March 9, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - NCAA Bracket Update - Sunday, March 9, 2025

March 9, 2025

Gophers earn comeback win over OSU in WCHA semifinals, but fall to Wisconsin in Final Faceoff Championship

The Gopher Women's Hockey team earned a come-from-behind semifinal win over Ohio State at the WCHA Final Faceoff at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, but they could not hold on in the championship game as Wisconsin scored in the final half-minute of regulation to take the league's playoff title and the autobid to the NCAA Tournament.

First semifinal: Wisconsin 3, Minnesota Duluth 1 – Grace Sadura opened the scoring, giving UMD an early lead, but Kelly Gorbatenko tied the contest 3½ minutes later, Caroline Harvey put the Badgers ahead in the 2nd period, and Emma Venusio added a late insurance goal. Ava McNaughton made 22 saves for Wisconsin, while Ève Gascon stopped 39 shots for Minnesota Duluth.

Second semifinal: Minnesota 6, Ohio State 2 – The Gophers overcame a two-goal deficit 9:37 into the contest, rallying for six unanswered goals to punch their ticket to the championship game. Abbey Murphy started the comeback by becoming the 7th Gopher all-time to reach the career 100-goal mark, scoring on a power play; she then took an initial shot on second power-play which Ella Huber rebounded to tie the game before the first intermission. In the second period, Audrey Wethington put home a feed from Natalie Mlynkova to give Minnesota the lead, and a laser from Ava Lindsay extended that lead to 4-2; Lindsay's goal was her 50th career point in the Maroon & Gold. In the third, Murphy struck again with career goal #101 and Chloe Primerano added an empty netter. Hannah Clark stopped 22 of 24 shots for the victory, and got 15 blocks from her teammates.

Championship: Wisconsin 4, Minnesota 3 – The title game went back and forth as the teams exchanged leads in the first two periods. Casey O'Brien put the Badgers up 1-0 just past the nine-minute mark of the contest, but Allie Franco responded for the Gophers just 20 seconds later and Josefin Bouveng put Minnesota ahead with 3:02 left in the stanza. Wisconsin retook the lead on 2nd-period goals by Vivian Jungels and Maggie Scannell, but Mlynkova potted a bank shot off a Badger defender for a Gopher power-play goal, sending the game to the intermission knotted 3-3. The battle continued in the third period but without any scoring until O'Brien collected the rebound of a missed shot and found Sarah Wozniewicz in front for the game-winning goal for Wisconsin with 25 seconds to play. Clark made 30 saves for the Gophers while McNaughton stopped 31 shots for the Badgers.

All-Tournament Team –

F - Abbey Murphy, Minnesota
F - Casey O'Brien, Wisconsin
F - Sarah Wozniewicz, Wisconsin
D - Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin
D - Chloe Primerano, Minnesota
G - Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin

Most Outstanding Player – Casey O'Brien

NCAA Tournament – Single-elimination Quarterfinal

#4-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers (28-11-1)
vs.
#5-seeded Colgate Raiders (30-8-0)

Saturday, March 15 at 2:00 p.m. CT, Ridder Arena

The Golden Gophers are headed to their fourth-straight Big Dance and earned the #4 seed. As a result, they will host a Regional Final (tournament quarterfinal) contest at Ridder Arena against the #5-seeded Colgate University Raiders on Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m. CT.

Ticket information is to be announced and we'll share it when it becomes available. More information about this game will be posted in our regular issue of the Penalty Box Post.

Other NCAA Tournament Matchups – First Round (Regional Semifinals)

Minnesota Duluth (21-14-2) vs. Sacred Heart (21-14-3) – at Cornell
Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT

Penn State (31-5-1) vs. St. Lawrence (21-11-5) – at Ohio State
Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT

Boston University (24-11-2) vs. Clarkson (24-12-2) – at Wisconsin
Thursday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT

Quarterfinals (Regional Finals)

Boston University / Clarkson at #1-seed Wisconsin (35-1-2)
Saturday, March 15 at 3 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. CT

Minnesota Duluth / Sacred Heart at #3-seed Cornell (24-4-5)
Saturday, March 15 at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT

Penn State / St. Lawrence at #2-seed Ohio State (27-7-3)
Saturday, March 15 at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT

The full bracket is available on NCAA.com.

From The Two Minute Minor - Friday, March 7, 2025

Murphy named Top-10 Finalist for 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award;
Wethington named finalist for WCHA Student-Athlete of the Year

Gopher Women's Hockey senior forward Abbey Murphy was named to the Top-10 Finalist list for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award yesterday, marking her second-straight year receiving this honor. Murphy has recorded 59 points on 29 goals and 30 assists this season to lead the Gophers. Congratulations, Abbey, on this recognition!!

The Top-3 finalists for the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award will be named next Wednesday, March 12. The award will be presented on Saturday, March 22, in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Frozen Four being played in Minneapolis; the presentation will take place at McNamara Alumni Center on the U. of M. campus, with doors opening at 11:00 a.m. and the live show starting at 11:30 a.m. Event admission is free.

We also congratulate GWH fifth-year forward Audrey Wethington on being one of four players named as a finalist for the WCHA's Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year award on Wednesday. As noted in the announcement from the league, “Each of this year's nominees was named to the WCHA All-Academic Team and earned the WCHA Scholar Athlete of the Year honor.”

Murphy, alums Heise, Pannek, Stecklein & Zumwinkle named to U.S. roster for 2025 Women's World Championship

The Gopher Women's Hockey program will have five representatives wearing Red, White & Blue at the upcoming 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship, as current Gopher Abbey Murphy and alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle were named to the U.S. National Team's 25-player roster for the tournament, as announced by USA Hockey on Wednesday.

The World Championship runs from April 9 through 20 in České Budějovice, Czechia, and will featured tiered groups for the final time with Team USA in Group A with Canada, Czechia, Finland and Switzerland. Group B consists of Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway & Sweden. The 2026 tournament will switch to "snake-ranked" groups for preliminary round play.

We'll have more updates on roster announcements as they become known to us, and we'll preview the tournament ahead of the action. For now, congratulations Abbey, Taylor, Kelly, Lee & Grace on your selection and good luck at the tournament!!

WCHA announces end-of-season award winners

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced the winners of its season-long awards for 2024-2025 last night (Thursday, March 6th) as follows:

Scoring Champion: Casey O'Brien, Wisconsin
Goaltending Champion (based on goals-against avg.): Ava McNaughton, Wisconsin
Forward of the Year: Casey O'Brien, Wisconsin
Defender of the Year: Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin
Goaltender of the Year: Ève Gascon, Minnesota Duluth
Rookie of the Year: Caitlin Kraemer, Minnesota Duluth
Player of the Year (overall): Casey O'Brien, Wisconsin
Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year: Clara Van Wieren, Minnesota Duluth
Coach of the Year: Mark Johnson, Wisconsin

UPDATE: Other NCAA Division I conference tournaments...

Here's an update on the other conference tournaments taking place this weekend (March 7-8) following semifinal action in two of them this past Wednesday night. (Conference seedings listed ahead of team names.)

Atlantic Hockey America Championship
(2) Mercyhurst at (1) Penn State – Saturday (3/8) at 2 p.m. ET

ECAC Semifinals & Championship – hosted by Cornell
Semifinal #1 – (1) Cornell vs. (4) Clarkson – TODAY (Friday, 3/7) at 3 p.m. ET
Semifinal #2 – (2) Colgate vs. (3) St. Lawrence – TODAY (Friday, 3/7) at 6 p.m. ET
Championship – Saturday (3/8) at 3:30 p.m. ET

Hockey East Semifinals & Championship – on campus sites
Semifinal (Wednesday) – (5) Northeastern 3, (1) Connecticut 1
Semifinal (Wednesday) – (2) Boston University 3, (3) Boston College 2, double OT
Championship – (5) Northeastern at (2) Boston University – Saturday (3/8) at Noon ET

NEWHA Semifinals & Championship – on campus sites
Semifinal (Wednesday) – (1) Long Island 2, (7) Post 0
Semifinal (Wednesday) – (3) Sacred Heart 3, (5) St. Anselm 0
Championship – (3) Sacred Heart at (1) Long Island – Saturday (3/8) at 7 p.m. ET

Latest Pairwise Rankings (after Wednesday's games)...

Top 10 plus other teams still active in respective conference tournaments

1. Wisconsin (33-1-2 overall record, 68.674 NPI)
2. Ohio State (27-6-3, 61.955)
3. Minnesota (27-10-1, 60.176)
4. Cornell (22-4-5, 60.098)
5. Colgate (29-7-0, 59.792)
6. Minnesota Duluth (21-13-2, 58.208)
7. Penn State (30-5-1, 57.455)
8. Clarkson (24-11-2, 56.041)
9. St. Lawrence (21-10-5, 57.281)
10. Quinnipiac (22-12-4, 55.721)
11t. Boston University (23-11-2, 55.155)
11t. Northeastern (22-13-1, 54.861)
19. Mercyhurst (20-15-2, 52.956)
29. Long Island (22-11-4, 49.399)
30. Sacred Heart (20-14-3, 49.078)

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, March 9 at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+. The playoff champions from the AHA, ECAC, Hockey East, NEWHA, and WCHA earn autobids to the 11-team field. Rankings and NPI calculations courtesy of USCHO.com.

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

March 5, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Power Play Club

March 5, 2025

Goals for a Goal

Thank you once again to everyone who has submitted a pledge for our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program for the 2024-2025 season. Through this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team netted 139 goals, with 30 coming on the power play!! If you still wish to make a pledge, please do so online at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, where you'll also have the option to double the amount for power play tallies! All proceeds go back to the team through the Gopher Women's Hockey Enhancement Fund!

2025 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Face-off – AMSOIL Arena, Duluth

Semifinals – Friday, March 7
#1 Wisconsin (1st seed) vs. #6 MN Duluth (4th seed) – 1:02 p.m.
#3 Minnesota (3rd seed) vs. #2 Ohio State (2nd seed) – 4:32 p.m.

Championship – Saturday, March 8 at 2:02 p.m.

After nine-straight years at Ridder Arena, the WCHA Final Faceoff heads north for 2025, moving to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. However, even with the venue change, the event still features four of the top teams in the nation. Switching up the pairings from the past two years, top-ranked and top-seeded Wisconsin will face Minnesota Duluth in the first semifinal this Friday, March 7, at 1:02 p.m. The 3rd-seeded Golden Gophers will face 2nd-seeded Ohio State, playing in the second semifinal at 4:32 p.m. The winners will advance to the championship game on Saturday, March 8, at 2:02 p.m.

Tournament television/video coverage – Continuing the WCHA's partnership, all three Final Faceoff contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service (Semifinal #1 / Semifinal #2 / Championship). Additionally, all three will also be broadcast on FOX 9+ in the Twin Cities, with streaming of that station through Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, and YouTube TV.

Watch Party in the Twin Cities – Another option if you cannot get to Duluth is to head to the Final Faceoff Watch Party. All three games will be shown at A Bar of Their Own at 2207 E. Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis.

GWH audio coverage – Audio play-by-play with Dan Hamann will be available for Friday's semifinal between Minnesota and Ohio State on GopherSports.com. Audio will also be available for Saturday's championship should the Gophers advance.

