Who believed PWHL Minnesota would make it to the PWHL finals in the inaugural season?

Everyone in the PWHL Minnesota locker room.

“I think our group never lost faith,” said Minnesota captain Kendall Coyne Schofield. “I think it’s easy to lose faith when things aren’t going well. But I think, the energy in the room, the energy at practice, was never lost based on the results we had toward the end of the season.”

In a complete turn of events, PWHL Minnesota advanced to the league’s championship round with a 4-1 victory over PWHL Toronto in the deciding game five in front of a sold-out crowd at Coca-Cola Coliseum Friday night in Toronto. No. 4 seed Minnesota erased a two-games-to-none series deficit after losing the first two games on the road before rattling off three-straight wins to complete the upset of top-seeded Toronto.

Minnesota blue liner Lee Stecklein recorded two of her three PWHL Playoffs assists in the series-deciding game in Toronto. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“Definitely proud of our group and the way we battled back,” said Minnesota defenseman Lee Stecklein. “Not just in this series but in each game with the ebbs and flows. The group didn’t quit. We knew what we needed to do, and we were committed to sticking to that.”

Minnesota moves on to face No. 3 seed Boston, which swept No. 2 seed Montreal behind three overtime victories. The best-of-five PWHL Finals start at 4 p.m. CT Sunday. While Minnesota has won three in a row, Boston has a five-game winning streak overall. Their momentum started on April 27 when Minnesota native Hannah Brandt scored the game-winning goal with 2.7 seconds left in regulation to keep Boston’s playoff hopes alive.

Friday’s Game 5 victory was Minnesota’s first on the road since March 3, snapping a six-game skid away from St. Paul. They also handed Toronto its first loss on home ice since Jan. 17; Toronto was riding an 11-0 streak at home. Minnesota used a pair of power-play goals to help seal the victory.

Special teams have plagued Minnesota all season. They finished the regular season with an 8.2% power play (5-for-61 in 24 games). Their penalty kill was the worst in the league at 67.2%, allowing opponents to score 20 times on the power play. Nine of those 20 goals allowed on the penalty kill came in those last five games of the regular season; twice they allowed an opponent to go 3-for-4 on the power play.

But in Game 5, and in the series, special teams came through for Minnesota. As often happens in the playoffs, they were the difference when it mattered the most. Denisa Krizova’s power-play goal for the 1-0 lead Friday snapped a 0-for-25 stretch with the advantage for Minnesota, dating back to April 18. Minnesota also scored two power-play goals in a game for the first time this season.

Sometimes, it’s just a bounce that goes your way, which happened on that first goal, said forward Kelly Pannek. She said she joked after the game that the team nearly doubled its power-play goal output from the season in one game.

“We got half as many in one game at the right time,” Pannek said. “I think our groups on the power play are very committed to… playing the right way and doing the right things. Keep trusting that the looks are going to produce.

“When you have that positive energy, I think the special teams were a big point of emphasis for us, after the last five games of the regular season.”

Minnesota’s penalty kill kept Toronto off the board in the series, going a perfect 10-for-10.

Taylor Heise scored a power-play goal and empty-netter to help send PWHL Minnesota to the Finals. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Taylor Heise made it 2-for-2 on the power play for Minnesota, giving her team a 2-1 lead at 8:30 of the third period in Game 5 for her first goal since March 13. She added an empty netter for her sixth goal of the season. The offensive production came one game after Minnesota coach Ken Klee praised Heise for her “best game by far” in the playoffs during Game 4.

Now, the rookie and her teammates will play for a championship.

“I think it’s fun to see that we had the belief in ourselves, and I don’t think anyone else did, especially considering the way we ended [our season] and then getting the reverse sweep,” Heise said.

The road to the Finals
So, how did Minnesota get here? It’s been an up-and-down past two months, for starters.

At the end of March, PWHL Minnesota was riding high and about to finish the month on a five-game winning streak. They spent most of the season in first or second place in the league, though standings were usually tight. Year one as a league, and the parity among the six teams was already evident.

Minnesota general manager Natalie Darwitz met with the media before that March 24 game at Xcel Energy Center, ahead of the IIHF World Championship Break. She kept her fingers crossed that all her players would come back from the break healthy.

“Because I think what happens that last month of the season is going to be the most crucial time,” Darwitz said.

Crucial, indeed. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the five-game winning streak was replaced with a five-game skid to end the regular season, culminating in the team barely squeezing into the PWHL playoffs after getting help from other teams on the final day of the regular season. Minnesota had five opportunities to gain a point in the standings during those five games, which would have clinched a playoff berth. They failed to do so.

The PWHL is a league filled with one-goal games and outstanding goaltenders. But there are also some amazing skaters on the ice, too. Minnesota built up a trend where scoring goals became a tough task. They were outscored 19-7 during the five-game losing skid in April, which included four road games.

When Minnesota returned from the international break – a break that all PWHL teams dealt with, sending some players to national teams while other players stayed back and practiced – with a 4-3 loss at Montreal on April 18. Minnesota had a one-goal lead before giving up the tying and winning goals in the final three minutes of regulation. Minnesota wouldn’t score three goals in a game until Game 5 in Toronto.

Minnesota followed in April with a 4-0 loss at Ottawa, the 2-1 loss that Klee called “gut-wrenching” against Boston at home, and then a 4-1 loss at Toronto and 5-2 loss at New York. Minnesota was outscored 9-3 in those final two games, including allowing a season-high five goals to the league’s worst team, New York.

“We didn’t end the season the way we wanted to,” said Minnesota forward and PWHL Rookie of the Year finalist, Grace Zumwinkle, after Game 5. “It’s just a huge testament to our team from first line to fourth line and everyone that’s on our roster.

“I think anyone can contribute on any given night.”

Just get in, then win
No matter how it happened, Minnesota reached the playoffs. Per the league rules, the top seed in the playoffs got to choose its opponent, either No. 3 seed Boston or No. 4 seed Minnesota. Toronto chose Minnesota for the best-of-five semifinals.

