Get to Know the 2018-19 Minnesota Women’s Hockey Roster
Get to know the 2018-19 Minnesota Women’s Hockey Team with this quick intro to each player!
Introduction
The Minnesota Women’s Hockey Team is set to embark on another season of big things. After winning the National Championship in 2017, the team looks to continue their domination of the sport. This year’s team is full of fresh new talent, as well as some returners who are sure to make a big impact. Get to know the 2018-19 Minnesota Women’s Hockey Roster below.
Forwards
-Sophia Shaver: A junior from Edina, Minnesota, Sophia is one of the team’s most experienced and decorated players. She was named a First Team All-American and was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award last season. Sophia is a dynamic player who can take over a game at any moment. She will be one of the leaders on this year’s team and will be counted on to produce offensively.
-Grace Zumwinkle: A sophomore from Exeland, Wisconsin, Grace had a breakout freshman season in 2017-18. She tallied 27 points in 40 games and was named to the All-WCHA Rookie Team. Grace is an excellent two-way player and has a nose for the net. She will look to build off her strong freshman campaign and be even more productive this season.
-Emily Brown: A senior from Burnsville, Minnesota, Emily is one of the most physical players on the team. She uses her 6’0″ frame to her advantage and isn’t afraid to get dirty in front of the net. Emily isn’t known for her scoring touch, but she plays an important role on both ends of the ice. She will be counted on to provide leadership and stability for this year’s squad.
Defensemen
-Jinni Muelleck: A senior from Cottage Grove Minnesota, Jinni is one of the most experienced players on the team. She has been a key part of the defensive core for the past three seasons and has been named an All-WCHA Defenseman twice in her career. Jinni is a shutdown defender who is not afraid to put her body on the line. She will be counted on to provide leadership and stability on the blue line this season.
-Lee Stecklein: A senior from Roseville, Minnesota, Lee is one of the most decorated players in program history. She has been named an All-American three times in her career and was a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award last season. Lee is an excellent two-way defenseman who can contribute offensively as well as play well defensively. She will be counted on to anchor this year’s defense and help lead the way back to another National Championship appearance
Forwards
-Sydney Baldwin, Senior (Edina, Minn.)
Baldwin is a three-time letterwinner and two-time All-WCHA Academic Team member that has skated in 107 career games, tallying 19 points (3g-16a) during her time with the Gophers. The senior captain is coming off of her best statistical season to date, finishing second among Minnesota defensemen in points (9) and assists (7), while adding two goals. Baldwin has tallied at least one point in each of the last three seasons and has skated in all 37 games in each of the last two years.
-Taylor Williamson, Junior (Coral Springs Fla.)
Williamson is a two-time letterwinner that has played in 97 games during her first three seasons with the Gophers, collecting 31 points (11g-20a). The junior forward set or tied career highs across the board last season, scoring nine goals and adding 12 assists for 21 points. Williamson had a breakout offensive performance as a freshman in 2016-17 when she tallied 11 goals and 20 points, which was second among Gophers rookies that season.
Defensemen
The Gophers have six returning defensemen who saw significant time on the blue line last season. All three seniors – Mira Jalosuo, Lee Stecklein, and Sidney McKee – were key members of Minnesota’s top-ranked defense that only allowed 1.29 goals per game They will be looked to once again be leaders on and off the ice, providing a steadying influence for a young group of blueliners.
Among the returning sophomores, Abby Baker was fourth among Gopher defenders with 15 points last season. She had a strong rookie campaign, appearing in all 38 games and tallying nine power-play points. Lundstedt appeared in 37 games as a freshman and provided a spark offensively, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists. Katie Robinson also made an impact as a freshman, appearing in 30 games and chipping in two goals and three assists.
The Gophers will also have two new defensemen joining the team this season. Emily Brown was captain of the U.S. Under-18 national team that won gold at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship She is a big, strong defenseman who is difficult to beat one-on-one and has a good offensive upside. Maddie Rolfes comes to Minnesota from Andover High School where she helped lead her team to back-to-back State Championships She is an excellent skater with good vision and playmaking ability.