Ticket information – Once again, all-session packages and single-session tickets are on sale through the UMD Ticketmaster site or via phone by calling the UMD Ticket Office at 218-726-8595.

Arena sections along the sides of the ice between each end's faceoff dots have been designated as reserved seating, with nearly all other sections designated as general admission.

All-session packages are $35 for reserved adult seating, $25 for reserved senior, student & youth seating, $25 for adult general admission seating, $20 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $10 per ticket for general admission groups of 10 or more.

Individual day tickets – either semifinal Friday or championship Saturday – are $20 for reserved adult seating, $15 for reserved senior, student & youth seating, $15 for adult general admission seating, $12 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $7 per ticket for general admission groups of 10 or more.

How they got there...

Gophers eliminate Minnesota State in three games to advance

Facing Minnesota State in the WCHA First Round for the second-straight year, Minnesota also needed a third game for the second-straight year to eliminate the Mavericks and advance to the Final Faceoff. The Gophers took Game 1 by a 6-1 score, but MSU took leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in Game 2 and held off a Gopher comeback for a 5-4 double-overtime upset to force a deciding Game 3. But the Mavericks ran out of gas as Minnesota took the series finale by a 6-2 score.

Scoring was spread throughout Minnesota's lineup as eight different Gophers lit the lamp. The second forward line accounted for 5 of the team's six goals in the series opener; Emma Kreisz posted a five-point game with 2 goals & 3 assists, Ava Lindsay netted two goals and an assist, and Peyton Hemp added a goal and two assists. Hemp added another goal and two assists on Sunday to complete a six-point weekend, but Abbey Murphy led all Gophers with 7 points on 4 goals and 3 assists. Ella Huber posted a 2-goal, 2-assist series, Lindsay added a third goal, and the trio of Krista Parkkonen, Natalie Mlynkova & Audrey Wethington each tallied a goal and an assist; Parkkonen's goal was her first as a Golden Gopher. Jamie Nelson led the Mavericks with two goals & two assists, and JuliAnna Gazdik dished out 4 helpers.

Between the pipes, Hannah Clark finished with 80 saves on 87 shots, earning both wins but taking Saturday's loss. Clark exited with 5:01 remaining in Sunday's contest as Olivia King made her first appearance since returning to the Gopher roster; King made 5 saves to wrap up the series. MSU's Hailey Hansen started all three contests, making 122 saves – including a Maverick-record 66 in Saturday's marathon, with 27 coming in overtime – but yielding all 16 Gopher goals; Suzette Faucher entered in relief for Sunday's third period, stopping 6 shots.

Ohio State finished second in the WCHA standings, only two points ahead of Minnesota, with a 19-6-3-2 (3-0 in OT) conference record plus a perfect 6-0-0 mark in non-conference play. The Buckeyes swept 7th-seeded St. Thomas in the quarterfinals, 5-1 and 4-1. Mira Jungåker tallied 2 goals & 2 assists in the opener and added an assist in Game 2 for a five-point series, and Joy Dunne matched her with two goals & three assists. Jocelyne Amos and Makenna Webster each added a goal & two helpers. Cara Sajevic (PP) and Maddie Jurgensen scored for the Tommies.

Wisconsin rolled to their program's 10th WCHA regular-season championship with a 25-1-2-1 (1-0 in OT) conference record, plus a perfect 6-0-0 mark in non-conference action. The Badgers shut out 8th-seeded Bemidji State, winning 3-0 on Friday before blowing out the Beavers 11-0 on Saturday. After an assist in the opener, Casey O'Brien recorded a goal and 5 helpers on Saturday, making her Wisconsin's new all-time leading scorer – passing Hilary Knight – with 265 career points (95g, 170a). Meanwhile, Kirsten Simms tallied a hat trick plus an assist on Saturday, and Lacey Eden (1g, 3a) & Caroline Harvey (4a) also each posted a four-point series.

Minnesota Duluth finished fourth in the conference standings, posting a 14-12-2-2 (0-2 in OT) mark in WCHA play and going 5-1-0 in non-conference action. The Bulldogs edged out St. Cloud State in the quarterfinals, winning 3-2 and 2-1. The Huskies held a 2-1 lead in the third period of the opener after goals by Emma Gentry and Alice Sauriol, but UMD's Caitlin Kraemer netted her second goal of the game, scoring with an extra attacker, with 1:55 left in regulation, and Olivia Wallin scored on a rebound with just 5 seconds to play; Wallin assisted on both of Kraemer's goals and Clara Van Wieran dished out helpers on all three. Grace Sadura and Olivia Mobley gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 second-period lead in the rematch; Laura Zimmerman got SCSU on the board with 4:27 to play but they could not find the equalizer. Ève Gascon stopped a combined 70 of 73 shots for UMD, while Sanni Ahola made 28 saves for St. Cloud State on Friday and Emilia Kyrkkö stopped 30 shots Saturday.

Final Faceoff Semifinal Matchups

Minnesota vs. Ohio State – Both the Gophers and Buckeyes are nearly certain to receive NCAA Tournament bids regardless of this weekend's results, but, while Ohio State is likely to host a regional, Minnesota is teetering between playing at home or having to go on the road to open the “Big Dance”.

Ohio State went 2-1-1 against Minnesota in the regular season, taking 8 of the 12 conference standings points. In Columbus in October, the Buckeyes took the series opener, 4-3, before the two teams to a 1-1 tie in the rematch; OSU earned the "bonus" WCHA standings point with a 2-1 result in a seven-round shootout. At Ridder Arena, the Gophers earned a 3-1 victory to end the month of January, but February began with a 7-3 Buckeyes win. Ella Huber led the Gopher scoring in the season series with 4 points on 2 goals & 2 assists, Abbey Murphy tallied 2 goals & an assist, and Peyton Hemp added two goals. Ohio State had five players each tally four points in the season series; Kiara Zanon & Jocelyne Amos each recorded 2 goals and 2 assists, Jenna Buglioni & Emma Peschel each added a goal & 3 helpers, and Makenna Webster dished out four assists. Skylar Vetter stopped 21 of 25 shots (.840 SV%) in the first meeting, while Hannah Clark was 1-1-1 in the other three contests with a 2.92 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. Amanda Thiele was the goaltender of record in all four games, starting the first three and making a 20-minute relief appearance in the fourth; she finished with a 2.09 GAA and .921 SV%. Hailey MacLeod stopped 19 of 22 shots (.864 SV%) in two periods of action.

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Duluth – The Badgers are comfortably in the NCAA Tourney field, likely as the #1 seed. The Bulldogs appear to be safely in as well but could use a good weekend showing.

Wisconsin swept the season series by 5-1 & 7-3 scores in Madison in October and a pair of 2-1 results (the first of those in overtime) in Duluth at the end of January and start of February. Wisconsin had three players record 5 points apiece: Laila Edwards lit the lamp 3 times with 2 assists, Laney Potter found the back of the net twice with 3 helpers, and Caroline Harvey tallied a goal and 4 assists. Cassie Hall (2g, 2a), Lacey Eden (1g, 3a) and Kelly Gorbatenko (1g, 3a) each added another four points for the Badgers. UMD's six goals were scored by Olivia Mobley (3), Grace Sadura (2) and Nina Jobst-Smith (1, plus an assist). Badgers goaltender Ava McNaughton earned all four wins with 106 saves on 112 shots (1.48 GAA, .946 SV%). UMD netminder Ève Gascon made 110 saves across three games, posting a 2.95 GAA and .924 SV%, while Tindra Holm stopped 24 of 30 shots in her lone start (.800 SV%).

Four Gophers named to All-WCHA teams for 2024-2025;
Morrow, Primerano earn additional league recognition

We send our congratulations to four Gopher Women's Hockey players named to All-WCHA teams for their on-ice performances during the 2024-2025 season.

Sydney Morrow and Abbey Murphy were selected as All-WCHA Second Team members, Chloe Primerano was named as a Third Team defender, and Primerano & Gracie Graham were recognized as All-Rookie Team selections.

The full list of honorees can be found on WCHA.com.

Separately, the league announced its finalists for Forward, Defender, Goaltender & Rookie of the Year, with two Gophers being recognized. Sydney Morrow was named one of the finalists for Defender of the Year, while Chloe Primerano was tabbed as a finalist for Rookie of the Year. This year's winners will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, March 6.

Huber hits goals milestone; Murphy nears century mark

More congratulations go out to Gopher Women's Hockey senior co-captain Ella Huber, whose goal in Friday's game against Minnesota State was her 50th for the Maroon & Gold!! Huber now sits with 51 goals plus 85 assists for 136 points.

Murphy climbs GWH career goal-scoring list – Meanwhile, fellow senior co-captain Abbey Murphy is on a milestone watch while simultaneously moving up Minnesota Women's Hockey's career goal-scoring top-10 list. Lighting the lamp four times against the Mavericks, Abbey now has 99 Gopher goals, putting her just one short of becoming the seventh Gopher to reach the century mark for her collegiate career. As it is, she caught and surpassed both Taylor Heise and Kelly Stephens (97 each) to move into sole possession of 7th place in U. of M. history, placing her 3 goals behind Natalie Darwitz for 6th. Murphy also has 90 assists for 189 total points in the Maroon & Gold.

Other NCAA Division I conference tournaments...

With implications to the NCAA Tournament field, here's the schedule of other conference tournaments taking place this week. (Conference seedings listed ahead of team names.)

Atlantic Hockey America Championship
(2) Mercyhurst at (1) Penn State – Saturday (3/8) at 2 p.m. ET

ECAC Semifinals & Championship – hosted by Cornell
Semifinal #1 – (1) Cornell vs. (4) Clarkson – Friday (3/7) at 3 p.m. ET
Semifinal #2 – (2) Colgate vs. (3) St. Lawrence – Friday (3/7) at 6 p.m. ET
Championship Game – Saturday (3/8) at 3:30 p.m. ET

Hockey East Semifinals & Championship – on campus sites
Semifinal – (5) Northeastern at (1) Connecticut – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 6 p.m. ET
Semifinal – (3) Boston College at (2) Boston Univ. – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 6 p.m. ET
Championship Game – Saturday (3/8) at Noon ET

NEWHA Semifinals & Championship – on campus sites
Semifinal – (7) Post at (1) Long Island – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 2 p.m. ET
Semifinal – (5) St. Anselm at (3) Sacred Heart – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 7 p.m. ET
Championship Game – Saturday (3/8) – Time TBA

Current Pairwise Rankings

Top 10 plus other teams still active in respective conference tournaments

1. Wisconsin (33-1-2 overall record, 68.664 NPI)
2. Ohio State (27-6-3, 61.947)
3. Minnesota (27-10-1, 60.168)
4. Cornell (22-4-5, 60.087)
5. Colgate (29-7-0, 59.780)
6. Minnesota Duluth (21-13-2, 58.200)
7. Penn State (30-5-1, 57.452)
8. Clarkson (24-11-2, 56.043)
9. St. Lawrence (21-10-5, 57.272)
10. Quinnipiac (22-12-4, 55.683)
11. Boston University (22-11-2, 54.819)
12t. Connecticut (22-11-2, 55.127)
12t. Boston College (21-12-2, 54.995)
14t. Northeastern (21-13-1, 54.526)
19. Mercyhurst (20-15-2, 52.947)
29t. Long Island (21-11-4, 49.139)
29t. Sacred Heart (19-14-3, 48.820)
38. Post (13-20-3, 45.158)
40. Saint Anselm (12-18-7, 44.994)

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, March 9 at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+. The playoff champions from the AHA, ECAC, Hockey East, NEWHA, and WCHA earn autobids to the 11-team field. Rankings and NPI calculations courtesy of USCHO.com.

