University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
7-1-0, 3-1-0
Ohio State
5-1-0, 3-1-0
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Gophers Top No. 2 Ohio State, 6–3, in Series Finale
10/19/2025 5:29:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team bounced back in a big way Sunday afternoon, earning a 6–3 victory over No. 2 Ohio State at Ridder Arena. A three-goal first period helped the Gophers build an early cushion and secure the top-three win.
Freshman Bella Fanale opened the scoring 4:59 into the contest, netting her fifth goal of the season. After a neutral-zone takeaway by Nelli Laitinen, Fanale collected the loose puck, skated through the slot, and roofed a forehand shot far side to give Minnesota the lead.
The Gophers extended their advantage midway through the period. Sydney Morrow sent a point-to-point pass to Abbey Murphy, who found Josefin Bouveng in the left circle. Bouveng ripped a wrist shot past the Ohio State netminder to make it 2–0 at 11:33 of the first.
Minnesota struck again on the power play at 15:12, as Ava Lindsay buried her first goal of the season to push the lead to 3–0. The Buckeyes got on the board late in the period with a goal at 19:07, trimming the Gopher advantage to two heading into intermission.
Jamie Nelson tallied the lone goal of the second frame, scoring her first career goal in Maroon and Gold just 3:18 into the period. Nelson beat an OSU defender one-on-one before firing a low far-side shot to extend Minnesota's lead to 4–1.
The Buckeyes opened the third period with an early goal at 0:50 to pull within 4–2, but the Gophers answered again. Laitinen netted her fourth of the year at 9:11 to restore the three-goal margin. Ohio State responded 46 seconds later to make it 5–3, but Minnesota sealed the win late on the power play when Emma Kreisz blasted home a one-timer from the point for her second of the season.
Quotable
"First and foremost, a great start. We came out with much more compete and courage here today which was fantastic," said Head Coach Brad Frost. "Hannah Clark was great all night, especially late, making a huge save there up two-goals which allowed us to score shortly after that. A huge win against a really good team and I'm very proud of our group."
Notable
- Jamie Nelson scored her first career goal as a Gopher.
- Nelli Laitinen and Josefin Bouveng each posted three points in the win.
- Ava Lindsay scored her first goal of the year and continues to lead the nation with 12 assists.
Up Next
Minnesota hits the road next weekend for another top-five matchup at No. 4/5 Minnesota Duluth on Friday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 25. Puck drops are set for 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday and 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday.