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Photo by: Matt Krohn
Gophers Close out 2022 with a Rematch Against the Huskies
12/8/2022 1:01:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Minnesota looks to avenge its Nov. 7 loss to newly-ranked St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series this weekend.
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 4/6 Golden Gopher women's hockey team (12-3-2) is set to close out 2022 with a home-and-home series with No. 14 St. Cloud State (11-8-0). Friday's game will take place at 6:00 pm at Ridder Arena while Saturday's is set for 3:00 pm in St. Cloud, Minn. Saturday's contest will be broadcast on FOX9+ locally.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Gophers earned their fifth WCHA sweep of the season after a pair of wins over Minnesota State. On Friday, Minnesota maintained its perfect home record with a 4-1 victory at Ridder Arena. Abigail Boreen recorded her 100th career point with a goal in the second period. On Saturday, Skylar Vetter earned her second shutout of the season at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in a 6-0 win. Forward Taylor Heise led the way with five points (2g-3a) while Boreen scored a pair of the goals for the second consecutive contest.
Rematch with the Huskies
Minnesota faces St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series for the second time this season. In October, the Gophers battled to a series sweep behind a 4-2 win in St. Cloud, Minn., and a 2-1 win at Ridder Arena. Five different Gophers found the back of the net in the series while sophomore goaltender Skylar Vetter stopped 40-of-43 shots. Less than a month later, Minnesota suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of the Huskies in the 2022 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Faceoff Classic in Andover, Minn. On Nov. 7, SCSU defeated the Gophers for the first time since 2010 after a 4-1 non-conference victory. Since that contest, the Huskies have won four-of-six games and are ranked 14th in both national polls. Minnesota leads the all-time series 102-4-3.
Power Play Prowess
Minnesota's power play unit has been clicking over the last ten games with nine power-play goals in that span. The Maroon and Gold's .268 power-play percentage and 15 power-play goals each rank second in the WCHA and third in the nation. Abigail Boreen and Abbey Murphy's four power-play goals this season are tied for fifth most in the nation. Minnesota has scored five PPG in its last three games.
First Half Recap
Minnesota closes out 2022 and the first half of the schedule with one final conference series. Over the first 17 games, the Gophers have compiled a 12-3-2 record (11-1-2 in the WCHA) with five series sweeps and three victories over top-five opponents. Minnesota is 7-0-0 at home, 4-1-2 on the road and 1-2-0 in neutral site contests so far this season. Taylor Heise (10g-15a), Grace Zumwinkle (9g-16a) and Abbey Murphy (11g-7a) are currently averaging over one point-per-game for the 'U'.
Race for the WCHA
Minnesota currently sits in second place in the WCHA regular season standings with a 11-1-2 record (35 points in 14 conference games). The 'U' trails only Ohio State (41 points in 16 games) in the race for the Julianne Bye Cup. Wisconsin currently sits in third place (31 points in 12 conference games) as the only other team with a conference record above .500.
Zumwinkle Ties Cameranesi
Fifth-year forward Grace Zumwinkle currently sits at 93 career goals, which is tied for seventh in program history with Dani Cameranesi. The Excelsior, Minn., native is tied for the team lead in points (25) and has found the scoresheet in 15/17 games this season. Zumwinkle also sits at second place in program history in career shots with 712, trailing only Nadine Muzerall (726).
Scoring Milestones on the Horizon
Fifth-year forward Taylor Heise continues to climb the program ranks as Minnesota's active career scoring leader with 185 career points (77g-108a) in 151 career games. Heise trails Kelly Pannek (72g-114a) by one point for the 10th most points in program history. Fifth-year forward Abigail Boreen became the third active Gopher with 100 career points with a goal on Friday. Fifth-year forwards Emily Oden (28g-70a) and Catie Skaja (38g-57a) are the closest active skaters to the century mark.
