Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...

 women’s ice hockey team plays for the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...

 at the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...

 campus in Minneapolis. The team is one of the members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....

 (WCHA) and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 (NCAA) in Division I. The Golden Gophers have won two NCAA Championships
NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship tournaments determine the top women's ice hockey teams in NCAA Division I and Division III. Women's ice hockey does not have a Division II classification. Under NCAA rules, Division II schools are allowed to compete as Division I members in sports...

 as well as an American Women's College Hockey Alliance Championship. They have also been WHCA champions
Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's champions
The women’s division of the WCHA is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I...

 five times. In addition to their overall success as a competitive team, the Gophers have also been ranked in the nation's top two teams for attendance since becoming a varsity sport, and the team holds the second largest single-game attendance record for women’s collegiate hockey
College hockey
College hockey refers to ice hockey played between colleges with their teams composed of enrolled students. College hockey is played in Canada and the United States, though leagues outside of North America exist....

, drawing 6,854 fans for the first Minnesota women's hockey game on November 2, 1997.

In 2004-2005, Minnesota won back-to-back NCAA Ice Hockey Championships. Natalie Darwitz
Natalie Darwitz
Natalie Darwitz is an American ice hockey player. Natalie has been the Captain of the US Women's National Team since the start of the 2007-08 season...

 was a three-time All American, and three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier award. Darwitz left the program with the career scoring mark at Minnesota in three years and set two NCAA single-season record with 114 points (42 Goals,72 Assists) and most assists in 40 games in her final season.

Coaches

The Gophers have had two head coaches to date: Laura Halldorson and Brad Frost. Halldorson was the head coach for eleven years, from the 1997-1998 season to the 2006-2007 season. Her overall coaching record was 278-67-22 with the Gophers, a winning percentage of .787. During that time, the Gophers won four of their five WCHA championships and all three of their national championships. They averaged 28 wins per season and appeared in eight out of ten national tournaments, reaching seven finals. In addition, the Gophers experienced their best season in 2004-2005 with a 36-2-2 record.
In the 2007-2008 season, Brad Frost became the temporary head coach. He had previously been an assistant coach. In his first year as head coach, Frost led the Gophers to a 21-game winning streak, the second longest streak in the University of Minnesota’s history. The season’s record ended with 27 wins, 7 losses, and 4 ties but also ended with a conference record of 21-5-2 which ranked second in the WCHA. The Gophers made another NCAA regional appearance and post-season Frost was awarded WCHA Coach of the Year. In the 2008-2009 season, his temporary coaching status was lifted and he was named permanent head coach of the Gophers. That same season he led the Gophers to a record of 32-5-3 and to another WCHA championship. The Golden Gophers have had a cross state rivalry with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Gophers handed the Bulldogs their first ever conference loss 4-3 in a sold out game at Pioneer Hall on February 11, 2000.

Team history

Minnesota put its first women's team on the ice, in 1997-98 and Nadine Muzerall, a Canadian who graduated from Kimball Union Academy
Kimball Union Academy
Kimball Union Academy is a private boarding school located in New Hampshire. Founded in 1813, it is the 22nd oldest boarding school in the United States...

 in Meriden, New Hampshire
Meriden, New Hampshire
Meriden is a village in the eastern part of the town of Plainfield in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Meriden is home to Kimball Union Academy, a private boarding school....

, was among its initial recruits.

During the 2004-05 season, Krissy Wendell set an NCAA record (since tied) for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. After graduating from Minnesota, she had the career record for most shorthanded goals in a career with 16. Ironically, both marks were tied by Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta is a women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for Mercyhurst College. Agosta played for the Canada women's national ice hockey team. She has represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, winning gold medals at both...

.

In 2009-10, Noora Räty was just the second freshman to be a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Räty leads the NCAA in several goaltending categories. She leads the NCAA in goals-against average (1.24), save percentage (.951) and shutouts (7), while ranking third in winning percentage (.792). Her won loss record for the year is 17-3-4. In addition, Raty was the WCHA goaltending champion and earned numerous honours including All-WCHA First Team and All-WCHA Rookie Team. During the season, she was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week four times and WCHA Rookie of the Week on two occasions. She set a school record for most assists in one season by a goaltender (3).

