University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
4-0-0
Bemidji State
1-3-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji St. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Minnesota | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Gophers Top Beavers, 4-2, to Complete Weekend Sweep
10/11/2026 5:04:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team earned a 4-2 victory over Bemidji State on Sunday afternoon at Ridder Arena to close out its home-opening weekend.
Bemidji State struck first, taking a 1-0 lead at the 8:17 mark of the opening period.
Minnesota responded with two goals to close out the first frame. Adrianna Milani netted her first goal of the afternoon at 12:16, capitalizing on a rebound after Molly Jordan's shot from the right point was saved. Milani collected the loose puck on her backhand and tucked it past the Beavers' goaltender to even the score at 1-1.
Gracie Graham gave the Gophers their first lead of the afternoon at 14:32, firing a well-placed slap shot from the left point that beat the goaltender high on the blocker side through traffic in front of the net.
Sarah Paul extended Minnesota's lead early in the second period, scoring her 50th career goal just 2:42 into the frame. Paul skated from below the left faceoff dot through the circles and into the high slot before releasing a wrist shot that found the back of the net to put the Gophers ahead 3-1.
The Beavers cut the deficit to one 9:10 into the third period, converting on the power play to make it a 3-2 game.
Milani sealed the 4-2 victory with an empty-net goal late in the third. From high in the slot, Ava Lindsay blocked a Bemidji State shot that ricocheted into the neutral zone. Milani won the race to the loose puck and buried it to secure the Gophers' third consecutive win over the Beavers this season.
With the victory, Minnesota improves to 4-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in WCHA play, while Bemidji State falls to 1-3-0 overall and 0-2-0 in conference action.
Quotable
"We persevered," said head coach Greg "Boom" May. "We didn't have our best stuff, right from the get-go, but we found a way. Layla Hemp was awesome in net for us, and had a couple huge stops, especially in the second period, that kept us in control. Our bench was great all game long as far as staying composed. Winning is hard in our league, and facing a team three times in your first four games and beating them all three times is especially challenging, but we found a way to get it done."
Notable
- Sarah Paul scored her first goal of the season and the 50th of her career.
- Adrianna Milani recorded her second career multi-goal game.
- Eight Gophers registered at least one point.
- Sloane Hartmetz skated to a plus-three rating.
- Gracie Graham led all skaters with seven shots on goal and recorded her second goal of the season.
Up Next
Minnesota continues its home stretch next weekend with a two-game series against No. 2-ranked Ohio State. Puck drop is set for Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. CT and Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. CT at Ridder Arena. Both games will stream live on B1G+.
