University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Ohio State
Players Mentioned
No. 2 Minnesota Set to Start WCHA Play at No. 4/5 Ohio State
10/10/2024 2:43:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 2 ranked Golden Gopher women's hockey squad is set to match up against the No. 4/5 Ohio State Buckeyes in Minnesota's first WCHA conference action of the season. The two teams will take the ice at OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, Oct. 11 at 5:00 p.m. CT and Saturday, Oct. 12 at 2:00 p.m. CT. Each game will be streamed live on B1G+.
Home, Sweet Home
The Gophers shined in their home debut last weekend, sweeping the Boston University Terriers en route to a 4-0-0 record on the season so far. On Friday night, they took down BU 1-0 after an Abbey Murphy power play goal in the third period. On Sunday afternoon, the Gophers ramped up scoring with a 5-2 victory over the Terriers, sealing the weekend sweep.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Head coach Nadine Muzerall and the reigning national champion Buckeyes are coming off a sweep of No. 8 St. Lawrence on the road last weekend, winning 3-2 (OT) on Friday and 5-3 on Saturday. After falling in its opening series against Minnesota Duluth, Ohio State has won four straight games, holding a 4-2-0 record to start the 2024-25 season.
Multiple Contributors
The Maroon and Gold had various players make an impact in its first series of the season. Redshirt-senior Abbey Murphy has led the scoring charge, scoring 5 goals and 2 assists, including at least one goal in each of Minnesota's first four games of the season. Junior Josefin Bouveng has registered 5 points (1g-4a) through the season so far. Fifth-year Natalie Mlynkova has tallied 4 points (1g-3a), notching all three assists in Sunday's victory over BU. Goaltender Skylar Vetter has gone 3-0-0 to start the season with a .912 save percentage. She recorded her 12th career shutout last Friday against BU, the seventh-most in program history.
Attacking the Net
The No. 2 Golden Gophers have outshot opponents 153-48 through their first four games of the season, with Minnesota averaging 38.3 SOG per game. The Maroon and Gold defense have not allowed more than 14 SOG in a game so far.
Maroon and Gold Firsts
Junior transfer defender Sydney Morrow tallied her first goal in Maroon and Gold in Sunday's win against Boston University. Freshman defender Gracie Graham tallied her first career point during the 5-2 victory, notching an assist on Morrow's goal. Freshman goaltender Hannah Clark made her first collegiate start on Sunday, making 12 saves against 14 shots, clinching her first win as a Gopher.
Milestones on the Horizon
The University of Minnesota women's hockey program sits at an all-time WCHA conference record of 499-107-49 and will look to break beyond 500 conference wins this season. The program also has an all-time overall record of 781-176-63 and is on pace to reach the 800-win mark. Redshirt-senior Abbey Murphy has recorded 75 career goals and will be in pursuit of the century mark this season after leading the nation in scores (33) in 2023-24. Seniors Peyton Hemp and Ella Huber will seek to reach triple digits in career points this season, having tallied 93 and 94 career points, respectively, so far. Senior goaltender Skylar Vetter has recorded 12 career shutouts, needing one more to tie Kim Hanlon for sixth-most in program history.
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.