PWHL Minnesota bounced back from a rough stretch at the end of the regular season to win three consecutive playoff games. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Toronto grabbed the series lead with back-to-back shutouts by 4-0 and 2-0 margins. Minnesota goaltender Maddie Rooney started all series games except the first, with Nicole Hensley getting that game. Rooney made 92 saves on 94 shots in those four games for a .979 save percentage and only two goals allowed. She also recorded a shutout streak that lasted 173:19 spanning from late in Game 2 to the second period of Game 5.

“I thought Game 2 was the big change for us,” Klee said. “We played the right way, stayed on top of pucks and battled. We had more compete than we’ve had.”

Then, Minnesota returned the favor to Toronto with 2-0 and 1-0 shutout victories at Xcel Energy Center. The second game was a win in double overtime as Minnesota shut out a Toronto team that hadn’t been held off the board since its season opener.

“Obviously, that gives us a lot of confidence,” said Minnesota forward Claire Butorac, who scored the overtime winner with a rebound shot in front on Wednesday. “Coach has been in our ears about just sticking together the whole time.

“And I think we’ve done a really good job of that. Not getting down on each other but just lifting each other up on the ice, off the ice. I think that builds a pretty confident team.”

The post Special Team(s) appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

It was a solid sports week in the land of 10,000 lakes. The slow-starting Minnesota Twins took advantage of the worst team in baseball and rattled off five wins in a row. The Minnesota Vikings, by many accounts, had an exciting and successful NFL Draft, taking quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the first round. And the Minnesota Timberwolves? They’re in totally new territory with a 3-0 series lead over the Phoenix Suns in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series.

But the vibes shifted backward when Minnesota native Hannah Brandt scored a buzzer-beating, breakaway goal with 2.7 seconds left in regulation for a 2-1 PWHL Boston victory over PWHL Minnesota.

“In my head, we needed to win that game outright,” Brandt said. “So, I think I saw the puck going up, so I just started going. And Hil (Hilary Knight) had it along the wall. I think she just gave me a no-look pass, put it right in the middle, and then I guess it went in the net.”

PWHL Boston forward, and Minnesota native/Hill-Murray graduate, Hannah Brandt celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal with only seconds left in regulation. (Photo courtesy of PWHL)

Boston needed the win to keep its playoff hopes alive, while Minnesota failed for the third game in a row to clinch a playoff spot. Scoring the game-winner when her team needed it so badly hadn’t “sunk in yet” for Brandt only minutes after the game.

“But we needed that win so bad for our team,” Brandt said. “It just felt good to come out on top.”

With four of the six PWHL teams making the playoffs, and New York already eliminated, it leaves Minnesota, Ottawa and Boston fighting to get in. Two of those three teams will join Toronto and Montreal, who’ve already clinched their playoff spots. Minnesota (8-4-3-7) is in third place with 35 points, three ahead of Boston and Ottawa with 32 points each. Minnesota and Ottawa each have two games remaining, while Boston has one left.

Boston got the victory Saturday with a couple of unlikely goals. Minnesota took a 1-0 lead last in the second period when Kelly Pannek pounced on one of the many juicy rebounds Boston goaltender Emma Soderberg left throughout the game.

But instead of pouring on the goals, Minnesota clung to a 1-0 lead in the third period and took an early penalty. Minnesota and Boston have the two worst power plays by percentage this season (9.3% for MIN, 7.7% for BOS), but this time, Boston’s Alina Müller scored to tie the game less than two minutes into the third. It was only the fourth power-play tally for Boston this season.

Boston had what Brandt called one of their best periods so far this season in the third. With 18 shots on goal, she was right; that’s the most for Boston in any period this season. Saturday, they recorded 12 shots on goal in the first two periods combined. Minnesota also had a late power play with about three minutes remaining in the tie game, but they spent about the first half of that in their zone and still couldn’t find the back of the net at the other end to break the tie.

“We’re just finding ways to lose hockey games right now,” Minnesota coach Ken Klee said. “Which is unfortunate because we’re playing well. We had lots of chances to win the game, extend the lead, get the lead… and we were the better team for two periods. And again, we found a way to lose it in the last two seconds there.

“It’s gut-wrenching.”

A month ago, Minnesota took a five-game winning streak into the three-week break for the World Championships. Since coming back, they’re 0-3 with three failed chances at securing a playoff spot, including a 4-0 loss at Ottawa in the last game.

PWHL Minnesota had a lot to celebrate during their season a month ago, winning five games in a row before the three-week break. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

Klee was still pleased with how his team played Saturday and the scoring chances they generated. If they keep getting as many chances as they have been, they’re going to score, he said. 

“They’re trying to score goals and make plays at the same time,” Klee said. “Like I said, first two periods, I loved our game. I loved our intensity and everything.”

On paper, it certainly looks like the momentum was demolished once they hit the lengthy break, going from a winning streak to three consecutive losses. But Klee looked at the positive of that 0-3 mark, noting that they had the lead with three minutes to go in one game (a 4-3 loss at Montreal on April 18) and then had a chance to get a point if Saturday’s game reached overtime. Minnesota was 2.7 seconds away from taking a 1-1 game to overtime that would have sent it to the playoffs.

The first week back from the break was tougher, with only one practice back together – Minnesota had six international players on the Worlds rosters – and then coming into PWHL games right away. But that’s not any excuse, because other teams were faced with the same thing and pulled out wins, said Minnesota goaltender Nicole Hensley.

“I think we’ve seen a couple times this year, we got a little bit cold in the offensive zone, then all of a sudden it breaks open,” Hensley said. “I think at this point, we’ve just got to stick with it, keep doing the things that have made us really good over the course of the season.”

The loss made for a pretty quiet Minnesota locker room after the game, said Hensley, who made 30 saves in the game.

“I think you get that close to getting the point you need and don’t get it, that’s pretty frustrating,” Hensley said. “But I think we need to take away from the game that we played really well and it was a bad 10 seconds there at the end. I think we have to stop being in the mindset in the third period that we just need to hold it if we go into it with a lead. We need to keep pushing to get the next one.”

Hensley added that the team’s mindset is still fine, following a good week of practice and playing well against Boston. It’s about finishing the plays, she said. Hensley is also confident in their team because of the leadership they have in the room, with players who’ve played in gold medal games, World Championships, the Olympics etc.

“We have a lot of people that have played in a lot of very important games over the course of their careers and coming out on top,” Hensley said. “So, people know how to do that. Again, it’s just believing in our group and sticking with what’s made us good over the course of the year.”

Tidbits:

2024 PWHL Draft comes to Minnesota
During one of the television timeouts, the PWHL announced via the videoboard that the 2024 PWHL Draft will be held in June in Minnesota. The six teams will make 42 draft picks over seven rounds. The announcement came with a Minnesota-inspired logo.

A new banner in honor of the PWHL Minnesota inaugural season was unveiled prior to the April 27, 2024 game. (MHM Photo / Heather Rule)

Inaugural-season banner
Before the game, Minnesota captains Kendall Coyne Schofield, Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein addressed the crowd from center ice, thanking the fans before unveiling a special banner to commemorate the PWHL inaugural season. Coyne Schofield said: “We couldn’t have done it without you… You have proved Minnesota is the state of hockey.” The first 5,000 fans in attendance Saturday received a replica version of the banner, which hangs from the rafters near the lighthouse at Xcel Energy Center.

Fan Appreciation
On Fan Appreciation Day, attendance nearly cracked 10,000 at Xcel Energy Center for Minnesota’s final home game of the regular season. Paid attendance was announced at 9,977, the third-largest crowd for Minnesota this season. Minnesota went 5-2-2-3 on home ice this season.

The post ‘Gut-Wrenching’ Loss For PWHL MIN appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Minneapolis – Amanda Kessel played her final collegiate game at Ridder Arena Saturday, then offered a few postgame observations that left most of her teammates with moist eyes.

“Kess had a few people in tears,” fellow senior Hannah Brandt commented. “Maybe more than a few.”

Kessel, a 24-year-old senior who had missed 18 months because of concussion symptoms before surprisingly returning to the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team six weeks ago, capped her days at Ridder in high style with a hat trick.

Her play lifted the Gophers to a 6-2 NCAA quarterfinal victory over Princeton in front of 2,468 Ridder Arena customers, ushering the Gophers into the Frozen Four for the fifth consecutive season.

Amanda Kessel (MHM Photo / Carson Mark)

Then she stood in front of her teammates and told them what a joy it has been to play for the Gophers for 3 ½ seasons, how fortunate she considered herself to be back in uniform and how much it means to the program to gun for a second consecutive NCAA title and fourth in five seasons.

Not only did she tally the winning goal late in the first period, but her hat trick was her first as a Gopher since Jan. 18, 2013.

“Pretty awesome,” she said.

Gophers coach Brad Frost, who raised his record at Minnesota to 291-45-22, said it has been a thrill to have Kessel back on a team that was already considered one of the best in the nation.

“She has just been a great leader for us the last six weeks,” Frost said. “Here’s a kid who thought her hockey career was over and now she’s got a second shot at it, so you can see the passion that she’s played with. … It is emotional to see her out there and see her competing once again.”

The Patty Kazmaier Award winner as college women’s hockey player of the year three seasons ago before her one-year term with the U.S. Olympic team, Kessel finished with three goals, one assist and seven of the Gophers’ shots as the home team outshot Princeton 43-27.

Strangely, however, Minnesota will advance to the Frozen Four as an underdog, seeded No. 3 in the nation. The Gophers needed Saturday’s win to earn a replay of Border Battle hostilities with Wisconsin, which stunned the Gophers 1-0 in the WCHA playoff finale a week earlier.

The two will collide Friday at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.

“In my opinion,” Brandt said, “there’s nothing better than a Minnesota-Wisconsin game.”

There was little doubt throughout the afternoon that the Gophers, who have a 33-4-1 record, would take care of Princeton (22-9-2). Even after the Tigers scored just 29 seconds into the first period, this game was tilted toward Minnesota.

Hannah Brandt (MHM Photo / Carson Mark)

Brandt’s 25th goal at the 4:07 mark of the period tied the score, and Kessel drilled a short-handed breakaway to put her team in front 1:14 later, then tallied on a power play at the 17:35 mark for what proved to be the winning goal.

Teammate Nina Rogers sidled up to Kessel after the first period and said she might bring a hat to the bench for the second, just in case. Kessel laughed that off, but plenty of fans in the crowd obliged by tossing hats on the ice when Kessel’s third goal made it 6-1 late in the second period.

Frost downplayed whether or not his team will be an underdog in the semifinals at New Hampshire.

“The expectations are so high within our program,” he explained that fans say, “If you don’t get to the Frozen Four, what happened? What’s wrong? As a coach, you just hope and pray that you get your team as prepared as possible and they play well, like they did tonight.

“Now it’s candy as you go to the Frozen Four. You give yourself a shot, and that’s all you can ask for.”

This will be the fourth Frozen Four in four seasons for Brandt, who broke out of a slight slump with a goal and two assists. Along with a goal and an assist from Sarah Potomak and Kessel’s four points, Minnesota’s top line produced nine points.

Those three were “all over the score sheet,” Frost said, and it enabled Minnesota to be all over Princeton.

The post Going Out in Style appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Golden Gophers women grab sixth national title

Minneapolis — There is no question that Minnesota is the “State of Hockey” in women’s hockey, too.

The University of Minnesota stopped Harvard 4-1 in front of a full house of 3,400 at Ridder Arena Sunday afternoon, giving the Gophers their third NCAA title in four seasons and their sixth national title overall.

Gophers coach Brad Frost – who joked that he was attempting to launch a tradition by cutting up the hockey nets for mementos for the first time after the game the way it’s done in basketball – says he’s basically a bit mystified by all the success.

