University of Minnesota Athletics

Top-10 Moments of 2016

12/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey

Dec. 29, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- To celebrate the New Year, GopherSports.com looks back on the top-10 best moments in Gopher women's hockey during the 2016 calendar year.

10. Brausen Joins Coaching Staff

Head coach Brad Frost announced the addition of alumna Bethany Brausen as the program's new assistant coach in September 2016. Brausen, a native of Roseville, Minn., competed for the Gophers from 2010-11 to 2013-14. She joined the Gopher coaching staff after spending two years as an assistant coach with the Breck High School girls' hockey program and also brought eight years of experience as a hockey mentor and instructor with OS Hockey to her position behind the Gophers' bench.

More: Alum Brausen Joins Coaching Staff


9. 2016 Teddy Bear Toss
The Gophers held their annual Teddy Bear Toss on Sunday, Nov. 27 in a game against Bemidji State at Ridder Arena. Fans donated teddy bears and other stuffed animals by throwing them on the ice after the first Gopher goal. Members of the Gopher women's hockey team donated the stuffed animals to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital in December 2016.



8. Cameranesi Reaches 200 Career Points

 Senior forward Dani Cameranesi (93g-107a) became the eighth Gopher in program history to reach 200 career points with an assist in Minnesota's 2-0 win over Wisconsin on Dec. 3, 2016. Cameranesi currently ranks eighth in program history with 200 career points, trailing seventh-ranked Ambria Thomas (89g-112a) by one point.
7. Four Gophers Collect National Honors

Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, and Lee Stecklein were named 2016 CCM Hockey Division I Women's Ice Hockey All-Americans for the second-straight year. Brandt earned First Team All-American honors for the third-straight season, becoming Minnesota's first-ever three-time First Team All-American, while Cameranesi and Stecklein were named Second Team All-Americans for the second year. With its 2015-16 honorees, Gopher women's hockey has 37 All-American honors in program history. In addition, Sarah Potomak was named the 2016 National Rookie of the Year.

More: Gopher Quartet Honored at NCAA Banquet

6. Five Seniors Complete Careers in 2015-16
Minnesota's five seniors in 2015-16, Hannah Brandt, Brook Garzone, Amanda Kessel; Amanda Leveille, and Milica McMillen, ended their careers as the most successful class in program history with an overall record of 148-9-6 for a .926 winning percentage from 2012-13 to 2015-16. The Gophers outscored their opponents 782-184 during the seniors' four years in Maroon and Gold, and the quartet put up record-breaking individual stats.


5. Frost Becomes Program's Winningest Coach, Surpasses 300 Wins

With a 7-0 win over St. Cloud State on Jan. 22, 2016, head coach Brad Frost became the winningest coach in Gopher women's hockey history, surpassing Laura Halldorson (278-67-22) for career coaching wins. Frost ended the 2015-16 season with an all-time mark of 293-45-22 in nine seasons at the helm of the program. Frost also hit another coaching milestone during the 2016 calendar year when he earned his 300th coaching victory on Saturday, Oct. 22 with a 2-1 win on the road at Ohio State.



4. Brandt Ends Career as Program's Scoring Leader

Hannah Brandt finished her career as Minnesota's all-time leader in both points (285) and assists (170) and ranks second in Gopher history in career goals (115), trailing only Nadine Muzerall (139). Among all-time WCHA players, Brandt is the all-time assists leader, tied for first in career points (with Jocelyne Lamoureux), and tied for fourth in career goals. Among all-time NCAA players, she is tied for second in points, tied for ninth in goals and ranked second in assists. She is also Minnesota's all-time leader with a +236 plus/minus rating for her career.



3. 2016 NCAA Frozen Four Semifinal Win

The Gophers defeated Wisconsin by a score of 3-2 in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal round to advance to the championship game. Sarah Potomak scored the game-winning goal in overtime after Taylor Williamson and Amanda Kessel scored for the Gophers during regulation, and Amanda Leveille made 37 saves.


More: Gophers Advance to NCAA Title Game


2. Amanda Kessel Returns

After two and a half years away from college hockey, Amanda Kessel made her historic return to the ice for the Gophers and recorded a pair of assists in the team's 3-0 win over North Dakota on Feb. 5. Her appearance marked her first collegiate game since playing in the 2013 NCAA national championship game on March 24, 2013. The Madison, Wis., native took a redshirt year in 2013-14 to represent the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Kessel then missed the 2014-15 season while recovering from a concussion. The 2015-16 season marked her final year of eligibility.