Behind the Bench
Head coach Brad Frost is back for his 16th season as the bench boss of Gopher Women's Hockey. Under Frost's guidance, the program has posted a 454-96-37 record with four national titles and seven conference titles. Natalie Darwitz is back behind the bench for her fourth season as assistant coach and is joined by Jessica Scott, who served as the program's Director of Operations for the last three seasons.
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 2022-23.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Gophers earned their fifth WCHA sweep of the season after a pair of wins over Minnesota State. On Friday, Minnesota maintained its perfect home record with a 4-1 victory at Ridder Arena. Abigail Boreen recorded her 100th career point with a goal in the second period. On Saturday, Skylar Vetter earned her second shutout of the season at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in a 6-0 win. Forward Taylor Heise led the way with five points (2g-3a) while Boreen scored a pair of the goals for the second consecutive contest.
Rematch with the Huskies
Minnesota faces St. Cloud State in a home-and-home series for the second time this season. In October, the Gophers battled to a series sweep behind a 4-2 win in St. Cloud, Minn., and a 2-1 win at Ridder Arena. Five different Gophers found the back of the net in the series while sophomore goaltender Skylar Vetter stopped 40-of-43 shots. Less than a month later, Minnesota suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of the Huskies in the 2022 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Faceoff Classic in Andover, Minn. On Nov. 7, SCSU defeated the Gophers for the first time since 2010 after a 4-1 non-conference victory. Since that contest, the Huskies have won four-of-six games and are ranked 14th in both national polls. Minnesota leads the all-time series 102-4-3.
Power Play Prowess
Minnesota's power play unit has been clicking over the last ten games with nine power-play goals in that span. The Maroon and Gold's .268 power-play percentage and 15 power-play goals each rank second in the WCHA and third in the nation. Abigail Boreen and Abbey Murphy's four power-play goals this season are tied for fifth most in the nation. Minnesota has scored five PPG in its last three games.
First Half Recap
Minnesota closes out 2022 and the first half of the schedule with one final conference series. Over the first 17 games, the Gophers have compiled a 12-3-2 record (11-1-2 in the WCHA) with five series sweeps and three victories over top-five opponents. Minnesota is 7-0-0 at home, 4-1-2 on the road and 1-2-0 in neutral site contests so far this season. Taylor Heise (10g-15a), Grace Zumwinkle (9g-16a) and Abbey Murphy (11g-7a) are currently averaging over one point-per-game for the 'U'.
Race for the WCHA
Minnesota currently sits in second place in the WCHA regular season standings with a 11-1-2 record (35 points in 14 conference games). The 'U' trails only Ohio State (41 points in 16 games) in the race for the Julianne Bye Cup. Wisconsin currently sits in third place (31 points in 12 conference games) as the only other team with a conference record above .500.
Zumwinkle Ties Cameranesi
Fifth-year forward Grace Zumwinkle currently sits at 93 career goals, which is tied for seventh in program history with Dani Cameranesi. The Excelsior, Minn., native is tied for the team lead in points (25) and has found the scoresheet in 15/17 games this season. Zumwinkle also sits at second place in program history in career shots with 712, trailing only Nadine Muzerall (726).
Scoring Milestones on the Horizon
Fifth-year forward Taylor Heise continues to climb the program ranks as Minnesota's active career scoring leader with 185 career points (77g-108a) in 151 career games. Heise trails Kelly Pannek (72g-114a) by one point for the 10th most points in program history. Fifth-year forward Abigail Boreen became the third active Gopher with 100 career points with a goal on Friday. Fifth-year forwards Emily Oden (28g-70a) and Catie Skaja (38g-57a) are the closest active skaters to the century mark.
Behind the Bench
Head coach Brad Frost is back for his 16th season as the bench boss of Gopher Women's Hockey. Under Frost's guidance, the program has posted a 454-96-37 record with four national titles and seven conference titles. Natalie Darwitz is back behind the bench for her fourth season as assistant coach and is joined by Jessica Scott, who served as the program's Director of Operations for the last three seasons.
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 2022-23.
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