Frost, who has a seven-season record of 226-38-17 at Minnesota and a 146-10-7 mark over the past four seasons, took a seat at a postgame news conference next to captains Rachel Ramsey and Rachael Bona and shook his head.

“I don’t know how you explain what’s going on,” he said. “To have these two and Meghan Lorence and Shyler Sletta play in four national championship games in a row and to come away with three of them, I think it just speaks volumes to our team and our program and our players. We are so blessed.”

Minnesota teams have now won 10 of 15 championships since women’s hockey moved under the NCAA umbrella in 2001 – five by the Gophers and five by UMD, in addition to Minnesota winning the American Women’s College Hockey Association title in 2000.

Asked if the Golden Gophers have constructed a dynasty, Ramsey smiled mischievously and said she will leave that up to outsiders.

“I will say, I think what we’ve done is incredibly special and won’t happen again,” she commented.

The Gophers, who finished with a 34-3-4 record, outshot the Crimson 14-6, 11-8 and 8-6 over three periods for a 33-20 edge, got goals from Megan Wolfe, Hannah Brandt, Lorance and Bona to make the final difference appear much more lopsided than the way the game went.

“We had to play probably our most complete game of the year to beat Harvard,” Frost said.

It was 0-0 until late in the first period when Wolfe, a sophomore who has shuttled between forward and defense this season and came into the game with just two goals, ripped in a pass from Dani Cameranesi to make it 1-0.

“That’s her shot,” Bona said.

“What a goal,” Frost commented. “That was a beauty.”

It appeared that goal might be enough because of the standout goaltending supplied by Gophers junior Amanda Leveille, who was relegated to backup status when Minnesota won the title two years ago and suffered a 5-4 loss to Colgate in last season’s title game.

“Tonight you could tell she was confident,” Frost said. “She made a couple of big saves early to allow us to settle in.”

Harvard (27-6-3) did not score until it pulled within 2-1 with just 4:54 remaining in the third period, but Lorence scored less than two minutes later and Bona added an empty-netter to lock things up.

Leveille, who made 34 saves to thwart Wisconsin in the semifinals on Friday, finished with 19 saves Sunday as well as a spot on the all-tournament team.

Brandt, who had a goal and two assists against the Badgers, was selected as the tournament’s most outstanding player, while Maryanne Menefee, Cameranesi and Wolfe were also picked to the team. Harvard defender Sarah Edney, who scored the Crimson goal, was the lone non-Gopher selected.

It didn’t hurt Minnesota’s cause, of course, that the game was played at the home of the Gophers, where they went 17-0-2 to end the season and have gone 130-6-5 in their most recent 141 games there.

Minnesotans, who are typically big supporters of the Gophers men’s team as well as the NHL Wild that coined the “state of hockey” term, dominated the crowd.

“It was a great atmosphere,” Crimson coach Katey Stone said. “It’s a difficult environment to play in, an exciting environment to play in.”

Before departing, Frost took one more stab at defining his team’s success, referring to things like culture and values. But he said he knew going into the final game that this has been an outstanding season for his players.

“Winning,” he added, “is icing on the cake.”

The post A Golden Dynasty appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Leveille’s 34 saves leads Minnesota back to Frozen Four final

Minneapolis — Backstopped by superb goaltending from Amanda Leveille, the Gophers climbed into the national championship game in women’s hockey for the fourth consecutive year Friday.

Minnesota, which won NCAA titles in 2012 and ’13 before falling in the final a year ago, rallied with three goals within 8 minutes, 1 second of the second period and knocked out Wisconsin 3-1 in the women’s Frozen Four opener in front of 3,400 at Ridder Arena.

For long stretches early on, this looked like Wisconsin’s game. The Badgers built a lopsided early advantage in shots on goal, then grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first minute of the second period.

But that was all Leveille, a 5-foot-7 junior from Kingston, Ontario, would yield.

“We had our opportunities,” Badgers coach Mark Johnson said, “but we didn’t capitalize.”

That was never more evident than late in the second period, when Leveille, with Minnesota leading 2-1, left a tantalizing rebound in the right faceoff circle and Wisconsin center Blayre Turnbull got a bead on it.

Leveille, at the opposite corner of the net for the earlier save, had a long way to travel for Turnbull’s quick shot, but she got there.

“A little bit of luck,” Leveille said.

“Somehow, she slid across and made that glove save,” Gophers coach Brad Frost said. “And we were able to score shortly after that to go up 3-1. It could have been 2-2 there and they have the momentum; instead it’s 3-1 and we were able to hang on.”

The Badgers outshot Minnesota 12-7 in the first period and 10-3 in the third and finished with a 35-23 edge.

“In the first, Amanda made two or three saves, just back to back to back, to keep it 0-0,” Frost. “That was obviously huge.”

Brandt says she has seen numerous good games from Leveille, but Friday was near perfection.

“That’s the best game I’ve ever seen her play,” Brandt added.

Wisconsin outshot Minnesota 35-23, including 10-3 in the final period, but Leveille made the key saves to raise her season record to 27-3-3.

“Their elite players, their go-to players, seemed to come up big in the big moments when they needed a boost,” Johnson said.

Goals by Hannah Brandt, Maryanne Menefee and Kelly Pannek erased a 1-0 deficit and allowed Minnesota to extend its season record against Wisconsin to 4-0-1.

None proved bigger than Brandt’s, which came on a rebound 8:53 into the second period to draw Minnesota even.

Until then, the Badgers seemed in control.

“Wisconsin is really, really good,” Frost said. “They’re playing unbelievable hockey, and it took us awhile to get our legs. Once Hannah scored that goal you could just feel the tide turn a little bit.

“They came off the ice and I said, ‘Did you guys hear the crowd?’ They were too involved in the game, but I heard it. It felt like the roof was going to blow off the place. It was just awesome, but it took that goal to really get us going.”

