Story of the week

There are two European freshmen currently in the top-10 NCAA scoring, and to the delight of Northeastern University fans (and also me), they play for the same team.

Alina Mueller and Chloé Aurard were originally going to be our Story of the Week last week, but then the Hockey Hall of Fame finally decided to add a woman to the Selection Committee, and as I said to Nafio, “they’ll still be amazing next Wednesday.” In Northeastern’s two games against Maine over the weekend, Mueller scored two goals and an assist, and Aurard scored three goals and an assist. I was more right than I knew.

Mueller’s name is familiar to anyone who’s watched Team Switzerland in the past four years. She showed up in the NCAA already with two Olympic appearances and a bronze medal, won as a 15-year-old at Sochi. Aurard, who’s a year younger, started on France’s senior team at the same age as Mueller. Without the benefit of the Olympic stage, she’s not as well known as her teammate, but is still dripping with skill—she scored four goals and an assist in five games at last year’s Division IA Worlds to win France the gold and a ticket to top level. In fourteen NCAA games this season, Mueller has racked up 21 points and Aurard 19. They’re sixth and eighth in the country in scoring, respectively. And they’re freshmen.

We cover international hockey pretty regularly in WHW, and I’d had my eye on Mueller and Aurard from the start of the season. Watching two young European players—neither from a “hockey powerhouse” country—take the NCAA by storm is pretty exciting. Thanks to Aurard’s performance at last year’s Div IA Worlds, France and Switzerland will both be competing this spring at the top-level World Championships in Espoo, Finland. The only question is if this “dream team”, as Mueller calls them, will collect any hardware together first.

NCAA

Polls: USCHO - USA Today - The Ice Garden

Minnesota Gopher Women Beat St. Cloud State Huskies in Overtime Finish WCHA - Hockey Wilderness
In a neck and neck struggle, Minnesota finally put St. Cloud State down 4-3 in overtime with a Taylor Heise goal.

Women's hockey: Yale hands No. 3 Clarkson decisive upset | NCAA.com
Yale hands No. 3 Clarkson a decisive defeat, winning 5-1.

A preview of the 2018 Windjammer Classic - The Ice Garden
Four teams converge on Burlington, Vermont for the fourth running of the tournament.

International hockey

Four Nations Report Card: Sweden - The Ice Garden
Glimmers of hope for the Swedish team

Four Nations Report Card: Finland - The Ice Garden
When the going got tough, the tough got going.

Cassie Campbell-Pascall is the first woman to serve on the HHOF selection committee - Pension Plan Puppets
But I’m not applauding this groundbreaking appointment.

The IX: Hockey Friday with Erica Ayala, November 16, 2018
Interview with Angela James

IIHF - Japan wins five games
U18 Women’s Worlds host on fire in November break; Sweden wins Nordic series

CWHL

CWHL Recap: Toronto Furies lose close one to Calgary Inferno 3-2 - Pension Plan Puppets
Goals from Fulton and Nurse were not enough to complete the comeback.

Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight lead Les Canadiennes to sweep in Worcester - Eyes On The Prize
The two stars put up a combined 13 points in the two games.

2019 CWHL All-Star Game Jan 20, Clarkson Cup Final Mar 24 in Toronto - Pension Plan Puppets
Toronto Maple Leafs to provide the venues for the CWHL’s biggest events.

Q&A with CWHL Interim Commissioner, Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Jayna Hefford - The Ice Garden
The CWHL interim commissioner discusses her HHOF induction and the future of women’s hockey

NWHL

Buffalo Beauts split weekend doubleheader in Boston - Die By The Blade
Key win keeps team in second place

Whitecaps Lay Out Lions at Lindenwood - Hockey Wilderness
The Minnesota Whitecaps beat the Lindenwood Lions 5-2, completing the streak and extending their winning streak to 11.

What each NWHL team needs to work on - The Ice Garden
What should NWHL teams have been studying during the Four Nations break?

Kateřina Mrázová’s magic hands - The Ice Garden
The Whale may have found their next star forward

NWHL Weekend Wrap: Week Five
Four of the NWHL’s five teams returned to action this past weekend, with the Boston Pride hosting the Buffalo Beauts for a pair of games, and the Connecticut Whale visiting the Metropolitan Riveters for a matchup.

European club hockey

WHL (Russia)

Women’s Hockey Update, November 17th, 2018 | CONWAY’S RUSSIAN HOCKEY BLOG
As mentioned in the last post here, the Russian women’s national team was in Four Nations Tournament action in Switzerland a week ago, playing for the Chablais Hockey Trophy, and it went very well indeed.

SDHL (Sweden)

Modo's message about Breanne Wilson-Bennett | Aftonbladet
Modo player Breanne Wilson-Bennett went on a concussion in the meeting with AIK.

AWIHL (Australian women’s league)

Women's HockeyCanadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL)