Leading portal scorer Sarah Paul of Princeton to the Gophers per Instagram. Listed as one year of eligibility but could well be two.
Caught me unaware. A friend had mentioned the name when she went in the portal thinking she’d be a good pickup, but I don’t think he was expecting anything. British Columbia has been good to the program.
Something cooking with a “D”?
Emma Conner to Boston College
Worth noting that Murphy did re-up her White Sox NIL deal. Coming back for one more kick at the can?
The Gophers reached into the great state of Connecticut and got a RHD for the second straight offseason. Molly Jordan, formerly of BC, comes in. Two years of eligibility.
The Gophers reached into the great state of Connecticut and got a RHD for the second straight offseason. Molly Jordan, formerly of BC, comes in. Two years of eligibility.
https://collegehockeyinc.com/women/players/career/2872
This is the “D” I was speculating about in my previous post. She played in two World U18 tournaments for the U.S. Played a couple years of prep school hockey at Loomis Chaffee in Connecticut before her senior year in the BK Selects program.
From “The Hockey News”: “Minnesota Golden Gophers Loading Up”
As the roster currently stands, 10 Minnesotans on the team and 15 from out of state, 10 of those from outside the US. It really is a different time.
Krista Parkkonen to the portal
Lauren O'Hara to the portal
I think I counted 7 players going into the portal from just this and previous page alone.
What the heck? I mean if most of them are lower tier ok to a point, but it would feel less damning if this were a program competing with the teams battling for titles.
I think I counted 7 players going into the portal from just this and previous page alone.
What the heck? I mean if most of them are lower tier ok to a point, but it would feel less damning if this were a program competing with the teams battling for titles.
The situations are as follows:
-Klepinger didn't play
-Kosobud was in and out of the lineup
-Vetter is graduating, got the unexpected year of eligibility after being injured, no room for her in net
-Puppe played fourth-line minutes and probably wanted more ice time
-Conner I think was on track to graduate this year, likely wanted a different situation
-Parkkonen actually played, but on this loaded defense would likely have been on the third pairing again
-O'Hara a similar situation to Puppe
But there is to me a sense that the coaching staff believes "What we're doing now isn't working" and is trying to overhaul the roster entirely. That's all I can figure.
I'm sorry. I understand that we're frustrated with the inability to consistently beat OSU/WisconSIN the last few years, but saying we're not competing with them is a bit too far. This past season, Gophers beat OSU twice, and WisconSIN was one of only two teams they played that they didn't beat at least once (Lost to PSU in the only game played).I think I counted 7 players going into the portal from just this and previous page alone.
What the heck? I mean if most of them are lower tier ok to a point, but it would feel less damning if this were a program competing with the teams battling for titles.
They've missed the NCAA tournament twice. Ever. 2007 and 2021. They've made the Frozen 4 three of the last six tournaments (including 2021 when they didn't make the tournament at all. Of course if I go back to before 2020, it just gets silly, the only Frozen 4 they weren't in was 2007 when they missed the tournament, although 2002-04 were only 4 team tournaments, which they were in) Won the WCHA regular season in 2022, and WCHA tournament in 2023, and 2nd in the WCHA tournament this year, losing to Wisconsin which was almost certainly the best team in Women's college hockey since the Gophers had their perfect season.
Saying they're not competing with teams battling for titles is quite the stretch.
Steven I'm well aware of their overall success, but I am saying the past few seasons I don't think anyone predicted them as a favorite both in the conference and nationally, and overall I think they're a full step behind at present.
Given the state of Women's hockey, "conference and nationally" are pretty much the same thing for most of the past two-plus decades for teams in the WCHA. They made the conference title game against the best team in over a decade, beating OSU to do so. Won the conference playoff title two years ago, regular season the year before that, and there are only two teams they've had any sort of problems with in recent history, OSU (who they went 2-2-1 against this year, with a loss in stupid human tricks, so as even as can be) and WisconSIN (as much as it pains me to say, the best Women's team in a decade). That's at MOST a half-step behind.Steven I'm well aware of their overall success, but I am saying the past few seasons I don't think anyone predicted them as a favorite both in the conference and nationally, and overall I think they're a full step behind at present.
Well one person who appears to be feeling some heat is Frost. I'm not sure if the transfers are player-driven or coach-driven (probably a mix), but you don't turn this much over if you think you're doing things mostly the right way.
I’m not sure if it’s Frosty feeling heat or that Coach May is more driven then other recent staff, but at least trying to win seems to be more of a goal.
Are any of the transfers they are losing anything but depth players other than Vetter, who most likely would have been the #2 goalie next year?
Looking down from my High Horse
Morality Police
Are any of the transfers they are losing anything but depth players other than Vetter, who most likely would have been the #2 goalie next year?
No. And they traded them for one of BC's best defender, Princeton's third top scorer, and one of Mankato's best forwards.
Welcome to the new world of college athletics.
Are any of the transfers they are losing anything but depth players other than Vetter, who most likely would have been the #2 goalie next year?
Parkkonen played. Given the goalie situation (i.e. rather having one goalie for three years and one goalie for four than risking one of them transferring for a one-year goalie coming off injury) I understand that move less than I do with Vetter.
Parkkonen to Duluth.
Someone on one of the Youth Hockey Hub pods said they heard Murphy might transfer to Ohio State for her final year, which would have been a disaster for the program by every conceivable measure, but the portal is now closed and Murphy never entered, so it looks like that was just a rumor.
Still TBD on her final decision. I guess it's the reverse of most decisions in that the less we hear, the better the chances are that she's back.
A friend is telling me Lauren O’Hara to Vermont
Burlington is a great city.