University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 22
Bemidji, MN
3:07 PM
University of Minnesota
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Bemidji State
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Regular Season Finale Sends Gophers to Bemidji State
2/18/2019 5:35:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Minnesota closes out the regular season against the Beavers on the road this Friday and Saturday.
MINNEAPOLIS – No. 2 Minnesota (27-4-1, 17-4-1-0 WCHA) wraps up the regular season on the road at Bemidji State (13-17-2, 10-10-2-0 WCHA) this weekend. The Gophers and Beavers face off at 3 p.m. CT both Friday and Saturday at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
Fans can follow along by watching online via FloHockey, and free audio and live stats are available at GopherSports.com.
About the Series: Gophers vs. Beavers
Minnesota is 74-9-7 all-time against Bemidji State in a series dating back to November 1998. Most recently, the Gophers swept the Beavers at home in November 2018, winning 6-3 and 2-1. The last series in Bemidji, Minn., saw the Maroon & Gold earn a road sweep in October 2017 with 3-1 and 4-3 (OT) wins.
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Mavericks
In the team's last series, the Gophers earned a sweep over Minnesota State at home with 3-1 and 3-2 (OT) wins. The Gophers were led by Amy Potomak (1g-2a), Nicole Schammel (1g-1a), Sarah Potomak (1g-1a), Taylor Wente (1g-1a), and Emily Brown (2a) against the Mavericks.
2019 Senior Salute
The Gophers celebrated their eight seniors Tianna Gunderson, Emma May, Kelly Pannek, Jackie Pieper, Nicole Schammel, Sophie Skarzynski, Sierra Smith, and Taylor Williamson during the team's series with Minnesota State (Feb. 15-16). Over the last four seasons, Minnesota has posted an overall record of 112-27-10 in 149 games from 2015-16 to 2018-19. The Gophers are 73-19-10 in WCHA games over the last four years. Minnesota won the 2016 national championship and took home the 2018 WCHA Final Faceoff title.
Spreading the Wealth
Eight Gopher forwards have scored at least nine goals this season and, in total, 19 different skaters have scored goals. Fifteen different Gophers are in double figures for points, and 21 different players have at least one point on the year. Fourteen different players have scored game-winning goals for Minnesota led by five from Taylor Heise.
League's Top-Scoring Offense
The Maroon & Gold has the WCHA's top-scoring offense averaging 4.31 goals per game while allowing just 1.72 goals per game. Minnesota's 138 goals for this season is the best in the NCAA. The Gophers had a 14-game winning streak from Nov. 2 to Jan. 12, outscoring opponents, 74-24.
Special Special Teams
The Gophers lead the WCHA with a .247 power play percentage this season, going 22-for-89 on the power play, and Minnesota has the league's second-best penalty kill at .875 percent (42-for-48).
Scoring Leaders
Through 32 games this season, Nicole Schammel (12g-29a), Grace Zumwinkle (22g-16a), and Taylor Heise (11g-21a) lead the Gophers in scoring. Schammel leads the WCHA with 41 points and 29 assists while Zumwinkle leads the league with 22 goals, and Heise is second in scoring among WCHA rookies with 32 points. Nine Gophers have reached the 20-point mark this season.
Offensive Defense
Two Gopher defense rank among the league's top scoring blue-liners. Emily Brown (4g-20a) is tied for the scoring lead among WCHA defense with 24 points while Patti Marshall (2g-15a) is sixth in scoring among WCHA defense with 17 points.
Coaching Milestone
Earlier this season, the Gophers' 1-0 win over Wisconsin (Oct. 27) marked the 350th career win for head coach Brad Frost, whose all-time coaching record now stands at 370-68-31. Frost is in his 12th season at the helm of the program.
Scoring Milestones
Kelly Pannek is Minnesota's active career scoring leader as she ranks 10th among all-time Gophers with 179 points (67g-112a). She is chasing Gigi Marvin in ninth place (87g-108a). Pannek's 112 career assists are tied for sixth in program history as well. She recorded her 100th career assist in Minnesota's season-opener.