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

Power Play Club

March 3, 2025

The Two-Minute Minor - An Edition of the Penalty Box Post - Monday, March 3, 2025

Power Play Club

March 3, 2025

Gophers to face Ohio State in Final Faceoff 2nd semifinal Friday;
Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin to meet in first game

All four WCHA quarterfinal series completed with the higher-seeded home teams advancing, as Minnesota eliminated Minnesota State, Ohio State defeated St. Thomas, Wisconsin knocked out Bemidji State, and Minnesota Duluth bested St. Cloud State. As a result, the 3rd-seeded Gophers will face the Buckeyes in the second of the Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff semifinal games, scheduled for 4:32 p.m. this upcoming Friday, March 7, at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. The Badgers and Bulldogs will square off in the first semifinal at 1:02 p.m. Friday's winners will advance to the championship game Saturday, March 8, at 2:02 p.m.

We will recap the quarterfinal series and preview the Final Faceoff match-ups in our regular edition of the Penalty Box Post later this week. The WCHA has updated their Final Faceoff Tournament Central site with this year's information.

Television & video streaming – Continuing with its season-long coverage of every WCHA home game, the B1G+ subscription service will stream all three Final Faceoff contests. Additionally, they will also be televised in the Twin Cities area on FOX 9+ with their channel finder here, plus availability on FOX 9+ on Hulu via Live TV, Sling TV, FuboTV, and YouTube TV.

Final Faceoff Ticket Information – All-session packages and single-session tickets are on sale through the UMD Ticketmaster site or via phone by calling the UMD Ticket Office at 218-726-8595.

Arena sections along the sides of the ice between each end's faceoff dots have been designated as reserved seating, with nearly all other sections designated as general admission.

All-session packages are $35 for reserved adult seating, $25 for reserved senior, student & youth seating, $25 for adult general admission seating, $20 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $10 per ticket for general admission groups of 10 or more.

Individual day tickets – either semifinal Friday or championship Saturday – are $20 for reserved adult seating, $15 for reserved senior, student & youth seating, $15 for adult general admission seating, $12 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $7 per ticket for general admission groups of 10 or more.

Copyright © 2025 Power Play Club, All rights reserved.

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

Power Play Club

February 26, 2025

Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Power Play Club

February 26, 2025

Goals for a Goal

Lighting the lamp four times this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team netted 123 goals in the regular season, with 28 coming on the power play!! Pledges for our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program can still be submitted at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the amount for power play tallies! We thank you for your consideration of this campaign as we continue to provide assistance to the GWH program!

WCHA Playoff Quarterfinals (best-of-three) at Ridder Arena

#4/4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (25-9-1, 19-8-1-0 in WCHA)
vs. Minnesota State University Mavericks (13-19-2, 7-19-2-1)

Friday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m.
(if necessary) Sunday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m.

The Gopher Women's Hockey team enters the WCHA Playoff Tournament as the #3 seed, hosting the 6th-seeded Minnesota State University Mavericks in a best-of-three quarterfinal series at Ridder Arena, a rematch of last year's first round. Action begins Friday evening, February 28 at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m. If necessary, a deciding Game 3 will be played Sunday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m.

Other Gopher sports on campus – While not as busy as last weekend, we note that Minnesota is hosting the Big Ten Men's Swimming & Diving Championships at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center both Friday and Saturday, and Gopher Women's Tennis is hosting Wisconsin on Friday and both North Dakota & Boise State on Saturday at the Baseline Tennis Center.

Game coverage – All the games between the Gophers and Mavericks this weekend will be televised on Fox 9+ (channel finder). They will also have video streamed on the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday / Sunday). Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com continues Friday & Saturday (Sunday's link to be provided later), and live stats can be found here.

This season against Minnesota State – The Gopher Women's Hockey team earned a sweep of their four regular-season meetings, though the Mavericks swiped a league standings point by forcing overtime in one of the contests. Minnesota earned an 8-2 win at Ridder Arena before their 3-2 overtime victory in Mankato in October, then posted an 8-3 win at Ridder in January before completing the sweep 5-2 at the Mayo Clinic Health System Events Center. Josefin Bouveng and Abbey Murphy led the Gophers, each recording points in all four contests and finishing with 11 apiece. Bouveng lit the lamp five times – including a hat trick in the fourth game – and dished out 6 assists, while Murphy found the back of the net 3 times and tallied 8 helpers. Ella Huber added 8 points on 2 goals & 6 assists, and Peyton Hemp netted four goals – including the OT game-winner – plus an assist. JuliAnna Gazdik led MSU with a goal and 3 assists against the Gophers, while the trio of Madison Mashuga, Taylor Otremba & Whitney Tuttle each added a goal and two helpers, and Alexis Paddington lit the lamp twice. Gopher netminder Hannah Clark played the October opener and both games in January, stopping 62 of 69 shots (.899 save percentage, 2.33 goals-against average), while Skylar Vetter stopped 13 of 15 shots in the first game in Mankato (.867 SV%). MSU goalie Hailey Hansen started three of the four games as well and made 69 saves but yielded 18 goals in just over 8 periods of action (.793 SV%, 6.68 GAA); Jessie McPherson made the other start plus a 17-minute relief appearance, stopping 42 of 47 shots (.894 SV%, 3.80 GAA).

Analyzing the Mavericks – Minnesota State's 6th-place finish in the WCHA regular season standings comes after a slow start as they went 1-7-1 in their first 9 league games. They're also only 3-10-1 in conference play since flipping the calendar to 2025, with two of those wins coming this past weekend. MSU did get a tie against Minnesota Duluth in Mankato, a road win at St. Cloud State, and a 4-1 upset victory at home over Ohio State, and they were 6-0-0 in non-conference play against Long Island, Dartmouth & Lindenwood.

Senior Madison Mashuga (#22) and grad student Jamie Nelson (#10) lead the Mavericks with 27 points apiece; Mashuga has 10 goals & 17 assists, while Nelson has a team-high 21 helpers with 6 goals of her own. Junior Taylor Otremba (#24) trails right behind with 26 points on 12 goals & 14 assists, and senior Claire Vekich (#25) leads MSU's goal scorers with 14 while tallying 11 assists for 25 points. Two more Mavs have also each recorded double-digit goals and passed the 20-point mark: junior Whitney Tuttle (#7; 13g, 9a) and senior Alexis Paddington (#14; 12g, 9a).

Sophomore Hailey Hansen (#33) has started 22 of Minnesota State's 34 games, posting a 9-12-1 record with 3 shutouts, a 2.88 goals-against average, and a .900 save percentage. Grad student Jessie McPherson (#91) is 3-5-1 in her nine starts with a 3.06 GAA and .895 SV%. Senior Suzette Faucher (#31) had 3 starts, going 1-2-0 with her win coming by shutout; including a pair of relief appearances, she has a 2.67 GAA and .903 SV%. Meanwhile, junior Avery Stilwell (#1) remains on the MSU roster as an emergency backup.

Recent action for Minnesota State – Playing a home-and-home series against St. Thomas, seven different Mavericks lit the lamp on Senior Night in Mankato on Friday in an 8-3 victory; Kamryn Van Batavia led MSU with two goals & an assist, while Claire Vekich and Taylor Otremba each added a goal and two helpers. Ella Boerger tallied a pair of power play goals for the Tommies. Minnesota State then spoiled St. Thomas' Senior Day game in Mendota Heights with a 3-0 shutout win to complete the weekend sweep; Vekich recorded another goal & assist, Madison Mashuga and Kianna Roeske also lit the lamp, and Hailey Hansen posted a 17-save shutout.

Gophers finish regular season with sweep of Minnesota Duluth

The Gopher Women's Hockey team completed a four-game series sweep of Minnesota Duluth, winning both Senior Weekend games by scores of 3-2 and 1-0 to conclude the regular season and lock up 3rd place in the WCHA standings.

Minnesota and UMD traded first-period goals in the opener; Emma Kreisz gave the Gophers an initial lead, but Olivia Wallin evened the score for the Bulldogs. However, Ella Huber & Natalie Mlynkova lit the lamp in the second stanza with Audrey Wethington assisting on both goals, and Hannah Clark finished with 28 saves. Wallin added an unassisted goal with 3:08 to play, but they could not find the equalizer. UMD netminder Ève Gascon stopped 24 shots.

Minnesota came out firing in the rematch, but Gascon seemed up to the challenge, stopping all 32 shots she faced over the first 40 minutes. Clark was also holding the Bulldogs off the scoreboard with 13 saves in the first two periods. Still scoreless more than halfway through the third period, a shot by Abbey Murphy went well high, hitting the glass behind the net; however, as Gascon caught the ricochet, her momentum carried her glove across the goal line below the crossbar, and the Gopher goal was awarded upon review. That was the only tally for either team; Gascon finished with 48 saves, while Clark posted her second career shutout with a 22-save performance.

Frost climbs in coaching wins records – We send a congratulations to Minnesota Women's Hockey head coach Brad Frost, who recorded his 523rd and 524th victories as the Gopher bench boss. Those moved him into third all-time among NCAA Division I coaches, passing Harvard's Katie Stone, and fifth across all divisions of NCAA Women's Ice Hockey. Congrats, Frosty!!

Clark sets new Gopher record, earns WCHA weekly award

Gopher Women's Hockey's Hannah Clark continues to set a new standard between the pipes, and earned recognition from the conference for her performance against Minnesota Duluth.

Clark's 28-save victory Friday over the Bulldogs was her 20th win of the season, making her the first freshman in Minnesota's program history to reach that mark. She extended that record to 21 wins with her 22-save shutout Saturday.

With 50 saves on 52 shots (a .962 save percentage) and a series sweep, Clark was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week. It's her second weekly conference honor this season, after she earned the same award on November 18. Congratulations, Hannah!!

Layla Hemp wins Jori Jones Award as MN H.S. Goalie of the Year

Following up on last week's selection of Minnetonka (MN) H.S. and future Gopher Women's Hockey player Layla Hemp as the Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Girls Hockey Player of the Year, Hemp was named the Jori Jones Award winner by Let's Play Hockey as Minnesota's top senior goaltender of the year, as announced at the Ms. Hockey Banquet this past Sunday, February 23. Hemp was also named a Minnesota All-State Team selection as well.

Congratulations again, Layla!!

Around the WCHA...

Badgers earn road sweep of Beavers – Casey O'Brien recorded 2 goals & an assist Friday and added three helpers Saturday, Kirsten Simms tallied a hat trick and an assist Saturday after dishing out two helpers Friday, and Lacey Eden posted a one-goal, 3-assist performance on Saturday as Wisconsin rolled to back-to-back 6-1 victories at Bemidji State. Genevieve Hendrickson (PP) and Raeley Carney scored for BSU.