More: Kessel to Return to Gopher Women's Hockey


1. Gophers Win Seventh National Title

Sarah Potomak scored just 13 seconds into the game and the Gophers added third-period goals by Amanda Kessel and Kelly Pannek before Boston College got on the board with its lone tally as Minnesota (35-4-1) took home its seventh national title with a 3-1 win over the previously undefeated Eagles (40-1-0) at New Hampshire's Whittemore Center Arena in the 2016 NCAA national championship game on March 20, 2016. Amanda Leveille made 32 saves to combine for 69 saves on 72 shots on goal in the two Frozen Four games. Potomak was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Frozen Four, and she joined Kessel, Leveille, and Lee Stecklein on the Frozen Four all-tournament team.

More: Gophers Win Seventh National Crown


Honorable Mention Gopher Women's Hockey Moments

#NattyTour2K16 and Championship Recognition Events

 More: Follow NattyTour2K16 More: Gophers Enjoy Championship Recognition

Gophers Receive 2016 National Championship Rings
Brandt Receives B1G Medal of Honor

University of Minnesota seniors Hannah Brandt (women's hockey) and Aaron Bartnik (men's cross country/track & field) and have been named recipients of this year's Big Ten Medal of Honor, given annually to the top female and male student-athlete at each conference institution. In 2016, the conference celebrated the 102nd anniversary of the Big Ten Medal of Honor.
Gophers Earn Academic Honors

Fourteen Gophers were named to the 2016 WCHA All-Academic and Academic All-Big Ten teams: Sydney Baldwin, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelsey Cline, Paige Haley, Amanda Kessel; Amanda Leveille, Kelly Pannek, Sidney Peters, Cara Piazza, Nina Rodgers, Kate Schipper, Lee Stecklein, and Megan Wolfe. In addition, seven Gophers were named WCHA Scholar-Athletes in Brandt, Cline, Pannek, Peters, Piazza, Schipper, and Stecklein for having a GPA of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or for having an overall GPA of at least 3.50 for all terms.
Pannek Ties Program Record

Kelly Pannek tied a Gopher women's hockey program record when she scored two goals just 15 seconds apart in Minnesota's 4-1 win over Bemidji State on Sunday, Nov. 27. Pannek's goals came at the 17:11 and 17:26 marks of the first period. Her back-to-back goals tied Minnesota's program record for fastest consecutive goals by a single player held by La Toya Clarke, who also scored two goals in a 15-second span against Bemidji State on Dec. 1, 2000.

###

Related News

Skip Ad
All News
GOPHERS VS BULLDOGS FEB 21, 2026
Gophers Outshoot UMD, Fall in Extra Time in Regular-Season Finale
Saturday, February 21
Clark_Hannah
Gophers Comeback Falls Short in OT Loss to Bulldogs
Friday, February 20
Olympics: Ice Hockey-Women Semifinal- USA-SWE
Five Gophers Strike Gold at 2026 Winter Olympics
Thursday, February 19
WHO Sportart
Twelve Gophers Named WCHA Scholar-Athletes
Thursday, February 19
All News
Skip Ad

Players Mentioned

9

Sydney Baldwin

D
/ Women's Hockey
22

Hannah Brandt

F
/ Women's Hockey
21

Dani Cameranesi

F
/ Women's Hockey
11

Kelsey Cline

D
/ Women's Hockey
18

Brook Garzone

F
/ Women's Hockey
15

Paige Haley

D/F
/ Women's Hockey
8

Amanda Kessel

F
/ Women's Hockey
29

Amanda Leveille

G
/ Women's Hockey
13

Milica McMillen

D
/ Women's Hockey
19

Kelly Pannek

F
/ Women's Hockey
37

Sidney Peters

G
/ Women's Hockey
10

Cara Piazza

F
/ Women's Hockey
26

Sarah Potomak

F
/ Women's Hockey
27

Nina Rodgers

F
/ Women's Hockey
6

Kate Schipper

F
/ Women's Hockey
2

Lee Stecklein

D
/ Women's Hockey
7

Taylor Williamson

F
/ Women's Hockey
12

Megan Wolfe

D
/ Women's Hockey

Related Videos

Skip Ad
All Videos
Highlights: Gophers 2, UMD 3
Friday, February 20
Highlights: Gophers 2, Ohio State 4
Friday, February 13
Highlights: Gophers 1, Ohio State 2
Saturday, February 07
Highlights: Gophers 1, St. Thomas 1
Saturday, February 07
All Videos