Minnesota, seeded No. 1 entering NCAA play, advanced to the final with a 33-3-4 record while the fourth-seeded Badgers finished with a 29-7-4 mark.

The post Gophers roll over Badgers appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Freshman answers coach’s call, adds much-needed scoring depth

Brad Frost knew something had to be done.

Having just witnessed Bemidji State treating his team to a post-Halloween shutout loss at home the University of Minnesota women’s coach could see a chink emerging in the Gophers’ armor.

“We were a one-line team with (Hannah) Brandt, (Dani) Cameranesi and (Maryanne) Menefee,” Frost said. “When we lost to Bemidji we just had a sit-down with our team and said we have to get that secondary scoring and that’s where Kelly really emerged.”

Frost was referring to Kelly Pannek, a freshman from Plymouth, Minn. whose season took off after that meeting on her way to entering Friday’s Frozen Four semifinal against Wisconsin at Ridder Arena leading the nation’s rookies in scoring with 42 points (13 g-29 a) in 39 games.

Pannek had just notched her first collegiate goal in the Oct. 31 series opener with BSU, a 2-2 tie in which the Beavers skated away with the extra conference point by winning the shootout. But the goal served to validate what the former Benilde-St. Margaret’s standout had already been told by her current coaches and teammates.

“Anytime you score your first collegiate goal that’s a big thing as a forward, just to be able to take a deep breath and say, ‘You know what, I belong in this league, I can do it, I can still score,’” Pannek said. “At any level, confidence is such a huge thing and when you have it things are going well and if you don’t, it’s hard to believe in yourself and be able to perform on the ice.”

Pannek primarily centered Minnesota’s third line through the season’s first 10 games but, heading into a Nov. 14-15 series at Ohio State, Pannek was elevated to the second line, a unit which had accounted for just 16.8 percent of Minnesota’s overall scoring to that point.

“Our second line is really the key to our success because we know that our first line is going to generate things,” Frost said. “Kelly’s really enabled Rachael Bona and Meghan Lorence, two seniors, to have incredible years as well because of the way that she gets them the puck.”

Since Pannek was inserted between Bona and Lorence the chemistry between the three has been nothing short of remarkable. Bona and Lorence have benefited from Pannek’s emergence to the tune of 29 and 27 points, respectively since the move.

But Pannek is quick to point out what her linemates have meant to her as mentors on and off the ice and what an honor it has been to share a line with a pair of senior captains.

“I mean you don’t really think about it much, but those are two people [the coaches] expect to produce and they expect me to be right there along with them,” Pannek said.

Prior to their union, the trio combined to average 1.9 points per game, but together they have produced 92 points in 29 games or 3.2 per contest.

“To have a two or three line attack is a big key because one line isn’t going to be able to do it all so I think she, and especially her line, has really stepped up,” Brandt said. “She was a little frustrated in the beginning, goals weren’t going in, but she kept going and pushed on and she’s been rewarded for that.”

The road to Ridder

Kelly Pannek, then a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, bears down on Hill-Murray D Samantha Boyer in the 2014 Class 2A state title game. Pannek scored all three of BSM’s goals but the Red Knights fell to the Pioneers 5-3 on Feb. 22, 2014 at Xcel Energy Center. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

The Gophers have reaped the rewards of Pannek’s breakout rookie season as they sit on the cusp of a possible third NCAA title in four seasons.  Just over 13 months ago, Pannek and her Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School teammates thought a state championship was within their grasp before the Red Knights fell to Hill-Murray in the title game.

As she reflects back, Pannek said, although a national championship is more significant, in the moment there is a similar feel between the two experiences.

“It just kind of shows how much you actually have to give to win and how much you have to give before the tournament even starts,” Pannek said. “I think that’s something I learned this year is that you have to give a hundred percent every day and not just in the weekend of the tournament.”

Pannek, a three-time captain of the Red Knights, led all players with 11 points on seven goals and four assists in the 2014 Class 2A state tournament, capping off a 34 goal and 54 assist senior season for the Minnesota Ms. Hockey finalist and two-time All-State honoree.

Not a bad season considering hockey wasn’t even Pannek’s most dominant sport in high school.

She earned the first of six varsity soccer letters for the Red Knights as a seventh grader (she lettered “merely” five times in hockey) and led BSM’s soccer team to back-to-back state titles as a junior and senior. Pannek finished her career with 41 goals among 99 points and garnered the 2013 Minnesota Ms. Soccer Award.

“I’d say a lot of what I learned about hockey is from my dad.” — Pannek on her father, Todd.

Her two-sport acumen had Pannek choosing between offers from both the hockey and soccer programs at Minnesota but indicated the decision wasn’t a difficult as one might think saying, “Soccer for me was always really fun but I was never doing anything to improve.”

“I wasn’t forced to go to [soccer] practice but I was not always excited to go,” Pannek added. “But with hockey I loved going, whether it was those 7 a.m. practices or the ones 10 at night, I just loved it.”

Getting her to those odd hour practices was her father whom she identifies as her hockey role model. The third of four children (two older sisters and a younger brother) born to Todd and Molly Pannek, Kelly is the lone sibling to take up the sport her father grew up with and plays recreationally to this day.

“He’s just really supportive of everything I do, both of my parents are, but I’d say a lot of what I learned about hockey is from my dad,” said Pannek, who began her hockey journey at the tender age of four. “I’m really appreciative of how he brought me into the game and helped me continue through it.”

A season beyond imagination

Minnesota coach Brad Frost says Pannek, “sees the ice at an elite level.” (Photo – Eric Miller/Gopher Athletics)

Pannek entered her freshman season with little to no expectations for herself, saying her goal was to simply come in, work hard, continue to improve and see where that got her.

“But if I were to picture my freshman year, I don’t think I’d picture it like this,” Pannek said. “It’s surpassed everything I could imagine and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the positions my coaches have trusted me to play in.”

It’s a faith Frost fully expected to have in Pannek, although even he admits it arrived a little sooner than he thought.

