University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Hockey Inks Four Minnesotans
11/16/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
University of Minnesota women’s hockey head coach Brad Frost has announced four Minnesota natives have signed National Letters of Intent. Stephanie Anderson (North St. Paul), Rachael Bona (Coon Rapids), Meghan Lorence (Mounds View) and Rachel Ramsey (Chanhassen) have all signed and will join the Golden Gopher program next fall.
“We are very excited about the four Minnesota student-athletes who have chosen to become Golden Gophers,” Frost said. “Rachel, Meghan, Steph and Rachael are all wonderful hockey players and fantastic people. They have always dreamed of becoming Gophers and I look forward to the mark that they will make on our program.”
Stephanie Anderson, a 5-foot, 9-inch forward, has now played with the Minnesota Thoroughbreds for the past three seasons. Anderson, hailing from North St. Paul, Minn., tallied over 100 points last year as a junior. In just 12 games played this season, Anderson leads the team with 18 points. Along with her Thoroughbreds honors, she has competed on the international level as well. Anderson was named to the United States Under-18 Team last year, while competing for the Under-18 Select Team in 2009. Prior to her time with the Thoroughbreds, Anderson played for her high school, North St. Paul, from 2006-08. She is also a standout softball player for the Polars. The daughter of Mike and Jean Anderson, Stephanie is the third person in her extended family to play for the Golden Gophers. Her father, Mike, and uncle, Tom Parenteau, both played hockey at the U of M.
“Steph is a threat every time she steps on the ice,” Frost said. “Her speed makes her extremely dangerous and she will generate a lot of scoring chances for herself and her teammates.”
“I went on other visits, but in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to play for the Gophers,” Anderson said. “My dad played for the Gophers, now I get to follow in his footsteps which is really cool. My dream has come true.”
Rachael Bona, a 5-5 forward, enters her senior year with Coon Rapids High School after a successful junior campaign. In 2009-10, Bona had 33 goals and 21 assists for 54 points, an improvement from her sophomore statistics of 37 points (26 goals, 11 assists). A four-time all-conference selection and all-metro, Bona is also the senior captain for the Cardinals this year as a six-year varsity player. Kicking off her high school career, Bona had 20 goals in eighth grade and 27 as a freshman. She was also a member of the Minnesota High School Fall Elite League and played on the Minnesota Icecats. Along with her high school experience, Bona is no stranger to the international play. As a member of the U.S. Under-18 National Team, Bona earned a silver medal with Team USA last April. Along with her hockey prowess, Bona was also a standout soccer player before concentrating on hockey. She is the daughter of Dean and Tracy Bona.
“Rachael is very talented and she gets into places where the puck will find her,” Frost said. “She scores goals and makes players around her better.”
“When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a Minnesota Gopher and getting the opportunity to play for my home team was a dream come true,” Bona said. “I get to be part of a great hockey program as well as being able to fulfill all my educational dreams.”
Meghan Lorence, a 5-7 forward, enters her senior season with Irondale High School. As a junior last season, Lorence tallied 50 goals and 36 assists for 86 points to help lead the Knights to a conference and section championship and third in the state. She was also named to the Minnesota State High School All-Tournament Team as a junior. An all-state and all-conference selection, Lorence is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 298 career points. She has been on the varsity team since seventh grade and a three-time member of the Minnesota High School Fall Elite League. As an eighth grader, Lorence had 50 points, while holding 58 as a freshman. Along with playing for Irondale, Lorence is also a three-time member of the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps. She made her international debut last April when she was on the silver-medal United States Under-18 Team. Meghan is the daughter of Daniel and Jodi Lorence.
“Meghan is a complete hockey player,” Frost said. “She has good vision, speed and is a proven goal scorer.”
“It has always been a dream of mine to play college hockey as a Golden Gopher in front of my hometown,” Lorence said. “I am so honored to get this opportunity to become a part of such a top-notch program. My ultimate goal is to a win a national championship.”
A 6-0 defenseman, Rachel Ramsey is in her senior season with Minnetonka High School and her second year as team captain. The Skippers enter the season as the No. 1 ranked team in Class AA. In her junior season, Ramsey guided the team to a Classic Lake Conference championship and a 20-4-4 record. For her efforts, Ramsey was named an all-state, all-conference selection and second team all-metro. Throughout her high school career, Ramsey played as a forward before moving to defense her sophomore season. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 64 goals and 66 assists for 130 points. Along with her accomplishments with Minnetonka, Ramsey is also a member of the Minnesota High School Elite League and the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps. She too has had experience at the national level, participating at multiple USA Hockey Development Camps. Rachel is the daughter of Mike and Jill Ramsey. Her father, Mike, was a Golden Gopher, played on the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team and in the National Hockey League and former assistant coach of the Minnesota Wild.
“Rachel is a big, strong defenseman that can control a hockey game,” Frost said. “She has a great presence on the ice and her shot is a huge attribute.”
