The #3 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s hockey team will complete it’s run through the top four ranked teams in the nation this weekend when they head to Madison to face the #1 ranked Wisconsin
Badgers. The Gophers have faced off against #2 Ohio State, #4 Minnesota-Duluth, and now #1 Wisconsin in three consecutive weeks, and have faired well going 3-1 in that stretch with a split with the Buckeyes and a sweep in Duluth of the Bulldogs. But the final boss remains.
Minnesota has been riding the offensive power that is Abbey Murphy and the outstanding play of goalie Hannah Clark in this stretch. Murphy continues to lead the nation with 22 points on the season and 14 goals. Her linemate Ava Lindsay is 5th in the nation with 15 points and tied for first in the country with 12 assists. She scored a pair of goals herself last weekend in Minnesota’s sweep of UMD. Sydney Morros has 12 points and ranks 3rd in the nation in scoring by a blueliner. Nelli Laitinen has four goals which is second best in the country by defenders. Clark ranks 10th in the nation allowing 1.36 goal per game and is 9th in the country with a 95% save percentage. All good enough for the Gophers to enter Madison tied with Ohio State three points of the first place Badgers in the WCHA.
But, there is a reason this Wisconsin team is ranked #1 and is atop the WCHA standings. They have starts upon stars of their own. Forward Lacy Eden is third in the nation in scoring with 17 points while defender Caroline Harvey is one back with 16. Harvey leads all defenders in scoring in the country in both points and goals with five. Goalie Ava McNaughton leads the country in all applicable stats with a0.63 goals against average, a.967 save percentage and five shutouts en route to a 10-0 record. Wisconsin has had an easier schedule than the Gophers or Buckeyes, playing a trio of weak non-conference opponents and then having played just UMD in the top half of the WCHA, but they have been DOMINANT outscoring their opponents 56-6 in 10 games this season.
This will be by far the toughest opponent the Badgers have played all season, while the Gophers have had back to back tough series. Statistically these are two of the top teams in the nation. The badgers lead the country in scoring at 5.6 goas per game, Minnesota is #2 at 5.1. Wisconsin only gives up 0.6 goals per game to lead the country, Minnesota gives up a goal more at 1.6 and is 11th in the nation—but again the schedule discrepancy is huge. In their lone common opponent thus far the Badgers defeated UMD 4-3 and 4-0 at home. The Gophers defeated the Bulldogs 4-0 and 3-2 in Duluth. The Badgers rank #4 in the country on the power play, Minnesota in 9th. The Badgers have yet to give up a power play goal this season while the Gophers are killing penalties at just over 90%.
Minnesota can steal a game this weekend but they will need to play perfectly. The Badgers are on their longest streak of success over the Gophers in the program’s history. Wisconsin has won 10 consecutive against Minnesota and with their win in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal last season now have a one game edge 58-57-16 in the all-time series. Of interest will be who actually is on the ice for the two teams. Minnesota will be missing defender Chloe Primerano for at least Friday’s game and potentially the entire weekend as she is at the Team Canada Olympic Training Camp in Montreal. Minnesota likely will also be missing Princeton transfer Sarah Paul who was injured a week ago. Wisconsin has a pair of their stars who have suffered injuries and missed time in Layla Edwards and Kirsten Simms. Neither played last weekend against Minnesota State, but both apparently returned to practice this week and most likely will play against the Gophers. However defender Lacey Potter will likely miss the series and she is the Badger’s second highest scoring defender.
As has been the case with both the series against Ohio State and UMD, this will be the only time prior to the postseason that these two teams will meet at relatively full strength. Their next meeting in Minneapolis will be the final weekend of January when all of the various Olympians on both rosters will be allready off with their national teams. Minnesota will likely be missing four or five players that weekend and Wisconsin could be missing up to six.
Faceoff on Friday night is set for 6 PM and the game will air live on Fox9+ in Minnesota as well as stream on B1G+. Saturday’s series finale is set for 2PM and will stream on B1G+.
