Gophers women's hockey returns most of its core for next season

After celebrating its third NCAA championship in four years Sunday, the Gophers women's hockey team will open next season as one of the favorites to win it all again.

The Gophers will need to replace four seniors — Rachel Ramsey, a two-time first-team All-American defenseman; Rachel Bona and Meghan Lorence, who combined to score 33 goals on the second line; and backup goaltender Shyler Sletta.

But they return a plethora of talent, including Hannah Brandt, the junior who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women's Frozen Four. Besides Brandt, they return two other All-America selections — Dani Cameranesi and Lee Stecklein — and other standouts such as goaltender Amanda Leveille, defensemen Milica McMillen and Sydney Baldwin, and forwards Maryanne Menefee and Kelly Pannek.

This fall's incoming freshman class includes Edina forward Taylor Williamson, Minnesota's Ms. Hockey selection this year.

"I think I'm in the midst of something really special," coach Brad Frost said. "I don't know what's going on, but being a person of faith, I know that God's got a plan.

"We have a great administration, we have a great coaching staff, and we have unbelievable kids.

"We don't talk a lot about winning, we talk about the process, and then we end up winning three national championships in the last four years. It's kind of ironic just how that works."

Big goal for Wolfe

The Gophers recruited Megan Wolfe as a defenseman out of Eagan. She moved to forward this year but couldn't score, so Frost moved her back to defense.

In Sunday's 4-1 win over Harvard, Wolfe scored the only goal of the game's first 48 minutes and her third of the season. She stickhandled around traffic at the blue line, skated toward the left faceoff dot and sent a wrist shot into the upper-right corner with 50 seconds left in the first period.

"That was a beauty," Frost said. "It just got the momentum for us and got the crowd into it, which was big."

Harvard coach impressed

Harvard coach Katey Stone was the 2014 U.S. Olympic coach and made Brandt an early cut in June 2013. Brandt insisted this game wasn't personal for her, but she came up big.

After being held without a shot for the first two periods, she scored her 34th goal of the season to make it 2-0.

"She's a much more complete player," Stone said. "She's a better skater. I think she's probably in much better condition. The more you play in college in a good program you really learn to develop physically, as well as emotionally and mentally, and she's a three-zone player."