The defending WCHA regular-season champions find themselves nearing a changing of the guard. After a dynasty run of four national championships in five seasons, Minnesota has come up short each of the last three NCAA Tournaments.
Among the active players, only redshirt senior Sarah Potomak, who as a rookie scored the opening goal against BC in the 2016 national championship game, knows how it feels to win one.
While winning a national championship is far from the only goal Minnesota strives for each season, the Gophers expect - both internally and by fans externally - to annually contend for the title. Minnesota came close in March, finishing second after rival Wisconsin shut out the Gophers 2-0 in the 2019 national championship game.
There remains much to like about this season’s team, however, for the first time in a while, Minnesota does not have bragging rights over the team on the other side of the St. Croix. the clear second team in both the WCHA and nationally.
Can the Gophers change that? Before the start of the season, here are 10 more questions that will be answered in Minnesota’s quest for an eighth natty title.
#1: How does the team react from a runner-up finish?
Minnesota returns much of the same team that left Hamden, CT in March. Compared to the other three 2019 Frozen Four participants, none keep the same stability as the Gophers. Only Cornell lost less scoring than Minnesota’s 27.5%, however, the Big Red also need to replace its starting goaltender.
Finishing second can be a motivation for a team or a lasting result. How the Gophers respond will be one to shape where the program goes given this year' team once again is thought to be a national title contender. It’s a thought already given six months to stew, which brings up a quote from one of the few major pieces who graduated, Kelly Pannek, after the national championship loss.
“I hope that the underclassmen and the juniors take this feeling going forward because we haven’t had this feeling very much,” she said. “That’s a really fortunate thing, but it’s also a very healthy thing as well.”
#2: Speaking of Pannek, who replaces her as team leader?
Minnesota, on paper, has the talent to replace lost production (more on that later), but the impact of departing players will be felt in other ways. Kelly Pannek’s return last season to captain the team provided an immediate boost for a group who spent much of 2017-18 trying to find its identity. The 2018-19 team found its early thanks in part to the leadership of an Olympic gold medalist.
How the Gophers build its identity and who leads is something I’m looking forward to seeing.
#3: Can the Potomak sisters find consistency and stay healthy?
It speaks to Minnesota’s forward depth that neither Potomak sister finished in the top 5 of goals after each competed to make Canada’s Olympic team.
On one hand, the “Pots and Pan” line spent much of the season targeted and drawing opponents’ top D pairings. Others benefitted, such as the Nicole Schammel-Taylor Wente-Grace Zumwinkle line. The Gophers led D1 teams in scoring with 4.10 goals per game. Minnesota’s depth is one of its strengths. Teams often struggle to defend against a third or fourth scoring line.
On the other hand, both Potomak sisters had opportunities. Each averaged over 3 SOG per game while scoring on less than 10% of their shots. Amy, in particular, had the worst shooting percentage of any Gopher forward. 2018-19 felt like a lost year for Sarah based on injuries. The older Potomak missed six of Minnesota’s 10 games between late October and early December. It took her until February to score a goal in 2019.
While the “Pots and Pan” line is without its center (Wente seems to be the one given the first crack at centering the Potomak sisters), both have been shooting enough that some of those opportunities that turned into amazing saves or went off the post are bound to turn into goals. Having that and a healthy Sarah turns Minnesota’s lost production into something manageable.
#4: Does the goalie platoon continue?
Minnesota head coach Brad Frost spent much of last season with a first world problem in goal. Neither Alex Gulstene nor Sydney Scobee took the starting goaltender job because both played like one. Both finished the season with save percentages over .920% and sub-2.00 GAA.
The end result was a season-long goalie platoon (Gulstene on Friday, Scobee on Saturday) up until the Frozen Four when Gulstene started both the national semifinal and championship game. With both returning, does one finally take control of the starting job?
A wrinkle to the equation deals with two of Minnesota’s four rookies being goalies. While Olivia King was a late add, Makayla Pahl has the pedigree to be a future Minnesota starting goaltender. The Rochester, MN native has international experience and spent a season playing for the Rochester Mayo boys varsity team.
#5: Where does Madeline Wethington fit in with the rest of the Minnesota defense?
