University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Hockey Heads to the WCHA Final Five
3/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Minnesota Finishes the Regular Season With 19 Conference Wins
In its last regular season series, the Gophers swept St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series. The Gophers end the regular season with a 26-3- 5 overall record and a WCHA mark of 19-2-3. On the road, the Gophers are 12-2-2, while adding an impressive 14-1-3 tally at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers only home loss came against Wisconsin, Feb. 16.
Gophers Sweep WCHA Weekly Awards
The Golden Gophers have swept the weekly WCHA conference awards for the second time this season. Ronda Curtin was named the WCHA Player of the Week, while Kristy Oonincx earned the WCHA Rookie of the Week award.
Curtin climbed to the top of the league scoring chart with a seven-point weekend in a sweep over St. Cloud State. Curtin scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in the Gophers 4-1 win on Friday. She was plus-3 and took five shots in the game. She then scored once and set up four others in Saturday's 9-1 win. The junior took seven shots and was plus-7 in the game. Curtin has 11 goals, 34 assists and 45 points to lead the league. Her 36 conference points also lead the WCHA. She is the only member in Gopher women's hockey history to notch three player of the week accolades in a single season.
Oonincx also produced a stellar performance against the Huskies tallying seven points. The newcomer posted two assists on Friday, with two shots and was a plus-2. She then recorded a career-high five points Saturday. Oonincx scored two goals, including the game-winning tally, and three assists to aid the Gophers to a 9-1 defeat over SCSU. Four of her five points came on the Gophers first six goals. It is the fourth time this season Oonincx has scored two goals. She was plus-7 on the weekend and leads the team with a plus-40.
WCHA Player of the Week Honoree from Minnesota
Dec. 17 Ronda Curtin (v. St. Cloud State) Feb. 11 Ronda Curtin (v. Ohio State) March 4 Ronda Curtin (v. St. Cloud State)
WCHA Rookie of the Week Honorees from Minnesota Oct. 15 Kelly Stephens (v. Minnesota State, Mankato) Oct. 22 Brenda Reinen (v. Minnesota-Duluth) Nov. 12 Kristy Oonincx (v. Bemidji State) Nov. 26 Jody Horak (v. Dartmouth and UNH) Dec. 3 Kelly Stephens (v. Wisconsin) Jan. 8 Kelly Stephens (v. SCSU/St. Lawrence) Jan. 21 Jody Horak (v. Minnesota-Duluth) Feb. 4 Kristy Oonincx (v. MSU) Feb. 10 Brenda Reinen (v. Ohio State) March 4 Kristy Oonincx (v. St. Cloud State) US College Hockey Online Players of the Week from Minnesota Nov. 5 Kelly Stephens (v. Ohio State) Jan. 22 Jody Horak and Brenda Reinen (v. UMD) Curtin Leads the Pack
Ronda Curtin now has a one-point lead in scoring, set at 45. She is the only defender in conference history to lead the league in scoring. Curtin also leads the WCHA in assists (34), power-play points and defensive scoring. Curtin has aided Minnesota in a first-place ranking in the power play (24.6) and is second in the WCHA in defense scoring.
Gophers in the WCHA Tournament
Minnesota is 2-3 in the conference tournament. The Gophers won two games in the inaugural year against Minnesota State, Mankato and Wisconsin, but fell in the championship game to Minnesota-Duluth. Last year, Minnesota went into the WCHA tournament as the No. 1 seed and fell in two straight games, finishing fourth in the tournament. Minnesota fell 4-0 to Ohio State and 4-3 to Wisconsin in the third- place game. Three members of the Gopher squad tie for the most goals in a WCHA tournament game: Shannon Kennedy, Tracy Engstrom and La Toya Clarke all had two goals in the championships. Ambria Thomas led the charge in the assist category over the past two years, tacking on four set ups for the Gophers.
Minnesota-Duluth has claimed both of the WCHA tournament championships.
All-WCHA Team
The WCHA-Women's League will announce its All-WCHA First and Second Teams, All-Academic, and other awards at the WCHA banquet, March 7. The banquet will start at 8 p.m. or at the conclusion of the Ohio State/ Bemidji State game.
