NCAA women’s hockey series of the week: Minnesota vs Minnesota-Duluth

An in-state battle is set to hit the ice this weekend when No. 3 Minnesota travels north to take on No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth in a highly anticipated women’s hockey matchup between two of the top teams in the nation.

The Gophers and Bulldogs are no strangers to one another, sharing one of the most competitive rivalries in women’s college hockey. The two programs have combined for 11 national titles and countless Frozen Four appearances,

The series opens at 6 p.m. Friday with the second game set for 3 p.m. Saturday. Both matchups will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.

Minnesota leads the all-time series 39-8 and has largely controlled the rivalry in recent years. The Bulldogs’ last victory came in March 2022 during the NCAA Tournament, when they upset Minnesota to advance to the Frozen Four. Since then, the Gophers have won 12 of the last 13 meetings, with one tie.

Minnesota enters the weekend with a 7-1 record after splitting its series with No. 2 Ohio State last weekend. The Gophers boast one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, with their 44 goals tied with No. 1 Wisconsin for the highest total in Division I. Their scoring margin of 3.75 is tied for second nationally, and they have allowed just 14 goals through eight games.

Leading the charge offensively is graduate senior Abbey Murphy, whose 12 goals and 19 points are both tied for the national lead. The Evergreen Park, Illinois, native is coming off a breakout campaign in which she set career highs with 33 goals, 32 assists and 65 total points.

While Murphy was held scoreless in Minnesota’s two contests against Ohio State, she remains a constant scoring threat. However, she did have an impressive two-score game in a 5-3 win over then No.10 St. Cloud State on Oct. 11.

Also making strides for the Gophers offense is junior Ava Lindsay, who leads the nation with 12 assists and is second on the team with 13 points.

Minnesota-Duluth, meanwhile, enters the series at 6-2 after sweeping Minnesota State. Both of the Bulldogs’ losses came against top-ranked Wisconsin earlier in the season. Their scoring margin of 1.62 ranks ninth in the country, and they have outscored opponents 28-15.

The Bulldogs’ offense is paced by senior Thea Johansson and sophomore Caitlin Kraemer, who have each tallied seven goals this season. Kraemer leads the team with 11 total points, and the duo combined for four of Minnesota-Duluth’s eight goals against Minnesota State last weekend.

Between the pipes, junior goaltender Ève Gascon has started all eight games for the Bulldogs, recording a .936 save percentage with 219 total saves.

On the other side, sophomore Hannah Clark has been the go-to option for Minnesota, starting five of eight games and posting a 5-1 record with a .942 save percentage.

With both teams featuring high-powered offenses and steady goaltending, this weekend’s series promises to be a showcase of top-tier women’s college hockey.

Gianna Dowling is a third-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gmd5738@psu.edu.