University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Murphy Awarded HCA National Player of the Month
1/3/2025 1:20:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS - Redshirt-senior forward Abbey Murphy has been named December's Co-National Player of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners Association, sharing the award with Syracuse's Bryan Saarela. This marks the second December monthly honor that Murphy has earned after being named WCHA Forward of the Month on Thursday.
Murphy earned her first-career HCA National Player of the Month honor after recording eight points (3g-5a) in Minnesota's lone series in December. She notched five points (2g-3a) in a 5-0 victory over St. Thomas on Dec. 6, recording a point on each Gopher goal. Murphy then recorded 3 points (1g-2a) in a 6-2 win over the Tommies on Dec. 7. The Evergreen Park, Illinois native led the Gophers in scoring during the month, and was named WCHA Forward of the Week on Dec. 9. She was previously named WCHA Forward of the Week on Nov. 18 and to the Preseason All-WCHA Team prior to the start of the season.
Murphy is the first Gopher student-athlete to earn HCA monthly honors since Dec. 2022, when forward Taylor Heise took home Player of the Month and goaltender Skylar Vetter was named Goaltender of the Month.
HCA National Players of the Month
December: Abbey Murphy, Minnesota; Bryan Saarela, Syracuse
November: Casey O'Brien, Wisconsin; Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin