University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, March 6
1:07 PM
University of Minnesota
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Wisconsin
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WCHA Final Faceoff to Open with Border Battle
3/4/2021 11:28:00 AM | Women's Hockey
No. 4 seed Minnesota faces No. 1 seed Wisconsin in the WCHA semifinal round at 1:07 p.m. CT Saturday at Ridder Arena.
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 4 University of Minnesota women's hockey team (11-7-1) enters the WCHA Final Faceoff as the No. 4 seed. The Gophers face top-ranked Wisconsin (12-3-1) in Saturday's first semifinal at 1:07 p.m. CT at Ridder Arena. Minnesota finished fourth in the WCHA regular-season standings at .632 points percentage with 36 points in 19 league games.
Last Time Out
The Gophers wrapped up the regular season with a road sweep over Bemidji State with 6-1 and 9-1 wins. Grace Zumwinkle (4g-4a) led the nation with a career-high eight-point weekend while Abbey Murphy (3g-3a) and Crystalyn Hengler (2-1) also scored multiple goals against the Beavers. All three Gopher goaltenders saw the ice against BSU, including Olivia King making her first career appearance in the third period of game two.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Minnesota is 53-44-13 all-time against Wisconsin in a series dating back to February 1998. Saturday's game marks the fifth meeting between the two teams this season and the 111th all-time Border Battle matchup between the Gophers and Badgers. Most recently, Minnesota recorded a 1-0 shootout win and 2-2 overtime tie with Wisconsin at Ridder Arena (Feb. 6). This season, the Gophers are 0-3-1 against the Badgers.
Notable Notes
Since the 2017-18 season, Emily Brown, Olivia Knowles, Taylor Wente, and Grace Zumwinkle have combined for 349 points (143 goals, 206 assists) in 132 games, helping the Gophers to a 94-30-8 record during their four years so far. Co-captains Brown and Zumwinkle have never missed a game in their Gopher careers. Meanwhile, Lauren Bench joined the team this season after beginning her career at Bemidji State; she has played in 14 games for the Maroon & Gold this year, going 9-5-0.
Scoring Milestones
Senior Grace Zumwinkle is Minnesota's active career scoring leader with 147 career points (83g-64a) in 132 career games; Zumwinkle ranks 10th in program history with 83 career goals, chasing ninth-ranked Gigi Marvin, who recorded 87 career goals for the Maroon & Gold.
Junior Taylor Heise (38g-55a) is closing in on her 100th career point after logging her 50th career assist earlier this season against St. Cloud State (Jan. 9). Likewise, senior Emily Brown (16g-53a) recorded her 50th career assist this season against Ohio State (Jan. 30). Junior Emily Oden (18g-44a) passed 50 career points earlier this season against Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 27) as well.
24th Season
The 2020-21 season marks the 24th season of Gopher women's hockey. Through 19 games this season, Minnesota has an all-time record of 691-150-57.
Home, Sweet Home
The 2020-21 season marks the 19th season of Ridder Arena serving as the home of Gopher women's hockey. Minnesota's season-opening win over Ohio State marked a historic 300th win for the Maroon & Gold at Ridder Arena. Entering the postseason, the Gophers have an all-time record of 303-53-23 in home games at Ridder Arena, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
Rookie Impact
Freshmen Abbey Murphy (7g-10a) and Josey Dunne (3g-1a) both earned a place on the WCHA All-Rookie Team. Murphy was the WCHA's top-scoring rookie with 17 points, 10 assists, and a +9 rating during the regular season as well.
Spreading the Wealth
When Abbey Murphy (2g), Madeline Wethington, Emily Brown, Josey Dunne, Grace Zumwinkle, Crystalyn Hengler, Taylor Heise, and Amy Potomak all scored in a 9-1 win over Bemidji State (Feb. 20), the Gophers had eight different goal-scorers for the first time since a 12-0 win over St. Cloud State on Dec. 5, 2014 when Meghan Lorence (2g), Rachael Bona (2g), Maryanne Menefee (2g), Nina Rodgers (2g), Paige Haley, Rachel Ramsey, Cara Piazza, and Hannah Brandt all scored.
Likewise, seven different Gophers scored goals in a 7-4 win over Ohio State (Jan. 30) as Abbey Murphy, Grace Zumwinkle, Emily Oden, Abigail Boreen, Taylor Heise, Crystalyn Hengler, and Catie Skaja all found the back of the net. Prior to that game, Minnesota had not had seven different goal scorers in a game since Nov. 27, 2015, when Dani Cameranesi (2g), Kelly Pannek, Hannah Brandt (3g), Brook Garzone, Lee Stecklein, Sarah Potomak (2g), and Nina Rodgers all scored for the Maroon & Gold in an 11-1 win at Minnesota State.
Aye, Aye Captains
Seniors Emily Brown and Grace Zumwinkle are serving as team captains while fellow seniors Olivia Knowles and Taylor Wente are assistant captains for the Gophers.
Who's New?
