Gophers in the Pros: Dec. 27

Fourteen Gopher women's hockey alumnae are playing professional hockey during the 2018-19 season. Ten former Gophers are playing in the NWHL in Hannah Brandt ('16), Winny Brodt Brown ('03), Jordyn Burns ('15), Dani Cameranesi ('17), Amanda Kessel ('16), Amanda Leveille ('16), Gigi Marvin ('09), Chelsey Brodt Rosenthal ('06), Kate Schipper ('17), and Lee Stecklein ('17). A pair of Minnesota alumnae are coaching the NWHL's Minnesota Whitecaps in co-head coach Ronda Curtin Engelhardt ('03) and assistant coach Laura Slominski ('02). Two Gophers are playing in the CWHL in Megan Bozek ('13) and Noora Raty ('13), and Sydney Baldwin ('18) and Caitlin Reilly ('18) are representing Minnesota in Europe in the EWHL. In total, there are 56 WCHA alumnae on the rosters of the two North American professional hockey leagues -- with 34 former WCHA stars in the five-team NWHL.

MINNEAPOLIS -- At the holiday break, check in with the 14 Golden Gopher women's hockey alumnae who are playing hockey across three professional leagues this season. The last month of action was highlighted by the NWHL and CWHL naming their all-star teams and Gigi Marvin earning NWHL Player of the Week honors.

National Women's Hockey League (NWHL)

The NWHL announced the 2019 NWHL All-Star Weekend teams. Hannah Brandt, Amanda Leveille, Dani Cameranesi, Gigi Marvin, and Kate Schipper will all play with Lee Stecklein on Team Stecklein while Amanda Kessel will skate for Team Szabados captained by Shannon Szabados. The all-star game will be held in Nashville on Sunday, Feb. 10.

Gigi Marvin (6g-3a) is tied for fourth in the league with nine points in eight games played. She was named NWHL Player of the Week after recording five points (3g-2a) in two wins for the Boston Pride over the previously-unbeaten Minnesota Whitecaps in early December. Marvin and the Pride are tied atop the NWHL standings with a 6-2-0 record and 12 points.

The Minnesota Whitecaps (6-2-0) join the Pride to lead the NWHL with 12 points. Kate Schipper (4g-4a) ranks third on the team with eight points, followed by Hannah Brandt (3g-3a) and Lee Stecklein (6a) with six points each. Fellow Gophers alums Chelsey Brodt Rosenthal (3a) and Winny Brodt Brown are skating for the Whitecaps as well. Amanda Leveille has played all eight games for the Whitecaps. She ranks third in the league with a .916 save percentage and fourth in the NWHL with a 2.32 goals against average. Leveille was also one of the goalies in attendance when the NWHL held its goalie camp weekend in Florida before the holidays.

Dani Cameranesi, Jordyn Burns, and the Buffalo Beauts rank third in the NWHL with eight points and a 4-3-0 record in seven games played. Cameranesi (1g-6a) has appeared in five games and ranks third on the team and 12th in the league with seven points.

Amanda Kessel (1g-7a) leads the Metropolitan Riveters and is tied for seventh in the league with eight points. She has appeared in nine games; the Riveters are 2-8-0 in 10 games.

Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL)
The CWHL All-Star Game is set for Sunday, Jan. 20 in Toronto. The CWHL has announced the 34 players set to participate, including Megan Bozek and Noora Raty, and voting is still open to select the CWHL All-Star captains. The fan poll runs until Friday, Jan. 4.

Through games before the holiday break, Bozek and the Markham Thunder are 9-6-2 and rank third in the CWHL standings. Through 17 games played, Bozek has four assists, three of which came on the power play. Meanwhile, Raty and the Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays are 7-8-1 in 16 games played for fourth in the league standings. Raty is 3-7-0 with one shutout. She ranks sixth in the league with a .908 save percentage and seventh in the CWHL with a 2.85 goals against average.

Elite Women's Hockey League (EWHL)

The hot scoring continues for Sydney Baldwin and Caitlin Reilly with the Vienna Sabres in the EWHL. Reilly (18g-11a) ranks second on the team and third in the league with 29 points while Baldwin (6g-13a) is fourth on the team and ninth in the league with 19 points. Both have played in all 10 games. The team is tied for first in the league with KMH Budapest with 30 points each, and it remains undefeated at 10-0-0.

Be sure to check back as GopherSports.com periodically checks in with the Gophers in the pros throughout the 2018-19 season.

NWHL Gophers
Hannah Brandt, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
Winny Brodt Brown, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
Chelsey Brodt Rosenthal, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
Amanda Leveille, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
Kate Schipper, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
Lee Stecklein, Minnesota Whitecaps (NWHL)
Jordyn Burns, Buffalo Beauts (NWHL)
Dani Cameranesi, Buffalo Beauts (NWHL)
Amanda Kessel, Metropolitan Riveters (NWHL)
Gigi Marvin, Boston Pride (NWHL)

CWHL Gophers
Megan Bozek, Markham Thunder (CWHL)
Noora Raty, Kunlun Red Star (CWHL)

EWHL Gophers
Sydney Baldwin, EHV Vienna Sabres (EWHL)
Caitlin Reilly, EHV Vienna Sabres (EWHL)

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Players Mentioned

Sydney Baldwin

Caitlin Reilly