Buckeyes defend home ice with sweep of Huskies – St. Cloud State erased deficits of 3 goals on Friday and 2 goals on Saturday at Ohio State to tie both games, but OSU prevailed in both contests, winning 5-3 and 3-2. Friday's game saw Jocelyne Amos net her second goal of the night to put the Buckeyes back in the lead 77 seconds after the Huskies drew even, then complete her hat trick with an empty-netter with 1:09 to play. Makenna Webster, already with an assist, lit the lamp for OSU on Saturday with 2:22 to play for the victory and the series sweep. Webster and Joy Dunne each recorded two goals and two assists in the series for OSU, while Emma Gentry had two goals & an assist for SCSU.

Other playoff quarterfinals / Best-of-3 / Feb. 28, March 1 and (if necessary) 2

#5-seed St. Cloud State University at #4-seed University of Minnesota Duluth
Friday at 2:00 p.m. CT / Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT
#7-seed University of St. Thomas at #2-seed Ohio State University
Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET / Saturday & Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET
#8-seed Bemidji State University at #1-seed University of Wisconsin
Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT / Saturday at 3:00 p.m. CT / Sunday at 2:00 p.m. CT

Final regular-season standings:
1. Wisconsin – 77 points (.917 pts%), 25-1-2-1, 1-0 in OT (31-1-2 overall)
2. Ohio State – 59 points (.702 pts%), 19-6-3-2, 3-0 in OT (25-6-3 overall)
3. Minnesota – 57 points (.679 pts%), 19-8-1-0, 1-0 in OT (25-9-1 overall)
4. Minn. Duluth – 48 points (.571 pts%), 14-12-2-2, 0-2 in OT (19-13-2 overall)
5. St. Cloud State – 36 points (.429 pts%), 10-13-5-1, 1-1 in OT (15-13-6 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 28 points (.333 pts%), 7-19-2-1, 0-4 in OT (13-19-2 overall)
7. St. Thomas – 20 points (.238 pts%), 6-21-1-1, 2-2 in OT (9-23-2 overall)
8. Bemidji State – 11 points (.131 pts%), 4-24-0-0, 1-0 in OT (6-28-1 overall)

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

Power Play Club

February 23, 2025

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Sunday, February 23 and Friday, February 21, 2025

Power Play Club

February 23, 2025

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Sunday, February 23, 2025

2025 WCHA playoff quarterfinal pairings set; Minnesota to host Minnesota State in best-of-three series

Upon completion of yesterday's games (Saturday, February 22), the Gopher Women's Hockey team finished as the #3 seed for the WCHA playoffs, posting a 19-8-1-0 conference record (1-0 in OT). As a result, the Gophers will face Minnesota State in a best-of-3 conference quarterfinal series at Ridder Arena next weekend, a repeat meeting from last year.

Game times are set for...

Friday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m. (if necessary)

We'll have more details with our full series preview in our regular Penalty Box Post later this week.

Season ticket holders should have received tickets for the quarterfinal series as part of their package, and should contact the U. of M. Ticket Office at 1-800-U-GOPHER with any questions or concerns. Tickets for each of the three contests are available to purchase on the ticket office website.

All-session packages and single-session tickets for the 2025 WCHA Final Faceoff, being played at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, are on sale through the UMD Ticketmaster site; please refer to the website for prices.

Game times are set as follows:

Semifinal Game 1: Friday, March 7 at 1:02 p.m. CT
Semifinal Game 2: Friday, March 7 at 4:32 p.m. CT (approximately)
Championship Game: Saturday, March 8 at 2:02 p.m. CT

Tickets can also be purchased in-person at the AMSOIL Arena box office or by phone at 218-726-8595.

2025 NCAA Frozen Four, March 21 & 23 at Ridder Arena – We provide a reminder that the University of Minnesota is hosting the NCAA Frozen Four in Minneapolis, and tickets are on sale through the U. of M. Ticket Office. All-session packages are SOLD OUT, but single-day tickets are still available in limited quantities (standing room only for the semifinals).

Other WCHA quarterfinal pairings...

Best 2-out-of-3 / Friday, Saturday, and (if necessary) Sunday, February 28-March 2

#5-seed St. Cloud State University at #4-seed University of Minnesota Duluth
Friday at 2:00 p.m. CT / Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT

#7-seed University of St. Thomas at #2-seed Ohio State University
Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET / Saturday & Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET

#8-seed Bemidji State University at #1-seed University of Wisconsin
Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT / Saturday at 3:00 p.m. CT / Sunday at 2:00 p.m. CT

More information about the entire WCHA Playoff Tournament is available here.

Penalty Box Post Quick Hit - Friday, February 21, 2025

Nine (9) Gophers named WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award winners

Following up on naming its All-Academic Team earlier this week, the WCHA announced its 2024-2025 Scholar-Athlete Award winners featuring 91 student-athletes, including 9 members of the Gopher Women's Hockey team. We send our congratulations to Allie Franco, Peyton Hemp, Elly Klepinger, Nelli Laitinen, Ava Lindsay, Maggie Nicholson, Lauren O'Hara, Skylar Vetter & Audrey Wethington. Again, great job, ladies!!

To qualify, student-athletes must have a GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in their previous two semesters or three quarters and have achieved at least sophomore status in their academic careers. The WCHA Scholar-Athletes are selected with the help of the Faculty Athletic Representatives from each of the member institutions.

Wethington nominated to Allstate/NACDA Good Works Team

Gopher Women's Hockey fifth-year forward Audrey Wethington was named one of 193 nominees for the inaugural AllState / National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Good Works Winter Team, as announced yesterday morning.

The 193 student-athletes, representing five intercollegiate divisions, were nominated by athletics administrators, conference office staff, and coaches. Each nominee was chosen for embodying leadership, service, and character. The full list of nominees can be found here (PDF file).

A distinguished Selection Committee will choose 10 female and 10 male student-athletes from the nominees as the final 2024-2025 Allstate NACDA Good Works Winter Team. Two similar groups for the fall and spring sports seasons will also be selected from their respective nominee lists. These teams “build on the legacy of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, which has celebrated college football players' good work off the field since 1992.”

We also note that Wethington has played in 166 career games for the Gophers through last weekend, putting her in a tie for 8th in the U. of M. record books. Tonight's contest, her 167th, moves her into a three-way tie for sixth place.

Congratulations on your nomination, Audrey!!

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

Power Play Club

February 19, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Power Play Club

February 19, 2025

PPC All-Member Meeting – Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m.

Here's one more reminder that the annual Power Play Club All-Member Meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m. in the Baseline Tennis Center Club Room. Again, this is an opportunity to touch base with other Power Play Club members and to provide feedback on the operation of the club and the Gopher Women's Hockey game experience. We will also have a Board of Directors election, including for the offices of president and vice president. All enrolled 2024-2025 club members are invited and encouraged to attend.

Goals for a Goal

Entering the final weekend of the regular season, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has netted 119 goals, with 28 coming on the power play!! We are still accepting enrollments into our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program, which converts each time Minnesota lights the lamp into a donation back to the program. You can submit a pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the amount for power play tallies! Once again, we send our thanks for your consideration of this campaign!

GWH Senior Weekend at Ridder Arena
#4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (23-9-1, 17-8-1-0 WCHA)
vs. #6 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (19-11-2, 14-10-2-2 WCHA)
Friday, February 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 22 at 2:00 p.m.

As the regular season concludes for much of NCAA Division I women's hockey, the Golden Gophers host their Senior Weekend series, taking on their rivals from the North Shore – the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The top-six national battle at Ridder Arena begins Friday, February 21 at 6 p.m. and continues with the finale on Saturday, February 22 at 2 p.m.

Events this weekend – Fans are encouraged to arrive early for both contests. Friday's game features a free Chuck-a-Puck contest with a chance to win one of five prizes; pucks will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The traditional recognition of our senior and fifth-year players will occur during the pregame festivities on Saturday.

Traffic alerts – Speaking of weekend events, we urge fans to allow extra time for traffic and parking around campus. The Gopher Men's Hockey team is hosting Ohio State at 3M Arena at Mariucci, with Friday's game set for 7 p.m. The U. has issued a formal advisory for Saturday; in addition to the Gopher Women's Hockey game at 2 p.m., Gopher Men's Basketball is playing at Williams Arena at 1 p.m., Gopher Gymnastics hosts a meet at Maturi Pavilion at 4 p.m., and the second game of the Gopher Men's Hockey series at 3M Arena starts at 5 p.m.

Game coverage – Both GWH contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com continues Friday & Saturday, and live stats can be found here.

This season against Minnesota Duluth – The Gopher Women's Hockey team returned from a mid-November road trip to Duluth having earned a series sweep, winning 4-1 and 3-2. Minnesota's Sydney Morrow (PP) and UMD's Hanna Baskin exchanged first-period goals in the opener, but Abbey Murphy put the Gophers back in the lead and followed up with assists on a pair of Ella Huber goals, the first short-handed and the second into an empty net. Hannah Clark made 27 saves for Minnesota as they outshot Minnesota Duluth 52-28. The Bulldogs took an early lead in the rematch as Kamdyn Davis tallied her first collegiate goal, but Gracie Graham and Peyton Hemp (PP) 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 UMD's Nina Jobst-Smith converted on a late 5-on-3 power-play. However, Clark kept the Bulldogs off the board in the final 3:21 for the win, finishing with 31 saves in the contest. In addition to Murphy's five-point series (1g, 4a), 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.

Analyzing the Bulldogs – Minnesota Duluth has been ranked in the top six nationally all season and last weekend clinched home ice to open the WCHA Playoff Tournament (more on that momentarily). Though having three fewer league wins than the Gophers, they trail by only 3 points entering this weekend thanks to an additional tie, two shootout wins, and bonuses from having a worse overtime record.

UMD has a bit of a scoring logjam at the top of their season stats. Graduate forward Clara Van Wieren (#25) is one of three Bulldogs with 16 goals; adding 17 assists, she has 33 points. Another fifth-year forward, Olivia Wallin (#14), also has 33 points on 13 goals and 20 assists. Freshman Caitlin Kraemer (#11) is in the running for WCHA Rookie of the Year, scoring 16 goals with 10 helpers for 26 points, while a third fifth-year player, Olivia Mobley (#15), also has 16 goals and 8 assists for 24 points.

Sophomore Ève Gascon (#1) is firmly Minnesota Duluth's primary goaltender, having started 23 of the Bulldog's 32 games; she is 12-10-1 with four shutouts, a 1.86 goals-against average, and a .941 save percentage. Senior Tindra Holm (#30) is 7-1-1 in the other nine games, also having four shutouts plus a 1.33 GAA and .932 SV%. Redshirt freshman Anna Byczek (#31) has yet to see any official action.

Recent action for Minnesota Duluth – Hosting Minnesota State, Clara Van Wieren recorded a hat trick plus two assists, Olivia Wallin posted a six-point performance on 2 goals & 4 assists, and Caitlin Kraemer added two goals and a helper in an 8-2 rout last Friday; Claire Vekich scored both goals for the Mavericks. UMD completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory Saturday; Olivia Mobley lit the lamp twice, Mary Kate O'Brien tallied a goal & an assist, and Kraemer dished out two assists. Ève Gascon and Tindra Holm each made 23 saves in their respective starts.

