After an 8-5 season that ended with a bowl game win, Minnesota’s Board of Regents agreed to a contract extension for head football coach P.J. Fleck through 2030. 

Fleck is entering his ninth season with the Gophers, totalling a record of 58-39 with the Gophers. His highest win season came in 2019, when the Gophers finished the year 11-2 and were ranked as high as seventh in the nation. 

After earning a seven-year extension in 2022, this one-year extension keeps his annual base earnings at $6 million. 

Tom Gorski of The Sporting News reported that Minnesota placed stipulations in the contract to keep him around long term. The deal was made to protect both sides should either choose to part from the other. 

For the Gophers, if Fleck decides to take a coaching position with another team or leave the sport for broadcasting in either 2025 or 2026, he would owe the university $5.5 million or $4.5 million, respectively. 

For Fleck, the Gophers can part ways with him for any reason, but he would be owed 70% of the remaining salary, bonuses and any supplementary compensation on his contract. 

In his eight years with the Gophers, Fleck is fifth in wins and games coached, fourth in Big Ten wins and third in win percentage in at least 45 games. He coached the Gophers to four eight-win seasons, three of which surpassed nine wins. 

Alongside winning football games with the Gophers, Fleck has coached eight All-Americans and sent 19 players to the NFL in his Minnesota tenure so far. 

Since 2021, Fleck has landed a top-three Minnesota prospect in recruiting. Over the last three years, he landed the top-ranked player. 

In 2024, Fleck signed safety Koi Perich, who was named to this year’s Walter Camp preseason All-American second team. 

Fleck most recently signed 2026 top Minnesota prospect and tight end Roman Voss, who chose the Gophers over Alabama. 

The Gophers currently rank No. 37 in the nation in the CBS preseason poll.

The Gophers and No. 20 Michigan Wolverines played on Thursday night in Williams Arena, with the Gophers winning 84-81 in overtime.

For the first time since February 2021, Minnesota’s men’s basketball team beat a top-25 team led by seniors Dawson Garcia, Mike Mitchell Jr. and Lu’Cye Patterson. 

Garcia led the team with 27 points and 12 rebounds, including this game-winner from over 40 feet away. 

College basketball show The Field of 68 featured Minnesota’s win and Garcia’s shot. 

“It all starts with Dawson Garcia, and I am thrilled for him,” said Mike LaTulip, co-host of The Field of 68: After Dark. “He could’ve gone somewhere else, but he stuck with it.” 

Mitchell Jr. did most of his work during the first half and early in the second, scoring 20 points and adding four assists. 

Patterson came up clutch for the Gophers, scoring 22 points with 10 points in the final 10 minutes of the second half and overtime. 

Minnesota started the game slow and missed their first 10 3-point attempts. After finally getting a shot to drop, they shot 9/19 from 3-point range the rest of the game. 

The Gophers were down 11 early in the second half but continued to fight until they tied the game 51-51 with 10 minutes remaining after going on a 10-0 run. 

After the 10-minute mark, the game was back and forth for the final 15 minutes of game time. 

Michigan was led by Danny Wolf, who finished the game with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. In overtime Wolf kept them in the game, scoring four points, dishing out two assists and grabbing a couple of rebounds. 

Garcia, Patterson and Mitchell Jr., took control of overtime for the Gophers, scoring all 13 points themselves. 

Mitchell Jr. got the team started by hitting a three early in overtime, then Patterson and Garcia took the reins. They went back and forth over the next few minutes and each finished the extra period with five points. 

Since being hired, head coach Ben Johnson exuded confidence and positivity and this game seemed to confirm those feelings for him. 

“I’ve been telling people we’re getting better, and no one probably believes me, I’ve been telling people we’re this close, and no one probably believes me,” Johnson said. 

The people who never waver on Johnson are his players. He earned praise from his starting guard Patterson after the game.

“He could get after us, yell at us, scream at us… but he’s been cool and he’s been with us,” Patterson said. We’ve been leaning on each other when we’re down, and it obviously helped us tonight.”

The Gophers move to 9-9 on the season and 1-6 in Big Ten games. With over 10 games remaining, Minnesota is looking to make a late-season push. 

“It means we got something to build off, continue to build off it and we look forward to keeping this thing rolling,” Garcia said.

Junior women’s golfer Isabella McCauley was one of 72 amateur golfers invited to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). 

McCauley is ranked 58th in the world on the Women’s Amateur Golf Ranking and 22nd in the United States, a large reason why she qualified for the events. 

The ANWA will begin on April 2 and finish on April 5.

“This is simply a dream come true,” McCauley said. “I’ve been working towards this for a long time, so it’s amazing seeing the hard work pay off.”

The Gophers beat the Virginia Tech Hokies 24-10 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl game in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday behind 113 yards and a touchdown from running back Darius Taylor. 

Wide receiver Elijah Spencer was named the MVP of the game due to his six receptions, 81 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Gophers had seven players sitting out, most of which have NFL-aspirations. Wide receiver Daniel Jackson, offensive linemen Aireontae Ersery, offensive lineman Tyler Cooper, linebacker Cody Lindenberg, defensive tackle Jah Joyner and defensive back Justin Walley sat out due to the upcoming NFL draft. 

Running back Marcus Major and defensive back Darius Green sat out due to injury.  

Heading into the game quarterback Max Brosmer was eight completions away from setting the Gopher record for completions in a single season. He entered the game with 350 completions, 2,617 yards, and a 17:5 touchdown to interception ratio. He also had five rushing touchdowns.

After a 7-5 regular season featuring multiple one-score losses for the Gophers, it ended with yet another bowl win. 

The game was expected to be a defensive battle, Minnesota entered the game as the 10th-ranked defense and the Hokies entered as the 39th. 

Head coach PJ Fleck and offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. decided to have some fun early in the first quarter, running three plays that featured two quarterbacks, Brosmer and freshman Drake Lindsey. 

Lindsey is expected to have an opportunity to earn the starting job next season, the bowl game gives the coaching staff a few opportunities to see the freshman play. 

After a defensive stand by the Hokies inside their own 10-yard line, a big play by the Virginia Tech wide receiver Ayden Green put them inside the Gophers five-yard line. Hokies quarterback Colin Schlee ran in the first touchdown of the game. 

On the next possession, Harbaugh continued with the trickery, setting up a play for running back Taylor to throw a 10-yard touchdown to Spencer. 

“When I lined up, I’m reading it all, and I’m like ‘Oh man this is going to work,’ I started foaming at the mouth,” Spencer said. “It all just played out perfectly… shoutout to DT (Darius Taylor).” 

Later in the second quarter, Brosmer tied the Gophers’ completions record by throwing Spencer his second touchdown of the game. On the next drive, he broke the record. 

The Gophers went up two scores after a 58-yard drive that ended with a Darius Taylor touchdown with less than a minute remaining in the first half.  

Minnesota led 21-10 at the half. Hokies kicker John Love finished the half by making a 60-yard field goal. 

Taylor led the team with 67 rushing yards on seven attempts and a passing touchdown for 10 yards. Brosmer finished the half with 126 yards, a touchdown and a Gopher record. 

The Gophers defensive aggression continued into the second half, earning their fourth sack of the game and forcing the Hokies to punt once again. 

The third quarter was slow for both teams, no points and a couple of punts later the Gophers entered the third quarter with a 11-point lead. 

The Gophers were stopped on third down early in the fourth and settled for three. 

Virginia Tech picked up 47-yard on a reverse play to Keylen Adams, but the drive quickly ended after a red zone turnover on downs. 

After the turnover, the Hokies tipped a pass and brought down an interception. The interception marked their 12th out of 13 games with a turnover. 

They couldn’t take advantage of the good field position and turned the ball over on fourth down, throwing an interception to Gophers defensive back Za’Quan Bryan. 

On the final drive of the game, Taylor broke 100 yards for the fifth time this season.  

Brosmer connected with Jameson Geers on fourth down to seal the game. 

In Duke’s Mayo Bowl fashion, Fleck was doused in Duke’s mayo after the game. 

During the postgame press conference, he emphasized his appreciation for the mayo bath tradition. 

“If they had 15 tubs of those, I would have done all 15,” Fleck said. “It’s worth it to be a champion at the end of the year.”

Predicted to finish 14th in the Big Ten, only the Gophers soccer team knew the potential they had. 

After defying expectations, they are right back to square one after losing in the third round of the NCAA tournament this year. The Gophers will lose players this offseason, many of which were starters for the whole season. 

The most notable losses are forward Khyah Harper, midfielders Sophia Boman, Sophia Romine, Jelena Zbiljic, Evelyn Calhoon, Ally Childers and defender Elizabeth Overberg. 

Harper and Boman won a multitude of awards this season.

Harper finished with the ninth most goals in the nation, won Big Ten Forward of the Year, made the All-Big Ten First Team, United Soccer Coaches (USC) All-America Second Team and All-North Region First Team. 

Boman earned All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten All-Tournament Team and All-North Region Second Team. 

Incoming Freshmen

To fill the void left by the nine players leaving, the Gophers brought in nine freshmen for the 2025 season.  

Emily Buescher 

From Naperville, Illinois, Buescher attended Naperville North High School and played for the Chicago FC United Girls Academy (GA).

During the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Buescher was named to the all-conference, all-section and all-area team.

When asked by the Chicago Tribune about her sister, who played collegiate soccer at Illinois State University, the Naperville native gave a serious answer. 

“She loves to win, I hate to lose,” Buescher said. “I think part of that is she is the oldest. So she was used to being on top, and I was used to being on the bottom. So I don’t like losing.”

Tyra Chu  

From Sterling Heights, Michigan, Chu attended Athens High School and played for the Nationals SC Elite Club National League (ECNL).

Chu spent time with current Gophers soccer player Kate Childers on their club team, Detroit City FC, which was the 2024 USL W League Central Conference Champions. 

Sawyer Danielson  

From St. Paul, Minnesota, Danielson attended St. Paul Academy and played for the Minnesota Thunder Academy (MTA) ECNL.

Danielson was part of three MTA teams that competed in National Qualifiers in 2021, 2023 and 2024. She was named to the All-State and All-Conference teams three years in a row. 

“It felt like home right away, on my visit and I missed it once I left,” Danielson said. “I love the campus and how it’s in the city … I love the feeling and atmosphere at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.”

Emily Filbrun 

From Saline, Michigan Filbrun attended Saline High School and played for the Michigan Hawks ECNL.

Filbrun is a three-time ECNL Midwest Conference champion and two-time ECNL Midwest Conference first-team member. 

“I think Minnesota will provide me with the competitive environment I look for in soccer and academics,” Filbrun said when asked why she chose Minnesota. 

Hannah Heinlein  

From El Dorado Hills, California Heinlein attended Oak Ridge High School and played for the San Juan Soccer Club ECNL.

Heinlein and San Juan Soccer Club finished last season fifth in the ECNL and finished in the Second Team All-League ECNL Conference while making the First Team All-League ECNL Conference in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, she and her teammates won the Norcal Division I state championship. 

Jacqueline Keller  

From River Forest, Illinois, Keller attended Fenwick High School and played for the Galaxy SC GA.

Keller will provide a backup goalkeeper role to current Gopher Sarah Martin. She also played basketball and lacrosse during her time at Fenwick. 

“On my visit when I formally met the staff I had no doubt I would commit if offered,” Keller said.

Mya Nugent  

From Long Grove, Illinois, Nugent attended Adlai E. Stevenson High School and played for the  FC United GA.

Nuget received invitations to United States Youth National Team Talent Identifiers (USYNT ID) from 2018-2024. 

“Athletically, it’s very competitive in the Big Ten conference,” Nugent said. “There’s a great team culture and staff that cares about the development and success of their athletes.”

Brenna Schoenfelder  

From Castle Pines, Colorado, Schoenfelder attended Rock Canyon High School and played for the Real Colorado ECNL Athletico.

As a goalkeeper with Rock Canyon, Schoenfelder finished high school as a two-time conference champion and runner-up of two state championships.

Tenley Senden  

From Medina, Minnesota, Senden attended Wayzata High School and played for the Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL.

“Ever since I’ve known about the University of Minnesota, I’ve wanted to go there,” Senden said. “Knowing it’s close to home and both my parents played sports there made me want to go there even more.” 

Senden is a third-generation Gophers athlete. Her mother was a part of the gymnastics team,  her father played on the hockey team and her grandfather was the football team’s defensive coordinator.

Her older sister Brynn Senden is currently on the women’s basketball team. 

In the last three years, Tenley Senden and her Wayzata team finished in the quarterfinals, as state champion runner-ups and finally as state champions in 2024.

Through 11 games this season, Gophers men’s basketball sits at a 6-5 overall record and 0-2 in conference play due to lackluster offense and dissatisfactory defense. 

Defense was the only thing keeping the Gophers alive against non-conference opponents. The Gophers held five opponents to under 60 and all opposing teams to less than 64 points per game. 

After the North Texas game on Nov. 13, which saw the Gophers lose 54-51, forward Trey Edmonds said defense is essential to winning. 

“It’s one of the main things we focus on, regardless of what is going on,” Edmonds said. “We pride ourselves on defense… but there is still a lot to do.”

Since conference play began, the defense disappeared. After two Big Ten games, the Gophers gave up 90 points against Michigan State and 82 points against Indiana. 

Head coach Ben Johnson talked about the mood in the locker room after their loss to Michigan State on Dec. 4. 

“Disappointment, because they knew,” Johnson said. “It’s that consistency part, not having breakdowns against good teams. One breakdown leads to two, two leads to three.”

Johnson said they know the standard of what it takes to compete, and they will be trying to play to that standard from here on out.  

All season, however, the offense has been abysmal. The Gophers are averaging less than 66 points per game. 

They are bottom three in the conference in scoring, free throw percentage, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, point-differential and rebounding. 

The Gophers beat one team over .500 (Central Michigan), but their schedule has not been easy lately. 

They played and lost to multiple teams with winning percentages over .700. The Gophers lost to Wichita State (8-1), Wake Forest (8-3), Indiana (8-2), Michigan State (8-2) and North Texas (6-3). 

Their most recent game was Monday against Indiana when they lost 82-67. Indiana shot under 57% from the field, while the Gophers shot over 47%. 

The schedule will only get tougher now that Big Ten play is underway. The Gophers have their final two non-conference games before facing off against Purdue (8-2), Ohio State (6-3) and Wisconsin (8-2). 

Gophers’ Stats

Through 11 games, only three Gophers are averaging 10 or more points per game (ppg). Forward Dawson Garcia (19.3 ppg) and guards Mike Mitchell Jr., who only played in four games this season, and Lu’Cye Patterson are each averaging 10 ppg. 

Rounding out the starting lineup is guard Brennan Rigsby (6.6 ppg), forward Femi Odukale (4.9 ppg) and center Frank Mitchell (4.1 ppg). Not including Mitchell Jr., the Gophers’ most consistent starters are averaging under 50 combined points per game.

When asked about the team’s poor shooting numbers, Rigsby responded simply after the Bethune-Cookman game on Dec. 1. 

“We’ve been struggling with that, and I think we’re going to shoot better,” Rigsby said. “That’s going to be easy, we’re pretty bad, so only up from here.”

Rigsby added they are getting good looks and the shots just need to start falling, but he is confident they will. 

The season is still young and conference play has just begun, so the Gophers have a lot of time to turn the season around. In the expanded Big Ten, however, the Gophers need to turn it around sooner rather than later if they want to compete. 

Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball moved to 6-4 after their loss to Michigan State on Wednesday. 

The Gophers were led by forward Dawson Garcia in their first Big Ten game of the season and faced fewer offensive problems than in previous games this year. Unlike past matches, the Gophers lacked defensively, allowing the Spartans to shoot over 50% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. 

The Spartans had 27 points in transition, something head coach Ben Johnson pointed out as a reason for the loss. 

“They’re a team you have to sprint back against,” Johnson said. “Our guys felt the force and we never recovered from that.”

Gophers guard Mike Mitchell Jr. made his return to the court after missing the previous seven games. The California native started the game on the bench, and when he stepped onto the court, Williams Arena exploded into claps and cheers. 

The volume in Williams rose after Mitchell Jr. hit his first 3-point shot of the night. He finished the game with 17 points after exploding for 14 points while going five for nine from the field in the second half. 

When asked about how he felt regarding his return, he diverted to an apology to his teammates. 

“It definitely felt good to be back out there, I just apologized to my team after the game,” Mitchell Jr. said. “I wish I could have helped on defense. I’ll be better next game.”

Mitchell Jr. walked gingerly when the game was out of play or when he was not part of the play. The Gophers are still without Toledo transfer guard Tyler Cochran.

Johnson said Mitchell Jr. is close to 100% but needs to get back into the flow of the game.  

The Gophers started out slow, getting down 9-2 early, but defensive stops and a run of points allowed Minnesota to get up three with 13 minutes left in the first half. 

In a short run, the Gophers shot six for eight while holding the Spartans to one for seven in shooting. Minutes after the Gophers took their only lead of the night, they went cold again and allowed a 14-0 run in under four minutes. 

The Spartans run ballooned to 21-3 and they led by 16 points with six minutes left in the first half. 

At halftime, the Gophers trailed the Spartans by 12 points after ending the first half with zero field goals in the final three minutes.  

Garcia started the second half with five quick points, but the Spartans were scoring on the other end, keeping their lead at 11 with 17 minutes left in the game. The senior slowed down after that, only scoring again with less than six minutes left in the game.

Back-to-back 3-point shots from Mitchell Jr. put the Gophers down 11 points but the next play saw Spartans forward Xavier Booker respond by knocking down his second three of the night.

Gophers fans started to leave Williams with less than five minutes left in the game while Spartans fans belted, “Let’s go Spartans” from behind their team’s bench. A handful of Gophers fans, Minnesota cheerleaders, the band and Barnyard (UMN) were still watching from the student section. 

Despite the team shooting less than 45% from the field, Garcia echoed what Johnson said, and pointed to the team’s defensive struggles. 

“It wasn’t about offense today, it was about defense,” Garcia said. “Guarding in transition and second chance opportunities.” 

Garcia said he has no worries about the offense because they are getting shots they usually make and expects them to fall soon. 

The Gophers next game is on the road against Indiana on Monday. The Hoosiers boast a 6-2 overall record and fell out of the top 25 on Dec. 2.

Head coach for the Minnesota Lynx Cheryl Reeve announced Saturday that former Gophers women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Whalen will join the Lynx as an assistant coach.

Whalen’s new job with the Lynx will be her first WNBA coaching job. She joins Reeve’s staff alongside former Washington Mystics head coach Eric Thibault, who will join the team as an associate head coach.  Reeve’s additions to her staff come after the Lynx fell to the New York Liberty in overtime of game five during the 2024 WNBA championship.

“Lindsay adds a unique perspective as a Lynx legend and Naismith Hall of Famer,” Reeve said in a press release. “I look forward to working with both in our quest for another WNBA Championship.” 

Reeve selected Thibault to replace now-former associate head coach Katie Smith, who left the Lynx to take on an assistant coaching position at her alma mater, Ohio State. Whalen will work alongside current assistant coach Rebekkah Lamar Brunson.

Whalen returns to coaching after unexpectedly stepping down as head coach for the Gophers in March 2023. 

Whalen played for the Gophers from 2000-2004 before she was drafted fourth overall by the Connecticut Sun in the 2004 WNBA draft. Whalen spent six years with the Sun before she was traded to the Lynx where she led the team to four WNBA championships in nine seasons. 

“I couldn’t imagine joining a better staff as I return to coaching and get my first opportunity to coach in the WNBA,” Whalen said in a press release. “We have a special group with this team and I can’t wait to get to work.” 

Whalen earned an Olympic gold medal with Team USA at the London 2012 Olympics and Rio 2016 with Reeve as an assistant coach. The Gophers and the Lynx hang Whalen’s No. 13 from the rafters.

With Big Ten play beginning Dec. 4, the Gophers will need to figure out their offensive issues if they want a chance to be competitive this season. 

The Gophers are averaging 64 points this season, which is last in the Big Ten. However, they also boast one of the best defenses in the conference. Their defense is why they won most of their non-conference schedule, but the level of competition to start the year is not as tough as what the Big Ten will bring.

They are allowing their opponents to score less than 58 points per game, the second-best in the conference. The Gophers opponents have a combined 20-42 record, with North Texas being the only team over .500 the Gophers played so far.  

The Gophers were held to 14 points at the half in their game against North Texas while shooting less than 15% from the field. Despite the bad shooting in the first half, the Gophers lost by three points.

Head coach Ben Johnson praised North Texas’ defense in the postgame press conference on Nov. 13, but understood the Gophers needed to be more confident.  

“I felt like our confidence wavered on every miss,” Johnson said. “Sometimes you get great looks and they just don’t fall.”

Johnson said they still need to work on looking forward to the next play after something does not go their way. After scoring 80 points in the season opener, the Gophers have yet to crack 70 again. Every team in the Big Ten besides the Gophers is averaging over 72 points per game. 

The Gophers are also struggling from the free-throw line, shooting 63%. Minnesota is ranked 333 out of 364 in terms of free throw percentage in the nation and second-worst in the Big Ten. 

Forward Dawson Garcia has been a bright spot for the offense, averaging 22.8 points and 7.8 rebounds on 56% from the field, 55% from the three-point line and 82.4% from the charity stripe. 

The Gophers’ second leading scorer is guard Lu’Cye Patterson with 9.2 points per game. 

The loss of guard Mike Mitchell Jr. from injury is taking a toll on the offense. In his two games this season, he is averaging 6.5 points per game and six assists but averaged over 8.5 in his first two games last season. 

The Gophers could get Mitchell Jr. back for their next game on Thursday, but there is currently no set date for his return, Johnson said on Monday. Johnson and the staff are more worried about his ability to move laterally after suffering a sprained ankle on Nov. 9. 

In his four-game absence, the Gophers are averaging 58.3 points per game. 

The Gophers found themselves in a similar situation against Yale as they did North Texas, finishing the first half with 19 points. 

After the North Texas game, Garcia said they practiced like it was life or death. At halftime against Yale, they did not want to experience another loss like the previous game. 

“We came down to the locker room and were like, ‘It’s not going to happen again, we’re not going to lose this game again,’” Garcia said. 

Garcia added the team was not worried, but there was a sense of urgency in the locker room. 

The Gophers outscored Yale 40-27 in the second half to take home a three-point victory, finishing with 59 points. 

In their other three victories, they scored 68 twice and 58 but gave up an average of 58.6 in those three games. The Gophers won only two games by double digits, their other three wins came down to less than five points. 

The Gophers will have their toughest challenge so far on Thursday when they face off against an undefeated Wichita State team in the ESPN Events Invitational tournament in Orlando, Florida.

The last time the Gophers soccer team found themselves in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament was 14 years ago.

Eight years ago was the last time they hosted a tournament game, but it was six years ago when they last played in the tournament. 

Fast forward to now, Gophers women’s soccer did all of that before falling 3-0 to North Carolina on Sunday.

The Tar Heels beat the Gophers at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Sunday. They were led by freshman Linda Ullmark, sophomore Evelyn Shores and sophomore Olivia Thomas, who each scored a goal. 

In the last 20 years, North Carolina made the championship game seven times, winning four. 

The Gophers worked hard for 90 minutes, but despite a comeback win in their last game against South Carolina, the Gophers could not overcome the three goals scored by the Tar Heels. 

In their previous game against South Carolina, the Gophers entered the second half down a goal, but after fifth-year Sophia Boman equalized the game with a penalty, they stayed aggressive. Fifth-year Sophia Romine put the Gophers ahead with a 20-yard shot that hit the back of the net with 20 minutes left. 

Gophers graduate Jelena Zbiljic said Thursday she felt the new Big Ten helped prepare the team for these tougher tournament games.

“I think nine out of the 10 Big Ten teams are still playing in the round of 32, it just shows how strong our conference is,” Zbiljic said. “It helped prepare us for playing another big team in another Power Four conference.” 

Sophomore Paige Kalal added the Gophers were battle-tested already due to the strength of the Big Ten. 

Looking Forward

The Gophers now have to figure out how they will replace graduating players Khyah Harper, Romine, Boman, Zbiljic, Ally Childers, Elizabeth Overberg and Evelyn Calhoon, all of whom played significant roles for the Gophers this season. 

Harper finished as the Big Ten Forward of the Year and was a part of the All-Big Ten first team alongside Boman. Harper scored 17 goals and Boman added eight, Romine put up five, Calhoon and Childers scored one goal. 

Harper was quiet in the goal department the last few games. In the last five games, Harper scored no goals. It was her longest-scoring drought of the season. 

As of Nov. 24, Harper ended the season ninth in the nation in goals, two behind Ohio State forward Kailyn Dudukovich who stood in first place. 

Overberg, who didn’t add a goal but was a co-team captain, said she appreciated the last few opportunities she had to play collegiate soccer with the Gophers in an interview on Nov. 13.

“I think our team is so special because we are so close,” Overberg said. “It gives us so much more motivation. It means a lot, but it is also a big motivating factor.”

Kalal said the underclassmen learned how to fill the shoes of the graduates this season. 

“Believing in your teammates and your team as a whole is going to really help push you through to the next level,” Kalal said. “Playing with the upperclassmen this year has really helped us set the tone and know what we can expect going forward.”

Kalal added as she becomes an upperclassman next year, she knows it is on her and her fellow upperclassmen to set the tone and continue their success. 

The Gophers still have Kalal and redshirt freshman Caroline Birdsell next season who finished her freshman campaign with two goals and seven points. Kalal added two goals as well. 

Both of them played in every game this season.