Lauren Bench
{{short description|American ice hockey goaltender}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Lauren Bench
| image = Lauren Bench.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Bench with PWHL Minnesota in 2024
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|11|21}}
| birth_place = Eagan, Minnesota, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb =
| position = Goaltender
| catches = Left
| league = PWHL
| team = Minnesota Frost
| former_teams = MoDo Hockey
| played_for =
| sex = f
| ntl_team =
| career_start = 2017
| career_end =
| medaltemplates =
}}
Lauren Bench (born November 21, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She previously played for MoDo Hockey of the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). She played college ice hockey at Bemidji State and Minnesota.
Early life
Bench attended Burnsville High School in Burnsville, Minnesota, where she was a four-sport letterwinner for the Blaze, earning five varsity letters in hockey, three in softball, two in golf, and one in alpine skiing.{{cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster/lauren-bench/19741 |title=Lauren Bench |website=gophersports.com |access-date=June 13, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2020/7/9/womens-hockey-meet-the-newcomers-lauren-bench |title=Meet the Newcomers: Lauren Bench |website=gophersports.com |date=July 9, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}
College career
Bench began her collegiate career for Bemidji State during the 2017–18 season. During her redshirt freshman year, she appeared in 19 games for the Beavers and posted an 8–9–0 record, with a 2.71 goals against average (GAA) and .903 save percentage with two shutouts. During the 2018–19 season in her redshirt sophomore year, she appeared in 23 games and posted a 9–11–2 record, with a 2.51 GAA and .909 save percentage. She set Bemidji State's longest shutout streak of 165:55 after not allowing a goal in eight-consecutive periods. Following the season she was named to the All-WCHA Third Team.{{cite web |url=https://bsubeavers.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey/roster/lauren-bench/12219 |title=Lauren Bench |website=bsubeavers.com |access-date=June 13, 2024}}
During the 2019–20 season in her redshirt junior year, she started 31 games and posted a 13–16–2 record, with a 2.25 GAA and .919 save percentage. Her 13 wins tied for the third most wins in a single season in program history, while she posted the sixth best GAA and seventh best save percentage in a single season. On February 29, 2020, she set a program and WCHA single-game record with 70 saves in a game against Minnesota Duluth.{{cite news |url=https://www.startribune.com/graduate-transfer-lauren-bench-fulfilling-childhood-dream-as-gophers-goalie/573284421/ |title=Graduate transfer Lauren Bench fulfilling childhood dream as Gophers goalie |newspaper=Star Tribune |first=Rachel |last=Blount |date=December 4, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}
On April 9, 2020, Bench announced she would transfer to Minnesota to pursue a master's degree in Sport and Exercise Science. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry/biotechnology and a minor in biology from Bemidji State University.{{cite news |url=https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/sports/womens-hockey-bsu-goalie-lauren-bench-to-join-gophers-as-grad-transfer |title=WOMEN’S HOCKEY: BSU goalie Lauren Bench to join Gophers as grad transfer |newspaper=The Bemidji Pioneer |first=Austin |last=Monteith |date=April 9, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2021/2/5/womens-hockey-bench-named-to-hca-goalie-award-watch-list |title=Bench Named to HCA Goalie Award Watch List |website=gophersports.com |date=February 5, 2021 |access-date=June 13, 2024}} She finished her career at Bemidji State with a 30–36–4 record, with a 2.45 GAA, .912 save percentage and 10 shutouts. She ranked fifth in program history with 73 games played, fourth in career wins (30), fifth in career minutes played (4,266:00), third in career shutouts (10), fourth in career goals against average (2.45), tied for fourth in career save percentage (.912) and fifth in career saves (1,794).
During the 2020–21 season in her redshirt senior year, she appeared in 15 games and posted a 9–6–0 record, with a 2.26 GAA and .920 save percentage in a season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She ranked third in the WCHA in save percentage and fourth in GAA. She led the Gophers to a 3–1–0 record during the month of November. She made 126 saves on 131 shots faced and her three wins led all goaltenders nationally, while her 1.26 GAA was third in the nation, and her .962 save percentage ranked fourth. She was subsequently named the Hockey Commissioners Association national goaltender of the month and WCHA goaltender of the month for the month of November 2020.{{cite news |url=https://www.startribune.com/gophers-goalies-jack-lafontaine-lauren-bench-earn-national-monthly-honors/573281241/ |title=Gophers goalies Jack LaFontaine, Lauren Bench earn national monthly honors |newspaper=Star Tribune |first=Rachel |last=Blount |date=December 3, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2020/12/3/athletics-bench-lafontaine-sweep-national-goaltender-of-the-month-awards |title=Bench, LaFontaine Sweep National Goaltender of the Month Awards |website=gophersports.com |date=December 3, 2020 |access-date=June 13, 2024}} On June 17, 2021, Bench announced she would use her extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and return to Minnesota for the 2021–22 season.{{cite web |url=https://gophersports.com/news/2021/6/16/womens-hockey-trio-to-return-for-2021-22 |title=Trio to Return for 2021-22 |website=gophersports.com |date=June 17, 2021 |access-date=June 13, 2024}} During her fifth and final year, she appeared in 26 games and posted a 14–6–1 record, with a 1.98 GAA, .919 save percentage and three shutouts. She led the team in wins, saves (491), and shutouts and ranked fourth in the WCHA in wins and fifth in conference GAA (1.98). She finished her career tenth in Minnesota program history in saves (838) and second in program history in saves per game (22.05).