Minnesota Duluth rivalry

Minnesota-Duluth, had been a traditional rival to the Gophers in men's hockey. In 1998, Minnesota Duluth announced that it was going to assemble a women's team for the 1999-2000 season. Duluth gave a three-year, $210,000 contract to Shannon Miller, who coached Canada to the 1998 Olympic final in Nagano. Miller recruited players from Canada, Finland and Sweden, including four Olympians. The rivalry was fuelled when Miller took two players from Minnesota: star forward Jenny Schmidgall, whose 93 points led the nation, and defenseman Brittny Ralph, who would serve as the Bulldogs' captain. In the 1999-2000 season, Duluth would lose just once to the Gophers in their first five meetings, which included a 2-0 Bulldogs victory in the final of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association tournament.

Season by season results

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties

Records as of January 19, 2010
Year Wins Losses Ties Coach Postseason
2009-10  17 3 4 Brad Frost
2008-09 32 5 3 Brad Frost NCAA Frozen Four
2007-08 27 7 4 Brad Frost NCAA Regionals
2006-07 23 12 1 Laura Halldorson
Laura Halldorson
Laura Halldorson was a coach for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. She played for the Princeton Tigers women's ice hockey program with Patty Kazmaier. In addition, she played with Cindy Curley and Lauren Apollo on the earliest U.S...

 
Second, WCHA Tournament
2005-06 29 11 1 Laura Halldorson NCAA Frozen Four
2004-05 36 2 2 Laura Halldorson NCAA Champions
2003-04 30 4 2 Laura Halldorson NCAA Champions
2002-03 27 8 1 Laura Halldorson NCAA Frozen Four
2001-02 28 4 6 Laura Halldorson WCHA Champions, NCAA Frozen Four
2000-01 23 9 2 Laura Halldorson WCHA Champions
1999-00 32 6 1 Laura Halldorson First*
1998-99 29 4 3 Laura Halldorson Third*
1997-98 21 7 3 Laura Halldorson
Laura Halldorson
Laura Halldorson was a coach for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. She played for the Princeton Tigers women's ice hockey program with Patty Kazmaier. In addition, she played with Cindy Curley and Lauren Apollo on the earliest U.S...

 
Fourth*
  • AWCHA Tournament from 1999–2000; NCAA took over the national tournament in 2001. From 2001 through 2004, the tournament consisted of a Final Four. The tournament expanded to eight teams in 2005.

Arenas

The Golden Gophers have called two ice rinks home. From their 1997-1998 season to their 2001-2002 season the Golden Gophers shared their home ice with the men’s team at Mariucci Arena
Mariucci Arena
Mariucci Arena is the home arena for the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team of the University of Minnesota. The arena is located on the Minneapolis campus and seats approximately 10,000 fans...

. Then in the 2002-2003 season, the Golden Gophers received a rink of their own: Ridder Arena
Ridder Arena
Ridder Arena is the ice rink of the women's hockey team at the University of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are the only collegiate women's hockey team to have an arena built for them. The arena was opened in 2002. The arena seats about 3,400 people; included in that total are the occupants of about...

. Ridder Arena is the first and (to date) only arena to be dedicated to a women’s hockey team.

Individual Seasonal Records

Best Plus/Minus Record in a Season: +74

Krissy Wendell
Krissy Wendell
Krissy Wendell is an American women's ice hockey player. During the 2004-05 season, Krissy Wendell set an NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. After graduating from Minnesota, she had the career record for most shorthanded goals in a career with 16...

 2004-2005

Most Goals in a Season: 49

Nadine Muzerall 1999-2000

Most Assists in a Season: 72

Natalie Darwitz 2004-2005

Most Points in a Season: 114

Natalie Darwitz 2004-2005

Current roster

Number Name Position Height Class Hometown
2 Kelly Seeler Defence 5-6 Senior Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 54,901 people, 20,457 households, and 14,579 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 21,026 housing units at an average density of 649.2 per square mile...

