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Are the Gopher Women Growing Girls Hockey?

By Aaron Paitich, Touchpoint Media, 03/26/13, 11:15AM CDT

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The Gopher women’s hockey team capped off an historic season on Sunday, beating Boston University 6-3 for their second-consecutive NCAA National Championship and extending their NCAA-record winning streak to a stunning 49 games. They completed the perfect 41-0-0 season.

Is their unprecedented success and star talent impacting girls’ youth hockey in Minnesota? Absolutely.

The excitement and engagement with the program and its local community is at an all-time high. Ridder Arena was sold out for the Frozen Four and attendance numbers have steadily risen all year.

Gophers head coach Brad Frost has been thrilled to see the kids show up to the rink.

“Our main fan base is these young girls and their parents and those youth teams,” said Frost, a former girls’ assistant coach at Eagan High School. “I can’t talk enough about just how exciting it’s been to see Ridder Arena packed here over the last few months.”

He hopes his team’s success and involvement with the community will inspire more youngsters to try hockey.

“It’s huge for girls’ hockey in the area but I think nationally as well,” added Frost. “It’s great for our program to put on a show for these girls and to run a practice for them or a Skate with the Gophers or sign autographs for them. It’s a really neat thing.”

Former Gophers captain and 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Captain Natalie Darwitz believes it will send girls’ hockey to new heights.

“There is no doubt the Gophers’ unbelievable winning streak and success this season has brought attention and excitement to the sport. It has been long overdue,” says Darwitz, who is now the head coach for the Lakeville South girls’ team. “This will only start to attract little girls to grab a stick and want to play hockey. It also provides female role models for young hockey players to look up to and aspire to play like them.”

Girls’ hockey in Minnesota has made massive strides. Twenty years ago, there were less than 1,000 registered girls’ hockey players in Minnesota. There are now more than 12,000 and that number is rising. Over the past 10 years alone, participation has risen by 50 percent.

“It is exciting to witness the success of the Gopher women's hockey team,” said Dave Margenau, president of Minnesota Hockey. “Minnesota leads the nation in the number of girls and women playing hockey and every year those numbers continue to grow. With the notoriety of the accomplishments of the Gopher women's team, we expect that more and more girls will want to join in on the fun of playing hockey.”

Growth in numbers has also contributed to a higher level of play. Games today are faster, passes are crisper and shots are harder. More and more girls from Minnesota are also developing into special players, as evidenced by the Gopher women’s roster, which includes 10 natives.

The 2012 Ms. Hockey award winner and product of the White Bear Lake Area Hockey Association Hannah Brandt was named the WCHA's 2013 Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-WCHA First Team. She scored an incredible 81 points in her freshman campaign.

Sophomore Rachael Bona, a Coon Rapids product, scored 32 points. Irondale star Meghan Lorence finished with 23. Roseville’s Bethany Brausen tallied 18 points, including an assist on the overtime game-winning goalie against Boston College in Friday’s semifinals. Senior Becky Kortum, a star at Hopkins, notched 32 points.

Rachel Ramsey and Milica McMillen are two of the top young blueliners in the nation. Both scored big goals in the championship game on Sunday. Lee Stecklein of Roseville finished with 12 points. Jordyn Burns of Chanhassen and Sam Downey of Silver Bay also played important roles on the record-setting squad.

While the current excitement surrounding the Gophers and girls’ hockey in Minnesota is great, there is still plenty of work to do to elevate the game. Spread the word to your friends, family and community. Start planning your association’s recruiting and retention activities for the upcoming year.

Playing girls’ hockey in Minnesota is a great way to grow up!

What is your association doing to grow girls’ and women’s hockey? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter!

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