Gophers drop opener vs. Huskies, salvage split in St. Cloud

The Gopher Women's Hockey team lost a fourth-consecutive contest, falling 4-3 to St. Cloud State at Ridder Arena on Friday, but broke the streak with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud on Saturday.

The Huskies took the lead on a power-play tally by Sofianna Sundelin, and Emma Gentry doubled that lead less than two minutes later. Emma Kreisz cut the Gophers' deficit in half in the second period and Ava Lindsey knotted the score with a power play conversion with 9:09 left in regulation. Sundelin lit the lamp again for the Huskies with 3:15 to play but Ella Huber again tied things up, scoring in a 5-on-4 extra-attacker situation with 1:29 to go. Unfortunately, the Gophers were unable to take the lead or force overtime as SCSU's Ella Anick netted an unassisted goal with 30.4 seconds remaining. Huskies goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö earned the win with 33 saves, while Hannah Clark stopped 16 shots for the Gophers.

The rematch Saturday started with the Huskies again taking a first-period lead as Gentry split two Gopher defenders and scored her second goal of the weekend. However, Minnesota held St. Cloud State off the board the rest of the way. Still trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Audrey Wethington scored 4:33 into the stanza to knot the score and Emma Conner tallied on a power play two minutes later to put the Gophers in the lead. That was enough for the victory; Clark made 29 saves for the win. Sanni Ahola stopped 37 shots for the Huskies.

Minnesota reaches 800 wins all-time!! Saturday's victory in St. Cloud was the 800th in Gopher Women's Hockey program history. The team has an all-time record of 800-185-64, including 278-67-22 under inaugural head coach Laura Halldorson and 522-118-42 under current coach Brad Frost. We say thank you and congratulations to all the Gopher Women's Hockey players past and present who have contributed to this amazing achievement!!

Fifteen (15) Gophers named to WCHA All-Academic Team

The presentation of end-of-season awards has begun as the WCHA unveiled its 2024-2025 All-Academic Team featuring 129 student-athletes, including 15 Gopher Women's Hockey players. We send our congratulations to Josefin Bouveng, Emma Conner, Allie Franco, Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, Sophia Johnson, Madison Kaiser, Elly Klepinger, Nelli Laitinen, Ava Lindsay, Abbey Murphy, Maggie Nicholson, Lauren O'Hara, Skylar Vetter & Audrey Wethington. Great job, ladies!!

To qualify, student-athletes must have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in their previous two semesters or three quarters and have achieved at least sophomore status in their academic careers.

Future Gopher Layla Hemp named Star Tribune Player of the Year

Meanwhile, the honors are also coming on the high school side, as Minnetonka (MN) H.S. and future Gopher Women's Hockey goaltender Layla Hemp was selected by the Star Tribune as their All-Minnesota Girls Hockey Player of the Year. Through last week's state section playoffs, Hemp posted a 16-2-0 record with 7 shutouts, a 0.92 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage during her senior season with the Skippers.

Congratulations, Layla!! We look forward to seeing you next fall!!

Around the WCHA...

Beavers, Tommies split series in Mendota Heights – Hailey Armstrong scored twice and Eva Filippova stopped all 27 shots she faced as Bemidji State earned their first true road win since December 2023, shutting out St. Thomas 5-0 on Friday. But, despite getting a hat trick from Morgan Smith and taking an initial 2-0 lead in their rematch on Saturday, the Beavers could not hold off the Tommies; Chloe Boreen scored twice and Lauren Stenslie netted the eventual game-winning goal as UST salvaged a split with a 4-3 victory.

Upcoming games – The season concludes with four Friday-Saturday series (including the Gophers vs. the Bulldogs). One series starts with a Friday matinee as Bemidji State hosts Wisconsin. Elsewhere, St. Thomas will face Minnesota State in a home-and-home series beginning in Mankato, and St. Cloud State will travel to Ohio State.

Playoff preview – Much is still to be decided going into the upcoming weekend as only three playoff seedings have already been locked in. After playing each other this weekend in Bemidji, league champion Wisconsin will host 8th-seeded Bemidji State in Madison when the conference quarterfinals being on February 28; meanwhile, St. Cloud State will be the 5th seed and going on the road. However, other positions are still in flux and will be determined this weekend; we'll have an update early next week with the playoff pairings.

Standings (* clinched home ice for WCHA playoff quarterfinals):
1. Wisconsin* – 71 points (.910 pts%), 23-1-2-1, 1-0 in OT (29-1-2 overall)
2. Ohio State* – 53 points (.679 pts%), 17-6-3-2, 3-0 in OT (23-6-3 overall)
3. Minnesota* – 51 points (.654 pts%), 17-8-1-0, 1-0 in OT (23-9-1 overall)
4. Minn. Duluth* – 48 points (.615 pts%), 14-10-2-2, 0-2 in OT (19-11-2 overall)
5. St. Cloud State – 36 points (.462 pts%), 10-11-5-1, 1-1 in OT (15-11-6 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 22 points (.282 pts%), 5-17-2-1, 0-4 in OT (11-17-2 overall)
7. St. Thomas – 20 points (.256 pts%), 6-19-1-1, 2-2 in OT (9-21-2 overall)
8. Bemidji State – 11 points (.141 pts%), 4-22-0-0, 1-0 in OT (6-26-1 overall)

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

Power Play Club

February 12, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Power Play Club

February 12, 2025

PPC All-Member Meeting – Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m.

The annual Power Play Club All-Member Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m. in the Baseline Tennis Center Club Room. This is an opportunity to touch base with other Power Play Club members and to provide feedback on the operation of the club and the Gopher Women's Hockey game experience. We will also have a Board of Directors election, including for the offices of president and vice president. All enrolled 2024-2025 club members are invited and encouraged to attend.

Looking ahead – WCHA First Round at Ridder

As mentioned last week, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has secured home ice for the first-round, quarterfinal series in the 2025 WCHA Conference Tournament. While Minnesota's opponent is still to be determined, the schedule for the best-of-3 series is set with games Friday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m.; and (if necessary) Sunday, March 2 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale through the U. of M. Ticket Office (also by phone at 1-800-U-GOPHER).

Goals for a Goal

With two weekends to go in the regular season, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has netted 114 goals, with 26 coming on the power play!! It's not too late to enroll in our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program, which converts each time Minnesota lights the lamp into a donation back to the program. You can submit a pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the amount for power play tallies! Once again, we send our thanks for your consideration of this campaign!.

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (22-8-1, 16-7-1-0 WCHA)
vs. #11 St. Cloud State Univ. Huskies (14-10-6, 9-10-5-1 WCHA)
Friday, February 14 at 6:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena
Saturday, February 15 at 3:00 p.m.
Herb Brooks National Hockey Center – St. Cloud

The Gopher Women's Hockey team looks to break out of its three-game skid. They return home for a Valentine's Day matchup against the #11 St. Cloud State University Huskies at Ridder Arena, Friday (February 14) at 6:00 p.m. Action then relocates to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud for the rematch Saturday, February 15 at 3:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com continues Friday & Saturday, and live stats can be found here.

This season against St. Cloud State – The Gophers settled with a split against the Huskies in November, winning the opener at Ridder Arena 5-2 before falling 3-1 in St. Cloud. Already leading 2-1 in the opener on goals by Ella Huber and Ava Lindsay, Abbey Murphy recorded a hat trick for Minnesota to put the game out of reach; Huber added two assists to her goal, Peyton Hemp & Nelli Laitinen each also dished out two helpers, and Hannah Clark earned the win with 25 saves. The Gophers put 23 shots on goal in the first period of the rematch, but SCSU goaltender Sanni Ahola stopped all of them to keep the contest scoreless after 20 minutes. Abby Promersberger netted her second goal of the series 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 their lead to 3-0. Natalie Mlynkova tallied for Minnesota with 13:33 to play to break up a shutout bid, but they got no closer. Clark took the loss despite another 25-save effort, while Ahola finished with 38 saves and the victory.

Analyzing the Huskies – As we've noted several times previously, St. Cloud State hasn't finished a regular season in the top half of the WCHA standings since 2009-2010. Despite their current #11 ranking in both national polls, a home ice series for this year's WCHA Quarterfinals looks unlikely; they sit fifth in the league with a 9-10-5-1 conference record, notably earning only the single shootout point after the five ties. Any combination of three standings points either they drop or Minnesota Duluth earns will send the Huskies on the road to open the playoffs.

Two sophomores lead St. Cloud State in scoring statistics. Alice Sauriol (#4) has the team's most total points (19) and assists (14), also lighting the lamp 5 times herself, while Sofianna Sundelin (#34) is the Huskies' top goal scorer with 9 while dishing out 8 helpers for 17 points. Grad student Emma Gentry (#20) is third in scoring with 14 points on 8 goals & 6 assists, and senior Dayle Ross (#2) is their top-scoring defender with 11 points (2g, 9a).

Fifth year goaltender Sanni Ahola (#1) is now the Huskies' all-time winningest netminder, having earned her 35th career victory late last month; this season she is 8-5-3 with two shutouts, a 2.06 goals-against average, and a .919 save percentage. Fellow Finland-native Emilia Kyrkkö (#42), a freshman, is 6-5-3 in her 14 starts with 3 shutouts, a 1.83 GAA, and a .927 SV%. Sophomore Paige Hoogendam (#31) has yet to see any official action in her two seasons with SCSU.

Recent action for St. Cloud State – Playing in Mankato, third-period goals by Marie Moran & Alice Sauriol broke a 1-1 tie against Minnesota State and Emilia Kyrkkö needed only 15 saves for the 3-1 victory for the Huskies on Friday. Trailing the Mavericks 2-1 after two periods in Saturday's rematch, Avery Farrell scored for SCSU 9:14 into the third stanza, and Sanni Ahola made 27 saves in total in a 2-2 overtime tie; however, MSU earned the shootout point, winning 2-1 when Taylor Otremba beat Ahola in the fifth round. In the series, Emma Gentry led the Huskies with a goal & an assist.

Gophers routed by Badgers in Madison

A road trip to Madison turned into a long weekend for the Gopher Women's Hockey team as they were swept by the Wisconsin Badgers, 8-2 and 6-1.

Laila Edwards got the scoring started for UW 4 minutes into the opener on Saturday and added a second goal and two assists, Casey O'Brien recorded 2 goals and an assist, and Kristen Simms dished out 4 helpers. Hannah Clark made 22 saves for the Gophers but was pulled after two periods; Sophia Johnson made her second career appearance and stopped 8 shots. Ella Huber and Sydney Morrow each tallied a goal & an assist and Chloe Primerano dished out helpers on both goals, but Badger netminder Ava McNaughton made 18 saves for the win.