3 Samantha Downey Forward 5-9 Junior Silver Bay, Minnesota
Silver Bay, Minnesota
Silver Bay is a city in Lake County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,887 at the 2010 census. The city was founded on May 1, 1954 after previously being known as the Beaver Bay housing project...

4 Sarah Erickson Forward 5-6 Senior Roseau, Minnesota
Roseau, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,756 people, 1,157 households, and 713 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,153.6 people per square mile . There were 1,229 housing units at an average density of 514.4 per square mile...

5 Rachael Ramsey Defence Freshman Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen is a city in Carver and Hennepin counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 22,952 at the 2010 census....

6 Katie Frischmann Defence 5-5 Junior Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...

7 Mira Jalosuo Defense 6-0 Junior Lieksa
Lieksa
Lieksa is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...

8 Amanda Kessel Forward 5-6 Sophmore Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....

9 Sarah Davis Forward 5-4 Sophmore Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador
Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador
Paradise is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The town is a part of the St. John's Metropolitan Area. The town borders the City of St. John's, the City of Mount Pearl, the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's, and the town of Conception Bay South...

10 Terry Kelly Forward 5-6 Sophmore Whitby, Ontario
Whitby, Ontario
Whitby is a town in Durham Region. Whitby is located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and is home to the headquarters of Durham Region...

11 Becky Kortum Forward 5-7 Junior Minnetonka, Minnesota
Minnetonka, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,301 people, 21,393 households, and 14,097 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,893.0 persons per square mile . There were 22,228 housing units at an average density of 818.9 per square mile...

12 Ashley Stenerson Forward 5-5 Sophmore Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....

15 Rachael Bona Forward 5-5 Freshman Coon Rapids, Minnesota
Coon Rapids, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 61,627 people, 22,578 households, and 16,572 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,718.1 people per square mile . There were 22,828 housing units at an average density of 1,007.2 per square mile...

16 Rachael Brausen Forward 5-5 Sophomore Little Canada, Minnesota
Little Canada, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,771 people, 4,375 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,445.8 people per square mile . There were 4,471 housing units at an average density of 1,119.1 per square mile...

17 Emily West Forward 5-5 Senior Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

18 Nikki Lidwigson Forward 5-7 Senior Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...

19 Megan Bozek Defence 5-9 Junior Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Buffalo Grove is an affluent village located in the northern suburbs of Chicago, and in Cook and Lake counties in Illinois, United States. The town was named for Buffalo Creek, which was itself named for bison bones found in the area....

20 Meghan Lorence Forward 5-7 Freshman Mounds View, Minnesota
Mounds View, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,738 people, 5,018 households, and 3,387 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,096.6 people per square mile . There were 5,130 housing units at an average density of 1,247.1 per square mile...

22 Anne Schieper Defence 5-10 Senior St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County...

24 Jen Schoullis Forward 5-9 Senior Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...

27 Baylee Gillanders Defence 5-11 Sophmore Kyle, Saskatchewan
28 Stephanie Anderson Forward 5-9 Freshman North St. Paul, Minnesota
North St. Paul, Minnesota
North St. Paul is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, east of the city of Saint Paul. The population was 11,460 at the 2010 census.North St. Paul is a distinct city, and not a neighborhood of nearby St. Paul...

31 Shyler Sletta Goaltender 5-5 Freshman Elko New Market, Minnesota
Elko New Market, Minnesota
Elko New Market is a city in Scott County in the U.S. state of Minnesota from a merger of bordering cities Elko and New Market in 2006. The population was 4,110 at the 2010 census....

33 Alyssa Groogan Goaltender 5-6 Junior Eagan, Minnesota
Eagan, Minnesota
Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...

41 Noora Räty
Noora Räty
Noora Räty is a member of the Finland women's national ice hockey team and also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers .-Playing career:...

