Goals for a Goal
Thank you once again to everyone who has submitted a pledge for our Goals for a Goal pledge-per-goal program for the 2024-2025 season. Through this past weekend, the Gopher Women's Hockey team netted 139 goals, with 30 coming on the power play!! If you still wish to make a pledge, please do so online at z.umn.edu/GoalsForAGoal, where you'll also have the option to double the amount for power play tallies! All proceeds go back to the team through the Gopher Women's Hockey Enhancement Fund!
2025 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Face-off – AMSOIL Arena, Duluth
Semifinals – Friday, March 7
#1 Wisconsin (1st seed) vs. #6 MN Duluth (4th seed) – 1:02 p.m.
#3 Minnesota (3rd seed) vs. #2 Ohio State (2nd seed) – 4:32 p.m.
Championship – Saturday, March 8 at 2:02 p.m.
After nine-straight years at Ridder Arena, the WCHA Final Faceoff heads north for 2025, moving to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. However, even with the venue change, the event still features four of the top teams in the nation. Switching up the pairings from the past two years, top-ranked and top-seeded Wisconsin will face Minnesota Duluth in the first semifinal this Friday, March 7, at 1:02 p.m. The 3rd-seeded Golden Gophers will face 2nd-seeded Ohio State, playing in the second semifinal at 4:32 p.m. The winners will advance to the championship game on Saturday, March 8, at 2:02 p.m.
Tournament television/video coverage – Continuing the WCHA's partnership, all three Final Faceoff contests will have video streaming on the B1G+ subscription service (Semifinal #1 / Semifinal #2 / Championship). Additionally, all three will also be broadcast on FOX 9+ in the Twin Cities, with streaming of that station through Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, fuboTV, and YouTube TV.
Watch Party in the Twin Cities – Another option if you cannot get to Duluth is to head to the Final Faceoff Watch Party. All three games will be shown at A Bar of Their Own at 2207 E. Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis.
GWH audio coverage – Audio play-by-play with Dan Hamann will be available for Friday's semifinal between Minnesota and Ohio State on GopherSports.com. Audio will also be available for Saturday's championship should the Gophers advance.
Ticket information – Once again, all-session packages and single-session tickets are on sale through the UMD Ticketmaster site or via phone by calling the UMD Ticket Office at 218-726-8595.
Arena sections along the sides of the ice between each end's faceoff dots have been designated as reserved seating, with nearly all other sections designated as general admission.
All-session packages are $35 for reserved adult seating, $25 for reserved senior, student & youth seating, $25 for adult general admission seating, $20 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $10 per ticket for general admission groups of 10 or more.
Individual day tickets – either semifinal Friday or championship Saturday – are $20 for reserved adult seating, $15 for reserved senior, student & youth seating, $15 for adult general admission seating, $12 for general admission for seniors, students & youth, and $7 per ticket for general admission groups of 10 or more.
How they got there...
Gophers eliminate Minnesota State in three games to advance
Facing Minnesota State in the WCHA First Round for the second-straight year, Minnesota also needed a third game for the second-straight year to eliminate the Mavericks and advance to the Final Faceoff. The Gophers took Game 1 by a 6-1 score, but MSU took leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in Game 2 and held off a Gopher comeback for a 5-4 double-overtime upset to force a deciding Game 3. But the Mavericks ran out of gas as Minnesota took the series finale by a 6-2 score.
Scoring was spread throughout Minnesota's lineup as eight different Gophers lit the lamp. The second forward line accounted for 5 of the team's six goals in the series opener; Emma Kreisz posted a five-point game with 2 goals & 3 assists, Ava Lindsay netted two goals and an assist, and Peyton Hemp added a goal and two assists. Hemp added another goal and two assists on Sunday to complete a six-point weekend, but Abbey Murphy led all Gophers with 7 points on 4 goals and 3 assists. Ella Huber posted a 2-goal, 2-assist series, Lindsay added a third goal, and the trio of Krista Parkkonen, Natalie Mlynkova & Audrey Wethington each tallied a goal and an assist; Parkkonen's goal was her first as a Golden Gopher. Jamie Nelson led the Mavericks with two goals & two assists, and JuliAnna Gazdik dished out 4 helpers.
Between the pipes, Hannah Clark finished with 80 saves on 87 shots, earning both wins but taking Saturday's loss. Clark exited with 5:01 remaining in Sunday's contest as Olivia King made her first appearance since returning to the Gopher roster; King made 5 saves to wrap up the series. MSU's Hailey Hansen started all three contests, making 122 saves – including a Maverick-record 66 in Saturday's marathon, with 27 coming in overtime – but yielding all 16 Gopher goals; Suzette Faucher entered in relief for Sunday's third period, stopping 6 shots.