Eight newcomers joined the Gophers for the 2020-21 season. Goaltender Lauren Bench (Eagan, Minn./Burnsville High School) has transferred to Minnesota as a graduate student after completing her undergraduate degree at Bemidji State while freshmen forward Addie Burton (Orono, Minn./Blake School), forward Anne Cherkowski (Coldstream, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence), defense Josey Dunne (O'Fallon, Mo./Chicago Mission), forward Tella Jungels (Edina, Minn./Edina High School), forward Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park, Ill./Chicago Mission), defense Maggie Nicholson (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka High School), and forward Audrey Wethington (Edina, Minn./Blake School) complete the newest class of Gophers.
Who's Back?
Head coach Brad Frost is in his 14th season at the helm of the program with a .818 winning percentage in his first 13 seasons. The Gophers returned 15 players from last year's team, including eight of Minnesota's top-10 scorers. Senior Grace Zumwinkle (25g-20a), junior Taylor Heise (18g-25a), and redshirt junior Amy Potomak (18g-18a) are Minnesota's top returning scorers from a year ago while the Maroon & Gold also returned five of the team's top six defense from last season led by seniors Emily Brown and Olivia Knowles.
Gophers in the Pros
Five University of Minnesota alumnae competed in the NWHL this season as Sydney Baldwin, Amanda Leveille, Meghan Lorence, Chelsey Brodt-Rosenthal, and Winny Brodt-Brown played for the Minnesota Whitecaps. Meanwhile, 10 Gopher women's hockey alums are on regional rosters for the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association (PWHPA) this season: Sarah Potomak (Calgary); Amanda Kessel and Gigi Marvin (New Hampshire); Sydney Scobee, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, Nicole Schammel, and Noora Raty (Minnesota). In addition, Patti Marshall (Brynas IF in Sweden), Alex Woken (Mad Dogs Mannheim in Germany), Katie Robinson (TPS Naisten Liiga in Finland), and Megan Bozek and Noora Raty (Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays) are playing professional hockey in Europe this season.
2019-20 Season in Review
Minnesota wrapped up the 23rd season of Gopher women's hockey as NCAA Tournament qualifiers and WCHA regular-season runners-up along with tying for third at the WCHA Final Faceoff in 2019-20. The Gophers posted a record of 27-6-3 before the season was cut short prior to the NCAA quarterfinal round when the NCAA announced it was ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns on March 12, 2020. The Maroon & Gold said goodbye to six graduating seniors in head coach Brad Frost's 13th season at the helm of the program.
Quest for Eighth National Championship Continues
Minnesota has won seven national titles (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016) and looks for a historic eighth national crown in 2020-21.
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Last Time Out
The Gophers wrapped up the regular season with a road sweep over Bemidji State with 6-1 and 9-1 wins. Grace Zumwinkle (4g-4a) led the nation with a career-high eight-point weekend while Abbey Murphy (3g-3a) and Crystalyn Hengler (2-1) also scored multiple goals against the Beavers. All three Gopher goaltenders saw the ice against BSU, including Olivia King making her first career appearance in the third period of game two.
About the Series: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin
Minnesota is 53-44-13 all-time against Wisconsin in a series dating back to February 1998. Saturday's game marks the fifth meeting between the two teams this season and the 111th all-time Border Battle matchup between the Gophers and Badgers. Most recently, Minnesota recorded a 1-0 shootout win and 2-2 overtime tie with Wisconsin at Ridder Arena (Feb. 6). This season, the Gophers are 0-3-1 against the Badgers.
Notable Notes
- In 19 games this season, 18 different Gophers have at least one point while 15 different skaters have scored goals.
- Grace Zumwinkle (16g-7a) leads the team with 23 points and 16 goals while Abbey Murphy (7g-10a), Taylor Heise (7g-8a), Emily Oden (2g-12a), Abigail Boreen (8g-3a), and Emily Brown (3g-7a) all have reached double-digits for points.
- Zumwinkle leads the nation with 16 goals; her 1.21 points per game are tied for sixth in the country.
- Zumwinkle's four game-winning goals are tied for second in the nation.
- Crystalyn Hengler is tied for second in the nation with three power-play goals.
- Abbey Murphy ranks sixth in the nation for scoring among rookies with 0.89 points per game.
Since the 2017-18 season, Emily Brown, Olivia Knowles, Taylor Wente, and Grace Zumwinkle have combined for 349 points (143 goals, 206 assists) in 132 games, helping the Gophers to a 94-30-8 record during their four years so far. Co-captains Brown and Zumwinkle have never missed a game in their Gopher careers. Meanwhile, Lauren Bench joined the team this season after beginning her career at Bemidji State; she has played in 14 games for the Maroon & Gold this year, going 9-5-0.
Scoring Milestones
Senior Grace Zumwinkle is Minnesota's active career scoring leader with 147 career points (83g-64a) in 132 career games; Zumwinkle ranks 10th in program history with 83 career goals, chasing ninth-ranked Gigi Marvin, who recorded 87 career goals for the Maroon & Gold.
Junior Taylor Heise (38g-55a) is closing in on her 100th career point after logging her 50th career assist earlier this season against St. Cloud State (Jan. 9). Likewise, senior Emily Brown (16g-53a) recorded her 50th career assist this season against Ohio State (Jan. 30). Junior Emily Oden (18g-44a) passed 50 career points earlier this season against Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 27) as well.
