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Gophers Gear Up for Top-Ranked Border Battle
10/30/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team hits the road for a top-three showdown against No. 1 Wisconsin this weekend in Madison, Wis. The Gophers and Badgers will square off at LaBahn Arena, with puck drops set for 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 31, and 2:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 1. Both games will stream live on B1G+, with Friday's matchup also airing on FOX9+.
#3 Minnesota Gophers (9-1-0, 5-1-0 WCHA) at #1 Wisconsin Badgers (10-0-0, 6-0-0 WCHA)
Date: Oct. 31, 2025
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+/FOX9+
Location: LaBahn Arena
#3 Minnesota Gophers (9-1-0, 5-1-0 WCHA) at #1 Wisconsin Badgers (10-0-0, 6-0-0 WCHA)
Date: Nov. 1, 2025
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Location: LaBahn Arena
Last Time Out
The No. 3 Gophers return to action after a statement weekend sweep at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota opened the series with a 4-0 shutout win behind Hannah Clark's 24-save performance, her second shutout of the season. Abbey Murphy scored twice in Saturday's 3-2 victory to complete the sweep at AMSOIL Arena.
Scouting the Badgers
Top-ranked Wisconsin enters the weekend undefeated at 10-0-0 (6-0-0 WCHA), maintaining its No. 1 national ranking through the first seven weeks of the season. The Badgers are coming off back-to-back shutout wins over Minnesota State (4-0, 8-0) and have outscored opponents 56–6 this season. Wisconsin's balanced attack features seven players in double-digit points, led by Eden Lacey (7g–10a–17p) and Cassie Hall, who has scored a goal per game with 10 tallies. Senior stars Kirsten Simms and Caroline Harvey, both named to the Preseason All-WCHA Team, anchor a veteran core. In net, junior Ava McNaughton leads the NCAA with a .967 save percentage and 0.67 GAA. Legendary head coach Mark Johnson, now in his 23rd season, owns a record 677 career victories, the most in Division I women's hockey history.
Inside the Series
Minnesota narrowly trails the all-time series with Wisconsin, holding a 57-58-16 record. With two wins this weekend, the Gophers could grab the all-time mark. The teams last met in the 2025 Frozen Four Semifinal at Ridder Arena, where the Badgers advanced with a 6-2 win.
Etched in Maroon and Gold
With her fifth multi-goal performance of the season last weekend, Abbey Murphy moved into second all-time in Gopher history with 117 career goals, passing program legend Hannah Brandt.
Points, Points, Points
Josefin Bouveng has been on fire offensively, extending her point streak to nine straight games after a one-goal, one-assist series against Minnesota Duluth.
Frost Climbs the Ranks
Following last weekend's sweep, Head Coach Brad Frost moved into fourth all-time in NCAA women's hockey wins, surpassing Mike Carroll. Frost now owns 537 career victories behind the Gopher bench.
Offense on Overdrive
The Gophers and Badgers boast the top two offenses in the country. Wisconsin ranks first with 5.60 goals per game, while Minnesota follows closely behind at 5.10.
Apple Picking
Minnesota also ranks second nationally with 83 team assists. Ava Lindsay leads the NCAA with 12 assists, while Sydney Morrow sits sixth with 10 as the Gophers continue to roll offensively.
Big-Time Player, Big-Time Plays
Abbey Murphy has scored three game-winning goals this season, tied for second in the nation through the first 10 games.
Clark Claims Second Weekly Honor
Sophomore goaltender Hannah Clark was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season after stopping 61 of 63 shots (.968) in the Gophers' sweep of UMD. Clark improved to 7-1-0 with two shutouts, a 1.36 GAA, and a .950 save percentage, all ranking among the nation's best.
Pucks On, Pucks In
Minnesota has controlled play all season, outshooting opponents 378–272 while converting at an WCHA-leading 13.5% shooting clip.
Gopher Stat Leaders
Five Gophers rank among the nation's top 30 scorers: Murphy (1st, 20 pts), Lindsay (T-5th, 15), Bouveng (T-12th, 13), Morrow (T-18th, 12), and Fanale (T-29th, 10). Murphy also leads the WCHA in plus/minus (+21). Clark ranks top-10 nationally in all major goaltending categories, including .950 SV% (9th) and 1.36 GAA (10th).
Special Teams Strength
The Gophers rank fifth nationally in power-play goals (8) and ninth in power-play percentage (.242), while their .906 penalty kill also sits among the top 10.
Block Party
The Gophers lead the WCHA in blocked shots through the first 10 games of the season, recording 113 total blocks. Nelli Laitinen paces the team with 13, followed closely by Sydney Morrow and Gracie Graham, who have each tallied 11.
Early Season Tests
Minnesota concludes a grueling stretch of 10 straight games against top-15 opponents with this weekend's trip to Madison before heading into a bye week. The Gophers' schedule has already featured matchups against No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4/5 Minnesota Duluth, No. 10 St. Cloud State, and No. 13 Boston University.
Incoming Impact
Minnesota's new class continues to shine, with three of the team's top six goal scorers coming from the 2025-26 newcomers. Freshman Bella Fanale ranks second on the team with five goals, followed by Tereza Plosova (4) and Sarah Paul (3). Graduate transfer Jamie Nelson has five points in her last three games, while Molly Jordan (5 pts) and Sienna D'Alessandro (4 assists) continue to make strong contributions early in their Gopher careers.
Leadership Group
Captains Abbey Murphy and Nelli Laitinen both return to wear the 'C' for the second straight season.
National RecognitionÂ
The Gophers continue to earn national attention, holding steady at No. 3 in the country for the sixth consecutive week.
Head coach Brad Frost returns for his 19th season with the Gophers, entering the weekend with a career record of 537-122-42, 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).