University of Minnesota 2005-06 Women's Hockey Outlook
The University of Minnesota women's hockey roster looks a little different than a year ago. With the loss of some key seniors and four players heading to the 2006 Winter Olympics, the Golden Gophers look like a different team.
Although it's a different look, the 2005-06 edition is out to prove that it's not a rebuilding year, but an opportunity to add on to the championship tradition of the past. With the WCHA Playoff Championship and the NCAA Frozen Four on their home ice, the Gophers are determined to make yet another run at a national championship.
"We lost a tremendous amount of talent from last year's championship team," head coach Laura Halldorson said. "Not only did we graduate a strong group of seniors, but three underclassmen were also selected to the U.S. National Team. However, with the depth we have in our returning group of players, combined with another strong class of freshmen, we still have high expectations."
In order for the Gophers to be successful, the coaching staff will look for strong leadership. The Gophers will look to their captains and the senior class as well. Junior forward Andrea Nichols will take over the role as team captain, while senior defenseman Chelsey Brodt and sophomore forward Bobbi Ross will serve as assistant captains. A team-oriented group, these three have the ability to lead both on and off the ice as well.
"Having Andrea as our captain and Chelsey and Bobbi as assistant captains provides a great combination of personalities and talents," Halldorson said. "They all bring something special to the table."
Goaltenders: The Maroon and Gold lost All-American goalie Jody Horak as well as a steady backup Brenda Reinen. However, Halldorson feels confident that the position will be in good hands with senior transfer Natalie Lammé, and freshmen Brittony Chartier and Kim Hanlon.
Although she did not compete last year, Lammé is no stranger to the WCHA play. Lammé, who transferred from Ohio State, played in 12 games for the Buckeyes. In her sophomore campaign, Lammé held a 2.90 goals-against average and .885 save percentage. Chartier comes to Minnesota after playing two years with the Oval X-Treme. In 13 games with the Oval in 2004-05, Chartier earned a 0.31 GAA and a .967 save percentage and she also helped the Canadian Under-22 team earn gold medals at the 2004 and the 2005 Air Canada Cup in Germany. Known for her size and skill level, Chartier is sure to bring a high level of experience between the pipes.
Although Hanlon is a freshman, she has a little familiarity to the Gopher program, having been a high school teammate of current Gopher Krista Johnson and former Gopher Horak. Hanlon played at Blaine HS and was an all-state selection her senior season and all-conference three times. A top-five finalist for the Let's Play Hockey Senior Goaltender of the Year award, Hanlon finished her prep career with a 61-21-4 record and 1.92 career GAA.
Defensemen: Minnesota's strongest and deepest position will be the blueliners. The Gophers have five returnees, of which four are seniors, and add two freshmen to the mix. Ashley Albrecht returns for her final year with the Maroon and Gold, after producing 4-12-16 and earning a +36 plus/minus rating in 2004-05. Of her four goals, two were game-winners and one came against Harvard in the national championship game.
Like Albrecht, Chelsey Brodt returns for her fourth year. She finished the '04-05 season with five goals and 13 assists and held a plus/minus rating of +32. Albrecht and Brodt were both selected to compete on the WCHA All-Star Team this fall and both possess good puck-handling skills and strong skating abilities.
Also returning is senior Allie Sanchez, a physical defenseman who had 2-8-10 last season with a +37 plus/minus mark.
Anya Miller (2-5-7) is back for her second season after being paired with Olympian Lyndsay Wall a season ago.She held a plus/minus rating of +23, and set up two goals during the WCHA Championship.
Minnesota's most versatile players this season will be senior Krista Johnson (32 gp, 1-2-3) and junior Maggie Souba (35 gp). Both may see action at both forward and defense. Souba scored her first career goal in a 5-1 win over SCSU (2/5), which was also the game-winner. Souba tallied four points as a sophomore.
The Gophers also welcome Melanie Gagnon and Dagney Willey to the blueline. Gagnon played with the Oval X-Treme in 2003-04 and '04-05, helping them earn back-to-back Western Women's Hockey League championships, and is a three-year member of the Canadian Hockey Under-22 team. A teammate of Chartier, Gagnon helped the Under-22 team win the 2004 and 2005 Air Canada Cup. Willey spent her senior year of high school playing with the Minnesota Whitecaps and practicing with the Osseo boys varsity team.
"We will definitely be the most experienced at the defense position with seniors Brodt, Albrecht, and Sanchez," Halldorson said. "Those veterans will be very valuable this season."
Forwards: The hardest positions to fill will be at forward. With the loss of Olympians Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell as well Kelly Stephens to graduation, the Gophers hope others will be able to step up.
Minnesota's leading returning scorer is sophomore Bobbi Ross. As a freshman, Ross was on the nation's top power-play unit, scoring 10 PPGs and assisting on 10. A hard-nosed competitor in front of the net, Ross (15-18-33) was the WCHA Rookie of the Year and led the league in rookie scoring. Ross was also named the WCHA Rookie of the Week twice. In the post-season, Ross scored five points, including two goals against Providence in the NCAA Regional. A good decision maker with the puck, Ross was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and was also named to the WCHA All-Star Team that faced the U.S. National Team.
Also returning at forward is sophomore Erica McKenzie, who netted 12 goals and nine assists in her first season. In her first collegiate game, she notched two goals to earn the WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. She ranked fifth in WCHA rookie scoring and held a plus/minus rating of +10. McKenzie will be looked upon to make a significant impact by using her speed and puck-handling abilities to score goals.
Andrea Nichols is back for her junior season and has a different role then the first two years. Nichols, voted by her peers as the captain, scored 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points. Although a small forward standing at 5-2, Nichols is one of the hardest working players on the team and proved that she's a clutch player with three PPGs, two SHGs, and two game-winning tallies.
Also returning are Becky Wacker, Liz Palkie, Jenelle Philipczyk and Whitney Graft. Despite battling a knee injury a majority of the season, Wacker (5-7-12) played in 36 games. Wacker started the scoring rally for the Gophers in the NCAA Regional, scoring the first goal against Providence on a breakaway, and also set up her linemate Philipczyk in a national semifinal against Dartmouth. Philipczyk saw action in all 40 games, netting 2-4-6. Palkie saw action in all 40 games and scored 3-5-8. Voted by her teammates as Most Improved Player, Palkie scored a goal in the WCHA Playoff Championship and had an assist in the national semifinal game. Graft played in 28 games as a rookie.
Minnesota has three freshmen that hopefully can contribute early. For the fourth straight season, the Gophers have the Let's Play Hockey Ms. Hockey award winner in Gigi Marvin, who finished her high school career with 425 points, fifth in Minnesota state high school history. In her senior season, Marvin tallied 112 points.
Also entering as freshmen are Lindsay Block and Marley Wournell. Block played with Chaska HS and was an all-state honoree her sophomore and junior seasons. Wournell played with the British Columbia Outback last year, leading all scorers with 11-19-30 and led the Outback to the 2004 AAA Provincial Championship. "The fact that we will be hosting both the WCHA Championship and the NCAA Frozen Four says a lot about the administration, the support staff and the facilities here at the University of Minnesota," Halldorson said.
"We're honored to bring those great women's hockey events to our campus."
--- by Michelle Traen
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