First-Career Goals
Six Gopher rookies have scored their first collegiate goals as Amy Potomak (Sept. 28) and Taylor Heise (Sept. 29) scored in Minnesota's season-opening weekend while Catie Skaja found the back of the net against Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 5), and Emily Oden scored her first two career goals against St. Cloud State (Oct. 13). Abigail Boreen netted her first collegiate goal against St. Cloud State (Nov. 17), and Crystalyn Hengler found the back of the net against Ohio State (Jan. 26).
Up Next: WCHA Postseason
The playoffs begin with the WCHA First Round next weekend with the best-of-three series set for Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3. The WCHA's bottom three teams travel to the league's second, third, and fourth-place teams while the WCHA regular season champion team has a bye to the WCHA Final Faceoff.
Twenty Years of WCHA Women's Hockey
The 2018-19 season marks the league's 20th anniversary season. Throughout the season, the WCHA will celebrate the past, present, and future of college hockey's premier conference.
WCHA Regular Season Trophy Renamed
The WCHA Women's League will present a new regular season championship trophy named in honor of long-time women's hockey advocate Julianne Bye, the league announced this week. The Julianne Bye Cup will be awarded yearly to the winner of the WCHA regular season championship beginning this season.
Nationwide Gophers
After Minnesota played in the Windjammer Classic (Nov. 23-24), Vermont is now the 14th state where the Gophers have competed in program history: Connecticut, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
Gophers Medal at Four Nations Cup
Kelly Pannek joined Gopher alums Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, and Gigi Marvin in winning gold with the U.S. Women's National Team at the 2018 Four Nations Cup. Fellow Gophers alumna Noora Raty won bronze with Finland in the tournament, while redshirt junior Sarah Potomak was named to Canada's National Women's Team for the tournament but was unable to participate due to injury.
Home, Sweet Home
The 2018-19 season marks the 17th season of Ridder Arena serving as the home of Gopher women's hockey. Minnesota entered the season with a record of 268-42-21 in home games at Ridder Arena, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
Pannek Serving as Captain
Senior Kelly Pannek is Minnesota's captain this year. Pannek returned to Minnesota for her redshirt senior season as an Olympic gold medalist after helping Team USA to gold at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Gophers Tabbed as League Favorite
Minnesota and Wisconsin tied for the top spot in the 2018-19 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 33 points apiece. Defending WCHA Final Faceoff champion Minnesota and defending WCHA regular season champion Wisconsin collected all seven first-place votes in the poll as the Badgers had four votes and the Gophers received three. Ohio State earned 24 points to edge Minnesota Duluth by one point and secure the third spot in the poll while Bemidji State (16), St. Cloud State (12), and Minnesota State (6) rounded out this year's poll.
Season Recap: A Look Back at 2017-18
Minnesota's 2017-18 season came to a close in the NCAA quarterfinal round after the Gophers punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament by winning the program's seventh overall WCHA Final Faceoff title and the team's first since 2013-14. The Gophers posted an overall record of 24-11-3 while going 13-8-3-0 in WCHA action. Minnesota finished third in the WCHA regular season race. Sydney Baldwin collected WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, and CCM/AHCA All-American First Team honors while Sidney Peters was selected as this year's recipient of the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award.
WCHA Final Faceoff Returns to Ridder Arena
Minnesota will serve as host of the WCHA Final Faceoff in each of the next four seasons. The 2019 WCHA Final Faceoff is set for March 9-10, and the league awarded the 2020 through 2022 tournaments to Ridder Arena prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. The decision for the host site for the next three-year championship cycle was made following a vetting process by the league's Postseason Tournament Committee of submitted bids, the committee's subsequent recommendation, and a unanimous vote of approval by the WCHA Women's League Board of Directors. The league's postseason tournament has been held at Ridder Arena 11 times, most recently in 2017-18. Ridder Arena has also hosted the NCAA Women's Frozen Four in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2018.
