Goals for a Goal – Gophers extend season scoring total to 73
Following a high-scoring weekend sweep, the Gopher Women's Hockey team has lit the lamp 73 times this season, with eleven (11) of those coming on the power play!
We continue requesting your help to convert those goals into donations back to the GWH program through the Goals for a Goal program. Register a pledge for every goal scored by the Gophers all the way through the playoffs, with the option to double your pledge for power play conversions. Pledges can be submitted electronically through the online form at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal. Following the conclusion of the season, you will receive an email with your pledge total and giving instructions.
Support the Gophers by joining the Power Play Club!!
The Power Play Club is the official booster club of the Gopher Women’s Hockey (GWH) program. As a member, you have the opportunity to experience women’s hockey on a more personal level as you develop friendships with other fans. Membership in the club provides financial support as our best fundraising vehicle for the team, and encourages the players and coaching staff in their quest for academic and athletic excellence. Membership is open at two levels...
Our Locker Sponsor level posts each sponsor's name on a player's or coach's locker, and donors will have an opportunity to meet with their respective player(s)/coach at our event in January (with pictures and a team meal). A minimum $1,000 donation (per locker) is required. If you are interested, either as a renewing or new Locker Sponsor, please contact Bob Milligan at milligandanes@gmail.com as soon as possible but please wait to submit your donation as specific instructions for doing so will be sent to you.
The Basic Membership level requires a minimum donation of $125, which includes up to two adults and any children at same address. Online registration is preferred at z.umn.edu/PPC25; click the "Make A Gift" button on that page and follow the instructions. Offline registration is also available by downloading the form here and sending it in to the listed address, with a check payable to the "University of Minnesota".
Looking ahead – Skate with the Gophers, December 6
The annual Skate with the Gophers event is scheduled for Saturday, December 6, following the home game against St. Thomas at Ridder Arena. Puck drop for the contest is set for 2 p.m. This year's skate is a paid, ticketed event; tickets can be purchased here for $8 apiece, and note that a separate ticket to the game (available for purchase here) and a completed participation waiver for ice access are also required. There are two sessions, with player autographs for those not skating at the time. We look forward to seeing you at the game!!
#2 Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-2-0, 8-2-0-0 WCHA)
vs. Minnesota State Univ. Mavericks (6-7-1, 2-7-1-1 WCHA)
Friday, November 21 at 6:00 p.m. – Ridder Arena
Saturday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m. – Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center – Mankato
The Gopher Women's Hockey team wraps up the November portion of its 2025-2026 schedule with a home-and-home WCHA series against the Minnesota State University Mavericks. Action begins at Ridder Arena this Friday, November 21 at 6 p.m. before both squads head to Mankato for the rematch at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center on Saturday, November 22 at 2 p.m.
Game coverage –
Saturday's game televised on FOX9+ (channel finder)
Video streaming through the B1G+ subscription service – Friday / Saturday
Free audio play-by-play on GopherSports.com – Friday / Saturday
Last year against Minnesota State – The Gophers swept the four-game regular-season series against the Mavericks. Meeting in October, the Maroon & Gold took the opener 8-2 at Ridder Arena, then came from behind to defeat MSU 3-2 in overtime in Mankato. In their next series in January, the Gophers won 8-3 in Minneapolis before completing the weekend sweep with a 5-2 road victory. However, a matchup in the first round of the WCHA conference playoffs at Ridder required three games; the Gophers won Game 1 by a 6-1 score, but MSU outlasted Minnesota with a 5-4 double-overtime victory in Game 2. But the Gophers took the decider, 6-2, to end the Mavericks' season.