Scouting the Opponents
Minnesota prepares for this week's action by scouting all of the WCHA Final Five teams. Ohio State or Bemidji State will be Minnesota's first test, while the Gophers could face either Wisconsin or Minnesota-Duluth in the second round.
Minnesota has swept the Gophers in the two series, but the last game came down to a 2-1 overtime win. Ohio State enters the Final Five as the No. 4 seed, posting a 17-13-4 record, 9-12-3 in the WCHA. The Buckeyes are led by rookie phenom Jeni Creary. In her first year, Creary leads OSU with 44 points and has been named as one of OSU's 10 Patty Kazmaier finalists. Defensively, the Buckeyes are led by Emily Hudak. The junior is second on the team in scoring with 27 points. Ohio State also has a Top 10 Patty Kazmaier Finalist in Emma Laaksonen. In 22 games played, Laaksonen has tallied 19 points. The sophomore left the team to participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics for Team Finland. The Buckeyes have Melissa Glaser in net and has a 14-7-3 record. Glaser sits at 90.7 percent save percentage and 2.45 goals against average.
The Gophers went 2-0-2 against Bemidji State, tying the Beavers twice this season and playing in three overtime games. BSU is 7-11-6 in the WCHA, posting the most ties against conference opponents. Amber Fryklund leads Bemidji State offensively with 34 points. Leading the team in goals and assists, Fryklund has five power-play goals, three game-tying goals and three game-winning goals. Guylaine Hache is three points behind Fryklund with 31 tallies, while Kerri McEwen has 26 points, finishing the top three scorers. The Beavers have recently had two goaltenders earn the starting nod. Bre Dedrickson has 21 games in net, while Anik Cote has started in 13 games. Cote has a 92.2 percent save percentage and a 2.25 GAA.
Wisconsin enters the WCHA Final Five as the No. 2 seed, posting a 21-10-2 record, 17-6-1 in the WCHA. It is the second year that the Badgers have gained 20 or more wins in a season. Minnesota swept the team earlier this season, but split with the Badgers in February. Wisconsin has one of the best defenses in the country, having the lowest goals against average in the nation. The Badgers have notched nine shutouts this season and have four defenders with 78 points. Leading the defenders is rookie Carla MacLeod. She has 22 points, followed by Sis Paulsen at 21 and Kerry Weiland at 20. In goal for the Badgers is junior Jackie MacMillian. In 33 games, MacMillian holds the lowest goals against average in the nation, which is 1.26. She has allowed 39 goals and has a 21-9-1 record.
The Badgers have a potent offense with the two top scorers combining for 78 points. Meghan Hunter has 42 points, which not only leads the team, but puts her third in conference scoring. Kendra Antony is second in points with 36 in 32 games played. Antony has four power- play tallies and two game-winning goals.
Minnesota-Duluth ended its regular season with a sweep over Minnesota State, Mankato. With the four points, UMD finished in a tie for second in the WCHA, but is the No. 3 seed in the tournament. With a 21-5-4 record overall and a 16-5-3 record, the Bulldogs look to take a third straight tournament championship. Minnesota lost the first game of the year, 7-0, but bounced back to a 1-1 tie in the second game of the series. Minnesota then swept the competition Jan. 18-19, the first time since last season. Since returning to action in January, UMD is 8- 5-1 against opponents. However, part of that time, the Bulldogs had six members of their team participate in the Winter Games.
The Bulldogs are led offensively by Maria Rooth and Erika Holst, each contributing 35 points. Of the 35, Holst has notched 28 points against conference opponents, while Rooth has added 23 in league play. UMD has 14 members scoring in the double digits.
Defensively, UMD has two qualified goalies to start in the net. Tuula Puputti, the lone senior on the team and member of Team Finland, has seen action in 14 games. She has a 91.5 percent save percentage and a 9-4-0 record. Patricia Sautter has earned the starting nod in 16 games, holding a mark of 12-1-3. She holds a 1.39 goals against average and a 93.5 percent save percentage.
All-Time Series
In 13 meetings between the two schools, Minnesota owns a 10-3-0 record over Ohio State. Bemidji State gained its first points against Minnesota this season, but the Gophers still hold a 11-0-2 in the all- time series. Minnesota won overtime games against both Ohio State and Bemidji State this season. The Gophers defeated Ohio State 2-1 in overtime (2/9) and won 3-2 in the extra period against the Beavers (1/ 13).
