Women's Hockey 2023-24 Season -- Part 2: The Regular Season



"Profiling as a puck-moving defender who cites Quinn Hughes and Duncan Keith as her role models, Primerano held her own through the Giants' [men's hockey team] four-day camp in Ladner, B.C., earlier this month. The proceedings wrapped up with the annual Legends Cup Game on Sept. 2, where the 5-foot-8 lefty tallied a goal and an assist to help Team Howe demolish Team Quinn by a score of 14-2.

Now in Grade 11, Primerano plans to play NCAA hockey in two years' time. And while the U.S. college administrative body does categorize Canadian major junior as a professional league, it also treats men's and women's ice hockey as separate sports. Women can try out and play for men's pro teams and maintain their NCAA eligibility as long as they do not receive compensation beyond necessary expenses....

As for Primerano, she's back at the Rink Hockey Academy in Kelowna, for her second season with their U-18 prep team. Last year, turning 16 in January in her first-ever season of playing against girls, she led her team in goals (20) and points (48) and was the top-scoring defender in the 12-team Canadian Sport School Hockey League's U-18 women's division."


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Another top player coming is forward Kendra Distad of Minnetonka High School (hometown Burnsville). She plays for Team USA U18 team.

 

National Signing Day today:

Kendra Distad:

Ayla Puppe:
 


Kate Kosobud signed:




Carly Humphrey signed:


 


Big win for St Thomas. They did in fact beat Minnesota State tonight.


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Gophers are off this week.

Minnesota's Abbey Murphy is playing with Team USA in the Rivalries Series against Team Canada.

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USA won the first game 3-1. Murphy had an assist. Former Gophers great Taylor Heise had a score.



 






Big 2-game series coming up this weekend in Duluth at Amsoil Arena. UMD is consistently one of the best teams in the NCAA. The Minnesota-UMD rivalry goes back a long time.

In the offseason the Bulldogs lost their elite goaltender Emma Soderberg to graduation. Freshman Ève Gason has been impressive in that role.




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Goaltender Hannah Clark signs with Minnesota.

Minnesota traditionally has been a non-Canadian team with plenty of Team USA players. Coach Brad Frost now has a couple top Canadians coming. They are great additions.


 





Half the top 10 teams in the NCAA are WCHA teams, in the latest poll.

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In other action, #2 Ohio State is leading #1 Wisconsin. Jennifer Gardner with two goals. Hadley Hartmetz with two assists.

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Bulldogs with a breakaway. Denied by Skylar Vetter.

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The non-call penalties against Abbey Murphy continue. Many times this season.

Murphy steals the puck. Looks like a prime opportunity.

Taken down with a trip. Yet again, no call. Yet again Gophers get the power play but wait they don't because not called.

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It has not been called that same way for the Gophers. It's not "that's how they're calling the game." It's one-sided and again and again Gophers Abbey Murphy.
 

Gophers take the lead on an Abbey Murphy cannon slap shot!

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Minnesota far outshooting UMD. Terrific goaltending by UMD's Ève Gason to limit the score to 0-1 Gophers leading.

Wisconsin falls to Ohio State.

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"Analysis: It's going to be a tough task to unseat reigning section champion Minnetonka... led by its 10 (yes, 10) Division I commits in Kendra Distad (Minnesota), Lindzi Avar (Cornell), Lauren Mack (Providence), Ruby Rauk (Quinnipiac), Bella Finnegan (Harvard), Lauren Goldsworthy (Minnesota State), Senja Leeper (Bemidji State) and Ellie Zakrajsheck (Minnesota Duluth) with netminders Layla Hemp (Minnesota) and Ashlyn Hazlett (Bemidji State)."


 

The lines for today's game two against UMD.

Notice the first line defender on the left side Taylor Stewart. She scored the game winning goal yesterday. Stewart was a good transfer portal pick up for Minnesota in the offseason. Prior to that she played for UMD, a strong defense team.

Gophers continue to rotate goaltenders. Lucy Morgan will start in nets.

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Shorthanded goal for Gophers. Abbey Murphy again! She gets her own rebound for the score.

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Gophers take a 2-0 lead against UMD. Ella Huber scored earlier.
 


Two other big games in the WCHA.

#2 Ohio State sweeps #1 Wisconsin.

#10 St Cloud beats St Thomas. St Thomas last week beat Minnesota State but failed to beat #10 St Cloud. St Thomas is supposedly moving up, so that in a measure stick of progress so far along that journey. St Cloud also is a good team this season.

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#3 Colgate this weekend beat Princeton and then Quinnipiac.

#7 St Lawrence is a surprise this season, beating Yale on Friday and Brown on Saturday.

Yale is in full freefall, losing to St Lawrence on Friday and Clarkson on Saturday.
 
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Gophers continue to hold the #4 spot after sweeping UMD this weekend.

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Ohio State moved to #1 after sweeping Wisconsin.

As an FYI, here are the rankings for Division III hockey.

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Gophers this weekend travel to play scandal-plagued Harvard. Last season the long-time coach resigned after the Boston Globe and The Athletic reported hazing and alleged abuses by the coach.

New coach Laura Bellamy is from Minnesota. She played for Harvard.


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Harvard at one time was an Eastern power, playing in four NCAA championship games. Currently, Harvard is last in the ECAC conference.

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It's good these things end up in the public debate, to clarify what is expected and unacceptable.




Harvard will be back one day better than ever.
 






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