University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
15-4-1
Brown
8-8-1
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Maroon & Gold Dominate Brown 9-1 in First Game of East/West Showcase
1/3/2025 7:59:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team had an electric return to Ridder Arena, scoring a season-high nine goals against the Bears to start off the East/West Showcase. The 'U' moves to a 15-4-1 (9-4-1 WCHA) record on the season.
The Gophers got off to a hot start, notching four unanswered scores in the first period. Junior defender Nelli Laitinen struck first, scoring her third goal of the season, assisted by Josefin Bouveng and Peyton Hemp, just 1:29 into the game. Senior forward Peyton Hemp then doubled the lead two minutes later, recording her 50th career goal, assisted by Ava Lindsay. Freshman defender Carly Humphrey then got involved, sending the puck from the blue line to the back of the net for her first career goal, unassisted, at the 12:11 mark. With 3:45 to play before first intermission, fifth-year forward Natalie Mlynkova deflected an Abbey Murphy pass into the Brown net, securing her fourth goal in two games. The Gophers led 4-0 with 17 shots on goal to Brown's five at the conclusion of the first period.
Minnesota's scoring offense continued to shine in the second period. Junior forward Josefin Bouveng brought the Gopher lead to five 8:12 into the period, assisted by Ava Lindsay and Gracie Graham. Brown's India McDadi would then get the Bears on the board with 9:07 left before second intermission. Bouveng responded five minutes later with her second goal of the period, assisted by Lindsay and Hemp. After a Brown major penalty and game misconduct, junior defender Sydney Morrow tallied her fourth power play goal of the year with 1:37 left in the period, assisted by Bouveng and Ella Huber. Minnesota led 7-1 heading into the third period, outshooting Brown 13-8 in the second.
While shorthanded, redshirt-senior forward Abbey Murphy extended the Gopher lead to seven, assisted by Ella Huber, just 25 seconds into the third period. It was Murphy's first shorthanded goal of the season. Natalie Mlynkova clinched her second consecutive multigoal game with her third power play goal of the season, assisted by Huber and Murphy, 4:55 into the period. Minnesota totaled 48 shots to Brown's 16 en route to a 9-1 victory.
Freshman goaltender Hannah Clark moves to an 11-2-1 career starting record after making 15 saves and recording a .938 save percentage.
Quotable:
"Great game," said head coach Brad Frost. "For 60 minutes, I thought we played really well and started quickly. Getting the four in the first period was obviously a big deal, and we were just really able to continue to play the right way, and our team got rewarded for that offensively."
Additional Quotes from Coach Frost:
On Josefin Bouveng
"It's awesome to see. [Bouveng] has been so close, we know she's a natural goal scorer, and she's been a little snake bit in the first half. But to get these two here tonight, hopefully that opens the floodgates for her, and she's got the ability to do that."
On Natalie Mlynkova
"Again, goal-scorer. Things are going in for her, she's getting to the right spots and has a great shot. As you continue to shoot the puck and do the right thing, you get rewarded."
Notable:
- Nine goals is the most scored in a game for Minnesota since Dec. 2, 2023.
- Abbey Murphy has tallied a point in 17 out of Minnesota's 20 games this season.
- Abbey Murphy has recorded 15 multipoint games this season.
- Ella Huber has recorded six multipoint games this season.
- Ella Huber and Abbey Murphy have both registered a point on each of Minnesota's three shorthanded goals of the season so far.
- Natalie Mlynkova has recorded four multigoal games this season.
- Natalie Mlynkova has recorded six multipoint games this season.
- Natalie Mlynkova has recorded three power play goals this season.
- Josefin Bouveng has recorded four multipoint games this season.
- Four of Sydney Morrow's six goals on the season have been power play goals.
- Morrow and Murphy both lead Minnesota in power play goals this season (4).
- Sydney Morrow has recorded four multipoint games this season.
- Peyton Hemp scored her 50th career goal.
- Peyton Hemp recorded a season-high three points in Friday's game, tying her career-high.
- Peyton Hemp has recorded four multipoint games this season.
- Ava Lindsay recorded a season-high three points in Friday's game, tying her career-high.
- Carly Humphrey scored her first career goal.
- Nelli Laitinen scored her third goal of the season.
- Minnesota outshot Bemidji State 48-16.
Up Next:
The Maroon & Gold will be back at Ridder Arena tomorrow to wrap up the East/West Showcase, facing off against No. 11/12 Penn State at 4:30 p.m. CT.