Eight seniors graduated but Frost has chosen to bring in only four players to replace them. The move can be seen as quality over quantity given Minnesota is home to WCHA preseason rookie of the year Madeline Wethington. The defender, named the 2019 Minnesota Ms. Hockey, has the pedigree to be an impact rookie on par with Lee Stecklein and Sydney Baldwin. Despite aging out of the US U-18 team before her senior year of HS, Wethington is one of the few players to win three gold medals at the event.
As much as Wethington can be seen as a future No. 1 defender, she’s also the only newcomer to Minnesota’s defense. Having that talent and returning players talented in their own right makes it interesting to see how exactly an award-winning rookie fits in her first season.
#6: Is Grace Zumwinkle the next Minnesota superstar?
Now-graduated Nicole Schammel earned a Patty Kazmaier Top 10 finalist nod for her team-leading 47 points. Schammel was certainly deserving of the honor after the season she had. Not taking anything away from Schammel, however, if I had a vote, I would have gone with her linemate, Gophers leading goal scorer Grace Zumwinkle.
All of this is to say I’m curious whether the junior forward can become the next superstar forward. The ability is there. At times last season, Zumwinkle was able to take over games. Her 25 goals tied for the second-most among returning players nationally. She had six multi-goal games. Her only stretch of three games without a point was the NCAA Tournament.
Now an upperclassman, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Zumwinkle be among the top 10 players this season if she can play at that level on a more regular basis. The difference between the elite and the best of the best is the consistency.
#7: Do any sophomores have a super season?
Along similar lines, with more opportunities, can any of last year’s rookies such as Taylor Heise, Potomak or Emily Oden take that next step that Zumwinkle did?
#8: How does Minnesota adapt to 3-on-3 OT?
2019-20 is not a rules year in NCAA hockey. However, the WCHA made one major rules change by switching the format of how the conference's bonus point gets contested. Rather than only utilizing a three-woman shootout after five minutes of five-on-five NCAA overtime, the WCHA will first have five minutes of three-on-three OT if the game continues to be tied. (For NCAA purposes, the game will be considered a tie regardless of three-on-three and shootout result.)
In theory, this should be a boost for Minnesota because, to be blunt, the Gophers have been horrible at shootouts for a team that annually boasts one of college hockey’s top offenses. Since the shootout was implemented in 2008-09, the Gophers were 12-14. However, five of those wins came before 2010. Minnesota lost its last four shootouts over the past two seasons.
#9: Where does Minnesota fit in with the rest of the WCHA?
That’s going to be the million-dollar question. Minnesota was picked to finish second. On paper, that makes sense as the Badgers continue to be the team to beat. Wisconsin keeps Kristen Campbell in goal while gaining 2018 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Daryl Watts as a transfer from Boston College.
The two teams were in a league of their own nationally for most of last season. However, the WCHA continues to get better from first to seventh.
Going beyond beating the Badgers, who lost Annie Pankowski, Emily Clark and several others, Ohio State has the makings of a top-line, D pairing, and goalie. Minnesota Duluth gets back Maddie Rooney and a sophomore class that made strides in their first year (the Bulldogs do lose Naomi Rogge for the season due to injury, though). Bemidji State is veteran-laden. Minnesota State was above .500 entering 2019 and St. Cloud State has a new head coach in Steve Macdonald after Eric Rud left to become an assistant at Miami.
#10: What are the marquee, circle your calendar games?
Minnesota’s two series against the team who beat the Gophers in the national championship game, Wisconsin, come November 2-3 in Minneapolis and January 24-25 in Madison. The second half of January, in particular, ends up being a major test as the Gophers host Ohio State (January 17-18), travel to play the Badgers and then host Minnesota Duluth (January 31-February 1).
Taking away opponents, the Gopher season ends up being full of marquee games. The second Ohio State game is outdoors at Parade Stadium as part of Hockey Day Minnesota. Minnesota, along with Wisconsin, Boston College and Harvard, travels to Nashville for a college hockey super showcase November 29-30. The Gophers face the two eastern teams. The following week sees Minnesota play Minnesota State in the US Hall of Fame Game in Prior Lake.
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