“When we recruited her we kind of looked at her as that type of player,” Frost said. “But to see her really jump from about a third of the way into the season to where she is now has been incredible. She’s made a huge impact for us.”

Pannek, a three-time WCHA Rookie of the Week honoree, was recently named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team. She recorded her first career hat trick on Nov. 24 in 5-0 win over St. Cloud State and her second six weeks later against St. Lawrence as part of her second consecutive six-point series.

“She’s so smart, she’s a lot like a Hannah Brandt … ” — Gopher coach Brad Frost on Pannek.

She established a career-best seven game point streak from Nov. 24-Jan. 6 in which she tallied 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists. Pannek’s 29 assists overall are good for third on the team behind Brandt and Cameranisi.

The set-up role suits Pannek well.

“She sees the ice at an elite level, makes great plays with the puck, strong plays with the puck,” Frost said. “She’s so smart, she’s a lot like a Hannah Brandt, not going to blind you with her speed but she makes such smart plays and has a great release.”

Comparisons to the two-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist aside, Pannek credits Brandt, a fellow center, for much of her development at the position, particularly defensively.

Brandt says Pannek has made amazing progress over the course of the season.

“As a freshman coming in and playing center, I’ve been there and I know how hard it is to do, and she’s improved so much over this season,” Brandt said. “The defensive part is probably the hardest part to learn and she’s been one of our best defensive players and I think that says a lot for a freshman.”

But if Pannek were asked, she would say her rookie year says a lot about the leadership of a team which has been incredibly supportive, not only to her but to all her fellow freshmen, making their transition to Division I hockey as seamless as possible.

“You just look around the locker room at the seniors and captains, it’s just a great group of girls,” Pannek said. “You see what they’ve done in their career and you just kind of want to follow in their footsteps.”

With the Frozen Four on the horizon, that opportunity is there for the taking.

The post Pannek makes her mark on Gophers appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Kuehl scores twice as Buckeyes rally to tie Gopher women

MINNEAPOLIS- Friday night had all the markings of a trap game for the University of Minnesota women. It wasn’t, but the end result left the Gophers wanting more than two points in front of 2,340 fans at Ridder Arena.

A week away from traveling to North Dakota and ending the regular season with series against Minnesota-Duluth and Bemidji State, the two-game home series against fifth-place (out of eight teams) Ohio State featured an opponent that had won 6 of the last 8 games and 9-3-1 on the road.

By the end of the game Minnesota head coach Brad Frost’s voice was shot yelling at his players and the officials.

The Buckeyes’ persistence despite missing several early attempts paid off down the stretch in the series opener. Down 3-1 senior forward Taylor Kuehl, a Minnetrista, Minn. native,  scored twice for the Buckeyes Friday night.

Her second goal, tying the game at 3 with 3:16 remaining in regulation, proved to be the difference in a 3-3 tie where Ohio State was out-shot 32-28 yet had a 9-7 advantage in the third period.

“They were a lot more aggressive than teams we have played recently,” said junior forward Hannah Brandt about OSU after snapping a 12-game point streak Friday. “Their forecheck was a lot faster I guess. We just have to be more prepared for it tomorrow.”

Minnesota (23-1-4, 16-1-4-2 WCHA) took the extra league point in the shootout when Brandt, Milicia McMillen and Dani Cameranesi all scored. Junior goaltender Amanda Leveille, who made 25 saves in regulation and forced Claudia Kepler to shoot wide on a first period shorthanded breakaway, stopped Julianna Iafallo with a diving toe save for her second consecutive shootout win.

“When you win the shootout you feel like you’ve kind of won the game. You certainly feel better than when you lose the shootout,” said Frost. “At the same time we gave up a two goal lead there so there’s some hollowness to it as well.”

Both teams wasted no time off Friday with two goals and a major penalty in the opening 3:21.

Meghan Lorence got Minnesota on the board 90 seconds into the game when her rebound shot got past Ohio State goaltender Stacy Danczak. 76 seconds later Danielle Gagne tossed a change-up on OSU’s first shot that hit the crossbar and sat down on the wrong side of the red line for the Gophers.

Gagne’s night lasted less than another minute. The 5’6” senior was sent off for checking from behind, giving the Gophers a chance to re-take the lead.  Minnesota only had one shot on the five minute major, which turned into a 5×3 when Kara Gust was called for checking, but made the most of it. Redshirt sophomore defenseman Lee Stecklein scored her second of the season on a shot from the top of the slot.

Minnesota freshman Cara Piazza took a pass in stride from linemate Brook Garzone 4:33 into the second period and was rewarded with her ninth goal of the season.

“I just hear Cara on my left and she was wide open. So I just passed it over to her,” said Garzone. “It was a great shot. I was screaming so loud for her.”

The lead wasn’t to be, though. Kuehl made it a 3-2 game eight minutes later when her shot on the power play found its way through traffic.

Ohio State had multiple chances before the goal as the Gophers were unable to clear the puck out of the zone.

“We had three chances to clear it and we became part of the power play by making some good passes to their point,” said Frost.

The Gophers killed a 22 second two-man disadvantage early in the third period, turning what could have been a change in momentum with a one-goal lead into one for the home team. Sara Schmitt came close with a shot off the crossbar, but was reviewed and upheld.

Garzone brought the physical play, sticking up for Leveille late with self-described “crazy eyes” and getting in Julia McKinnon’s face when McKinnon shot the puck after a whistle. Kuehl scored during the 4×4. Despite the efforts of Cameranesi in overtime to bury a winner, first-place Minnesota dropped a point in the WCHA standings.

“Definitely not what we were hoping for especially being up. You never want to let a team back into a game like that,” said Brandt. “It was great to get the extra point, but we’re definitely not satisfied with that game and know we have to come out harder tomorrow.”

Still, Frost sees the game against Ohio State as a reminder for his team to play a more consistent, sixty-minute game before tomorrow’s rematch.

