies even at 4-4.  However, netminder Dani Strom was unable to hold on for the tie despite a 56-save performance; Caroline Goffredo netted the game-winning goal for Clarkson with just 1.5 seconds remaining in OT.

Strom stopped another 33 of 34 shots against the Nittany Lions.  Following a scoreless first 40 minutes, Maddy Clough put St. Thomas in the lead 4:26 into the third period, but Penn State's Maddy Christian knotted the score with an extra-attacker, power-play goal with 1:29 remaining in regulation.

Laitinen, Parkkonen named to Finland roster for upcoming event

We congratulate and send best wishes to Gopher Women's Hockey defenders Nelli Laitinen and Krista Parkkonen on being named to the roster of the Finland Women's National Team for the Six Nations Tournament, the second event of the 2024-2025 Women's Euro Hockey Tour.  The tournament is being hosted by the Finns next week, December 11 through 15, in the city of Tempere.

Laitinen and Parkkonen are the seventh and eighth Gopher representatives to be selected to national team rosters for the event, joining current Minnesota teammates Peyton Hemp (USA), Ella Huber (USA), Natálie Mlýnková (CZE), Sydney Morrow (USA), and Abbey Murphy (USA), and future Gopher Tereza Plosová (CZE).

Nine (9) GWH alumnae named to PWHL Opening Day rosters

Late but not overlooked, we send congratulations to the nine (9) Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae who were named to opening day rosters for the PWHL's six teams for the start of the league's second season:

• Abby Boreen (Montréal)

• Hannah Brandt (Boston)

• Emily Brown (Boston)

• Taylor Heise (Minnesota)

• Olivia Knowles (Toronto - reserve)

• Lucy Morgan (Minnesota - reserve)

• Kelly Pannek (Minnesota)

• Lee Stecklein (Minnesota)

• Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota)

We send special shout-outs to Boreen, Pannek and Zumwinkle for getting on the scoresheet in the PWHL's opening weekend.  Boreen lit the lamp this past Saturday in her Victoire debut.  Zumwinkle set a new PWHL record for fastest goal to start a game, finding the back of the net with an assist from Pannek 21 seconds into the Frost's season opener on Sunday.

Around the WCHA...

Wisconsin rolls to road sweep of Maine – Kirsten Simms (4g, 3a), Laila Edwards (3g, 4a), and Caroline Harvey (2g, 5a) each posted 7-point performances as the Badgers cruised to 9-0 and 6-1 victories over the host Black Bears.

Minnesota Duluth routs visiting Vermont – Four different Bulldogs lit the lamp Friday and Ève Gascon posted a 19-save shutout as they defeated the Catamouts, 4-0, to open their series in Duluth.  Caitlin Kraemer exploded in the rematch Saturday, becoming the first Bulldog freshman in 15 years to tally a hat trick and adding 2 assists in a 9-1 victory.  Including her assist Friday, Kraemer recorded 6 points in the series, while Danielle Burgen posted a two-goal, two-assist weekend and Clara Van Wieran lit the lamp 3 times.

Minnesota State earns road sweep at Dartmouth – Four different Mavericks scored and Hailey Hansen stopped all 32 shots she faced in a 4-0 shutout of the hosting Big Green to open their series on Friday.  The teams exchanged goals in regulation Saturday to send the contest to overtime knotted 2-2, but Jenessa Gazdik netted the game-winner with 42.2 seconds remaining in the extra period for a 3-2 MSU victory and the weekend sweep.  Jamie Nelson & Taylor Otremba each posted a goal and two assists for the Mavs in the series, and JuliAnna Gazdik dished out three helpers.

SCSU gets tie, win on road at Union – The Garnet Charges took a 2-0 second-intermission lead in their weekend opener against the visiting Huskies, but Ella Anick & Ally Qualley lit the lamp for St. Cloud State in the third period, knotting the score with 7:38 remaining in regulation; neither team found the go-ahead goal after that, resulting in a 2-2 tie.  Sofianna Sundelin & Avery Myers gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the rematch, and Union could only manage an extra-attacker power-play goal in the final minute, giving SCSU a 2-1 victory.

Ohio State at Mercyhurst postponed – Due to heavy lake-effect snow hitting Erie, PA, and the surrounding area, last night's contest between the Buckeyes and the Lakers was postponed.  Per the announcement from OSU, “the teams will work to reschedule the game at a later date.”

Upcoming games – Two other league series will also be played this coming Friday & Saturday.  St. Cloud State will host Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin will visit Minnesota State.  Bemidji State and Ohio State are idle.

