Gophers hockey forward Nicole Schammel named a Kazmaier Award finalist

Gophers senior Nicole Schammel was named one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award — given to the top player in Division I women's hockey, the USA Hockey Foundation announced Thursday.

Schammel, a Red Wing native, leads the WCHA with 29 assists and 41 points season. Her 29 assists rank fifth in the NCAA while her 41 points are tied for 10th.

• The No. 2 Gophers (27-4-1, 17-4-1 WCHA) play their last regular-season series of the season at Bemidji State (13-17-2, 10-10-2) this weekend, facing the Beavers at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Minnesota is second in the conference race, two points behind No. 1 Wisconsin.

The United States Golf Association announced six future sites for the U.S. Men's Amateur Championship, including Hazeltine National in Chaska in 2024. Hazeltine hosted the U.S. Amateur once before, in 2006. Current PGA Tour stars Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson and Billy Horschel were part of that field.

The announcement adds to a growing list of major events coming to Hazeltine. The KPMG Women's PGA Championship will be held there in June and the U.S. Junior Amateur next year. The 2024 US. Amateur will be the 10th USGA event held at Hazeltine.

It also hosted a pair of PGA Championships (2002, '09) and the 2016 Ryder Cup.

Gophers senior Chantal Nack won the 500-yard freestyle (4 minutes, 36.55 seconds) and set a pool record in the event on the second day of the Big Ten women's swimming and diving championships in Bloomington, Ind.

Sarah Bacon of Minnesota was the runner-up in 1-meter diving (363.95). And the Gophers' 400 medley relay, with Nack swimming the last leg, placed fourth (3:32.16), qualifying for the NCAA meet.

• The Gophers football team completed its 2023 schedule by announcing it will play host to Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 30 that season. Minnesota is 3-0 all-time vs. the Ragin' Cajuns, with home wins in 2001 and '03, and a road win in 2002.

• Minnesota United named St. Paul native Justin Sutherland its culinary consultant at Allianz Field. He is head of operations for the Madison Restaurant Group, which operates eight restaurants in St. Paul and one, Pearl and the Thief, in Stillwater.

• St. Olaf women's soccer coach Rachael Sushner accepted a similar position at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Her Oles teams were 27-21-4 in the three seasons Sushner coached in Northfield.