University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Trio of Gophers Earn CCM All-America Honors from AHCA
3/21/2026 10:58:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – Three members of the University of Minnesota women's hockey team have been named 2025-26 CCM All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association, highlighted by graduate forward Abbey Murphy earning First Team honors. Senior defenders Sydney Morrow and Nelli Laitinen were each named to the Second Team.
Murphy earns her second consecutive All-America honor and first career First Team selection after producing one of the nation's most dominant offensive seasons. The Evergreen Park, Ill. native led the Gophers with 66 points on 40 goals and 26 assists in just 31 games, ranking among the NCAA leaders in goals, points, hat tricks, and power play goals.
Murphy paced the nation with 1.29 goals per game and 2.13 points per game while finishing with a team-best +35 rating. She also totaled nine power play goals and added a shorthanded score. During the WCHA Playoffs, Murphy cemented her legacy in Maroon & Gold, becoming Minnesota's all-time leading goal scorer with her 140th and 141st career goals.
A top-three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and the 2025-26 WCHA Forward of the Year, Murphy earned All-WCHA First Team recognition and was named WCHA Forward of the Week five times this season. She also garnered WCHA Forward of the Month honors twice and received Hockey Commissioners Association Forward of the Month recognition multiple times.
Morrow collects her second career All-America honor after anchoring Minnesota's blue line and contributing heavily on the offensive end. The senior finished the season with 38 points on eight goals and 30 assists in 39 games, ranking second among all NCAA defenders in both points and assists. She posted a +33 rating and recorded 57 blocked shots, helping lead a Gopher defense that allowed just 2.19 goals per game.
Morrow earned All-WCHA Second Team honors for the second straight season and previously garnered Second Team CCM/AHCA All-America recognition in 2023-24.
Laitinen earns her first career All-America honor following a standout senior campaign. The defender recorded career highs across the board with 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists in 33 games, nearly doubling her previous career-best goal total. She finished with a +31 rating and contributed on both special teams, adding two power play goals and a shorthanded tally.
Laitinen was named to the All-WCHA Second Team and was a finalist for WCHA Defender of the Year, in addition to earning WCHA Defender of the Week honors during the season.
Minnesota's three All-Americans mark one of the program's strongest showings in recent years and underscore the Gophers' continued presence among the nation's elite.