 
Goaltender 5-5 Junior Espoo
Espoo
Espoo is the second largest city and municipality in Finland. The population of the city of Espoo is . It is part of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area along with the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, and Kauniainen. Espoo shares its eastern border with Helsinki and Vantaa, while enclosing Kauniainen....


Scoring leaders

  • As of 2009
    Name Years Games Goals Assists Points
    Natalie Darwitz 2002-05 99 102 144 246
    Krissy Wendell
    Krissy Wendell
    Krissy Wendell is an American women's ice hockey player. During the 2004-05 season, Krissy Wendell set an NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. After graduating from Minnesota, she had the career record for most shorthanded goals in a career with 16...

    2002-05 101 106 131 237
    Nadine Muzerall 1997-01 129 139 96 235
    Kelly Stephens 2001-05 148 97 121 218
    Gigi Marvin 2005-09 152 87 108 195
    Ronda Curtin 1999-03 147 60 107 167
    Laura Slominski 1998-02 146 65 96 161
    LaToya Clarke 2001-04 140 67 92 159
    Bobbi Ross 2004-08 152 75 77 152

NCAA record holders

  • Natalie Darwitz, NCAA leader, 2004-05 season, Points per game, 2.85
  • Natalie Darwitz, NCAA leader, 2004-05 season, Assists per game, 1.80
  • Jody Horak, NCAA leader, 2004-05 season, Goalie winning percentage, .893

Captains

Season Captains
1997-98 Julie Otto, Kris Scholz
1998-99 Amber Hegland, Kris Scholz
1999-00 Shannon Kennedy, Kris Scholz
2000-01 Tracy Engstrom, Kris Scholz
2001-02 Tracy Engstrom, Laura Slominski
2002-03 Ronda Curtin, Kelsey Bills, Winny Brodt
2003-04 Kelsey Bills, La Toya Clarke
2004-05 Kelly Stephens, Krissy Wendell
2005-06 Andrea Nichols, Chelsey Brodt, Bobbi Ross
2006-07 Andrea Nichols, Bobbi Ross
2007-08 Bobbi Ross, Whitney Graft
2008-09 Melanie Gagnon, Gigi Marvin
2009-10
2009–10 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey team
The 2009–10 Minnesota Golden Gophers women's hockey team represented the University of Minnesota in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's hockey season. The Golden Gophers were coached by Brad Frost and played their home games at Ridder Arena...

 
Michelle Maunu
2010-11

2006 U.S. Olympic Team

  • Natalie Darwitz
  • Courtney Kennedy
  • Kelly Stephens
  • Lyndsay Wall
  • Krissy Wendell
    Krissy Wendell
    Krissy Wendell is an American women's ice hockey player. During the 2004-05 season, Krissy Wendell set an NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. After graduating from Minnesota, she had the career record for most shorthanded goals in a career with 16...

     (2006 Team U.S.A. Captain)

2010 U.S. Olympic Team

  • Natalie Darwitz
  • Rachel Drazan
  • Joeclyne Lamoureux
  • Monique Lamoureux
  • Gigi Marvin

National

  • 2000 – American Women's College Hockey Alliance championship
  • 2004 – NCAA championship
    NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship
    The annual NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship tournaments determine the top women's ice hockey teams in NCAA Division I and Division III. Women's ice hockey does not have a Division II classification. Under NCAA rules, Division II schools are allowed to compete as Division I members in sports...

