University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
St. Thomas
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No. 3 Gophers, RV Tommies Meet in Twin Cities Series
2/5/2026 10:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 3-ranked University of Minnesota women's hockey team is set to take on RV St. Thomas in a home-and-home series this weekend, Feb. 6–7. The Gophers head down the road to St. Paul for game one at Lee & Penny Arena on Thursday with a 12:00 p.m. CT puck drop, before returning home to Ridder Arena for a 2:00 p.m. CT start on Saturday to close out the Twin Cities series. Catch all the action live on B1G+.
#3 Minnesota Gophers (23-5-0, 17-5-0 WCHA) at RV St. Thomas Tommies (12-16-0, 7-15-0 WCHA)
Date: Feb. 6, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Location: St. Paul, Minn.
#3 Minnesota Gophers (23-5-0, 17-5-0 WCHA) vs RV St. Thomas Tommies (12-16-0, 7-15-0 WCHA)
Date: Feb. 7, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
Location: Ridder Arena
Last Time Out
Minnesota skates into the weekend following a series split with No. 1-ranked Wisconsin at Ridder Arena. Molly Jordan scored the game-winning goal on Friday to edge the Badgers 3-2 in overtime. Wisconsin responded on Saturday, downing the Gophers 6-1.
Scouting the Tommies
St. Thomas enters the weekend sitting fifth in the WCHA standings with 22 points, just one ahead of Minnesota State. The Tommies are coming off a home series sweep of St. Cloud State, skating to a 3-2 overtime victory on Friday and another 3-2 decision on Saturday to claim five key WCHA points as the final three weeks of the regular season approach. Junior forward Rylee Bartz was the overtime hero in Friday's contest and leads the team with 15 goals and 26 points. Junior forward Ella Boerger paces the squad with 16 assists. Julia Minotti has started 22 games in net this season, posting a 2.82 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage with a 9-14-0 record and two shutouts. Head coach Bethany Brausen is in her second season and is still searching for her first win against the Gophers, holding an 0-4-0 mark all-time versus Minnesota.
Inside the Series
The Gophers and Tommies meet for the 23rd and 24th times this weekend. Minnesota remains undefeated in the all-time series, holding a 22-0-0 record. The 'U' swept the earlier meeting this season with 5-3 and 4-1 victories.
Murphy Milestones
Graduate forward Abbey Murphy continues her climb up the Minnesota record books. Murphy is tied for first all-time in program history with 139 career goals and ranks second in career points (253). She now also holds the program record for game-winning goals (24) and tied the single-game program record with seven points earlier this season.
Gophers on the Olympic Stage
Minnesota will be without four skaters until WCHA postseason play due to Olympic participation. Nelli Laitinen (FIN), Abbey Murphy (USA), and Josefin Bouveng (SWE) are each making their second Olympic appearances, while Tereza Plosová (CZE) is set to make her Olympic debut. This series marks the third and fourth games the quartet will miss during the 2026 Winter Games.
Mojo Magic
Molly Jordan was the overtime hero last weekend, scoring the game-winner to lift Minnesota past top-ranked Wisconsin, 3-2.
Elite Offense
Minnesota enters the weekend as the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation with 150 goals. The Gophers rank second nationally in goals, assists (254), points (404), and scoring offense (5.36 goals per game).
Balanced Attack
Scoring depth has been a hallmark of Minnesota's success, with six skaters recording 10 or more goals and 10 players tallying at least 20 points on the season.
Winning the Margins
Minnesota ranks second nationally in scoring margin, outscoring opponents 150-61 and winning games by an average of 3.18 goals.
Front-Running Gophers
Minnesota has dominated when jumping out to an early lead this season. The Gophers are 14-0-0 when leading after the first period and 17-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Three Is the Key
The Gophers are 23-0-0 when scoring at least three goals this season.
Against the Ranked
The Gophers have recorded an impressive 13-3-0 mark against ranked opponents this season. The wins include two victories over No. 1 ranked teams, a win over No. 2, and two wins over No. 4 ranked teams.
Blue Line Production
With Laitinen away at the Olympics, Minnesota's blue line continues to produce. Sydney Morrow ranks fourth nationally among defenders in points (28), goals (8), and assists (20), while Chloe Primerano sits inside the top 10 with 21 points and seven goals.
Freshman Standout
Bella Fanale has shined in her first collegiate season, centering Minnesota's top line. She ranks third among all freshmen with 15 goals and sixth in freshman scoring with 29 points.
Between the Pipes
Sophomore Hannah Clark ranks 14th nationally in goals-against average (1.95), 31st in save percentage (.924), and is tied for 16th with three shutouts. She also owns the fifth-highest goalie winning percentage (.842) and went 6-0-0 in January.
Special Teams Success
Minnesota ranks fourth nationally on the power play (.303) and eighth in total power-play goals (23).
National Recognition
Minnesota remains the No. 3 team in the nation for the eighth consecutive week.
Behind the Bench
Frost, in his 19th season leading the Gophers, holds a career record of 551-126-42, four national championships, and seven conference titles. Associate head coach Greg May, assistant coach Mitch Baker, and assistant coach/general manager Jessica Scott also return to the staff.
Quest for Eight
Minnesota continues its pursuit of an eighth national championship, having already claimed seven titles (2000, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).