Gophers women sign two guards ready to play

Joanna Hedstrom and Stabresa McDaniel signed national letters of intent Wednesday, the Gophers women's basketball program announced.

Hedstrom, a 6-1 guard from Minnetonka, is a four-star recruit ranked No. 128 nationally by Blue Star Basketball and a three-time all-conference player. McDaniel, from Dallas Skyline, is a 5-10 guard who averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a junior.

"I think we're small right now at the guard position; we're getting a little bit bigger with this class and probably more ready-made for the Big Ten," Gophers coach Pam Borton said. "These two, we're hoping they will come in and play right away."

Gophers backup goalie hurtMichael Shibrowski, who had become the Gophers' backup goalie since freshman Adam Wilcox's October emergence, got "dinged" in practice Tuesday and will miss a few weeks, coach Don Lucia said Wednesday.

"So it's Adam's net," said Lucia, adding that while Wilcox was likely to play both games against Wisconsin this weekend anyway, he planned to split goalie time next weekend at Vermont.

"With Shibby out, now it's a foregone conclusion [Wilcox is] going to be playing every game," Lucia said.

Wilcox is 5-1-1 with a conference-best 1.58 goals-against average.

Lucia said left winger Sam Warning will miss at least the next two weekends with an undisclosed injury.

MICHAEL RUSSO

Etc.•Gophers defenseman Seth Helgeson and St. Cloud State forward Ben Hanowski are among the 20 nominees for the Senior Class Award, given annually to one player nationally with all-around credentials.

•The Gophers volleyball team signed twins Hannah and Paige Tapp of Stewartville, Minn., Tyler-Marie (Kalei) Mau of Kahaluu, Hawaii, and Katie Schau of Richland, Mich.