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Bemidji State
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No. 3 Gophers Travel North for Two-Game Series at Bemidji State
1/15/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team heads north for a two-game WCHA series at Bemidji State on Jan. 16–17. The Gophers previously swept the Beavers on Nov. 14–15 earlier this season. Game one is set for Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT at the Sanford Center, with the series finale scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT. Both games will stream live on B1G+.
#3 Minnesota Gophers (18-4-0, 12-4-0 WCHA) at Bemidji State Beavers (5-14-3, 2-13-1 WCHA)
Date: Jan. 16, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Location: Bemidji, MN
#3 Minnesota Gophers (18-4-0, 12-4-0 WCHA) at Bemidji State Beavers (5-14-3, 2-13-1 WCHA)
Date: Jan. 17, 2026
Time: 3:30 p.m. CT
Stream:B1G+
Location: Bemidji, MN
Last Time Out
Minnesota secured a series sweep of Minnesota State last weekend in a home-and-home matchup. The Gophers cruised to an 11-3 victory Friday in Mankato before battling for a 4-3 win Saturday night at Ridder Arena in their first home game of the new year.
Scouting the Mavericks
Bemidji State enters the weekend sitting last in the WCHA with a 5-14-3 overall record and a 2-13-1 conference mark. The Beavers are coming off a two-game sweep at the hands of St. Thomas, falling 2-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. Sophomore forward Morgan Smith leads BSU with 15 points this season. Junior forwards Hailey Armstrong (13 points) and Kate Johnson (12 points) follow closely, while redshirt freshman Isa Goettl has also reached double digits with 10 points. Sophomore goaltender Kaitlin Groess has served as the Beavers' primary netminder, posting a 3.37 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage with one shutout. Head coach Amber Fryklund is midway through her second season at Bemidji State, holding an 11-44-4 career record.
Inside the Series
Minnesota leads the all-time series against Bemidji State, 101-9-7. Head coach Brad Frost owns a 71-7-4 career record against the Beavers. Fryklund is still seeking her first win against Minnesota, entering the weekend 0-7-0 versus the Gophers.
Fifty Nifty
Abbey Murphy became the first player in the nation to reach 50 points this season after recording a seven-point series against Minnesota State. Murphy has tallied 28 goals and 22 assists through 22 games.
Milestones Ahead
Murphy now sits at 245 career points in Maroon and Gold, just two points shy of moving into third place on Minnesota's all-time scoring list and four points from second place.
Olympic Bound
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.
WCHA Weekly Award Winners
Murphy was named WCHA Forward of the Week and Bella Fanale earned Rookie of the Week honors following Minnesota's sweep of Minnesota State. Murphy totaled seven points (4g, 3a), including her fourth hat trick of the season, while Fanale recorded five points (3g, 2a), highlighted by the game-winning goal Saturday.
Points, Points, Points
Senior forward Josefin Bouveng continues to produce, extending her point streak to 21 consecutive games with a four-assist weekend against Minnesota State. Amanda Kessel holds the program's all-time single-season point streak record at 32 games.
Offense on Overdrive
Minnesota ranks second nationally with 117 goals through 22 games, averaging 5.32 goals per contest.
Apple Picking
The Gophers rank second nationally with 200 assists this season. Ava Lindsay, Josefin Bouveng, and Abbey Murphy each average 1.00 assists per game, ranking sixth nationally. Jamie Nelson ranks 12th (0.82), Chloe Primerano 31st (0.65), Sydney Morrow 32nd (0.70), and Nelli Laitinen 32nd (0.65).
Productive Blue Line
Minnesota's defense continues to drive the offense, led by Nelli Laitinen and Sydney Morrow. Laitinen ranks second nationally among defenders with 24 points and is second in goals (9), while Morrow sits fifth in defender scoring with 20 points and ranks fifth in goals (6).
Gopher Stat Leaders
Six Gophers rank among the nation's top scorers: Abbey Murphy (1st, 50 points), Josefin Bouveng (T-8th, 33), Ava Lindsay (T-17th, 28), Nelli Laitinen (T-28th, 24), Jamie Nelson (T-28th, 24), and Bella Fanale (T-34th, 23). Murphy leads the NCAA in goals per game (1.27) and points per game (2.27). In goal, Hannah Clark ranks among the nation's top 20 in all major categories, posting a .929 save percentage (16th), a 1.85 goals-against average (12th), and three shutouts (T-8th).
Big-Time Player, Big-Time Plays
Murphy has recorded four game-winning goals this season, passing Krissy Wendell and Nadine Muzerall (24) for the most in program history.
Pucks On, Pucks In
Minnesota has outshot opponents 906–557 and leads the WCHA with a 12.9 shooting percentage.
Frost Climbs the Ranks
Head coach Brad Frost has moved into fourth place all-time in NCAA women's hockey wins, passing Mike Carroll and now sitting at 546 career victories.
Special Teams Strength
Minnesota ranks fifth nationally on the power play (.288) and eighth in total power-play goals (18). The Gophers' penalty kill also ranks among the nation's top 20 at .848.
National Recognition
The Gophers remain the No. 3 team in the nation for the fifth consecutive week.
Leadership Group
Captains Abbey Murphy and Nelli Laitinen both return to wear the 'C' for the second straight season.
Quest for Eight
Minnesota continues its pursuit of an eighth national championship, having already claimed seven titles (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).