Although Wisconsin snapped Minnesota's 24-game unbeaten streak Feb. 16, the Gophers hold an all-time series record 11-2-1 record. The Gophers snatched the last game of the series Feb. 17 in a 3-2 overtime win. The Gophers and the Bulldogs have the closest all-time series set at 6-5-2 in favor of Minnesota. The Gophers held on to two close games in the last series between the two teams. Minnesota won 1-0 in the first game, and added a 3-1 defeat to the Bulldogs the second night.
She's the Boss
Head coach Laura Halldorson is in her fifth season as head coach, with a Minnesota record of 131-29-14. She now has a career record of 190-104-23 in 12 years. She led the Gophers to the AWCHA National Championship in each of her first three years, with fourth and third- place finishes preceding Minnesota's 2000 national title. In 2000-01, Halldorson led the Gophers to a WCHA-regular season championship and was named the WCHA Co-Coach of the Year, along with St. Cloud State's Kerry Wethington.
A 1985 graduate of Princeton, Halldorson was a three-time All-Ivy League selection and led the Tigers to the Ivy title each year. She was also a member of four national club champions with the Minnesota Checkers and was part of the 1987 U.S. National Women's Team.
The Assistants
Minnesota has three assistants focusing on all different areas. Joel Johnson is in his third year as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Johnson coaches the defense for Minnesota and has coached the past two WCHA Defensive Players of the Year in Winny Brodt and Courtney Kennedy. He assisted UMD's coach Shannon Miller, being an assistant coach for the WCHA All-Star team.
Brad Frost is in his second year as a Gopher coach, first full season. Frost works primarily with the forwards. Frost spent a year at his alma mater Bethel College, as an assistant coach for the men's team.
Jeff Moen is in his first year as the volunteer goalie coach. Moen was a member of the Gopher men's hockey team from 1992-96. Moen's accomplishments as a player puts him at the top of the Gopher list. In four years, Moen had the third career lowest goals against average in school history at 3.16.
Five Years of Tradition
Minnesota has posted 20 or more wins every season since women's hockey became a varsity sport. The Gophers have gained 26 wins so far this season, the second best in school history. The fastest that Minnesota has earned 20 or more wins was in the 1999-2000 season. The Gophers had 20 wins by Jan. 30, 2000 and were 32-6-1 on the season.
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
In 1998, The USA Hockey Foundation created a new, national-level award designed to recognize the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in women's intercollegiate ice hockey each season. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is presented by the Foundation to the player who represents the highest standards of personal and team excellence. This year, Minnesota has two finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award in Ronda Curtin and Laura Slominski. Curtin, a junior, switched to a defender for the 2001-02 campaign after playing forward the first two years of her college career. Leading the team in points (45) and assists (34), Curtin has already surpassed her points last year, totalling 29 as a sophomore. Curtin leads the league in points, assists, power-play points and defense scoring in conference action. Curtin is a two-time WCHA All-Academic team member and Academic All-Big Ten recipient. She is also a two-time Patty Berg Academic Award honoree.
Slominski, a senior co-captain of the Minnesota squad, has tallied three hat tricks this season, most recently against Minnesota State, Mankato to aid the Gophers in their 24-game unbeaten streak. She is fifth on the team in scoring with 32 points. Her off-ice performance ranks as one of the highest on the team. Slominski, a psychology major, has been a two-time recipient of the team's Highest GPA, Peggy MacInnis Bye Scholarship recipient, and WCHA All-Academic honors.
Patty Kazmaier Top 10 Name Yr. Pos. School Jeni Creary Fr. F Ohio State Ronda Curtin Jr. D Minnesota Chanda Gunn So. G Northeastern Carly Haggard Jr. F Dartmouth Emma Laaksonen So. D Ohio State Kira Misikowetz Sr. F UNH Tania Pinelli Sr. G Niagara Maria Rooth Jr. F UMD Laura Slominski Sr. F Minnesota Brooke Whitney Sr. F Northeastern Rookie Sensations
Four Gophers have earned WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for their performance in past games. Kelly Stephens and Kristy Oonincx alone have earned conference acknowledgment three times each, will Jody Horak and Brenda Reinen has received the award twice. It is the most conference awards that Minnesota has received since the start of the conference in 1999-2000. Three of the four also received national recognition. Stephens was the US College Hockey Online Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 5), while Horak and Reinen allowed one goal in the series against Minnesota-Duluth, earning them USCHO Defensive Players of the Week.
