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No. 3 Gophers Skate Into Home-and-Home With No. 14/15 St. Cloud State
1/22/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team faces No. 14/15 St. Cloud State for the final time during the 2025-26 regular season, meeting in a home-and-home series this weekend. The two-game set opens Friday, Jan. 23, at 6:00 p.m. CT at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn., before shifting to Ridder Arena for a 2:00 p.m. CT puck drop on Saturday, Jan. 24. Friday's contest will stream live on B1G+, while Saturday's matchup will air on FOX9+.
#3 Minnesota Gophers (10-4-0, 14-4-0 WCHA) at #14/15 St. Cloud State Huskies (8-14-2, 4-12-2 WCHA)
Date: Jan. 23, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Stream:B1G+
Location: St. Cloud, MN
#3 Minnesota Gophers (10-4-0, 14-4-0 WCHA) vs #14/15 St. Cloud State Huskies (8-14-2, 4-12-2 WCHA)
Date: Jan. 24, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Stream:FOX9+
Location: Ridder Arena
Last Time Out
Minnesota is coming off a series sweep of Bemidji State in Bemidji, Minn. The Gophers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two periods in Friday's opener before skating to a 5-3 victory. Minnesota followed with a dominant performance on Saturday, reaching double-digit goals for the fourth time this season in an 11-1 win.
Scouting the Huskies
The Huskies enter the weekend tied for fifth place in the WCHA standings with 17 points. St. Cloud State is coming off a five-point weekend after earning a shootout win Friday and a 5-2 victory Saturday against then-No. 8 Minnesota Duluth. Sophomore goaltender Emilia Kyrkkö anchors the Huskies defensively, owning a .939 save percentage while allowing just 2.02 goals per game. Offensively, seven Huskies have reached double-digit point totals, led by junior forward Sofianna Sundelin with 18 points and 10 goals. Senior forward Avery Farrell follows with 16 points and is tied with graduate forward Grace Wolfe for the team lead in assists (11). First-year head coach and Gopher alumna Mira Jalosuo is at the helm for the Huskies this season.
Inside the Series
Minnesota and St. Cloud State meet for the 122nd and 123rd times this weekend. The Gophers hold a commanding 111-6-4 edge in the all-time series, including a two-game sweep earlier this season. Head coach Brad Frost is 66-5-4 against the Huskies in his career, while Jalosuo is 0-2-0 against the Maroon and Gold. Minnesota is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings between the programs.
Murphy Milestones
Graduate forward Abbey Murphy continues to climb the Minnesota record books, moving into second place all-time in career points with 253. Murphy passed Natalie Darwitz to move into third place during Friday's win before surpassing Amanda Kessel on Saturday against Bemidji State.
Olympic BoundÂ
Four Gophers have been named to Olympic rosters for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, Italy. Nelli Laitinen (FIN), Abbey Murphy (USA), and Josefin Bouveng (SWE) will represent their countries for the second time, while Tereza Plosová (CZE) is set to make her Olympic debut. This weekend marks the final games the quartet will dress in Maroon and Gold before departing for Milan.Â
WCHA Weekly Honors
Murphy earned her third consecutive WCHA weekly award after an eight-point weekend against Bemidji State. She recorded a goal and an assist in Friday's win before posting a career-high four goals and two assists on Saturday. Murphy became the first Gopher to score four goals in a game since Hannah Brandt on Oct. 10, 2015, against St. Cloud State.
Nation's Top Offense
Minnesota enters the weekend as the No. 1 offensive team in the nation following a 16-goal weekend against Bemidji State. The Gophers lead Division I women's hockey in goals (133), assists (227), points (330), and scoring offense (5.54 goals per game).
Point Streaks
Senior forward Josefin Bouveng extended her point streak to 23 games with a one goal and two-assist weekend. Abbey Murphy carries a 15-game point streak, while Jamie Nelson has recorded points in eight consecutive games. Amanda Kessel holds the program's single-season record with a 32-game point streak.
Blue Line Production
Minnesota's defense continues to drive the offense. Nelli Laitinen ranks second nationally among defenders with 27 points and third in goals (10), while Sydney Morrow ranks fifth in defender scoring with 22 points and fourth in goals (7).
Gopher Stat Leaders
Minnesota features three of the nation's top goal scorers: Abbey Murphy (33, 1st), Bella Fanale (14, 19th), and Josefin Bouveng (12, 30th). Four Gophers rank in the top 10 nationally in assists: Murphy (5th, 25), Bouveng (7th, 24), Ava Lindsay (9th, 21), and Jamie Nelson (9th, 21). Murphy also leads the nation in points per game (2.42).
Special Teams Success
Minnesota ranks fourth nationally on the power play (.318) and eighth in total power-play goals (21).
National Recognition
Minnesota remains the No. 3 team in the nation for the sixth consecutive week.
Frost Climbs the Ranks
Head coach Brad Frost has moved into fourth place all-time in NCAA women's hockey wins, now sitting at 548 career victories.
Leadership Group
Captains Abbey Murphy and Nelli Laitinen both return to wear the 'C' for the second straight season.
Behind the Bench
Head coach Brad Frost returns for his 19th season with the Gophers, entering the weekend with a career record of 548-125-42, 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).
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