University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Ben Ludeman
Gophers Celebrate 2000 National Champions
10/23/2019 9:27:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Minnesota held its annual Alumni Weekend and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the program's 2000 AWCHA national championship.
MINNEAPOLIS -- This season marks the 20th anniversary of the University of Minnesota women's hockey team winning the first-ever national championship in program history. This was not only the first national title for the program but the first team national title for any women's team at the university. Ten members of the 1999-2000 team returned to Ridder Arena to be honored at Sunday's game.
"It was an honor to be a part of a celebration like this and was amazing to be back with my old teammates and coaches," Gopher alum Kelly Olson said. "Back then, winning a national title was unbelievable. I didn't realize until I got older how incredible it was to win. We're so proud of where we came from and what we did. It wasn't one player or one line that won it for is; it was everyone and we're proud of that."
The Gophers started the 1999-00 season with 11 wins and four losses but lost twice to Minnesota Duluth in the middle of the season. After the match against the Bulldogs, Minnesota only lost one more regular-season game. UMD defeated the Gophers in the WCHA championship game, but both teams were selected to compete in the AWCHA Tournament in Boston, Mass. The Gophers defeated the Bulldogs during tournament play and then won the national championship by beating Brown 4-2 in the championship game.
"It was very fun at the end, but very challenging at the beginning of the season," head coach Laura Halldorson recalled about the season. "We were a young program, so there was a lot of learning what to do and changes to make. We had so many challenges throughout the year, especially with injuries, but this group was a lot of fun and they came together as a team. The way the season ended, with us beating Duluth and then winning the championship against Brown, was something I'll never forget."
The Gophers alums were honored during Sunday's game with a highlight reel from their championship season playing on the Ridder Arena video board during the first intermission of the game. Each player and staff member present was called to the ice to perform a stick salute.
"This place will always have a special place in my heart," said Gopher alum Winny Brodt-Brown. "After we did our stick salute on the ice today, it brought me back to the moment we won the national championship. When you play on a team like this, they become your family, so today was pretty emotional to be back with my original teammates. It was great to come back and have us all celebrate together."
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Sydney Johnson is an athletic communications student intern at the University of Minnesota and a contributing writer for GopherSports.com.
"It was an honor to be a part of a celebration like this and was amazing to be back with my old teammates and coaches," Gopher alum Kelly Olson said. "Back then, winning a national title was unbelievable. I didn't realize until I got older how incredible it was to win. We're so proud of where we came from and what we did. It wasn't one player or one line that won it for is; it was everyone and we're proud of that."
The Gophers started the 1999-00 season with 11 wins and four losses but lost twice to Minnesota Duluth in the middle of the season. After the match against the Bulldogs, Minnesota only lost one more regular-season game. UMD defeated the Gophers in the WCHA championship game, but both teams were selected to compete in the AWCHA Tournament in Boston, Mass. The Gophers defeated the Bulldogs during tournament play and then won the national championship by beating Brown 4-2 in the championship game.
"It was very fun at the end, but very challenging at the beginning of the season," head coach Laura Halldorson recalled about the season. "We were a young program, so there was a lot of learning what to do and changes to make. We had so many challenges throughout the year, especially with injuries, but this group was a lot of fun and they came together as a team. The way the season ended, with us beating Duluth and then winning the championship against Brown, was something I'll never forget."
The Gophers alums were honored during Sunday's game with a highlight reel from their championship season playing on the Ridder Arena video board during the first intermission of the game. Each player and staff member present was called to the ice to perform a stick salute.
"This place will always have a special place in my heart," said Gopher alum Winny Brodt-Brown. "After we did our stick salute on the ice today, it brought me back to the moment we won the national championship. When you play on a team like this, they become your family, so today was pretty emotional to be back with my original teammates. It was great to come back and have us all celebrate together."
###
Sydney Johnson is an athletic communications student intern at the University of Minnesota and a contributing writer for GopherSports.com.
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