Minnesota Recruits
The Gophers have signed three players to national letters of intent for the next season. Krissy Wendell signed as a senior in high school last year.
The Gophers have signed two metro players to join the squad next season. Chelsey Brodt was the first to sign for the Gophers. Brodt was an all-state selection her sophomore and junior years. As a defender for Roseville Area High School, Brodt helped the Raiders to an appearance at the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Minnesota State High School girls hockey tournament and was a member of the 1999 championship team. For three consecutive years, Brodt was an all-metro player from 1999-2001 and was also named to the state's all-tournament team in 1998. Brodt was selected to the U.S. National Development Camps in Lake Placid, N.Y. from 1998-2001.
Albrecht, a member of the South St. Paul High School girls' team, has led the Packers to three first-place conference finishes and state tournament appearances in 1998, 1999, and 2001. In four years of varsity hockey, Albrecht has scored 84 goals, 112 assists for 196 points. Albrecht has been a three-time all-state selection, a four-year Classic Suburban All-Conference selection, and a two-year member of the Minnesota State High School League All-Tournament team.
Minnesota hopes to see the return of Chelsey's sister Winny Brodt next season as well. Brodt took the year off of competition due to playing with the U.S. National Team. If Winny returns next season, the Gophers will have three incoming defensive players.
The No. 1 University of Minnesota women's hockey team will play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association-Women's League Final Five this weekend, held at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn. The Gophers (26-3-5, 19-2-3 WCHA), as the regular season champions, earned the No. 1 seed in the tournament. Minnesota will play the winner of Ohio State/Bemidji State game Friday night at 7:05 p.m. If Minnesota wins its first game of the tournament, the Golden Gophers will then move on to the championship game against winner of the Wisconsin/Minnesota-Duluth, Saturday at 7:05 p.m. However, if the Gophers drop the first game, Minnesota falls to the consolation round. The Gophers would face the loser of the Badger/Bulldog game.
Minnesota Finishes the Regular Season With 19 Conference Wins
In its last regular season series, the Gophers swept St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series. The Gophers end the regular season with a 26-3- 5 overall record and a WCHA mark of 19-2-3. On the road, the Gophers are 12-2-2, while adding an impressive 14-1-3 tally at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers only home loss came against Wisconsin, Feb. 16.
Gophers Sweep WCHA Weekly Awards
The Golden Gophers have swept the weekly WCHA conference awards for the second time this season. Ronda Curtin was named the WCHA Player of the Week, while Kristy Oonincx earned the WCHA Rookie of the Week award.
Curtin climbed to the top of the league scoring chart with a seven-point weekend in a sweep over St. Cloud State. Curtin scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in the Gophers 4-1 win on Friday. She was plus-3 and took five shots in the game. She then scored once and set up four others in Saturday's 9-1 win. The junior took seven shots and was plus-7 in the game. Curtin has 11 goals, 34 assists and 45 points to lead the league. Her 36 conference points also lead the WCHA. She is the only member in Gopher women's hockey history to notch three player of the week accolades in a single season.
Oonincx also produced a stellar performance against the Huskies tallying seven points. The newcomer posted two assists on Friday, with two shots and was a plus-2. She then recorded a career-high five points Saturday. Oonincx scored two goals, including the game-winning tally, and three assists to aid the Gophers to a 9-1 defeat over SCSU. Four of her five points came on the Gophers first six goals. It is the fourth time this season Oonincx has scored two goals. She was plus-7 on the weekend and leads the team with a plus-40.