  • 2005 – NCAA championship

Conference

  • 2001
  • 2002
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2009

All Americans

Year Player Team
1998 Nadine Muzerall (2nd team, Women’s Hockey News)
1998 Brittny Ralph (2nd team, Women’s Hockey News)
1999 Courtney Kennedy (2nd team, AWCHA)
1999 Nadine Muzerall (2nd team, AWCHA)
1999 Jenny Schmidgall  (2nd team, AWCHA)
2001 Courtney Kennedy (1st team, JOFA)
2002 Ronda Curtin (1st team, JOFA)
2003 Ronda Curtin (1st team, JOFA)
2003 Natalie Darwitz (1st team, JOFA)
2003 Krissy Wendell (2nd team, JOFA)
2004 Krissy Wendell (1st team, JOFA)
2004 Natalie Darwitz (2nd team, JOFA)
2005 Natalie Darwitz (1st team CCM)
2005 Lyndsay Wall (1st team CCM)
2005 Krissy Wendell (1st team CCM)
2005 Jody Horak (2nd team CCM)
2008 Gigi Marvin  (2nd team, RBK HOCKEY/AHCA)
2009 Melanie Gagnon (2nd team, RBK HOCKEY/AHCA))
2009 Monique Lamoureux
Monique Lamoureux
Monique Lamoureux is an American ice hockey forward. She was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics as was her twin sister Jocelyne, where they captured a silver medal with team USA...

 
(2nd team, RBK HOCKEY/AHCA)
2010 Noora Raty
Noora Räty
Noora Räty is a member of the Finland women's national ice hockey team and also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers .-Playing career:...

 
(1st team, RBK HOCKEY/AHCA)
2010 Anne Schleper (1st team, RBK HOCKEY/AHCA)
2011 Noora Raty (2nd team, RBK HOCKEY/AHCA)

All-WCHA teams

Year Player Team
2000 Winny Brodt First-Team All-WCHA
2000 Nadine Muzerall First-Team All-WCHA
2000 Nadine Muzerall First-Team All-WCHA
2000 Courtney Kennedy Second-Team All-WCHA
2000 Crystal Nicholas Second-Team All-WCHA
2000 Laura Slominski Second-Team All-WCHA
2000 Ambria Thomas Second-Team All-WCHA
2001 Courtney Kennedy First-Team All-WCHA
2001 Erica Killewald First-Team All-WCHA
2001 Ambria Thomas Second-Team All-WCHA
2001 LaToya Clarke Second-Team All-WCHA
2002 Ronda Curtin First-Team All-WCHA
2002 Jody Horak First-Team All-WCHA
2002 Kelly Stephens Second-Team All-WCHA
2003 Ronda Curtin First-Team All-WCHA
2003 Natalie Darwitz First-Team All-WCHA
2003 Jody Horak First-Team All-WCHA
2003 Krissy Wendell Second-Team All-WCHA
2004 Natalie Darwitz First-Team All-WCHA
2004 Krissy Wendell First-Team All-WCHA
2005 Natalie Darwitz First-Team All-WCHA
2005 Lyndsay Wall First-Team All-WCHA
2005 Krissy Wendell First-Team All-WCHA
2005 Kelly Stephens Second-Team All-WCHA
2005 Jody Horak Second-Team All-WCHA
2006 Erica McKenzie First-Team All-WCHA
2006 Gigi Marvin Third-Team All-WCHA
2007 Gigi Marvin First-Team All-WCHA
2007 Bobbi Ross Third-Team All-WCHA
2007 Melanie Gagnon Third-Team All-WCHA
2008 Gigi Marvin First-Team All-WCHA
2008 Rachael Drazan First-Team All-WCHA
2008 Erica McKenzie Second-Team All-WCHA
2008 Anya MIller Second-Team All-WCHA
2008 Bobbi Ross Third-Team All-WCHA
2008 Melanie Gagnon Third-Team All-WCHA
2009 Melanie Gagnon First-Team All-WCHA
2009 Jocelyne Lamoureux First-Team All-WCHA
2009 Monique Lamoureux First-Team All-WCHA
2009 Rachel Drazan Third-Team All-WCHA
2009 Gigi Marvin Third-Team All-WCHA
2009 Anne Schleper Third-Team All-WCHA
2010 Noora Raty First-Team All-WCHA
2010 Anne Schleper First-Team All-WCHA
2010 Emily West First-Team All-WCHA
2011 Noora Raty First-Team All-WCHA
2011 Anne Schleper First-Team All-WCHA
2011 Megan Bozek Third-Team All-WCHA
2011 Amanda Kessel
Amanda Kessel
Amanda Kessel is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.-Playing career:...