Abbey Murphy led Minnesota in all three scoring categories across the seven games, netting 7 goals and dishing out 11 assists for 18 points. Four other Gophers also hit double-digit points: Josefin Bouveng lit the lamp 5 times and tallied 8 assists, Ella Huber added 4 goals & 8 assists, Peyton Hemp tallied 6 goals and 5 assists, and Chloe Primerano dished out 9 helpers while scoring once herself. Additionally, Emma Kreisz had the top single-game performance, recording 2 goals and 3 assists in the playoff opener. JuliAnna Gazdik was Minnesota State's top scorer thanks to 7 assists plus one goal of her own, while Jamie Nelson tallied 2 goals & 5 assists, Madison Mashuga added 2 goals & 3 assists, and Alexis Paddington lit the lamp 3 times. Mashuga netted the game-winning goal in Minnesota State's playoff game victory.
Between the pipes, Skylar Vetter earned the first win in Mankato, stopping 13 of 15 shots, but Hannah Clark went 5-1 in the other six contests, making 142 saves with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Olivia King also made her final collegiate appearance for the Gophers, stopping 5 shots in just over five minutes of the playoff decider. MSU's Hailey Hansen started six of the games as well, making 191 saves but yielding 34 goals for a 5.65 GAA and .849 SV%, Jessie McPherson stopped 42 of 47 shots in one start and one relief appearance for a 3.80 GAA and an .894 SV%, and Suzette Faucher stopped 6 shots in the final period of the decider.
Analyzing the Mavericks – Minnesota State has finished sixth in the WCHA regular-season standings each of the last three seasons; they sit tied for 5th so far this year with a 2-7-1-1 (0-1 in OT) league record. Non-conference sweeps of Rensselaer on the road and Lindenwood at home have them 6-7-1 overall.
Only one of MSU's top six scorers last season is back with the Mavericks this year; senior Taylor Otremba (#24) is currently tied for second on the squad with 8 points on 2 goals and 6 assists. Junior defender Lauren Zawoyski (#17), who entered this season with only 6 career points (1g, 5a) over her first two years, is currently leading Minnesota State with 10 points on a goal and 9 helpers. Sophomore and former Gopher Ayla Puppe (#16) is tied with Otremba, recording 4 goals & 4 assists, and the quartet of junior Kamryn Van Batavia (#9), freshman Mercury Bischoff (#14), sophomore Lauren Goldsworthy (#4), and freshman Zoe Lopez (#10) have each also lit the lamp 4 times.
After leading the Mavericks with a 10-14-1 record and 3 shutouts last year, junior Hailey Hansen (#33) is again their top netminder; she's 4-7-1 in 12 starts this season with another 3 shutouts, a 3.07 goals-against average, and a .907 save percentage. Freshman Kaydence Roeske (#31) has won both of her starts (against Lindenwood and Bemidji State), stopping a combined 43 of 45 shots for a 1.00 GAA and .956 SV%. Senior Avery Stilwell (#1) remains MSU's third goalie; she made only her third career appearance – and first since November 2021 – entering in relief against Wisconsin, stopping 10 of 14 shots in two periods of action.
Last weekend: MSU swept at Ohio State – Facing the #3-ranked Buckeyes on the road, Minnesota State fell 5-2 and 7-3. Sara Swiderski led OSU with 6 points on a goal and 5 assists, and Hilda Svensson (2g, 3a) & Sanni Vanhanen (1g, 4a) each posted 5 points. Kamryn Van Batavia lit the lamp twice, once in each game, for the Mavericks, Lauren Zawoyski added a goal and an assist, and Hailey Hansen made a combined 79 saves.
Gophers win Field Trip Day game, complete sweep of Beavers
Outshooting Bemidji State by a combined 119-22, the Gopher Women's Hockey team won their Field Trip Day game at 3M Arena on Friday, 6-2, and followed it up with a 9-2 victory Saturday at Ridder Arena to complete the series sweep.
The Beavers got on the board first when a Gopher turnover led to Morgan Smith lighting the lamp just 14 seconds into Friday's contest. Minnesota knotted the score on an Emma Kreisz goal later in the first period, then took the lead when Sydney Morrow found the back of the net short-handed in the second stanza. That said, BSU's Isa Goettl scored on a 5-on-3 power play to send the game to the second intermission tied again, 2-2. But Ava Lindsay put the Gophers ahead again 5:26 into the third period, and Jamie Nelson, Josefin Bouveng (short-handed), and Abbey Murphy also scored. Hannah Clark made 10 saves for the win, while Bemidji State's Kaitlin Groess stopped 50 shots.