Quest for Eighth National Title in 2018-19
Minnesota has won four of the last seven national championships and has seven national titles overall (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016). The program looks for a historic eighth title national crown in 2018-19.
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Fans can follow along by watching online via FloHockey, and free audio and live stats are available at GopherSports.com.
About the Series: Gophers vs. Beavers
Minnesota is 74-9-7 all-time against Bemidji State in a series dating back to November 1998. Most recently, the Gophers swept the Beavers at home in November 2018, winning 6-3 and 2-1. The last series in Bemidji, Minn., saw the Maroon & Gold earn a road sweep in October 2017 with 3-1 and 4-3 (OT) wins.
Last Time Out: Gophers Sweep Mavericks
In the team's last series, the Gophers earned a sweep over Minnesota State at home with 3-1 and 3-2 (OT) wins. The Gophers were led by Amy Potomak (1g-2a), Nicole Schammel (1g-1a), Sarah Potomak (1g-1a), Taylor Wente (1g-1a), and Emily Brown (2a) against the Mavericks.
2019 Senior Salute
The Gophers celebrated their eight seniors Tianna Gunderson, Emma May, Kelly Pannek, Jackie Pieper, Nicole Schammel, Sophie Skarzynski, Sierra Smith, and Taylor Williamson during the team's series with Minnesota State (Feb. 15-16). Over the last four seasons, Minnesota has posted an overall record of 112-27-10 in 149 games from 2015-16 to 2018-19. The Gophers are 73-19-10 in WCHA games over the last four years. Minnesota won the 2016 national championship and took home the 2018 WCHA Final Faceoff title.
Spreading the Wealth
Eight Gopher forwards have scored at least nine goals this season and, in total, 19 different skaters have scored goals. Fifteen different Gophers are in double figures for points, and 21 different players have at least one point on the year. Fourteen different players have scored game-winning goals for Minnesota led by five from Taylor Heise.
League's Top-Scoring Offense
The Maroon & Gold has the WCHA's top-scoring offense averaging 4.31 goals per game while allowing just 1.72 goals per game. Minnesota's 138 goals for this season is the best in the NCAA. The Gophers had a 14-game winning streak from Nov. 2 to Jan. 12, outscoring opponents, 74-24.
Special Special Teams
The Gophers lead the WCHA with a .247 power play percentage this season, going 22-for-89 on the power play, and Minnesota has the league's second-best penalty kill at .875 percent (42-for-48).
Scoring Leaders
Through 32 games this season, Nicole Schammel (12g-29a), Grace Zumwinkle (22g-16a), and Taylor Heise (11g-21a) lead the Gophers in scoring. Schammel leads the WCHA with 41 points and 29 assists while Zumwinkle leads the league with 22 goals, and Heise is second in scoring among WCHA rookies with 32 points. Nine Gophers have reached the 20-point mark this season.
Offensive Defense
Two Gopher defense rank among the league's top scoring blue-liners. Emily Brown (4g-20a) is tied for the scoring lead among WCHA defense with 24 points while Patti Marshall (2g-15a) is sixth in scoring among WCHA defense with 17 points.
Coaching Milestone
Earlier this season, the Gophers' 1-0 win over Wisconsin (Oct. 27) marked the 350th career win for head coach Brad Frost, whose all-time coaching record now stands at 370-68-31. Frost is in his 12th season at the helm of the program.
Scoring Milestones
Kelly Pannek is Minnesota's active career scoring leader as she ranks 10th among all-time Gophers with 179 points (67g-112a). She is chasing Gigi Marvin in ninth place (87g-108a). Pannek's 112 career assists are tied for sixth in program history as well. She recorded her 100th career assist in Minnesota's season-opener.