 
Third-Team All-WCHA

WCHA Defensive Player of the Year

Year Player
2000 Winny Brodt
2001 Courtney Kennedy
2002 Ronda Curtin
2003 Ronda Curtin
2009 Melanie Gagnon
2010 Anne Schleper

WCHA All-Rookie Team

Year Player
2003 Natalie Darwitz
Natalie Darwitz
Natalie Darwitz is an American ice hockey player. Natalie has been the Captain of the US Women's National Team since the start of the 2007-08 season...

2003 Krissy Wendell
Krissy Wendell
Krissy Wendell is an American women's ice hockey player. During the 2004-05 season, Krissy Wendell set an NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in one season with 7. After graduating from Minnesota, she had the career record for most shorthanded goals in a career with 16...

2005 Bobbi Ross
2006 Gigi Marvin
2006 Melanie Gagnon
2006 Kim Hanlon
2007 Michelle Maunu
2008 Jenny Lura
2009 Jocelyne Lamoureux
Jocelyne Lamoureux
Jocelyne Lamoureux is an American ice hockey forward. She was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics along with her twin sister Monique, winning a silver medal. Both sisters have dual American and Canadian citizenship...

2009 Monique Lamoureux
Monique Lamoureux
Monique Lamoureux is an American ice hockey forward. She was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics as was her twin sister Jocelyne, where they captured a silver medal with team USA...

2009 Anne Schleper
2010 Noora Raty
Noora Räty
Noora Räty is a member of the Finland women's national ice hockey team and also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers .-Playing career:...

2011 Baylee Gillanders
2011 Amanda Kessel
2011 Kelly Terry

Kazmaier Award Finalists

Year Player Rank
1998 Nadine Muzerall (Top 11)
2000 Winny Brodt (Top Ten)
2001 Courtney Kennedy (Top Three)
2001 Nadine Muzerall (Top Ten)
2002 Ronda Curtin (Top Three)
2002 Laura Slominski (Top Ten)
2003 Natalie Darwitz (Top Ten)
2003 Krissy Wendell (Top Ten)
2004 Natalie Darwitz (Top Ten)
2004 Krissy Wendell (Top Ten)
2005 Natalie Darwitz (Top Ten)
2005 Krissy Wendell (Top Ten)
2008 Gigi Marvin  (Top Ten)
2009 Gigi Marvin (Top Ten)
2009 Monique Lamoureux (Top Ten)
2010 Noora Raty (Top Three)

Nominees

  • Anne Schleper, 2010 Patty Kazmaier Award nominee
  • Emily West, 2010 Patty Kazmaier Award nominee

USCHO honors

  • All USCHO.com First Team
    • 2005: Natalie Darwitz
    • 2005: Krissy Wendell
  • All USCHO.com Third Team
    • 2005: Lyndsay Wall
    • 2005: Jody Horak

WCHA honors

  • WCHA Goaltending champion
    • 2010: Noora Raty

  • WCHA Rookie of the Year
    • 2003: Natalie Darwitz
    • 2005: Bobbi Ross
    • 2006: Gigi Marvin
    • 2009: Monique Lamoureux
    • 2011: Amanda Kessel

  • WCHA Player of the Year
    • 2001: Courtney Kennedy
    • 2002: Ronda Curtin
    • 2004: Krissy Wendell
    • 2005: Krissy Wendell


Other

  • Kelli Blankenship, 2010 Frozen Four Skills Competition participant
  • Laura Halldorson, National Coach of the Year, 2002
  • Laura Halldorson, National Coach of the Year, 2004
  • On September 27, 2007, Erica Killewald and Nadine Muzerall were the first women’s hockey players to be inducted into the University of Minnesota’s ‘M’ Club Hall of Fame.
  • Amanda Kessel
    Amanda Kessel
    Amanda Kessel is a member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. She also plays for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey program.-Playing career:...