“That’s the hope. Certainly Ohio State is a very, very good team. They’re fighting to get in the top-four of our league and they’re flirting with the top-10 of the Pairwise,” Frost said. “It’s just going to continue to ramp up.

“We’re playing some great teams down the stretch and this is a great way to prepare for it.”

The post Minnesotan leads OSU comeback appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Gophers prevail in shootout as unbeaten streak versus Wisconsin remains intact

With 2:07 remaining in overtime during Sunday’s series finale, the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team received a power play after Wisconsin’s Katrina Zgraja got called for interference. In many cases, the opportunity is a chance to complete a comeback which began in the third period when Hannah Brandt tied the game.

That wasn’t the case Sunday. Instead, the Badgers stopped Minnesota from getting a chance when the Gophers had possession for 75 seconds and stopped a losing streak in the process.

Minnesota’s winning streak against the Badgers turns into an unbeaten streak as the two teams played to a 1-1 tie Sunday at Ridder Arena. The Gophers (19-1-3, 12-1-3-1 WCHA) won a shootout – the first time it has since January 2012 – to take an extra point in an effort which serves as a season-long one in the standings.

Minnesota coach Brad Frost said his Gophers were not at their best.

“We looked sluggish after playing three lines last night and five D,” said Frost, whose team was playing its fourth game in eight days. “I’m proud of our kids with the guts that they showed because (goalie Amanda Leveille) played great. She kept us in there until we could get one and I’m obviously happy with five points on the weekend.”

In out-shooting the Gophers 33-30, Wisconsin (17-3-2, 13-3-2-0 WCHA) takes home more than a tie. The one point earned is important because the Badgers still lead (41-40) in the WCHA standings by that margin. (Minnesota has two games in hand on Wisconsin, however.)

It’s safe to say Sunday’s finale turned into a physical slugfest between two rivals. Neither would let the other push them around either on the ice or on the scoreboard. Two of the top four offenses in women’s hockey were stifled. Despite Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson changing up his lines in an attempt to get more focus and offense compared to Saturday’s 4-1 loss, every shot attempt had to be earned.

The rivalry between the number two and three teams in the country was on full display at Ridder Sunday.

Both goaltenders, Wisconsin’s Ann-Renee Desbiens and Minnesota’s Leveille were unsolvable for nearly forty minutes.

“The defense kept a lot of shots to the outside so it’s kind of deceiving how many shots they got versus the quality of shots,” Leveille said before adding. “I like getting shots so it helped me get into the game.”

Finally, Wisconsin senior Karley Sylvester broke the deadlock with 21.6 seconds remaining in the second period.

The Badgers spent the final five minutes in the offensive zone coming close to getting a goal with Minnesota either blocking shots or Wisconsin being unable to get one in an open net. Just when it looked like the Gophers could escape the period weathering the storm, Sylvester got her second of the weekend.

“She’s doing good,” Johnson said about Sylvester, a Warroad, Minn. native. “She’s been a good four year player for us and like a lot of seniors they want to go out on a high note.”

Brandt tied the game with 6:32 remaining on a dirty goal in front of the net. The junior, who leads the nation with 21 goals, got hers by crashing the net and knocking a rebound over Desbiens with her body. It was reviewed yet ultimately deemed a good goal.

“Obviously things weren’t going our way for scoring goals today,” she said. “I think at that point anything goes and you just try to put the puck in any way you can.”

Both teams had chances in the third period and overtime before the shootout, in which Brandt was the only one of the six shooters to score. Though it appeared Dani Cameranesi may have won the charity contest for the Gophers, the referees ruled Desbiens made the save. That forced the ending on Leveille, whose nonchalant stop on Katy Josephs was the first calm moment.

“For us it’s actually a little more full just because we were the ones that came back and we know we didn’t play our best game and we still came away with a tie against a very good team,” Brandt said. “I think we’ll take a positive out of that, but know that we have to play better for sixty minutes.

“We’re happy with the result I guess.”

Frost mentioned after Saturday’s 4-1 win that no two games in the team’s then-14 game winning streak against Wisconsin have been the same. In a way, he was right.  Minnesota had already completed a 2-1 third-period and overtime comeback against the Badgers in Madison.

Although the Gophers left Sunday with two points in another comeback that wasn’t the team’s best performance, history was not going to repeat itself.

The post Minnesota comes back, ties Badgers appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Gopher women’s top line shines in 14th straight win over Wisconsin

Dani Cameranesi needed two third period goals this time to break the doors open against third ranked Wisconsin, but the result is the same. Add another win for the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team onto the streak against its border rivals to the East.

All three members of Minnesota’s top line had multiple points, overcoming an opening barrage by the Badgers to defeat the University of Wisconsin 4-1 in a game much closer than the final score indicates.

Besides Cameranesi, Hannah Brandt scored the go-ahead goal in the second period. Maryanne Menefee assisted on all three of her linemates’ goal. All came after the Badgers matched Minnesota (19-1-2, 12-1-2-0 WCHA) in effort throughout the first forty minutes and tied the score in the second period.

“I think in the first period we started off a little slow,” said Cameranesi. “In that rest after the first period we kind of came in and talked it out. We kind of decided that we needed to put a little more effort and do whatever we could to get pucks on net and hope one finds the back of the net.”

It’s the fourteenth straight victory against the Badgers for the Gophers, who have handed Wisconsin (17-3-1, 13-3-1-0 WCHA) all three of its regulation losses in 2014-15.

“A great win. I’m really proud of our kids and the effort they put forth tonight,” Gopher coach Brad Frost said after the game. “I thought Amanda Leveille was tremendous, really setting the tone for us on that turnover five seconds in. Made a great save there and obviously played great. Our big time players stepped up again here tonight with Cameranesi and Brandt and Menefee in particular.”

Both teams came out swinging early. #2 Minnesota and #3 Wisconsin did not need any time to feel the other out, instead bringing physicality fit for the rivalry. Long stretches of the opening period were spent going back and forth up and down the ice without a whistle.