First-Career Goals
Six Gopher rookies have scored their first collegiate goals as Amy Potomak (Sept. 28) and Taylor Heise (Sept. 29) scored in Minnesota's season-opening weekend while Catie Skaja found the back of the net against Minnesota Duluth (Oct. 5), and Emily Oden scored her first two career goals against St. Cloud State (Oct. 13). Abigail Boreen netted her first collegiate goal against St. Cloud State (Nov. 17), and Crystalyn Hengler found the back of the net against Ohio State (Jan. 26).
Up Next: WCHA Postseason
The playoffs begin with the WCHA First Round next weekend with the best-of-three series set for Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3. The WCHA's bottom three teams travel to the league's second, third, and fourth-place teams while the WCHA regular season champion team has a bye to the WCHA Final Faceoff.
Twenty Years of WCHA Women's Hockey
The 2018-19 season marks the league's 20th anniversary season. Throughout the season, the WCHA will celebrate the past, present, and future of college hockey's premier conference.
WCHA Regular Season Trophy Renamed
The WCHA Women's League will present a new regular season championship trophy named in honor of long-time women's hockey advocate Julianne Bye, the league announced this week. The Julianne Bye Cup will be awarded yearly to the winner of the WCHA regular season championship beginning this season.
Nationwide Gophers
After Minnesota played in the Windjammer Classic (Nov. 23-24), Vermont is now the 14th state where the Gophers have competed in program history: Connecticut, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
Gophers Medal at Four Nations Cup
Kelly Pannek joined Gopher alums Megan Bozek, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Amanda Kessel, and Gigi Marvin in winning gold with the U.S. Women's National Team at the 2018 Four Nations Cup. Fellow Gophers alumna Noora Raty won bronze with Finland in the tournament, while redshirt junior Sarah Potomak was named to Canada's National Women's Team for the tournament but was unable to participate due to injury.
Home, Sweet Home
The 2018-19 season marks the 17th season of Ridder Arena serving as the home of Gopher women's hockey. Minnesota entered the season with a record of 268-42-21 in home games at Ridder Arena, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
Pannek Serving as Captain
Senior Kelly Pannek is Minnesota's captain this year. Pannek returned to Minnesota for her redshirt senior season as an Olympic gold medalist after helping Team USA to gold at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Gophers Tabbed as League Favorite
Minnesota and Wisconsin tied for the top spot in the 2018-19 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 33 points apiece. Defending WCHA Final Faceoff champion Minnesota and defending WCHA regular season champion Wisconsin collected all seven first-place votes in the poll as the Badgers had four votes and the Gophers received three. Ohio State earned 24 points to edge Minnesota Duluth by one point and secure the third spot in the poll while Bemidji State (16), St. Cloud State (12), and Minnesota State (6) rounded out this year's poll.
Season Recap: A Look Back at 2017-18
Minnesota's 2017-18 season came to a close in the NCAA quarterfinal round after the Gophers punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament by winning the program's seventh overall WCHA Final Faceoff title and the team's first since 2013-14. The Gophers posted an overall record of 24-11-3 while going 13-8-3-0 in WCHA action. Minnesota finished third in the WCHA regular season race. Sydney Baldwin collected WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, and CCM/AHCA All-American First Team honors while Sidney Peters was selected as this year's recipient of the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award.
WCHA Final Faceoff Returns to Ridder Arena
Minnesota will serve as host of the WCHA Final Faceoff in each of the next four seasons. The 2019 WCHA Final Faceoff is set for March 9-10, and the league awarded the 2020 through 2022 tournaments to Ridder Arena prior to the start of the 2018-19 season. The decision for the host site for the next three-year championship cycle was made following a vetting process by the league's Postseason Tournament Committee of submitted bids, the committee's subsequent recommendation, and a unanimous vote of approval by the WCHA Women's League Board of Directors. The league's postseason tournament has been held at Ridder Arena 11 times, most recently in 2017-18. Ridder Arena has also hosted the NCAA Women's Frozen Four in 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2018.
Quest for Eighth National Title in 2018-19
Minnesota has won four of the last seven national championships and has seven national titles overall (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016). The program looks for a historic eighth title national crown in 2018-19.
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