Sunday's rematch began with a scoreless first period, but Wisconsin struck for four goals in the second stanza and added two more in the third. O'Brien posted a one-goal, 4-assist game to finish with 8 points (3g, 5a) in the series; she also passed the career 250-point mark. Emma Conner scored for the Gophers with Sydney Morrow earning an assist for her 3rd point of the weekend; Clark made 37 saves, but McNaughton stopped 24 shots at the other end to complete the sweep.

Badgers claim Julianne Bye Cup – With Saturday's victory, Wisconsin clinched the 2024-2025 WCHA Regular-Season Championship and earned the Julianne Bye Cup. It's the Badgers' 10th regular-season title, having last won in 2020-2021.

Sweden, Germany, Japan qualify for 2026 Winter Olympics;
USA wins Rivalry Series Game 4, Canada takes deciding Game 5

We send congratulations to Gopher Women's Hockey junior forward Josefin Bouveng as Team Sweden punched their ticket to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, claiming first place in their Group H qualifier tournament. The Swedes defeated Denmark 5-0 in a win-to-get-in deciding game on Sunday after also earning shutout wins over Norway (3-0) and the Netherlands (8-0). Bouveng lit the lamp once in the tournament, coming against the Dutch, and had a +1 plus-minus rating.

Gopher Emma Kreisz and Team Hungary were not successful in Group I, falling to Germany on Sunday, 2-1, in another deciding contest. The Germans were perfect in their tournament, also defeating Austria (2-0) and Slovakia (6-1). The Hungarians knocked off Slovakia (3-1) and Austria (3-2, OT) before their Sunday loss. Kreisz tallied 2 points on a goal and an assist, posted a +1 plus-minus rating, and was named Hungary's Player of the Game against the Austrians.

Japan needed only two games to secure its Olympic berth from Group G, but finished undefeated with wins over France (7-1), Poland (6-0), and China (4-1). The Francs finished second with wins over China (4-1) and Poland (9-0).

We await the announcement of which nation will officially get the 10th spot in the Winter Games, being held in Milan & Cortina, Italy next February. While the IIHF decided to not reincorporate Russia into its championships in 2025-2026, the International Olympic Committee will decide whether to allow a "Russian Olympic Committee" team in Italy. As the team having the best second-place finish at the qualifiers, France will be the 10th team if the Russians are excluded.

Canada wins Rivalry Series in Game 5 after U.S. victory in Game 4 – Team USA needed a shootout last Thursday but took Game 4 of the 2024-2025 Rivalry Series, 2-1, to tie the series at two games apiece. Hilary Knight put the Americans up in the first period and Gwyneth Philips made 31 saves, but Blayre Turnbull netted an extra-attacker goal for the Canadians to knot the score late in regulation. After a scoreless overtime, Knight, Hannah Bilka, and Gopher alumna Kelly Pannek scored in the shootout and Philips held the Canadians off the board for the win.

In the deciding Game 5, Brianne Jenner put Canada up 1-0 in the second period, but Pannek tied it up for the Americans 3:03 into the third. However, Jenn Gardiner netted her first career goal as a member of Canada's senior national team with 6:44 remaining and Laura Stacey tacked on an empty-netter with 1:19 to go, resulting in a 3-1 Canadian victory and a 3-2 series win.

Czechia wins Euro Hockey Tour event – Hosting in the city of Liberec, the Czechia Women's National Team calimed the top spot in the Euro Hockey Tour 3-Nations Tournament with wins over Finland (7-2) and Switzerland (4-2). The Finns took the second spot with a 3-1 tournament-opening victory over the Swiss.

Around the WCHA...

Buckeyes earn 5-point sweep of Tommies – Keara Parker's goal midway through the 3rd period Friday put St. Thomas up 4-2 over Ohio State, but the comeback was on for OSU; Jenna Buglioni scored short-handed four minutes later, Jocelyne Amos netted her second goal of the game with an extra attacker and 29.6 second remaining, and Joy Dunne converted on a power play 1:09 into overtime for a 5-4 Buckeye victory. Amos added another goal and an assist and Dunne & Kiara Zanon each added a goal and two assists as the Buckeyes completed the sweep with a 5-1 victory in the rematch.

Bulldogs shut out Beavers – Minnesota Duluth goaltender Tindra Holm needed only 22 combined saves to earn back-to-back shutouts of Bemidji State, 2-0 and 6-0. Caitlin Kraemer scored both goals of the series opener and lit the lamp a third time in the rematch, while Olivia Wallin added a combined goal & 3 assists. Eva Filippova made 50 saves for BSU.

Upcoming games – Minnesota Duluth hosts Minnesota State in a matinee series starting Friday afternoon, while Bemidji State visits St. Thomas starting Friday evening. Ohio State and Wisconsin are idle.

Standings (* clinched home ice for WCHA playoff quarterfinals):
1. Wisconsin* – 71 points (.910 pts%), 23-1-2-1, 1-0 in OT (29-1-2 overall)
2. Ohio State* – 53 points (.679 pts%), 17-6-3-2, 3-0 in OT (23-6-3 overall)
3. Minnesota* – 48 points (.667 pts%), 16-7-1-0, 1-0 in OT (22-8-1 overall)
4. Minn. Duluth – 42 points (.583 pts%), 12-10-2-2, 0-2 in OT (17-11-2 overall)
5. St. Cloud State – 33 points (.458 pts%), 9-10-5-1, 1-1 in OT (14-10-6 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 22 points (.306 pts%), 5-17-2-1, 0-4 in OT (11-17-2 overall)
7. St. Thomas – 17 points (.236 pts%), 5-18-1-1, 2-2 in OT (8-20-2 overall)
8. Bemidji State – 8 points (.111 pts%), 3-21-0-0, 1-0 in OT (5-25-1 overall)

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

Power Play Club

February 9, 2025

The Two-Minute Minor - An edition of the Penalty Box Post - Friday, February 7, 2025

Power Play Club

February 9, 2025

GWH Senior Celebration – RSVP deadline reminder (Feb. 10)

Here's our final reminder that RSVPs are due by next Monday, February 10 for the 2025 Gopher Women's Hockey Senior Celebration, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, at Club Cambria in Huntington Bank Stadium. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. with the meal and program to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children, with payment collected at the event. RSVP to Ashley Holmes by email at holme965@umn.edu or by text at 612-296-0057. More information is available in the event flyer here.

Murphy named National Women's Player of the Month; joined by Morrow as WCHA monthly award winners

Gopher Women's Hockey senior co-captain Abbey Murphy was named National Women's Player of the Month for January yesterday by the Hockey Commissioners Association, going back-to-back after having received the same honor for December. Murphy posted 18 points (8g, 10a) in ten games last month, including a four-point (1g, 3a) performance against Minnesota State on January 17 & a two-goal contest versus Bemidji State on January 24. She also recorded a +11 plus-minus rating.

Murphy was joined by junior Sydney Morrow as WCHA honorees, being named as the conference's Forward & Defender of the Month, respectively. Again, Murphy went back-to-back on the recognition after having also earned the award for December. Morrow's recognition was the first WCHA monthly award of her career; she tallied four goals and five assists throughout the month of January, recorded four multi-point games, posted a +10 plus-minus rating, and led the team with two power-play goals.

Congratulations, Abbey and Sydney!!

Kreisz records assist in opener of Olympic qualifying, Pannek nets Rivalry Series shootout goal

As we noted on Wednesday, three different qualifying tournaments for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games opened yesterday, and Gopher Women's Hockey sophomore forward Emma Kreisz dished out an assist on the eventual game-winning goal for Team Hungary in their contest against Slovakia, played in Bremerhaven, Germany. Additionally, though not credited with a second point, Kreisz provided the pressure to force a Slovakian turnover leading to an empty-net insurance goal for the Hungarians as they won 3-1.

In the other game played in Group I, host Germany shut out Austria, 2-0. All four teams are idle today before resuming Saturday, with Austria facing Slovakia and Hungary taking on the Germans.

Hosting the Group H tournament, Team Sweden defeated Norway in their opening contest, 3-0; however, Gopher junior Josefin Bouveng went without a point for the Swedes. Earlier in the day, Denmark topped the Netherlands, 3-1. Action continues this morning as the Danes play Norway, followed by Sweden taking on the Netherlands.

In Group G play, host Japan routed France, 7-1, after China topped Poland, 3-2 in a shootout (1-0 in five rounds). These teams are idle today before China faces France and Poland squares off against Japan on Saturday.

Rivalry Series, Game 4: USA 2, Canada 1, shootout – Goaltender Gwyneth Philips was the American player of the game, stopping 31 of 32 shots. Hilary Knight converted a first-period power play to put Team USA up 1-0, but Blayre Turnbull knotted the score for the Canadians with an extra-attacker goal with 2:20 remaining in regulation. However, Philip's performance sent the game first to overtime and then a shootout, and three Canadian shooters were unable to beat her. At the other end, Knight, Hannah Bilka, and Gopher Women's Hockey alumna Kelly Pannek all found the back of the net for the victory.

With the win, the U.S. National Team tied the series at two games apiece with the deciding Game 5 set for tomorrow night (Saturday, February 8) at 7 p.m. AT / 5 p.m. CT at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P.E.I. The contest will be televised on NHL Network.

Euro Hockey Tour / 3 Nations Tournament – In other international action occurring yesterday, Finland defeated Switzerland, 3-1, in the opening game of the 3 Nations Tournament in Liberec, Czechia, despite being outshot 36-17. Julia Liikala lit the lamp twice for the Finns and Anni Keisala made 35 saves.

Finland faces the host Czechs today, and the Swiss will take on Czechia on Saturday to wrap up the event.

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

Power Play Club

February 5, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Power Play Club

February 5, 2025

GWH Senior Celebration – Thursday, February 20

RSVPs are due by next Monday, February 10 for the 2025 Gopher Women's Hockey Senior Celebration, which is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, at Club Cambria in Huntington Bank Stadium. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. with the meal and program to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children, with payment collected at the event. RSVP to Ashley Holmes by email at holme965@umn.edu or by text at 612-296-0057. More information is available in the event flyer here.

PPC All-Member Meeting – Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m.

Goals for a Goal

After lighting the lamp six more times last weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has netted 111 goals this season, with 26 coming on the power play!! We continue to ask for your help converting each of those into a donation back to the team through our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program. We are still accepting pledges at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies! Our thanks for your consideration of this campaign!

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (22-6-1, 16-5-1-0 WCHA)
at #1 University of Wisconsin Badgers (27-1-2, 21-1-2-1 WCHA)
Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 9 at 12:00 p.m.
LaBahn Arena – Madison, WI

Following a contentious battle this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team heads into its last full road series of the 2024-2025 regular season and a second-straight top-three matchup nationally. The squad travels to Madison for two more Border Battle games against the #1-ranked University of Wisconsin Badgers at LaBahn Arena, playing Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 9 at 12:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Saturday's contest will be televised on Fox 9+, and both contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service (Saturday / Sunday). Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com continues Saturday & Sunday, and live stats can be found here.

This season against Wisconsin – Home ice was not kind to the Gophers in their October series against the Badgers, falling 5-0 & 4-3. Wisconsin 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, Sydney Morrow lit the lamp twice in the opening two minutes of period two and Madison Kaiser pushed the Gopher lead to 3-0 at the 8:44 mark of the period. Unfortunately, the Badgers chipped away at that lead, getting a power-play tallies by Laila Edwards & Lacey Eden, the tying goal from Hannah Halverson 4 minutes later, and one more from 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.