Ohio State finished second in the WCHA standings, only two points ahead of Minnesota, with a 19-6-3-2 (3-0 in OT) conference record plus a perfect 6-0-0 mark in non-conference play. The Buckeyes swept 7th-seeded St. Thomas in the quarterfinals, 5-1 and 4-1. Mira Jungåker tallied 2 goals & 2 assists in the opener and added an assist in Game 2 for a five-point series, and Joy Dunne matched her with two goals & three assists. Jocelyne Amos and Makenna Webster each added a goal & two helpers. Cara Sajevic (PP) and Maddie Jurgensen scored for the Tommies.
Wisconsin rolled to their program's 10th WCHA regular-season championship with a 25-1-2-1 (1-0 in OT) conference record, plus a perfect 6-0-0 mark in non-conference action. The Badgers shut out 8th-seeded Bemidji State, winning 3-0 on Friday before blowing out the Beavers 11-0 on Saturday. After an assist in the opener, Casey O'Brien recorded a goal and 5 helpers on Saturday, making her Wisconsin's new all-time leading scorer – passing Hilary Knight – with 265 career points (95g, 170a). Meanwhile, Kirsten Simms tallied a hat trick plus an assist on Saturday, and Lacey Eden (1g, 3a) & Caroline Harvey (4a) also each posted a four-point series.
Minnesota Duluth finished fourth in the conference standings, posting a 14-12-2-2 (0-2 in OT) mark in WCHA play and going 5-1-0 in non-conference action. The Bulldogs edged out St. Cloud State in the quarterfinals, winning 3-2 and 2-1. The Huskies held a 2-1 lead in the third period of the opener after goals by Emma Gentry and Alice Sauriol, but UMD's Caitlin Kraemer netted her second goal of the game, scoring with an extra attacker, with 1:55 left in regulation, and Olivia Wallin scored on a rebound with just 5 seconds to play; Wallin assisted on both of Kraemer's goals and Clara Van Wieran dished out helpers on all three. Grace Sadura and Olivia Mobley gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 second-period lead in the rematch; Laura Zimmerman got SCSU on the board with 4:27 to play but they could not find the equalizer. Ève Gascon stopped a combined 70 of 73 shots for UMD, while Sanni Ahola made 28 saves for St. Cloud State on Friday and Emilia Kyrkkö stopped 30 shots Saturday.
Final Faceoff Semifinal Matchups
Minnesota vs. Ohio State – Both the Gophers and Buckeyes are nearly certain to receive NCAA Tournament bids regardless of this weekend's results, but, while Ohio State is likely to host a regional, Minnesota is teetering between playing at home or having to go on the road to open the “Big Dance”.
Ohio State went 2-1-1 against Minnesota in the regular season, taking 8 of the 12 conference standings points. In Columbus in October, the Buckeyes took the series opener, 4-3, before the two teams to a 1-1 tie in the rematch; OSU earned the "bonus" WCHA standings point with a 2-1 result in a seven-round shootout. At Ridder Arena, the Gophers earned a 3-1 victory to end the month of January, but February began with a 7-3 Buckeyes win. Ella Huber led the Gopher scoring in the season series with 4 points on 2 goals & 2 assists, Abbey Murphy tallied 2 goals & an assist, and Peyton Hemp added two goals. Ohio State had five players each tally four points in the season series; Kiara Zanon & Jocelyne Amos each recorded 2 goals and 2 assists, Jenna Buglioni & Emma Peschel each added a goal & 3 helpers, and Makenna Webster dished out four assists. Skylar Vetter stopped 21 of 25 shots (.840 SV%) in the first meeting, while Hannah Clark was 1-1-1 in the other three contests with a 2.92 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. Amanda Thiele was the goaltender of record in all four games, starting the first three and making a 20-minute relief appearance in the fourth; she finished with a 2.09 GAA and .921 SV%. Hailey MacLeod stopped 19 of 22 shots (.864 SV%) in two periods of action.
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Duluth – The Badgers are comfortably in the NCAA Tourney field, likely as the #1 seed. The Bulldogs appear to be safely in as well but could use a good weekend showing.
Wisconsin swept the season series by 5-1 & 7-3 scores in Madison in October and a pair of 2-1 results (the first of those in overtime) in Duluth at the end of January and start of February. Wisconsin had three players record 5 points apiece: Laila Edwards lit the lamp 3 times with 2 assists, Laney Potter found the back of the net twice with 3 helpers, and Caroline Harvey tallied a goal and 4 assists. Cassie Hall (2g, 2a), Lacey Eden (1g, 3a) and Kelly Gorbatenko (1g, 3a) each added another four points for the Badgers. UMD's six goals were scored by Olivia Mobley (3), Grace Sadura (2) and Nina Jobst-Smith (1, plus an assist). Badgers goaltender Ava McNaughton earned all four wins with 106 saves on 112 shots (1.48 GAA, .946 SV%). UMD netminder Ève Gascon made 110 saves across three games, posting a 2.95 GAA and .924 SV%, while Tindra Holm stopped 24 of 30 shots in her lone start (.800 SV%).
