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Gophers Duel Bulldogs In Top Five Matchup
10/23/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
DULUTH, MINN. – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team continues WCHA action this weekend with a top-five showdown against No. 4/5 Minnesota Duluth. The Gophers and Bulldogs will meet for a two-game series at AMSOIL Arena, with puck drops scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday and 3:00 p.m. CT on Saturday. Both games will stream live on B1G+ and air locally on FOX9+.
#3 Golden Gophers (7-1-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) vs. #4/5 Bulldogs (6-2-0, 2-2-0 WCHA)
Date: Oct. 24, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+/FOX9+
Location: AMSOIL Arena
#3 Golden Gophers (7-1-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) vs. #4/5 Bulldogs (6-2-0, 2-2-0 WCHA)
Date: Oct. 25, 2025
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+/FOX9+
Location: AMSOIL Arena
Last Time Out
Minnesota returns to the ice following a competitive split with No. 2 Ohio State at Ridder Arena. After falling 4-1 on Saturday, the Gophers roared back with a dominant first period on Sunday to secure a 6-3 victory and the series split.
Scouting the Bulldogs
UMD enters the weekend with a 6-2-0 record to start the 2025-26 campaign. The Bulldogs are coming off a series sweep of Minnesota State, skating to a 5-0 shutout win on Friday night before edging the Mavericks 4-1 on Saturday. UMD has held steady at No. 4/5 in the USCHO and USA Hockey national polls through the season's first five weeks and was voted tied to finish fourth behind Minnesota and Ohio State in the WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs currently sit in fourth in the WCHA standings with six points behind the Gophers who have earned nine points on the year so far. Sophomore forward Caitlin Kraemer headlines the UMD offense, producing seven goals and four assists so far this season. Thea Johansson has also had a productive opening eight games to her senior season, netting seven goals so far as well. This weekend will also feature some familiar faces on the blue line in Krista Parkkonen and Kate Kosobud, both of whom previously skated for the Maroon & Gold before transferring to UMD. Parkkonen anchors the Bulldog defensive unit, contributing both shutdown minutes and puck-moving ability from the backend. The Bulldogs boast reigning WCHA Goaltender of the Year Eve Gascon between the pipes. On the season, Gascon has delivered a 1.87 goals against average, while maintaining a .936 save percentage. Head coach Laura Schulder returns for her second season behind the bench, holding a 28-17-2 record at UMD career record and a 83-189-19 record across her collegiate coaching career.
Murphy Moving Up
Abbey Murphy sits tied for second all time in goals for the Golden Gophers with 115. She is joined by Hannah Brandt at the number two slot all-time, needing just one more goal to claim a solo second. Murphy would need 37 total goals this season to become the Gophers' all-time leader (passing Nadine Muzerall, 139). Off to a blistering start, Murphy leads the nation with 12 goals in eight games.
Offense on Overdrive
The Gophers are tied for the most goals in all of college hockey with 44 through just eight games. Minnesota's high-powered offense tops the nation, averaging an impressive 5.50 goals per game.
Apple Picking
The Maroon and Gold also sit second in the NCAA in assists, tallying 72 helpers on the season. Junior forward Ava Lindsay leads the country with 12 assists and an average of 1.5 per game, facilitating one of the best attacks in college hockey.
Freshman Phenoms
Minnesota's rookie class has wasted no time making its mark at the collegiate level. Bella Fanale is tied for the national freshman lead with five goals and ranks third among first-years with 10 points, while also sitting sixth in assists (5). Fellow newcomer Tereza Plosova has added four goals of her own, tied for fourth among freshmen nationwide. On the back end, Layla Hemp has been exceptional in her first month of collegiate action. She currently ranks second among rookie goaltenders in goals-against average (1.88), third in save percentage (.929), and is tied for the NCAA freshman lead in shutouts.
Pucks On, Pucks In
The Gophers have dominated offensively with a commanding 311–209 shot advantage over their opponents while maintaining a strong 14.1% shooting percentage, combining elite volume with sharp accuracy.
Gopher Stat Leaders
The Maroon and Gold continue to light up the national stat sheet, featuring four of the top 25 point producers in the country: Abbey Murphy (T1st, 19), Ava Lindsay (T-11th, 13), Josefin Bouveng (T-19th, 11), and Bella Fanale (T-25th, 10). Sarah Paul and Sydney Morrow also both rank near the top of the nation, currently sitting T-35th with eight points. Murphy is also tied for first in plus/minus, currently sitting at a +17 on the 2025-26 campaign. Hannah Clark ranks 13th in the nation with a .942 save percentage on the year. Clark also sits at 16th in the nation with 131 saves on the season.
Special Teams Specialties
The Gophers continue to excel on special teams, ranking third in the nation in power-play goals (7) and seventh in power-play percentage (.233). Minnesota's penalty kill has also been strong, sitting tenth nationally (.926) after allowing just two goals while on the kill this season.
Early Season Tests
Minnesota continued a challenging stretch of 10 games against top-15 opponents last weekend against No. 2 Ohio State. The Gophers now kick off a tough road stretch, traveling to face No. 4/5 UMD for a two-game series before heading to top-ranked Wisconsin for a two-game showdown. The Gophers are currently 5-1-0 against ranked teams this season.
Incoming Impact
Minnesota's 2025-26 roster features a fresh wave of talent, highlighted by 10 newcomers who have made an immediate impact. Three of the team's top six goal scorers this season are first-year Gophers. Freshman Bella Fanale ranks second on the squad with five goals this season. Fellow first-year Tereza Plosova follows closely behind with four goals. While Sarah Paul ranks tied for fifth with three goals. Fanale and Paul are also tied for fifth in assists on the year, each having tallied five so far. Both transfers Molly Jordan and Jamie Nelson have chipped in five points while freshman Sienna D'Alessandro has tallied four assists.
Nelson Nets First
After spending the past four seasons competing against the 'U' as a standout at Minnesota State, Jamie Nelson found the back of the net for the first time in Maroon & Gold on Sunday against No. 2 Ohio State. The graduate transfer has made an immediate impact in her debut Gopher season, adding five points through her first eight games.
Leadership Group
Captains Abbey Murphy and Nelli Laitinen both return to wear the 'C' for the second straight season.
National Recognition
The Gophers continue to earn national attention, holding steady at No. 3 in the country for the fifth consecutive week.
Head coach Brad Frost returns for his 19th season with the Gophers, entering the weekend with a career record of 535-122-42, four national titles, and seven conference championships. Associate head coach Greg May, assistant coach Mitch Baker, and assistant coach/general manager Jessica Scott also return to the staff.
Quest for Eight
Minnesota continues its pursuit of an eighth national championship, having already claimed seven titles (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).