University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Murphy, Fanale Earn WCHA Monthly Honors
2/4/2026 2:02:00 PM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – Graduate student Abbey Murphy and freshman Bella Fanale earned WCHA Monthly Awards for January, with Murphy named Player of the Month and Fanale tabbed Rookie of the Month. The announcement marks the second time this season the duo has earned monthly conference honors after claiming the same awards in September.
Murphy posted an impressive 27 points on 16 goals and 11 assists with a +16 rating over eight games in January. The Evergreen Park, Ill., native recorded three hat tricks during the month, including back-to-back hat tricks against Sacred Heart and Minnesota State. She scored in every game in January and set a new career high with four goals against Bemidji State on Jan. 17. The two-time Olympian also tied the program's single-game points record with seven against Sacred Heart on Jan. 3.
Murphy continued to climb the program record book, moving into second all-time in points and tying for first in program history with 140 career goals. She is set to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, marking her second Olympic appearance.
Fanale recorded 15 points in January on eight goals and seven assists. The freshman standout posted two multi-goal games and four multi-point outings en route to her second Rookie of the Month honor. Fanale's month included an eight-point stretch over three games and a six-game goal streak from Jan. 3–23.
Minnesota returns to action with a two-game home-and-home series against St. Thomas on Feb. 6–7. Game one is set for noon CT Friday in St. Paul, Minn., at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena, with game two scheduled for 2 p.m. CT Saturday at Ridder Arena. Both games will be streamed on B1G+ with Friday's contest airing on FOX9+.
WCHA Players of the Month
Forward: Abbey Murphy, Minnesota
Defender: Caroline Harvey, Wisconsin
Goaltender: Hailey McLeod, Ohio State
Rookie: Bella Fanale, Minnesota