Four Gophers named to All-WCHA teams for 2024-2025;
Morrow, Primerano earn additional league recognition
We send our congratulations to four Gopher Women's Hockey players named to All-WCHA teams for their on-ice performances during the 2024-2025 season.
Sydney Morrow and Abbey Murphy were selected as All-WCHA Second Team members, Chloe Primerano was named as a Third Team defender, and Primerano & Gracie Graham were recognized as All-Rookie Team selections.
The full list of honorees can be found on WCHA.com.
Separately, the league announced its finalists for Forward, Defender, Goaltender & Rookie of the Year, with two Gophers being recognized. Sydney Morrow was named one of the finalists for Defender of the Year, while Chloe Primerano was tabbed as a finalist for Rookie of the Year. This year's winners will be announced tomorrow, Thursday, March 6.
Huber hits goals milestone; Murphy nears century mark
More congratulations go out to Gopher Women's Hockey senior co-captain Ella Huber, whose goal in Friday's game against Minnesota State was her 50th for the Maroon & Gold!! Huber now sits with 51 goals plus 85 assists for 136 points.
Murphy climbs GWH career goal-scoring list – Meanwhile, fellow senior co-captain Abbey Murphy is on a milestone watch while simultaneously moving up Minnesota Women's Hockey's career goal-scoring top-10 list. Lighting the lamp four times against the Mavericks, Abbey now has 99 Gopher goals, putting her just one short of becoming the seventh Gopher to reach the century mark for her collegiate career. As it is, she caught and surpassed both Taylor Heise and Kelly Stephens (97 each) to move into sole possession of 7th place in U. of M. history, placing her 3 goals behind Natalie Darwitz for 6th. Murphy also has 90 assists for 189 total points in the Maroon & Gold.
Other NCAA Division I conference tournaments...
With implications to the NCAA Tournament field, here's the schedule of other conference tournaments taking place this week. (Conference seedings listed ahead of team names.)
Atlantic Hockey America Championship
(2) Mercyhurst at (1) Penn State – Saturday (3/8) at 2 p.m. ET
ECAC Semifinals & Championship – hosted by Cornell
Semifinal #1 – (1) Cornell vs. (4) Clarkson – Friday (3/7) at 3 p.m. ET
Semifinal #2 – (2) Colgate vs. (3) St. Lawrence – Friday (3/7) at 6 p.m. ET
Championship Game – Saturday (3/8) at 3:30 p.m. ET
Hockey East Semifinals & Championship – on campus sites
Semifinal – (5) Northeastern at (1) Connecticut – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 6 p.m. ET
Semifinal – (3) Boston College at (2) Boston Univ. – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 6 p.m. ET
Championship Game – Saturday (3/8) at Noon ET
NEWHA Semifinals & Championship – on campus sites
Semifinal – (7) Post at (1) Long Island – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 2 p.m. ET
Semifinal – (5) St. Anselm at (3) Sacred Heart – TODAY (Wed., 3/5) at 7 p.m. ET
Championship Game – Saturday (3/8) – Time TBA
Current Pairwise Rankings
Top 10 plus other teams still active in respective conference tournaments
1. Wisconsin (33-1-2 overall record, 68.664 NPI)
2. Ohio State (27-6-3, 61.947)
3. Minnesota (27-10-1, 60.168)
4. Cornell (22-4-5, 60.087)
5. Colgate (29-7-0, 59.780)
6. Minnesota Duluth (21-13-2, 58.200)
7. Penn State (30-5-1, 57.452)
8. Clarkson (24-11-2, 56.043)
9. St. Lawrence (21-10-5, 57.272)
10. Quinnipiac (22-12-4, 55.683)
11. Boston University (22-11-2, 54.819)
12t. Connecticut (22-11-2, 55.127)
12t. Boston College (21-12-2, 54.995)
14t. Northeastern (21-13-1, 54.526)
19. Mercyhurst (20-15-2, 52.947)
29t. Long Island (21-11-4, 49.139)
29t. Sacred Heart (19-14-3, 48.820)
38. Post (13-20-3, 45.158)
40. Saint Anselm (12-18-7, 44.994)
The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, March 9 at 11:30 a.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN+. The playoff champions from the AHA, ECAC, Hockey East, NEWHA, and WCHA earn autobids to the 11-team field. Rankings and NPI calculations courtesy of USCHO.com.
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