WCHA Player of the Week Honoree from Minnesota
Dec. 17 Ronda Curtin (v. St. Cloud State) Feb. 11 Ronda Curtin (v. Ohio State) March 4 Ronda Curtin (v. St. Cloud State)
WCHA Rookie of the Week Honorees from Minnesota Oct. 15 Kelly Stephens (v. Minnesota State, Mankato) Oct. 22 Brenda Reinen (v. Minnesota-Duluth) Nov. 12 Kristy Oonincx (v. Bemidji State) Nov. 26 Jody Horak (v. Dartmouth and UNH) Dec. 3 Kelly Stephens (v. Wisconsin) Jan. 8 Kelly Stephens (v. SCSU/St. Lawrence) Jan. 21 Jody Horak (v. Minnesota-Duluth) Feb. 4 Kristy Oonincx (v. MSU) Feb. 10 Brenda Reinen (v. Ohio State) March 4 Kristy Oonincx (v. St. Cloud State) US College Hockey Online Players of the Week from Minnesota Nov. 5 Kelly Stephens (v. Ohio State) Jan. 22 Jody Horak and Brenda Reinen (v. UMD) Curtin Leads the Pack
Ronda Curtin now has a one-point lead in scoring, set at 45. She is the only defender in conference history to lead the league in scoring. Curtin also leads the WCHA in assists (34), power-play points and defensive scoring. Curtin has aided Minnesota in a first-place ranking in the power play (24.6) and is second in the WCHA in defense scoring.
Gophers in the WCHA Tournament
Minnesota is 2-3 in the conference tournament. The Gophers won two games in the inaugural year against Minnesota State, Mankato and Wisconsin, but fell in the championship game to Minnesota-Duluth. Last year, Minnesota went into the WCHA tournament as the No. 1 seed and fell in two straight games, finishing fourth in the tournament. Minnesota fell 4-0 to Ohio State and 4-3 to Wisconsin in the third- place game. Three members of the Gopher squad tie for the most goals in a WCHA tournament game: Shannon Kennedy, Tracy Engstrom and La Toya Clarke all had two goals in the championships. Ambria Thomas led the charge in the assist category over the past two years, tacking on four set ups for the Gophers.
Minnesota-Duluth has claimed both of the WCHA tournament championships.
All-WCHA Team
The WCHA-Women's League will announce its All-WCHA First and Second Teams, All-Academic, and other awards at the WCHA banquet, March 7. The banquet will start at 8 p.m. or at the conclusion of the Ohio State/ Bemidji State game.
Scouting the Opponents
Minnesota prepares for this week's action by scouting all of the WCHA Final Five teams. Ohio State or Bemidji State will be Minnesota's first test, while the Gophers could face either Wisconsin or Minnesota-Duluth in the second round.
Minnesota has swept the Gophers in the two series, but the last game came down to a 2-1 overtime win. Ohio State enters the Final Five as the No. 4 seed, posting a 17-13-4 record, 9-12-3 in the WCHA. The Buckeyes are led by rookie phenom Jeni Creary. In her first year, Creary leads OSU with 44 points and has been named as one of OSU's 10 Patty Kazmaier finalists. Defensively, the Buckeyes are led by Emily Hudak. The junior is second on the team in scoring with 27 points. Ohio State also has a Top 10 Patty Kazmaier Finalist in Emma Laaksonen. In 22 games played, Laaksonen has tallied 19 points. The sophomore left the team to participate in the 2002 Winter Olympics for Team Finland. The Buckeyes have Melissa Glaser in net and has a 14-7-3 record. Glaser sits at 90.7 percent save percentage and 2.45 goals against average.
The Gophers went 2-0-2 against Bemidji State, tying the Beavers twice this season and playing in three overtime games. BSU is 7-11-6 in the WCHA, posting the most ties against conference opponents. Amber Fryklund leads Bemidji State offensively with 34 points. Leading the team in goals and assists, Fryklund has five power-play goals, three game-tying goals and three game-winning goals. Guylaine Hache is three points behind Fryklund with 31 tallies, while Kerri McEwen has 26 points, finishing the top three scorers. The Beavers have recently had two goaltenders earn the starting nod. Bre Dedrickson has 21 games in net, while Anik Cote has started in 13 games. Cote has a 92.2 percent save percentage and a 2.25 GAA.