Professional career
After graduating, Bench joined MoDo Hockey of the SDHL. During the 2022–23 season, in her first professional season, she appeared in 26 games and posted a 14–12–0 record, with a 2.29 GAA and a .919 save percentage. On June 23, 2023, Bench signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Force of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/montreal-force-add-netminder-lauren-bench |title=Force Add Netminder Lauren Bench |work=The Hockey News |first=Ian |last=Kennedy |date=June 23, 2023 |access-date=June 13, 2024}} The PHF ceased operations on June 29, 2023, as a result she never played a game for the Force.{{cite web |url=https://theathletic.com/4655207/2023/06/30/premier-hockey-federation-why-mark-walter/ |title=What we know about the PHF shutdown, and more on the new pro women's hockey league |work=The Athletic |first=Hailey |last=Salvian |date=June 30, 2023 |access-date=June 13, 2024|url-access=subscription}}
On December 12, 2023, Bench signed a reserve player contract with PWHL Minnesota for the 2023–24 season, where she was the team's fourth goaltender.{{cite web |url=https://www.thepwhl.com/en/professional-womens-hockey-league-announces-final-team-rosters |title=Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Announces Final Team Rosters |website=thepwhl.com |date=December 12, 2023 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://victorypress.org/2023/12/13/pwhl-23-player-rosters-finalized-reserves-expanded/ |title=PWHL 23-Player Rosters Finalized, Reserves Expanded |website=victorypress.org |first=Zoë |last=Hayden |date=December 13, 2023 |access-date=June 13, 2024}} On February 14, 2024, she was signed to a standard player agreement contract with Minnesota.{{cite web |url=https://www.thepwhl.com/en/professional-womens-hockey-league-pwhl-announces-roster-updates-feb-14 |title=Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) Announces Roster Updates |website=thepwhl.com |date=February 14, 2024 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://thehockeynews.com/womens/pwhl/pwhl-rumblings-roster-moves-broadcasting-europeans-agents-and-more |title=v |work=The Hockey News |first=Ian |last=Kennedy |date=February 18, 2024 |access-date=June 13, 2024}} She didn't appear in a game for Minnesota during the season and won the inaugural Walter Cup.{{cite news |url=https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/bp-rubado-template-1 |title=Former Beavers Clair DeGeorge, Lauren Bench win Walter Cup with PWHL Minnesota |newspaper=The Bemidji Pioneer |first=Jared |last=Rubado |date=May 29, 2024 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}{{cite news |url=https://www.startribune.com/pwhl-minnesota-wins-walter-cup-championship-title-boston-womens-hockey/600369584/ |title=PWHL Minnesota lifts Walter Cup as league's first champion with Game 5 win over Boston |work=Star Tribune |first=Rachel |last=Blount |date=May 29, 2024 |access-date=June 13, 2024}}
Career statistics
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:75%" | |||||||||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="9" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"|Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="8" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"|Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season !! Team !! League ! GP !! W !! L !! T/OT !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% ! GP !! W !! L !! MIN !! GA !! SO !! GAA !! SV% | |||||||||||||||
| 2017–18
| WCHA | 19 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1,063 | 48 | 2 | 2.71 | .903
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2018–19 | Bemidji State University | WCHA | 23 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 1,336 | 56 | 4 | 2.51 | .909
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019–20
| Bemidji State University | WCHA | 31 | 13 | 16 | 2 | 1,863 | 70 | 4 | 2.25 | .919
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2020–21 | WCHA | 15 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 797 | 30 | 2 | 2.26 | .920
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22
| University of Minnesota | WCHA | 26 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 1,305 | 43 | 3 | 1.98 | .919
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022–23 | SDHL | 26 | 14 | 12 | 0 | 1,521 | 58 | 3 | 2.29 | .919
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 297 | 15 | 1 | 3.03 | .898 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3"|SDHL totals ! 26 !! 14 !! 12 !! 0 !! 1,521 !! 58 !! 3 !! 2.29 !! .919 ! 5 !! 2 !! 3 !! 297 !! 15 !! 1 !! 3.03 !! .898 |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats|elite=495218}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bench, Lauren}}
Category:American women's ice hockey goaltenders
Category:Bemidji State Beavers women's ice hockey players
Category:Ice hockey players from Minnesota
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers women's ice hockey players
Category:Modo Hockey (women) players
Category:Sportspeople from Eagan, Minnesota