Kreisz tallied the first Gopher goal again Saturday, Chloe Primerano doubled the lead less than 2 minutes later, and Tereza Plosová pushed the advantage to 3-0 before the first intermission. Bella Fanale scored on a second-period power play, but BSU's Maddie Kaiser lit the lamp and Smith netted her second goal of the weekend to make it 4-2. However, Nelson also netted her second goal of the series, Fanale tallied her second of the game, Lindsay and Morrow each found the back of the net again, and freshman Sydney Bailey recorded her first collegiate goal. Layla Hemp earned the win, needing only 8 saves; Ava Hills started the game for the Beavers and made 49 saves before Groess entered in relief and stopped 5 shots.
Dishing out 4 assists, Murphy led Minnesota in total scoring with 5 points. A quintet of Gophers – Fanale (2g, 2a), Kreisz (2g, 2a), Lindsay (2g, 2a), Bouveng (1g, 3a), and Madison Kaiser (4a) – each recorded four points.
Minnesota announces signings of six 2026-2027 freshmen
Coach Brad Frost and Gopher Women's Hockey announced Monday the signings of six players to become the members of the team's freshman class of 2026-2027:
Sloane Hartmetz (Defense / Phoenixville, PA / Shattuck-St. Mary's)
Maddie McCullough (Forward / Newmarket, Ont. / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins)
Adrianna Milani (Forward / Oakville, Ont. / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins)
Rachel Piggott (Forward / Richmond Hill, Ont. / Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins)
Payton Rolli (Goaltender / Warroad, MN / Warroad High School)
Katya Sander (Defense / Chanhassen, MN / Holy Family Catholic)
We pass along our warmest greetings, and we look forward to seeing Sloane, Maddie, Adrianna, Rachel, Payton & Katya wearing the Maroon and Gold next fall!!
Around the WCHA...
Badgers win Friday at St. Cloud, Huskies earn tie Saturday – Caroline Harvey tallied two goals and an assist, Kirsten Simms added a goal & 2 assists, and Ava McNaughton stopped 18 of 19 shots as Wisconsin defeated St. Cloud State 5-1 in the series opener at the National Hockey Center. However, the Huskies rallied from 3-1 and 4-3 down on Saturday to earn a 4-4 tie against the top-ranked Badgers; Simms recorded another goal & an assist and Kelly Gorbatenko put Wisconsin in the lead on a power play with 5:41 left in regulation, but Maria Mikaelyan lit the lamp twice for SCSU, including the game-tying power-play conversion with 3:46 to go in the third. McNaughton stopped another 34 shots for the Badgers, while Emilia Kyrkkö made 52 saves for the Huskies. Wisconsin won the shootout, 2-1, on Laney Potter's 7th-round goal to earn the bonus standings point.
Bulldogs earn road sweep of Tommies – Ève Gascon stopped 33 of 34 shots and Grace Sadura netted the eventual game-winning goal as Minnesota Duluth earned a 3-1 road victory over St. Thomas on Friday. Gascon made another 35 saves, Sadura tallied her second goal of the series, and Madison Burr scored the game-winner as UMD prevailed 4-2 on Saturday for the weekend sweep. Ella Boerger and Ellah Hause each recorded a goal & an assist for UST in Saturday's contest, and Julia Minotti made a combined 49 saves in the series.
Upcoming games – This weekend features a full slate of conference action. St. Thomas and Wisconsin get things started with a Thursday-Friday series in Madison, Bemidji State hosts St. Cloud State for a pair of matinee games Friday & Saturday, and Ohio State visits Minnesota Duluth for a Friday-Saturday matchup.
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