Wisconsin enters the WCHA Final Five as the No. 2 seed, posting a 21-10-2 record, 17-6-1 in the WCHA. It is the second year that the Badgers have gained 20 or more wins in a season. Minnesota swept the team earlier this season, but split with the Badgers in February. Wisconsin has one of the best defenses in the country, having the lowest goals against average in the nation. The Badgers have notched nine shutouts this season and have four defenders with 78 points. Leading the defenders is rookie Carla MacLeod. She has 22 points, followed by Sis Paulsen at 21 and Kerry Weiland at 20. In goal for the Badgers is junior Jackie MacMillian. In 33 games, MacMillian holds the lowest goals against average in the nation, which is 1.26. She has allowed 39 goals and has a 21-9-1 record.
The Badgers have a potent offense with the two top scorers combining for 78 points. Meghan Hunter has 42 points, which not only leads the team, but puts her third in conference scoring. Kendra Antony is second in points with 36 in 32 games played. Antony has four power- play tallies and two game-winning goals.
Minnesota-Duluth ended its regular season with a sweep over Minnesota State, Mankato. With the four points, UMD finished in a tie for second in the WCHA, but is the No. 3 seed in the tournament. With a 21-5-4 record overall and a 16-5-3 record, the Bulldogs look to take a third straight tournament championship. Minnesota lost the first game of the year, 7-0, but bounced back to a 1-1 tie in the second game of the series. Minnesota then swept the competition Jan. 18-19, the first time since last season. Since returning to action in January, UMD is 8- 5-1 against opponents. However, part of that time, the Bulldogs had six members of their team participate in the Winter Games.
The Bulldogs are led offensively by Maria Rooth and Erika Holst, each contributing 35 points. Of the 35, Holst has notched 28 points against conference opponents, while Rooth has added 23 in league play. UMD has 14 members scoring in the double digits.
Defensively, UMD has two qualified goalies to start in the net. Tuula Puputti, the lone senior on the team and member of Team Finland, has seen action in 14 games. She has a 91.5 percent save percentage and a 9-4-0 record. Patricia Sautter has earned the starting nod in 16 games, holding a mark of 12-1-3. She holds a 1.39 goals against average and a 93.5 percent save percentage.
All-Time Series
In 13 meetings between the two schools, Minnesota owns a 10-3-0 record over Ohio State. Bemidji State gained its first points against Minnesota this season, but the Gophers still hold a 11-0-2 in the all- time series. Minnesota won overtime games against both Ohio State and Bemidji State this season. The Gophers defeated Ohio State 2-1 in overtime (2/9) and won 3-2 in the extra period against the Beavers (1/ 13).
Although Wisconsin snapped Minnesota's 24-game unbeaten streak Feb. 16, the Gophers hold an all-time series record 11-2-1 record. The Gophers snatched the last game of the series Feb. 17 in a 3-2 overtime win. The Gophers and the Bulldogs have the closest all-time series set at 6-5-2 in favor of Minnesota. The Gophers held on to two close games in the last series between the two teams. Minnesota won 1-0 in the first game, and added a 3-1 defeat to the Bulldogs the second night.
She's the Boss
Head coach Laura Halldorson is in her fifth season as head coach, with a Minnesota record of 131-29-14. She now has a career record of 190-104-23 in 12 years. She led the Gophers to the AWCHA National Championship in each of her first three years, with fourth and third- place finishes preceding Minnesota's 2000 national title. In 2000-01, Halldorson led the Gophers to a WCHA-regular season championship and was named the WCHA Co-Coach of the Year, along with St. Cloud State's Kerry Wethington.
A 1985 graduate of Princeton, Halldorson was a three-time All-Ivy League selection and led the Tigers to the Ivy title each year. She was also a member of four national club champions with the Minnesota Checkers and was part of the 1987 U.S. National Women's Team.
The Assistants
Minnesota has three assistants focusing on all different areas. Joel Johnson is in his third year as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Johnson coaches the defense for Minnesota and has coached the past two WCHA Defensive Players of the Year in Winny Brodt and Courtney Kennedy. He assisted UMD's coach Shannon Miller, being an assistant coach for the WCHA All-Star team.
Brad Frost is in his second year as a Gopher coach, first full season. Frost works primarily with the forwards. Frost spent a year at his alma mater Bethel College, as an assistant coach for the men's team.