"I've known I wanted to wear Maroon and Gold since I was 11 years old,” Ramsey said. “That was when my grandparents took me to my first Gopher women's game. The moment the players skated onto the ice I knew I wanted to be one of them. Walking the U campus in the fall of my junior year confirmed what I'd always known in my heart, there was nowhere else I wanted to be and it felt like home."
“We are very excited about the four Minnesota student-athletes who have chosen to become Golden Gophers,” Frost said. “Rachel, Meghan, Steph and Rachael are all wonderful hockey players and fantastic people. They have always dreamed of becoming Gophers and I look forward to the mark that they will make on our program.”
Stephanie Anderson, a 5-foot, 9-inch forward, has now played with the Minnesota Thoroughbreds for the past three seasons. Anderson, hailing from North St. Paul, Minn., tallied over 100 points last year as a junior. In just 12 games played this season, Anderson leads the team with 18 points. Along with her Thoroughbreds honors, she has competed on the international level as well. Anderson was named to the United States Under-18 Team last year, while competing for the Under-18 Select Team in 2009. Prior to her time with the Thoroughbreds, Anderson played for her high school, North St. Paul, from 2006-08. She is also a standout softball player for the Polars. The daughter of Mike and Jean Anderson, Stephanie is the third person in her extended family to play for the Golden Gophers. Her father, Mike, and uncle, Tom Parenteau, both played hockey at the U of M.
“Steph is a threat every time she steps on the ice,” Frost said. “Her speed makes her extremely dangerous and she will generate a lot of scoring chances for herself and her teammates.”
“I went on other visits, but in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to play for the Gophers,” Anderson said. “My dad played for the Gophers, now I get to follow in his footsteps which is really cool. My dream has come true.”
Rachael Bona, a 5-5 forward, enters her senior year with Coon Rapids High School after a successful junior campaign. In 2009-10, Bona had 33 goals and 21 assists for 54 points, an improvement from her sophomore statistics of 37 points (26 goals, 11 assists). A four-time all-conference selection and all-metro, Bona is also the senior captain for the Cardinals this year as a six-year varsity player. Kicking off her high school career, Bona had 20 goals in eighth grade and 27 as a freshman. She was also a member of the Minnesota High School Fall Elite League and played on the Minnesota Icecats. Along with her high school experience, Bona is no stranger to the international play. As a member of the U.S. Under-18 National Team, Bona earned a silver medal with Team USA last April. Along with her hockey prowess, Bona was also a standout soccer player before concentrating on hockey. She is the daughter of Dean and Tracy Bona.
“Rachael is very talented and she gets into places where the puck will find her,” Frost said. “She scores goals and makes players around her better.”
“When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a Minnesota Gopher and getting the opportunity to play for my home team was a dream come true,” Bona said. “I get to be part of a great hockey program as well as being able to fulfill all my educational dreams.”
Meghan Lorence, a 5-7 forward, enters her senior season with Irondale High School. As a junior last season, Lorence tallied 50 goals and 36 assists for 86 points to help lead the Knights to a conference and section championship and third in the state. She was also named to the Minnesota State High School All-Tournament Team as a junior. An all-state and all-conference selection, Lorence is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 298 career points. She has been on the varsity team since seventh grade and a three-time member of the Minnesota High School Fall Elite League. As an eighth grader, Lorence had 50 points, while holding 58 as a freshman. Along with playing for Irondale, Lorence is also a three-time member of the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps. She made her international debut last April when she was on the silver-medal United States Under-18 Team. Meghan is the daughter of Daniel and Jodi Lorence.
“Meghan is a complete hockey player,” Frost said. “She has good vision, speed and is a proven goal scorer.”
“It has always been a dream of mine to play college hockey as a Golden Gopher in front of my hometown,” Lorence said. “I am so honored to get this opportunity to become a part of such a top-notch program. My ultimate goal is to a win a national championship.”
A 6-0 defenseman, Rachel Ramsey is in her senior season with Minnetonka High School and her second year as team captain. The Skippers enter the season as the No. 1 ranked team in Class AA. In her junior season, Ramsey guided the team to a Classic Lake Conference championship and a 20-4-4 record. For her efforts, Ramsey was named an all-state, all-conference selection and second team all-metro. Throughout her high school career, Ramsey played as a forward before moving to defense her sophomore season. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 64 goals and 66 assists for 130 points. Along with her accomplishments with Minnetonka, Ramsey is also a member of the Minnesota High School Elite League and the Minnesota Jr. Whitecaps. She too has had experience at the national level, participating at multiple USA Hockey Development Camps. Rachel is the daughter of Mike and Jill Ramsey. Her father, Mike, was a Golden Gopher, played on the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team and in the National Hockey League and former assistant coach of the Minnesota Wild.
“Rachel is a big, strong defenseman that can control a hockey game,” Frost said. “She has a great presence on the ice and her shot is a huge attribute.”
"I've known I wanted to wear Maroon and Gold since I was 11 years old,” Ramsey said. “That was when my grandparents took me to my first Gopher women's game. The moment the players skated onto the ice I knew I wanted to be one of them. Walking the U campus in the fall of my junior year confirmed what I'd always known in my heart, there was nowhere else I wanted to be and it felt like home."
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