24th Season
The 2020-21 season marks the 24th season of Gopher women's hockey. Through 19 games this season, Minnesota has an all-time record of 691-150-57.
Home, Sweet Home
The 2020-21 season marks the 19th season of Ridder Arena serving as the home of Gopher women's hockey. Minnesota's season-opening win over Ohio State marked a historic 300th win for the Maroon & Gold at Ridder Arena. Entering the postseason, the Gophers have an all-time record of 303-53-23 in home games at Ridder Arena, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
Rookie Impact
Freshmen Abbey Murphy (7g-10a) and Josey Dunne (3g-1a) both earned a place on the WCHA All-Rookie Team. Murphy was the WCHA's top-scoring rookie with 17 points, 10 assists, and a +9 rating during the regular season as well.
Spreading the Wealth
When Abbey Murphy (2g), Madeline Wethington, Emily Brown, Josey Dunne, Grace Zumwinkle, Crystalyn Hengler, Taylor Heise, and Amy Potomak all scored in a 9-1 win over Bemidji State (Feb. 20), the Gophers had eight different goal-scorers for the first time since a 12-0 win over St. Cloud State on Dec. 5, 2014 when Meghan Lorence (2g), Rachael Bona (2g), Maryanne Menefee (2g), Nina Rodgers (2g), Paige Haley, Rachel Ramsey, Cara Piazza, and Hannah Brandt all scored.
Likewise, seven different Gophers scored goals in a 7-4 win over Ohio State (Jan. 30) as Abbey Murphy, Grace Zumwinkle, Emily Oden, Abigail Boreen, Taylor Heise, Crystalyn Hengler, and Catie Skaja all found the back of the net. Prior to that game, Minnesota had not had seven different goal scorers in a game since Nov. 27, 2015, when Dani Cameranesi (2g), Kelly Pannek, Hannah Brandt (3g), Brook Garzone, Lee Stecklein, Sarah Potomak (2g), and Nina Rodgers all scored for the Maroon & Gold in an 11-1 win at Minnesota State.
Aye, Aye Captains
Seniors Emily Brown and Grace Zumwinkle are serving as team captains while fellow seniors Olivia Knowles and Taylor Wente are assistant captains for the Gophers.
Who's New?
Eight newcomers joined the Gophers for the 2020-21 season. Goaltender Lauren Bench (Eagan, Minn./Burnsville High School) has transferred to Minnesota as a graduate student after completing her undergraduate degree at Bemidji State while freshmen forward Addie Burton (Orono, Minn./Blake School), forward Anne Cherkowski (Coldstream, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence), defense Josey Dunne (O'Fallon, Mo./Chicago Mission), forward Tella Jungels (Edina, Minn./Edina High School), forward Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park, Ill./Chicago Mission), defense Maggie Nicholson (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka High School), and forward Audrey Wethington (Edina, Minn./Blake School) complete the newest class of Gophers.
Who's Back?
Head coach Brad Frost is in his 14th season at the helm of the program with a .818 winning percentage in his first 13 seasons. The Gophers returned 15 players from last year's team, including eight of Minnesota's top-10 scorers. Senior Grace Zumwinkle (25g-20a), junior Taylor Heise (18g-25a), and redshirt junior Amy Potomak (18g-18a) are Minnesota's top returning scorers from a year ago while the Maroon & Gold also returned five of the team's top six defense from last season led by seniors Emily Brown and Olivia Knowles.
Gophers in the Pros
Five University of Minnesota alumnae competed in the NWHL this season as Sydney Baldwin, Amanda Leveille, Meghan Lorence, Chelsey Brodt-Rosenthal, and Winny Brodt-Brown played for the Minnesota Whitecaps. Meanwhile, 10 Gopher women's hockey alums are on regional rosters for the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association (PWHPA) this season: Sarah Potomak (Calgary); Amanda Kessel and Gigi Marvin (New Hampshire); Sydney Scobee, Hannah Brandt, Dani Cameranesi, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, Nicole Schammel, and Noora Raty (Minnesota). In addition, Patti Marshall (Brynas IF in Sweden), Alex Woken (Mad Dogs Mannheim in Germany), Katie Robinson (TPS Naisten Liiga in Finland), and Megan Bozek and Noora Raty (Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays) are playing professional hockey in Europe this season.
2019-20 Season in Review
Minnesota wrapped up the 23rd season of Gopher women's hockey as NCAA Tournament qualifiers and WCHA regular-season runners-up along with tying for third at the WCHA Final Faceoff in 2019-20. The Gophers posted a record of 27-6-3 before the season was cut short prior to the NCAA quarterfinal round when the NCAA announced it was ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns on March 12, 2020. The Maroon & Gold said goodbye to six graduating seniors in head coach Brad Frost's 13th season at the helm of the program.
Quest for Eighth National Championship Continues
Minnesota has won seven national titles (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016) and looks for a historic eighth national crown in 2020-21.
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