University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
12-3-0, 8-3-0
Minnesota State
7-7-1, 3-7-1
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Gophers Fall 3-1 in Series Opener Against Minnesota State
11/21/2025 8:31:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 2-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team dropped a 3-1 decision to Minnesota State on Friday evening at Ridder Arena in the opening game of a home-and-home series.
Abbey Murphy put the Gophers on the board first, scoring her 18th goal of the season midway through the opening period. Josefin Bouveng sauced a pass through the slot from the right circle to Murphy, who skated across the zone and fired a wrist shot into the back of the net at 12:27 to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
Minnesota State responded just over three minutes later, capitalizing on a rebound to even the score at 1-1 after the opening frame.
Both teams played a tight second period, with the Gophers generating several strong scoring chances, including a back-door opportunity by Tereza Plosova that rang off the post. Minnesota outshot the Mavericks 17-13 in the middle frame but the game remained deadlocked heading to the third.
The Gophers successfully killed off Minnesota State's lone power play of the night early in the third period, but the Mavericks broke through at 16:40. Gracie Graham poked a loose puck at the top of the crease, where it deflected in to give Minnesota State a 2-1 advantage. The Mavericks added an empty-net tally with 42 seconds remaining to secure the 3-1 win.
With the result, Minnesota moves to 12-3-0 (8-3-0 WCHA), while Minnesota State improves to 7-7-1 (3-7-1 WCHA).
Quotable
"Disappointing to say the least," said Head Coach Brad Frost. "We weren't sharp, passes were off, and shots were just missing the net. We had plenty of chances to get more than one here tonight, but so did they. We weren't reloading, we weren't on top of pucks, and overall it was not positive."
Notable
- Josefin Bouveng pushed her point streak to 14 games.
- Minnesota outshot Minnesota State 40-27.
- Hannah Clark recorded 24 saves in net.
- The loss marks Minnesota's first defeat against Minnesota State since March 1, 2025, when the Mavericks earned a double-overtime win in the WCHA First Round.
Up Next
The teams meet again on Saturday in Mankato at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. CT, with live coverage airing on FOX9+.