Goaltenders
This season, the Minnesota women’s Hockey team has three goaltenders on its roster. All three are eligible to play in games and will see time in the net throughout the season.
Sophomore Sidney Peters is the returning starter in net for the Gophers. She had a strong freshman season, posting a .943 save percentage and 1.48 goals-against average in 34 games played Peters was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year and was a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the nation’s top player
Redshirt senior Alexis Nixon will back up Peters this season. Nixon has appeared in eight career games, including four starts, and has a .909 save percentage and 2.20 goals-against average. She will look to provide experienced depth in net for Minnesota.
The third goaltender on the roster is freshman Alex Gulstene, who comes to Minnesota from Eau Claire Wisconsin. Gulstene was a member of Team USA’s Under-18 squad that won gold at the 2017 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship She compiled a .946 save percentage and 0.67 goals-against average in six Games Played at that tournament.
Coaches
The 18-19 season will mark Head Coach Brad Frost’s seventh year at the helm of the Minnesota Women’s Hockey Program Under his leadership, the Gophers have won three NCAA National Championships (2013, 2015, 2016), six Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference championships (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19) and have made seven NCAA Frozen Four appearances (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). In 2017-18, Frost was named the WCHA Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
Schedule
The 2018-19 Minnesota Women’s Hockey Schedule has been announced, and it looks to be another tough season for the Golden Gophers They will face off against some of the best teams in the country, including defending National Champion Wisconsin.
The schedule includes 28 games, with 18 of those being played in conference. The Gophers will start the season on September 28 with an exhibition game against Alberta before beginning their regular season on October 5 at St. Cloud State
Some tough non-conference games include a trip to Boston College on November 9 and 10, and a home-and-home series with North Dakota on December 7 and 8.
In conference, the Gophers will once again faceoff against rival Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota Duluth Bemidji State and St. Cloud State They will also travel to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami (Ohio) for two games in late January.
The complete schedule can be found here: http://www.gophersports.com/schedule.aspx?path=whockey
Results
The Gophers started the season with a 5-3 loss to No. 2 Wisconsin, but they rallied to defeat the Badgers 4-2 the next day. results
The Gophers then swept No. 8 Bemidji State winning 5-2 and 3-2 in overtime.
In their first game of the year against a non-conference opponent, the Gophers trounced Mercyhurst 10-1.
Standings
The Gophers currently sit atop the WCHA standings with a conference record of 12-3-1 and an overall record of 22-4-1. They are four points ahead of second-place Wisconsin and have two games in hand on the Badgers. Minnesota is coming off a series split with Bemidji State in which they won 5-2 on Friday Night before losing 3-2 in overtime on Saturday afternoon.
Statistics
The 2018-19 Minnesota women’s hockey team is made up of 26 student-athletes, including 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. The roster features 12 Olympians, eight of whom have won medals. Eighteen Gophers hail from Minnesota, four from Wisconsin, two from Massachusetts and one each from Michigan, North Dakota Illinois, New Hampshire and Rhode Island The team has an average height of 5-7 and an average weight of 155 pounds.
Media
The Minnesota women’s hockey team has released its 2018-19 roster. Get to know the 21 student-athletes who will be representing the Gophers this season:
Alex Gulstene (Fr., G, Crystal, Minn.) comes to Minnesota from Eden Prairie high school where she was named a finalist for the Ms. Hockey Award in 2018 after leading the Eagles to the Class 2A state championship game. She also played for Team USA at the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship winning a silver medal.
Sidney Peters (Sr., G, Duluth, Minn.) is a three-time All-American and was named the WCHA Goaltending Champion in 2017-18 after posting a .941 save percentage in conference play She has also represented Team USA at two IIHF Women’s World Championships (2015, 2016).
Destiny Pitts (So., F, Farmington Hills, Mich.) was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-Big Ten selection after leading Minnesota with 19 goals as a freshman in 2017-18. She was also named to the United States’ roster for the 2018 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship but did not compete due to injury.