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Brunch with the Coaches – January 4 at 8:45 a.m.

Once again, the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches will be held 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.  If you still would like to register, please download the form here and mail it with your payment to the address listed by December 28; checks should be made payable to the Power Play Club. 

GWH Field Trip Day – January 24 at Noon vs. Bemidji State

We provide another reminder that the Gopher Women's Hockey home game on Friday, January 24 at Ridder Arena against Bemidji State will start at 12 PM, and that the contest will be “Field Trip Day” presented by Kwik Trip.

Tickets will be completely free to students 8th grade and under, faculty/staff, and administrators.  Interested leaders should complete the interest form by this Sunday, December 1 to request tickets.  There is no limit to tickets per school, but requests are subject to availability and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transportation is not included.

For all other fans: With the influx of students expected for the game, you are encouraged to purchase your tickets early.  Single game tickets are available on the U. of M. Ticket Office website.

Goals for a Goal

Just under halfway through the regular season, the Gophers have tallied 50 goals, twelve (12) 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!!

Gophers split with Huskies, retain #3 national ranking

The Gopher Women's Hockey team settled with a split in their home-and-home against St. Cloud State last weekend, winning the opener at Ridder Arena 5-2 before falling 3-1 at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Ella Huber opened the scoring Friday just 23 seconds into the contest, redirecting a shot from Sydney Morrow past Huskies netminder Emilia Kyrkkö.  SCSU evened the scored later in the first period as Abby Promersberger tallied on a power play, but Ava Lindsay put Minnesota back in the lead 86 seconds after that, burying a rebound.  Abbey Murphy extended the lead to 3-1 in the second stanza, blasting home a shot moments after appearing to have lost control of the puck.  Ally Qualley pulled St. Cloud State back within one on another power play, but Murphy netted her own power-play goal 24 seconds into the third period and tacked on an empty-netter late to complete her second career hat trick.  Huber assisted on Murphy's first two goals, and Peyton Hemp & Nelli Laitinen also each dished out two helpers.  Hannah Clark earned the win for the Gophers with 25 saves.

Minnesota came out firing in the rematch Saturday, getting 23 shots on goal in the first period, but SCSU goaltender Sanni Ahola stopped all of them to keep the contest scoreless after 20 minutes.  Promersberger opened the scoring for the Huskies midway through the second, and Brieja Parent & Avery Farrell lit the lamp in the first 3:09 of the third to push St. Cloud State's lead to 3-0.  Natalie Mlynkova tallied for the Gophers with 13:33 to play, assisted by Hemp & Lindsay, to avoid a shutout, but they got no closer.  Clark took the loss despite another 25-save effort, while Ahola finished with 38 saves and the victory.

Despite Saturday's loss, the Gophers remained ranked #3 in both the latest U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division I Women's Poll and the USA Hockey / The Rink Live Women's Poll.  St. Cloud State improved to #8 in both polls.

Peyton Hemp reaches milestone scoring mark

With her second assist in Friday's game against St. Cloud State, co-captain and senior Peyton Hemp became the latest member of the Gopher Women's Hockey program to join the 100-Point Club!!

Adding her third assist of the weekend on Saturday, Hemp now has 101 points on 47 goals and 54 assists.

Congratulations Peyton!!

Six Gophers headed to December Euro Hockey Tour event

Five current Gopher Women's Hockey players and an incoming 2025-2026 freshman have been named to represent their respective countries at the next Euro Hockey Tour event, the Six Nations Tournament being played December 11 through 15 at the Tampere Ice Stadium / Hakametsä Arena in Tampere, Finland.

Forwards Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber & Abbey Murphy and defender Sydney Morrow were named to the U.S. Collegiate Women's Select Team roster by USA Hockey last Thursday, November 21.  Meanwhile, teammate Natálie Mlýnková and future Gopher Tereza Plosová were selected to play on the Czech Women's National Team.  Unfortunately, no Gophers were chosed to play on Canada's National Women's Development Team, whose roster was released yesterday.  Announcements from the national federations of Sweden and Finland are still pending and expected within the next seven days.  We send congratulations to Peyton, Ella, Abbey, Sydney, Natálie and Tereza on being selected, and wish them good luck at the tournament!!

Around the WCHA...