Analyzing the Badgers – Wisconsin has been the top team nationally much of the season, having lost only once (at Ohio State in December) and recorded two ties. The Badgers lead the nation in scoring offense (averaging 1.29 goals-per-game more than the next-closest team), scoring defense, scoring margin, power play goals, and power play percentage. They need only a single standings point in their remaining four games to clinch a share of the WCHA Regular-Season Championship, and they'll win it outright if they get that point this weekend.

Individually, Wisconsin boasts 4 of the top 6 scorers nationally. Senior Casey O'Brien (#26) is the NCAA's top point-getter, recording 59 on 18 goals and 41 assists. Junior Laila Edwards (#10) has the most goals in Division I with 26 while dishing out 29 assists for 55 points. Junior Kirsten Simms (#27; 15g, 33a), junior defender Caroline Harvey (#4; 14g, 33a), and senior Lacey Eden (#6; 19g, 21a) have also reached or exceeded the 40-point mark this year.

At the other end of the ice, sophomore netminder Ava McNaughton (#30) has an NCAA-best 1.16 goals-against average and the second-best save percentage at .949 (among qualifying players); she has started all but one of Wisconsin's games, posting a 26-1-2 record with 7 shutouts. Fifth-year player Quinn Kuntz (#35) won her lone start against Maine and has also made 3 relief appearances, stopping 25 of the 26 shots she's faced in 117 minutes of action (.962 SV%, 0.51 GAA). Redshirt sophomore Chloe Baker (#32) has two relief appearances and has stopped all 7 shots she's faced.

Recent action for Wisconsin – Despite being held to only two goals in each game, the Badgers earned a weekend sweep on the road at Minnesota Duluth, winning 2-1 in overtime on Friday and 2-1 in regulation on Saturday. The Bulldogs has 1-0 leads in both contests on goals by Grace Sadura & Olivia Mobley, and Ève Gascon made a combined 86 saves. However, Ava McNaughton stopped the other 53 UMD shots she faced. Marianne Picard tied Friday's game less than six minutes after Sadura's goal, and Casey O'Brien lit the lamp with 37 seconds remaining in overtime, scoring on a rebound. Minnesota Duluth's lead Saturday lasted more than 28 minutes, but Laila Edwards evened the score in the third period and Sarah Wozniewicz netted the game-winning goal 5½ minutes later.

Gophers win Friday, fall Saturday to split with Buckeyes at Ridder

In a hotly contested weekend series at Ridder Arena, the Gopher Women's Hockey had to settle for a split against the Ohio State Buckeyes, winning Friday's game, 3-1, but falling in Saturday's rematch, 7-3.

The series opener remained scoreless after 40 minutes, but Ella Huber converted on a power play just 1:01 into the third period. Huber then doubled the lead at the 7:52 mark and Abbey Murphy pushed the lead to three on another power play 63 seconds later. Former Gopher Emily Zumwinkle lit the lamp for Ohio State with only 2:01 remaining to break up the shutout bid, scoring an extra-attacker goal moments after the Buckeyes had had a 6-on-4 due to a Gopher penalty. Hannah Clark made 25 saves for Minnesota, while Amanda Thiele stopped 19 shots for OSU. Sydney Morrow dished out two assists.

Emma Conner's third goal of the season and two from Peyton Hemp gave the Gophers three different one-goal leads on Saturday, but Sloane Matthews responded each time for the Buckeyes, recording a second-period hat trick and sending the game to the second intermission knotted at 3-3. Ohio State then capitalized on a series of Minnesota penalties, tallying three power-play goals in the first 4:48 of the third period; Mira Jungåker netted the first of those, the eventual game-winner. The Buckeyes tacked on one more with 2:54 to play for the final margin. Clark made another 35 saves for the Gophers, while Hailey MacLeod and Thiele combined for 30 saves for Ohio State. Huber added an assist to her weekend tally to post a 3-point series, while OSU's Makenna Webster had 4 assists across the two games.

Murphy takes sole possession of ninth on GWH career goals list – Netting her 94th goal in the Maroon & Gold, Abbey Murphy moved into sole possession of ninth place on Minnesota Women's Hockey's all-time career goals list, dropping Dani Cameranesi to tenth (with 93 goals). Murphy remains behind both Taylor Heise & Kelly Stephens, who are tied for seventh with 97 collegiate goals.

Wethington earns PNC Achievers Award

Prior to last Friday's game, Gopher fifth-year forward Audrey Wethington was presented a PNC Achievers Award for her excellence in academic achievement, community service, and demonstrating team values, as voted on by her peers and university staff. Congratulations, Audrey!!

Olympic qualifying, Rivalry Series, and other int'l play this week

We provide a reminder that the Gopher Women's Hockey Team will be without forwards Josefin Bouveng & Emma Kreisz in Madison this weekend. Both are competing with their national teams – Sweden and Hungary, respectively – in qualifying tournaments for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Three separate qualifier events begin tomorrow (Thursday, February 6) and run through Sunday (February 9).

Group G: China, France, Japan (host) and Poland
Group H: Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Sweden (host)
Group I: Austria, Germany (host), Hungary, and Slovakia

The winners of each of the three groups will advance to the 2026 Olympics in Milan & Cortina, Italy. It is suspected that the highest-ranked of the three second-place teams from the qualifiers will also advance, following the International Ice Hockey Federation Council's decision to not reintegrate Russia & Belarus into its championships for 2025-2026. The United States, Canada, Czechia, Finland, and Switzerland have already qualified for the Winter Games due to their current world rankings, and Italy will also compete as the host nation.

Once again, we congratulate and send wishes of good luck to Josefin & Emma!!

USA-Canada Rivalry Series – We again also wish good luck to Gopher Women's Hockey alumnae Taylor Heise & Kelly Pannek as they compete as members of the U.S. Women's National Teamfor the fourth and fifth games of the 2024-2025 Rivalry Series against Canada. The squads will meet tomorrow night (Thursday, February 6) at 7 p.m. Atlantic Time / 5 p.m. Central at Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saturday, February 8 at 7 p.m. AT / 5 p.m. CT at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P.E.I., and both games will be televised on NHL Network.

Zumwinkle among four scratched from U.S. roster – Unfortunately, Gopher alum Grace Zumwinkle was one of four players announced Monday as being unavailable for this week's Rivalry Series games as USA Hockey named their roster replacements. Zumwinkle has missed a number of games as a member of the PWHL's Minnesota Frost, and we look forward to seeing her back on the ice soon.

Euro Hockey Tour action – As for the other squads already qualified for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, the national teams of Czechia, Finland, and Switzerland are also in action this week, competing in the round-robin 3 Nations Tournament as part of the Euro Hockey Tour. The contests are being held tomorrow through Saturday (Feb. 6-8) at Home Credit Arena in Liberec, Czechia.

Around the WCHA

Tommies upset Huskies Saturday for series split – Sofianna Sundelin scored twice with an assist, Alice Sauriol added a goal and two helpers, and Sanni Ahola made 13 saves to earn her 35th career victory and become St. Cloud State's all-time wins leader as they defeated St. Thomas 5-2 on Friday. However, UST netminder Dani Strom stopped 32 of 33 shots Saturday and finished with 60 saves on the weekend; Ella Boerger scored in the second period & assisted on Lauren Stenslie's goal 36 seconds into overtime for a 2-1 upset of the Huskies despite Sundelin's third goal of the series.

Beavers, Mavericks skate to a series split – Whitney Tuttle scored twice in the second period Friday to erase Minnesota State's two-goal deficit against Bemidji State, but Makenna Deering's second goal of the game – and of the season – 21 seconds into overtime gave the Beavers a 3-2 victory. The Mavericks responded Saturday with two goals and an assist from Alexis Paddington and two assists from Tuttle in a 5-1 win for the weekend split.

Gophers, Buckeyes clinch home ice for WCHA First Round – With these results, Minnesota and Ohio State have clinched home ice for the First Round / quarterfinals of the WCHA Conference Tournament, coming up February 28 through March 2. On the flip side, Ohio State fell out of contention for the WCHA Regular-Season Championship.

Upcoming games – The other three league series this week will be played Friday & Saturday. Minnesota State will host St. Cloud State starting with a Friday matinee game, while St. Thomas visits Ohio State and Bemidji State hosts Minnesota Duluth.

Standings (* clinched home ice for WCHA playoff quarterfinals):
1. Wisconsin* – 65 points (.903 pts%), 21-1-2-1, 1-0 in OT (27-1-2 overall)
2. Minnesota* – 48 points (.727 pts%), 16-5-1-0, 1-0 in OT (22-6-1 overall)
3. Ohio State* – 48 points (.667 pts%), 15-6-3-2, 2-0 in OT (21-6-3 overall)
4. Minn. Duluth – 36 points (.545 pts%), 10-10-2-2, 0-2 in OT (15-11-2 overall)
5. St. Cloud State – 29 points (.455 pts%), 8-10-4-1, 1-1 in OT (13-10-5 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 20 points (.303 pts%), 5-16-1-0, 0-4 in OT (11-16-1 overall)
7. St. Thomas – 16 points (.273 pts%), 5-16-1-1, 2-1 in OT (8-18-2 overall)
8. Bemidji State – 8 points (.121 pts%), 3-19-0-0, 1-0 in OT (5-23-1 overall)

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

Power Play Club

January 29, 2025

The Penalty Box Post - Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Power Play Club

January 29, 2025

PPC Chalk Talk – this Saturday, February 1 at 12:30 p.m.

Again, the third and final Power Play Club Chalk Talk of the 2024-2025 season with a member of the GWH coaching staff is scheduled for Saturday, February 1 at 12:30 p.m., before the Gophers host the second game of their series against Ohio State. We will be meeting in the Ridder Arena Weight Room on the upper level across the hall from the suites. This is an exclusive event for enrolled 2024-2025 club members, and we hope to see many of you there!!

GWH Senior Celebration – Thursday, February 20
RSVPs due by Monday, February 10

The 2025 Gopher Women's Hockey Senior Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, February 20, at Club Cambria in Huntington Bank Stadium. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. with the meal and program to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children, with payment collected at the event. RSVPs are due by Monday, February 10 to Ashley Holmes by email at holme965@umn.edu or by text at 612-296-0057. More information is available in the event flyer here.

PPC All-Member Meeting – Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m.

Goals for a Goal

As the Gopher Women's Hockey team has surpassed the century mark in goals scored this season, we continue to ask for your help to convert each of those goals into a donation back to the team. Enroll in our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program by submitting your pledge at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, with the option to double the pledge for power play tallies! Through 27 games, Minnesota has lit the lamp 105 times with 23 of those coming on the power play!

#3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-5-1, 15-4-1-0 WCHA)
vs. #2 Ohio State University Buckeyes (20-5-3, 14-5-3-2 WCHA)
Friday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Ridder Arena

In a top-three matchup both nationally and in the WCHA league standings, the Gopher Women's Hockey team hosts The Ohio State University Buckeyes at Ridder Arena. The action begins Friday, January 31 at 6:00 p.m. and continues Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 p.m.