The Badgers began the game by taking advantage of a Minnesota turnover and forced Leveille to make two or three tough saves ten seconds into the game.

“Wisconsin is a great team and we knew that,” said Leveille, who made 23 saves en route to being named the game’s first star. “It was kind of a lucky bounce that it didn’t go into the net on the first shot. That was good on our part and I think Hannah cleared it behind me.”

“We all got our nervous jitters out of the way right on that play.”

After back and forth play for most of the first period, it was a fortunate bounce late that kept the two teams from a scoreless opening twenty. With just over a minute remaining, Cara Piazza got the puck after a Wisconsin defender tripped over the referee. The Minnesota freshman dove around Badgers goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens to make it 1-0 and celebrate with her teammates.

“You know it was a case when she ran into the referee and a mistake, but we got a power play to make it 1-1,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “We had chances. We just have to dig down a little deeper and get a little bit more.”

Wisconsin got puck luck of its own, however. Leveille was called for delay of game when she took her helmet off to stop play with 9:29 remaining in the second in order to get her blocker. It was a move the junior admitted was “a mini brain fart.”

The end result was senior Karley Sylvester, the lone Minnesotan in the Badgers lineup, tying the game on the power play when she got the puck on her stick off a rebound and buried it for her ninth goal of the season.

Sylvester’s goal with 8:56 left in the second period marked both Wisconsin’s high point and the moment the Gophers top line took over.

Hannah Brandt skated from behind the net into the slot with a shot to re-take the lead 4:50 later. Cameranesi’s goals, one coming off a deke and move and the other from a Rachel Ramsey shot that went off a few bodies, padded the lead. Playing its third game since Sunday against a fresh opponent , Minnesota out-shot the Badgers 12-4 in the final period.

“No game has been easy in those 14,” Frost said. “Our big time players step up and we find a way to win or at least we have in the last 14 games. Any given night we know what these guys can do to us.

Minnesota and Wisconsin play again Sunday at 2:00 p.m. CT. The Badgers hold a 2 point lead in the WCHA standings (games are worth 3 on the women’s side) so a fifteenth win would put the Gophers ahead.

The post Minnesota has Badgers’ number appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

“New” Players Guide Gopher Women in 8-0 Win

There was no offseason rust for the No. 1 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team against Penn State Friday night. Not that there would have been any excuses. Six months removed from its last game, Minnesota had several players back from an extended time off the ice.

The two-time defending WCHA champions got help from a pair of them and more.

The Golden Gophers (1-0-0, 0-0-0-0 WCHA) came out at Ridder Arena in championship form, taming the Nittany Lions (0-1-0, 0-0-0-0 CHA) by going 4 of 5 on the power play en route to an 8-0 win in the team’s opening game.

“I’m very happy with the win tonight,” Minnesota women’s head coach Brad Frost said after the game. “Even though (Penn State) gave up 8 goals, I thought they played tremendous.”

Aside from a slow opening 10 minutes, it looked like Minnesota could have played at the same fast paced level for an additional 60 minutes.

Penn State, making the program’s first-ever visit to Ridder, initially stood toe to toe with the Gophers. The Nittany Lions had a power play and 5-4 shot advantage before the tides turned quickly. Junior defenseman Milica McMillen and sophomore forward Dani Cameranesi both beat PSU goalie Celine Whitlinger 1:32 apart to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead and force Penn State to take a timeout 9:36 into the game.

Both Gophers scored twice Friday, with McMillen’s pair each coming with the team having an extra skater. Cameranesi’s new linemate, Patty Kazmaier finalist Hannah Brandt, had three points (1G-2A) for her 26^th career game with three points or more.

One player who could have had rust against Penn State yet didn’t was redshirt freshman goalie Sidney Peters who earned a shutout in her first collegiate game. The Geneva, Ill. native spent all last season practicing with the team without getting into a game. She found out Wednesday that she would be getting the nod against Penn State.

Peters made the most of it, making 15 saves in front of her family including a first-period breakaway on Nittany Lion forward Shannon Yoxheimer.

“I don’t think there are words to describe how special a moment this was,” said Peters, adding she would always remember her first collegiate save. “Just that one game was truly magical.”

Joining her in having an extended layoff was redshirt sophomore defenseman Lee Stecklein. Spending last season with the United State Olympic Team and being off since February, Stecklein had a pair of shots tipped by teammates for goals.

“Our forwards are incredible. I don’t know how they hit the puck out of the air like that. It’s something that I’ve never been able to do and that’s why I shoot the puck,” she said. “Great tips. That’s what we need and that’s their job.

She also impacted the ice on her own end.

“Obviously Lee was +3 tonight and had a lot of blocked shots,” added Frost. “She was just a calming presence back there and dependable. Now we have her running the power play back there, which she didn’t do her freshman year.”

As the game went on, the play and speed from the blue line in the offensive zone stymied Penn State, whose team featured seven Minnesotans familiar to the Gophers (including freshman forward Caitlin Reilly, sister of Gopher men’s hockey trio Mike, Connor and Ryan).

Brandt, McMillen and Cameranesi scored in the second period to extend the Minnesota lead to a 5-0. In the third period it was Meghan Lorence and freshman Cara Piazza each tallying power-play goals on Whitlinger, who made 40 saves Friday.

Sophomore defenseman Kelsey Cline made it 8-0 12 seconds after Piazza’s first collegiate goal.

—

In Friday’s opening game, #6 Boston University defeated St. Cloud State 5-2 with three unanswered goals in the final 4:09 Friday.

Junior forward Rebecca Russo sped past a Huskies defender and beat SCSU goalie Julie Friend to give the Terriers a 3-2 lead that opened the floodgates. Twenty-six seconds after Russo’s goal, returning Canadian Olympian Marie-Phillip Poulin scored her first goal of the season, followed two minutes later by teammate Victoria Bach to put things completely out of reach for St. Cloud State.

Minnesota will face the Terriers tomorrow at 7 p.m. CT.

The post Power Play appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.