Jeff Moen is in his first year as the volunteer goalie coach. Moen was a member of the Gopher men's hockey team from 1992-96. Moen's accomplishments as a player puts him at the top of the Gopher list. In four years, Moen had the third career lowest goals against average in school history at 3.16.
Five Years of Tradition
Minnesota has posted 20 or more wins every season since women's hockey became a varsity sport. The Gophers have gained 26 wins so far this season, the second best in school history. The fastest that Minnesota has earned 20 or more wins was in the 1999-2000 season. The Gophers had 20 wins by Jan. 30, 2000 and were 32-6-1 on the season.
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
In 1998, The USA Hockey Foundation created a new, national-level award designed to recognize the accomplishments of the most outstanding player in women's intercollegiate ice hockey each season. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is presented by the Foundation to the player who represents the highest standards of personal and team excellence. This year, Minnesota has two finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award in Ronda Curtin and Laura Slominski. Curtin, a junior, switched to a defender for the 2001-02 campaign after playing forward the first two years of her college career. Leading the team in points (45) and assists (34), Curtin has already surpassed her points last year, totalling 29 as a sophomore. Curtin leads the league in points, assists, power-play points and defense scoring in conference action. Curtin is a two-time WCHA All-Academic team member and Academic All-Big Ten recipient. She is also a two-time Patty Berg Academic Award honoree.
Slominski, a senior co-captain of the Minnesota squad, has tallied three hat tricks this season, most recently against Minnesota State, Mankato to aid the Gophers in their 24-game unbeaten streak. She is fifth on the team in scoring with 32 points. Her off-ice performance ranks as one of the highest on the team. Slominski, a psychology major, has been a two-time recipient of the team's Highest GPA, Peggy MacInnis Bye Scholarship recipient, and WCHA All-Academic honors.
Patty Kazmaier Top 10 Name Yr. Pos. School Jeni Creary Fr. F Ohio State Ronda Curtin Jr. D Minnesota Chanda Gunn So. G Northeastern Carly Haggard Jr. F Dartmouth Emma Laaksonen So. D Ohio State Kira Misikowetz Sr. F UNH Tania Pinelli Sr. G Niagara Maria Rooth Jr. F UMD Laura Slominski Sr. F Minnesota Brooke Whitney Sr. F Northeastern Rookie Sensations
Four Gophers have earned WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for their performance in past games. Kelly Stephens and Kristy Oonincx alone have earned conference acknowledgment three times each, will Jody Horak and Brenda Reinen has received the award twice. It is the most conference awards that Minnesota has received since the start of the conference in 1999-2000. Three of the four also received national recognition. Stephens was the US College Hockey Online Offensive Player of the Week (Nov. 5), while Horak and Reinen allowed one goal in the series against Minnesota-Duluth, earning them USCHO Defensive Players of the Week.
Minnesota Recruits
The Gophers have signed three players to national letters of intent for the next season. Krissy Wendell signed as a senior in high school last year.
The Gophers have signed two metro players to join the squad next season. Chelsey Brodt was the first to sign for the Gophers. Brodt was an all-state selection her sophomore and junior years. As a defender for Roseville Area High School, Brodt helped the Raiders to an appearance at the 1997, 1998 and 1999 Minnesota State High School girls hockey tournament and was a member of the 1999 championship team. For three consecutive years, Brodt was an all-metro player from 1999-2001 and was also named to the state's all-tournament team in 1998. Brodt was selected to the U.S. National Development Camps in Lake Placid, N.Y. from 1998-2001.
Albrecht, a member of the South St. Paul High School girls' team, has led the Packers to three first-place conference finishes and state tournament appearances in 1998, 1999, and 2001. In four years of varsity hockey, Albrecht has scored 84 goals, 112 assists for 196 points. Albrecht has been a three-time all-state selection, a four-year Classic Suburban All-Conference selection, and a two-year member of the Minnesota State High School League All-Tournament team.
Minnesota hopes to see the return of Chelsey's sister Winny Brodt next season as well. Brodt took the year off of competition due to playing with the U.S. National Team. If Winny returns next season, the Gophers will have three incoming defensive players.