Game coverage – Both contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service (Friday / Saturday). Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com continues Friday & Saturday, and live stats can be found here.

Promotions this weekend – The Gopher Women's Hockey team will be celebrating Fan Appreciation Day on Friday with extra t-shirt tosses, in-seat deliveries and more happening throughout the game! Cub Family 4 Pack ticket packages are also available for Friday's contest here. Saturday is Alumni Day and National Girls & Women in Sports Day, and select GWH players will be signing autographs after the game!

Traffic alerts – Multiple Golden Gopher athletic events are scheduled for both Friday and Saturday. In addition to Women's Hockey at 6 p.m. on Friday, both the Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving teams are holding a meet at Freeman Aquatic Center at 5 p.m. and Gopher Men's Hockey is playing at 3M Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday is extra busy, so much so that the university has issued an official Traffic & Parking Advisory, with Gopher Men's Basketball (11 a.m.), Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving (11 a.m.), Women's Hockey (2 p.m.), Gymnastics (4 p.m.), and Men's Hockey (5 p.m.) all competing at home.

This season against Ohio State – The Gopher Women's Hockey team was only able to get one WCHA standings point in their October trip to Columbus, losing to the Buckeyes, 4-3, in the series opener, playing them to a 1-1 tie in the rematch, but falling 2-1 in a seven-round shootout. Minnesota never led in the series despite goals by Abbey Murphy, Emma Kreisz, Gracie Graham & Josefine Bouveng, plus two assists from Nelli Laitinen; Murphy also had an assist and scored in Saturday's shootout. Joy Dunne, Jocelyne Amos, and Jenna Buglioni each tallied a goal and an assist for OSU in Friday's contest, with Buglioni's goal being the eventual game-winner. Jordyn Petrie scored in the first period on Saturday, and Dunne & Amos lit the lamp in the shootout. Skylar Vetter made 21 saves for Minnesota in the opener and Hannah Clark stopped 29 shots through overtime Saturday, while Amanda Thiele played both games for the Buckeyes, making a combined 52 saves.

Analyzing the Buckeyes – On total league points, Ohio State is in a second-place tie with the Gophers at 45; however, because they have played two additional conference games entering this weekend, they trail on points percentage. Still, the Buckeyes have been ranked #2 in the national polls, ahead of #3 Minnesota, for much of the season.

Sophomores Joy Dunne (#16) and Jocelyne Amos (#17) are tied with a team-high 17 goals apiece; Dunne is also OSU's overall scoring leader, adding 19 assists for 36 points, while Amos has 17 assists for 34 points. Grad student Jenna Buglioni (#10) has also eclipsed the 30-point mark, tallying 15 goals & 16 assists. Two others have surpassed the 20-point threshold, as grad student Kiara Zanon (#11) has 10 goals & 16 assists and junior Emma Peschel (#7) has 5 goals & 19 helpers. Also of note, freshman Jordyn Petrie (#19) has lit the lamp 12 times.

Four different goaltenders have seen action for OSU this season. Grad student Amanda Thiele (#30) has started 18 of the Buckeyes' 28 games, posting a 12-4-2 record with one shutout, a 2.04 goals-against average, and an .892 save percentage. Junior Hailey MacLeod (#35), in her first season in Columbus after two years at Minnesota Duluth, is 7-1-1 in her 9 starts with 3 shutouts, a 1.49 GAA, and a .915 SV%. Junior Lexington Secreto (#34) won her lone start of the season against Stonehill in late October, posting a 9-save shutout, while freshman Genny Klein (#1) stopped 13 of 14 shots (.929 SV%) in a 36-minute relief appearance in OSU's first game against Mercyhurst.

Recent action for Ohio State – Early last week, the Buckeyes defeated Mercyhurst on the road, 5-1; Joy Dunne led all scorers with a goal & an assist, and Hailey MacLeod stopped 15 of 16 shots.

Returning to Columbus, Sloane Matthews & Kiara Zanon each tallied two goals & an assist and Dunne added a goal & two assists as the Buckeyes swept Minnesota State, 5-2 & 4-1, outshooting the Mavericks 78-33. Amanda Thiele stopped 13 of 15 shots Friday and MacLeod made 17 saves on 18 shots Saturday for OSU. Taylor Otremba, JuliAnna Gadzik, and Claire Vekich lit the lamp for MSU.

Gophers earn Field Trip Day, Hockey Day MN sweep of Beavers

The Gopher Women's Hockey team benefitted from several nice passes and a three-goal series from Abbey Murphy – including Saturday's game-winner – to sweep Bemidji State, winning Friday's Field Trip Day game 4-1 and Saturday's outdoor Hockey Day Minnesota contest 3-1.

After a scoreless opening period on Friday in front of a Ridder Arena-record crowd of 3,700 spectators, Peyton Hemp buried a pass from Ella Huber in the second stanza and Audrey Wethington did the same off a Sydney Morrow feed in the third. The Beavers cut their deficit in half just over two minutes later with a goal credited to Mya Hendrick, but Murphy scored on a sharp-angle shot with 3:15 to play and added an empty-netter with 41.9 seconds to go. Hannah Clark made 17 saves, while BSU's Eva Filippova stopped 34 shots.

Emma Kreisz scored 7 minutes into Saturday's contest off a crisp pass from Emma Conner. Murphy followed with her third goal of the weekend 3½ minutes later, splitting two Bemidji State defenders on her way to the net. Gracie Graham was the beneficiary of a Peyton Hemp pass, lighting the lamp in the second period to push the Gopher lead to 3-0. Bemidji State's Morgan Smith converted on a 5-on-3 power play, but the Gopher defense held the Beavers to only one shot on goal in the third period and Clark finished with 10 saves for the victory. Kaitlin Groess stopped 35 shots for BSU.

Murphy reaches ninth on GWH career goals list – With her performance against the Beavers, Abbey Murphy improved to ninth on Minnesota Women's Hockey's all-time career goals list, moving into a tie with Dani Cameranesi at 93. She sits behind both Taylor Heise & Kelly Stephens, who are tied for seventh with 97 collegiate goals.

Rosters announced for upcoming international play

Bouveng, Kreisz headed to Olympic qualifying – Current Gopher Women's Hockey forwards Josefin Bouveng & Emma Kreisz were named to their respective national teams to play in final-round Olympic qualification tournaments coming up on February 6-9.

Bouveng was named to Sweden's Women's National Team roster yesterday for the "Group H" qualifier they are hosting in the city of Gävle. They will be facing Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands.

Kreisz was named to the roster of Team Hungary last week. They will be playing in the "Group I" qualifier against Austria, Slovakia, and host nation Germany in the city of Bremerhaven. Before the tournament, they are also scheduled to play the Germans in an exhibition contest in Kassel this Saturday, February 1.

A third qualifier ("Group G") will be hosted by Japan and includes China, France, and Poland.

The winners of each of the three groups will advance to the 2026 Winter Games in Milan & Cortina, Italy. The United States, Canada, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, and (if reinstated) Russia have already qualified due to their current world rankings, and Italy will also compete as the host nation.

Congratulations and good luck, Josefin & Emma!!

USA-Canada Rivalry Series: GWH alums Heise, Pannek, Zumwinkle named to American roster – Minnesota Women's Hockey alumnae Taylor Heise, Kelly Pannek, and Grace Zumwinkle, all currently members of the PWHL's Minnesota Frost, were named among 21 players who will comprise the U.S. Women's National Team roster for the fourth and fifth games of the 2024-2025 Rivalry Series against Canada. The squads will meet next Thursday, February 6 at 7 p.m. Atlantic Time / 5 p.m. Central at Scotiabank Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saturday, February 8 at 7 p.m. AT / 5 p.m. CT at Credit Union Place in Summerside, P.E.I. Tickets are available through Hockey Canada & TicketMaster.ca, and both games will be televised on NHL Network. Canada leads this year's series, winning two of the first three games played in November. Good luck Taylor, Kelly & Grace!!

Around the WCHA...

Brausen named head coach at St. Thomas – The University of St. Thomas named Bethany Brausen as head coach of the Tommies Women's Hockey team on Sunday (January 26), removing the interim tag from her title. She assumed the interim head coaching role in November, and had served as the Tommies top assistant coach or acting head coach since joining the program in 2021. Brausen is a Gopher Women's Hockey alumna and a member of the 2012 and 2013 NCAA Championship teams. We send Bethany our congratulations and best wishes.

Tommies upset Bulldogs... twice – The announcement of Brausen's hiring follows surprising results from Mendota Heights earlier in the weekend. Behind a five-point performance (1g, 4a) from Lauren Stenslie, two goals & an assist by Rylie Bartz, 73 saves from Dani Strom, and game-winning tallies by Ilsa Lindaman & Ella Boerger, St. Thomas came from behind twice to sweep Minnesota Duluth, 3-2 and 4-3 (OT). In Thursday's series opener, Maddie Brown pulled the Tommies even, 2-2, midway through the third period, and Lindman scored with 25.5 seconds remaining. The rematch Friday saw Stenslie net the tying goal in the third period and Boerger lit the lamp 3:05 into overtime. UMD's Mary Kate O'Brien and Danielle Burgen each tallied a goal & an assist in the series and Ève Gascon stopped a combined 37 shots.

Badgers get win, tie, bonus point vs. Huskies – Laney Potter, Cassie Hall, and Lacey Eden each recorded a goal & an assist as Wisconsin defeated St. Cloud State 5-2 Saturday despite a 44-save performance by Sanni Ahola. Ally Qualley gave SCSU a brief lead Sunday, but Eden and Kirsten Simms both converted power plays to put Wisconsin ahead; however, Laura Zimmermann scored for the Huskies 8:42 into the third period, and Emilia Kyrkkö finished with 30 saves for a 2-2 overtime tie. The Badgers earned the bonus point as Simms netted the only goal of the subsequent shootout.

Upcoming games – All four league series this week feature Friday & Saturday contests. Two will start with Friday afternoon games as St. Thomas plays St. Cloud State home-and-home, beginning in St. Cloud, and Bemidji State hosts Minnesota State. Meanwhile, Wisconsin heads north to face Minnesota Duluth.

Standings (* clinched home ice for WCHA playoff quarterfinals):
1. Wisconsin* – 60 points (.909 pts%), 19-1-2-1, 0-0 in OT (25-1-2 overall)
2. Minnesota – 45 points (.750 pts%), 15-4-1-0, 1-0 in OT (21-5-1 overall)
3. Ohio State – 45 points (.682 pts%), 14-5-3-2, 2-0 in OT (20-5-3 overall)
4. Minn. Duluth – 35 points (.583 pts%), 10-8-2-2, 0-1 in OT (15-9-2 overall)
5. St. Cloud State – 25 points (.417 pts%), 7-9-4-1, 1-0 in OT (12-9-5 overall)
6. Minnesota State – 16 points (.267 pts%), 4-15-1-0, 0-3 in OT (10-15-1 overall)
7. St. Thomas – 14 points (.233 pts%), 4-15-1-1, 1-1 in OT (7-17-2 overall)
8. Bemidji State – 6 points (.100 pts%), 2-18-0-0, 0-0 in OT (4-22-1 overall)

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