#4 Bulldogs sweep Beavers in Duluth – Olivia Wallin recorded a hat trick plus an assist and Tova Henderson lit the lamp twice as Minnesota Duluth defeated Bemidji State 8-1 Friday night at AMSOIL Arena.  Henderson netted her third goal of the weekend, Wallin dished out another assist, and Tindra Holm earned her first shutout as a Bulldog in a 2-0 victory Saturday for the series sweep.  Olivia Mobley added two goals & an assist in the series for UMD, while Shelby Breiland netted the lone goal for BSU.

#1 Wisconsin earns home sweep of St. Thomas – Six different Badgers lit the lamp Friday as they topped the Tommies 6-1 to open their series in Madison.  Cassie O'Brien then tallied 2 goals and 2 assists Saturday after a pair of helpers in Friday's game to complete a six-point weekend and a sweep with a 5-2 victory.  Kirsten Simms recorded four points for Wisconsin on a goal & 3 assists, while Maddie Brown scored both goals for the Tommies on Saturday and Chloe Boreen recorded a goal and an assist in the series.

Mavericks take 4 points from visiting #2 Buckeyes – After being held off the scoreboard for two periods, Jocelyne Amos gave Ohio State a 1-0 lead early in the third stanza in their opener at Minnesota State, but Alexis Paddington knotted the score for MSU with an extra attacker and 46.4 seconds remaining in regulation.  OSU earned the victory 2-1 when Joy Dunne scored 2:29 into overtime, despite a 36-save performance from MSU netminder Hailey Hansen.  Hansen stopped another 30 of 31 shots in the rematch Saturday, Taylor Otremba tallied two goals and an assist, and Madison Mashuga recorded a goal & 3 helpers as the Mavericks never trailed in a 4-1 upset victory over the Buckeyes.

Upcoming games – The holiday weekend features several non-conference series and a tournament for one WCHA team, all being played Friday & Saturday.  Minnesota Duluth is the only team playing at home, hosting Vermont.  In road action, Wisconsin visits Maine, St. Cloud State takes on Union, and Minnesota State faces Dartmouth.  St. Thomas is participating in the SMASHVILLE Women's Collegiate Hockey Showcase in Bellevue, Tennessee, taking on Clarkson on Friday and either Merrimack or Penn State on Saturday.

Following the weekend, Ohio State visits Mercyhurst on Monday night (December 2) to complete their split home-and-home series (OSU won 5-1 in Columbus on October 22).

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.

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Give to the Max Day TOMORROW – Thursday, November 21

Give to the Max Day, the annual day of giving to nonprofit and educational organizations in Minnesota, is tomorrow, November 21.  With 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 tomorrow will also qualify for double (x2) Gopher Score Points toward future Gopher Loyalty Program benefits.

Once again we thank you for your consideration of this program.

“Field Trip Day” announced for January 24 vs. Bemidji State

Following up on last week's announcement that the Gopher Women's Hockey home game on Friday, January 24 at Ridder Arena against Bemidji State will start at 12 PM, the contest has been now designated as “Field Trip Day” presented by Kwik Trip.

Tickets will be completely free to students 8th grade and under, faculty/staff, and administrators.  Interested leaders should complete the interest form by Sunday, December 1 to request tickets.  There is no limit to tickets per school, but requests are subject to availability and will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transportation is not included.

For all other fans: With the influx of students expected for the game, you are encouraged to purchase your tickets early.  Single game tickets are available on the U. of M. Ticket Office website.

St. Thomas announces leadership change for women's hockey; Johnson resigns, Brausen named interim head coach

The University of St. Thomas announced leadership changes to the Tommies Women's Hockey program yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, November 20).  Notably, Joel Johnson has submitted his resignation as head coach of the team.  St. Thomas was 28-88-4 in three-plus seasons with Johnson in charge, though he missed parts of his first season (2021-2022) while he was head coach of the U.S. Olympic team.  The Tommies have a 5-8-1 overall record and 2-7-1 mark in WCHA play so far this year.

UST assistant coach (and Golden Gopher alumna) Bethany Brausen has been named interim head coach of the team, taking over as they head to Madison for a league series against #1 Wisconsin.

The Gophers will face the Tommies for the first time in 2024-2025 on December 6 & 7 at the St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights.

Brunch with the Coaches – Saturday, January 4 at 8:45 a.m.
Tickets on sale through December 28

 We provide a reminder that the Power Play Club's annual Brunch with the Coaches is set 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.

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, 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...

1. Hockey Day Minnesota jerseys & apparel,

2. nutritional needs, and...

3. 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.

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, 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.

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Tuesday, 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

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.

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.

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.

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, 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.

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.