MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team will kick off the second half of the 2024-25 season with three games over four days. The Gophers currently hold a 13-4-1 (9-4-1 WCHA) record heading into their return to the ice.
The Maroon & Gold will open up the New Year with a matchup against Bemidji State (3-14-1, 2-12-0 WCHA) in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Face-Off Classic. Puck drop is set for Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. CT at Hasse Arena in Lakeville, Minn. The game will be broadcast on Eagan TV and streamed live on B1G+.
Minnesota will then host the East/West Showcase at Ridder Arena, taking on Brown (8-7-1) on Friday, Jan. 3, then No. 11/12 Penn State (15-4-1) on Saturday, Jan. 4. Each game will begin at 4:30 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on B1G+.
Last Time Out The Maroon and Gold finished the first half of the season with a sweep over St. Thomas on the road. The Gophers took the first game 5-0, during which freshman goaltender Hannah Clark recorded her first career shutout. Minnesota finished the weekend with a 6-2 victory. Redshirt-senior forward Abbey Murphy earned her second WCHA Forward of the Week honor of the season after tallying eight points (3g-5a) throughout the weekend. Freshman defender Chloe Primerano clinched her first-career WCHA Defender of the Week honor after her four-point (2g-2a) series against the Tommies.
Notes on Opponents Head coach Amber Frykland and the Bemidji State Beavers are coming off a series against Minnesota State in which they went 0-2. Bemidji State holds a season record of 3-14-1 (2-12-0 WCHA). The Beavers secured their first two WCHA wins of the season in their Nov. 15-16 series against St. Thomas, sweeping the Tommies at home. Previously, Minnesota swept Bemidji State on the road during the first half of the 2024-25 season, taking down the Beavers 2-1 on Nov. 1, then 4-1 on Nov. 2.
Head coach Melanie Ruzzi and the Brown University Bears hold a 8-7-1 (4-7-1 ECAC) record on the season, and are coming off losses to Holy Cross and Rensselaer. Two of Brown's wins came against ranked opponents, as they defeated then-No. 9 Quinnipiac on Oct. 25, as well as then-No. 11/13 Princeton on Oct. 26. Minnesota last faced Brown during the 2005-2006 season, sweeping the Bears with 5-1 and 3-0 victories at Ridder Arena.
Head coach Jeff Kampersal and the No. 11/12 Penn State Nittany Lions hold a 15-4-1 (8-0-0 AHA) record on the season. Penn State finished the first half of the season with a sweep over Mercyhurst at home. The Nittany Lions are undefeated in AHA play, holding the top spot in the conference with an 8-0-0 record. Minnesota last took on Penn State in the 2022 Henderson Collegiate Hockey Showcase, defeating the Nittany Lions 5-1 to clinch a spot in the tournament title game.
Multiple Contributors The Maroon and Gold have had various players make an impact through the first half of the season. Redshirt-senior Abbey Murphy leads the team with 32 points (16g-16a). Murphy has notched at least one point in 15 out of the Gophers' 18 games, including 13 multi-point games. Following Murphy is fifth-year forward Natalie Mlynkova and senior forward Ella Huber, who have each tallied 19 points (7g-12a and 5g-14a, respectively). Junior Sydney Morrow leads Minnesota defenders with 13 points on the season (5g-8a), with three of her goals coming on the power play. Following Morrow is freshman Chloe Primerano with 11 points (3g-8a) on the season so far.
Freshman goaltender Hannah Clark holds a 9-2-1 record on the season with a .924 save percentage. Clark recorded her first career shutout in the Gophers' 5-0 victory over St. Thomas on Dec. 6.
Milestones on the Horizon The University of Minnesota women's hockey program sits at an all-time overall record of 790-180-64 and is on pace to reach the 800-win mark this season. Redshirt-senior Abbey Murphy has recorded 86 career goals and will be in pursuit of the century mark this season. Murphy tallied 16 goals through the first half of the 2024-25 season after leading the nation in goals (33) during the 2023-24 season. Senior forward Peyton Hemp holds a career goal count of 49, and will be looking to reach the 50 mark.
WCHA Weekly Honors Three Gophers have earned WCHA Weekly Awards throughout the 2024-25 season so far: forward Abbey Murphy (Nov. 18, Dec. 9), goaltender Hannah Clark (Nov. 18), and defender Chloe Primerano (Dec. 9).
Gophers in International Play Seven current and one future Gopher student-athletes represented their home countries in December's Six Nations Tournament: Peyton Hemp, Ella Huber, Sydney Morrow, and Abbey Murphy (United States); Natalie Mlynkova and Tereza Plosova (Czechia); Nelli Laitinen and Parkkonen (Finland). Hemp, Huber, Morrow, and Murphy took home the gold as the United States took down Canada 5-3 in the championship game.
Gophers in the Pros Nine Gopher women's hockey alumnae are rostered (including reserves) across four PWHL squads: Hannah Brandt and Emily Brown (Boston Fleet); Taylor Heise, Lucy Morgan, Kelly Pannek, Lee Stecklein, and Grace Zumwinkle (Minnesota Frost); Abigail Boreen (Victoire de Montréal); Olivia Knowles (New York Sirens).
Minnesota Adds Six to the 2025-26 Freshman Class Head coach Brad Frost and the Golden Gopher women's hockey program announced the addition of six incoming student-athletes to the 2025-26 signing class: defender Sydney Bailey (Rogers, Minn.), forward Sienna D'Alessandro (Pointe-Claire, Quebec), forward Bella Fanale (Webster, N.Y.), goaltender Layla Hemp (Chanhassen, Minn.), forward Avery Hovland (West Fargo, N.D.), and forward Tereza Plosova (Šimonovice, Czechia).
Quest for Eighth National Title Minnesota has won seven national championships (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016) and looks for a historic eighth title national crown in 2024-25.