    , 2010 WCHA Pre-Season Rookie of the Year

Notable players

  • Ronda Curtin
  • Natalie Darwitz
  • Rachel Drazan
  • Melanie Gagnon
  • Gigi Marvin

  • Nadine Muzerall
  • Kelly Stephens
  • Ambria Thomas
  • Lyndsay Wall
  • Krissy Wendell


Erica Killewald

Erica Killewald ranks first in career saves (2,385) and shutouts (21), second in wins (73) and sixth in goals-against average (1.88). She also owns four of the top seven winningest seasons for a goaltender. Killewald will be remembered as the winning goaltender for the first ever women’s hockey game at Minnesota. She led Minnesota to an 8-0 win over Augsburg in front of a record crowd at Mariucci Arena on Nov. 2, 1997.

After an 18-win freshman season that saw her finish tied for second in the nation with five shutouts, Killewald led the Golden Gophers to a third-place finish at the 1999 AWCHA National Championship. During that sophomore season, Killewald held opponents to two or fewer goals in 23 of 26 starts and led nation in goals against average (1.24) and save percentage (.947). She would be named the Golden Gophers most improved and most valuable player.

At the 2000 AWCHA National Championship, Killewald stopped 74 of 78 shots in the tournament, and earned most valuable player honors. On the season, she posted a 17-6-1 record, including an 8-0-1 mark in 10 games during the tram’s 21-game unbeaten streak. In a 2-2 tie at archrival Minnesota Duluth, Killewald made 51 saves to set a school record.

Killewald wrapped up her collegiate career in 2000-01 as part of the Golden Gophers first ever WCHA Regular Season Championship. On the season, Kilewald accumulated a 19-8-2 record. She would lead the WCHA in goals-against average (2.12) and save percentage (.914) to earn First Team All-WCHA honors.

During her overall career at Minnesota, Killewald compiled a 73-23-9 career record. Kilewald was also a member of the WCHA All-Academic Team. She would graduate with a degree in kinesiology and is currently a radiologic technologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Nadine Muzerall

Nadine Muzerall is Minnesota’s all time leader with 139 career goals, including a record 40 power-play goals. She was a member of the inaugural team of University of Minnesota women’s hockey. In her freshman season, she had a 32-goal, 32-assist performance to earn Women’s Hockey News Second Team All-American, Patty Kazmaier Award Finalist and team most valuable player accolades.

During her 1998-99 sophomore season, Muzerall was named a Second Team AWCHA All-American, and was part of the third-place finish at the 1999 AWCHA National Championship. She compiled totals of 30 goals, 18 assists and 48 points. Her numbers ranked in the top 20 nationally in seven offensive categories.

Muzerall scored the game-winning goal in the 2000 national championship win over Brown (Minnesota would win 4-2) and earned all-tournament honors with three goals and an assist in two games. For the season, Muzerall scored 49 goals, 28 assists and 77 points. Her 49 goals led the nation, power-play goals (16), power-play points (27) and game-winning goals (9). Her 49 goals sit atop the Minnesota season record book. In a 10-0 win over Bemidji State, Muzerall set school records with five goals and seven points. During the season, Muzerall went on a 20-game point streak, earned First Team All-WCHA and Minnesota team most valuable player honors.

Muzerall finished her collegiate career in 2000-01. She was part of the first ever WCHA Regular Season Championship, with contributions of 28 goals and 18 assists. For her efforts, she was named a Patty Kazmaier Award Finalist for the second time in her career. In the Minnesota career record book, Muzerall finished her career first in goals (139), goals-per-game (1.08), power-play goals (40) and shots (726), third in points (235), fourth in plus/minus (+149), fifth in shorthanded goals (4) and sixth in assists (96). She graduated with a degree in family social science. In 2003, she became head coach of the Northfield Mount Hermon School girls’ hockey team in Gill, Massachusetts.

Golden Gophers in professional hockey

Player Team League
Winny Brodt  Minnesota Whitecaps
Minnesota Whitecaps
The Minnesota Whitecaps are a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team play its home games in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area...

 
WWHL
Western Women's Hockey League
The Western Women's Hockey League is one of two major women's hockey leagues in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States...

Andrea Nichols Minnesota Whitecaps WWHL
Allie Sanchez Minnesota Whitecaps WWHL

See also

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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