MHM 2018 Oct-digital
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COLLEGE HOCKEY PRIMER<br />
WCHA WOMENS PRIMER:<br />
BADGERS DIG IN<br />
WISCONSIN WON LAST YEAR’S REGULAR SEASON TITLE — CAN THE BADGERS REPEAT?<br />
Above, Minnesota goaltender Sydney Scobee is back to<br />
help lead the Gophers into a new WCHA season.<br />
Photo courtesy of Jim Rosvold, Gopher Athletics<br />
At left, St. Cloud State<br />
goaltender Janine Alder.<br />
Photo by Maddie MacFarlane<br />
Above, Bemidji State University’s Emily Bergland tangles<br />
with a Clarkson player.<br />
Photo courtesy of BSU Photo Services<br />
by Dustin Nelson<br />
Minnesota Hockey<br />
Magazine presents<br />
capsules on the<br />
WCHA women’s programs for the <strong>2018</strong>-<br />
19 season.<br />
Bemidji State<br />
uuCOACH: Jim Scanlan, 5th season<br />
uuLAST SEASON: 16-19-3, 5th in the WCHA (9-13-2-1,<br />
30 points)<br />
uuKEY LOSSES: Six seniors graduated, including<br />
goaltender Erin Deters (12 starts, .916 save<br />
percentage) and Alexis Joyce and Emma Teres, who<br />
ranked fourth and fifth on the team in scoring last<br />
year.<br />
uuKEY RETURNEES: Haley Mack and Emily Bergland,<br />
who tied Terres for the team lead at 11 goals, return.<br />
As do veteran defenders Melissa Hunt and Briana<br />
Jorde. However, one of the biggest impacts is<br />
expected from sophomore Clair DeGeorge, who<br />
spent part of the summer playing with the U.S.<br />
Women’s U22 team, where she made her presence<br />
felt against Canada with the opening goal in the<br />
final game of the three-game series<br />
uuTOP NEWCOMERS: Five freshmen step onto the<br />
team, including Lexi Cheveldayoff and Ellie Moser,<br />
who have both previously received camp invites<br />
from USA Hockey.<br />
uuOUTLOOK: It’s a young team and a program that<br />
continues to be on the verge of making noise in<br />
the conference. They’re easily the favorite among<br />
the bottom tier in the conference, which includes<br />
Minnesota State and St. Cloud. It’ll be an uphill<br />
battle for the Beavers, but there’s no doubt there’s<br />
talent on this team. The top of their lineup will be<br />
sturdy defensively and has offensive threats that<br />
could turn a game.<br />
Minnesota<br />
uuCOACH: Brad Frost, 12th season<br />
uuLAST SEASON: 24-11-3, 3rd in the WCHA (13-8-3-0,<br />
42 points), won the WCHA Final Face-Off, earning a<br />
berth in the national tournament where they were<br />
shutout by Wisconsin in the first round.<br />
uuKEY LOSSES: The Gophers lost four seniors,<br />
but they were significant losses. Captain Sydney<br />
Baldwin and starting goaltender Sidney Peters both<br />
graduated. Add in seniors Cara Piazza, and Caitlin<br />
Reilly, the team lost 30 goals and 50 assists between<br />
the three graduating skaters.<br />
uuKEY RETURNEES: The big story isn’t the return of<br />
impact forwards like Grace Zumwinkle and Nicole<br />
Schammel, who led the team with 17 goals each<br />
last year. It’s the return of Olympic gold medalist<br />
Kelly Pannek, as well as Sarah and Amy Potomak<br />
who spent part of last season centralized with the<br />
Canadian national team. Those are three major<br />
offensive threats. In her junior season, Pannek led<br />
the nation in points.<br />
uuTOP NEWCOMERS: As ever, the Gopher rookies<br />
are impressive. Seven freshmen join the program,<br />
including Amy Potomak; Taylor Heise, who led the<br />
U.S. U22 team over the summer with two goals<br />
and three points; and Grace Ostertag and Catie<br />
Skaja, who have both spent time with the national<br />
team. Another big add is junior goaltender Sydney<br />
Scobee, who transferred from the University of<br />
Vermont where she faced plenty of stiff competition<br />
in Hockey East.<br />
uuOUTLOOK: It should surprise no one that the<br />
Gophers are one of the nation’s most formidable<br />
rosters. The defense might not be as strong as<br />
past years, but it should be solid. The only real<br />
question mark is in net. Sophomore Alex Gulstene<br />
Continued on next page<br />
OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong> MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE MINNESOTA HOCKEY MAGAZINE OCTOBER <strong>2018</strong><br />
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