Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey

The Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s ice hockey team plays for the University of Minnesota at the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. The team is one of the members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in Division I. The Golden Gophers have won six NCAA Championships as well as an American Women's College Hockey Alliance Championship. In the WCHA, they have also been regular season champions 8 times and tournament champions 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, drawing 6,854 fans for the first Minnesota women's hockey game on November 2, 1997. The team also holds the distinction of having the longest winning streak in women's or men's college hockey at 62 games from February 17, 2012 to November 17, 2013, winning back-to-back NCAA titles during the stretch.

In 2004–2005, Minnesota also won back-to-back NCAA Championships. Natalie Darwitz 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. Minnesota Gophers women's hockey players have won the Patty Kazmaier Award twice (Krissy Wendell [2005] and Amanda Kessel [2013]), as well as having all three finalists in 2013.

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 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 2007–08 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, with the season's record ending 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. Frost then coached the Gophers into back-to-back NCAA Frozen Four championships in 2012 & 2013, which were encompassed in their 62-game winning streak. 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. Nadine Muzerall, a Canadian who graduated from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire, 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.

In 2009–10, Noora Räty was just the second freshman to be a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. Räty led the NCAA in several goaltending categories. She led 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 was 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.

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. The Golden Gophers moved into Ridder Arena in the 2002–2003 season, a facility dedicated solely to a women’s hockey team, and named for team benefactors Robert Ridder and Kathleen Ridder.

National

 * 2000 – American Women's College Hockey Alliance championship
 * 2004 – NCAA championship
 * 2005 – NCAA championship
 * 2012 – NCAA championship
 * 2013 – NCAA championship
 * 2015 – NCAA championship
 * 2016 – NCAA championship

Conference
Western Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Regular Season Champions
 * 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015

Western Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Tournament Champions
 * 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018

Individual seasonal records
Best Plus/Minus Record in a Season: +77

Hannah Brandt 2012–2013

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

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
 * Noora Räty, NCAA leader, Career Wins, 114

Olympians

 * The following Gophers players have participated in Olympic Women's hockey.

2002 U.S. Olympic Team

 * Natalie Darwitz
 * Courtney Kennedy
 * Lyndsay Wall
 * Krissy Wendell

2006 U.S. Olympic Team

 * Natalie Darwitz
 * Courtney Kennedy
 * Kelly Stephens
 * Lyndsay Wall
 * Krissy Wendell (2006 Team U.S.A. Captain)

2010 U.S. Olympic Team

 * Natalie Darwitz
 * Gigi Marvin

2014 U.S. Olympic Team

 * Megan Bozek
 * Amanda Kessel
 * Gigi Marvin
 * Anne Schleper
 * Lee Stecklein

2018 U.S. Olympic Team

 * Hannah Brandt
 * Dani Cameranesi
 * Amanda Kessel
 * Gigi Marvin
 * Kelly Pannek
 * Lee Stecklein

2006 Finnish Olympic Team

 * Noora Räty

2010 Finnish Olympic Team

 * Noora Räty

2014 Finnish Olympic Team

 * Noora Räty
 * Mira Jalosuo

2018 Finnish Olympic Team

 * Noora Räty
 * Mira Jalosuo

Kazmaier Award

 * Krissy Wendell, 2005
 * Amanda Kessel, 2013

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
 * 2006: Erica McKenzie

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
 * 2013: Hannah Brandt
 * 2014: Dani Cameranesi
 * 2016: Sarah Potomak
 * WCHA Player of the Year
 * 2001: Courtney Kennedy
 * 2002: Ronda Curtin
 * 2004: Krissy Wendell
 * 2005: Krissy Wendell
 * 2013: Amanda Kessel
 * 2014: Hannah Brandt
 * 2015: Hannah Brandt
 * WCHA Scoring champion
 * 2013: Amanda Kessel
 * 2014: Hannah Brandt
 * 2015: Hannah Brandt

Other

 * Kelli Blankenship, 2010 Frozen Four Skills Competition participant
 * Megan Bozek, 2011–12 Minnesota Golden Gophers Female Athlete of the Year
 * 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, 2010 WCHA Pre-Season Rookie of the Year
 * Sarah Potomak, 2016 WCHA Rookie of the Year honors
 * Anne Schleper, 2012 Big Ten Medal of Honor

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 second in career saves (2,385) and shutouts (22), third 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 graduated 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), and third in points (235). 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. Muzerall served as assistant coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers women's hockey team from 2010–2016 and then became head coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes women's hockey team starting with the 2016–17 season.