Five Gophers represented the United States in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championships in Brampton, Ontario. The United States faced off against Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday evening.

Abbey Murphy tallied the United States’ first goal of the game with her signature toe drag finish to tie the game at 1-1

Two Gopher and Badger legends, Amanda Kessel and Hilary Knight, combined for the United States’ second goal as Kessel set up Knight in a two-on-one.

Taylor Heise also recorded a primary assist on Knight’s second goal, which ended up becoming the game winner in the United States’ 6-3 win.

Knight tallied another goal less than 30 seconds later to complete the hat trick with Kessel, having an assist for her second point of the game.

Caroline Harvey — a recent national champion with Wisconsin — also had a goal in the title game.

Heise and Murphy earned their first gold medal in the IIHF Women’s World Championship, both entering this year’s tournament with a silver medal. Their gold medals come just four weeks after the Gophers lost to the Badgers in the Frozen Four.

Harvey, alongside current Badger teammates Lacy Eden, Nicole LaMantia and Britta Curl, won their first gold medals at the Women’s Worlds as well.

Overall, in this year’s tournament, Heise finished fourth in scoring with 12 points in seven games. Murphy had 8 points, including 5 goals.

Additionally, the Gophers that represented other nations performed well. Nelli Laitinen had 10 points in seven games with Finland and placed third among all defensemen in scoring. On the international stage, Laitinen showed a lot of skill and promise as an offensive blue liner. At just 20 years old, she’s recording a point-per-game in a highly competitive tournament.

Sweden representative Josefin Bouveng had 1 goal in seven games playing in her second Women’s World Championships tournament

Alumna Kessel had 9 points throughout the tournament en route to her fourth World Championships gold medal.

More than half of the skates on the United States team are products of the Gophers or Badgers programs. Of the 20 skaters selected for the United States’ tournament team, 11 were alumnae or current players at Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Minnesota hosted North Dakota State University at Siebert Field on Tuesday night after their Big Ten home opener this past weekend. The Bison played the Gophers in a one-off game before heading southeast to play St. Thomas.

Both teams came into the game with an 8-22 record on the season.

It was a beautiful evening for baseball in Minneapolis with clear skies and warm weather for the first pitch.

The Gophers were struggling on defense out of the gate as Sam Hunt dropped a fly ball in the left field, allowing the Bison to get a man on second and third base. In turn, North Dakota exploded, tallying 4 runs in the top of the first inning, 2 of which were scored before they recorded their first out.

Minnesota responded in the bottom of the second inning. A sacrifice ground out from Hunt allowed Ike Mezzenga to score and a Kris Hokenson double to left center allowed Boston Merila to score as well.

The Bison managed 1 run in the top of the fourth inning, seemingly slowing the Gophers’ comeback.

However, Minnesota exploded in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring 4 runs to claim the lead, 6-5. Jake Perry’s ground out allowed Brady Jurgella to score. Weber Neels homered to left field and Hunt doubled to right field, permitting Merila and Mezzenga to score.

In a long sixth inning, North Dakota State bounced right back, recording 4 runs of their own to claim a 9-6 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jurgella was walked on the first at-bat of the inning. The theme of changing leads would continue as pinch hitter Jake Larson hit a 2-run homer to close the gap to 9-8.

Unlike earlier in the game, the Gophers prevented the Bison from building on their lead in the top of the seventh inning.

With their energy rising, Minnesota looked to overtake North Dakota in the bottom of the seventh. Merila was walked to start the inning. Hokenson hit a single to center to get a second Gopher on base. At the next at-bat, Riley Swenson hit a 3-run homer to reclaim the lead for Minnesota.

Mezzenga hit another home run to right-center in the bottom of the eighth inning to increase the Gophers’ lead by 1.

Pitcher Seth Clausen, who came into the game in the top of the seventh inning, closed the game for Minnesota with a strikeout to give the Gophers a 12-9 win.

The back-and-forth game featured 11 different pitchers split between the two teams. Four different Gophers tallied a home run in the comeback win.

Minnesota looks to take its momentum into their weekend rivalry matchup versus Iowa at Siebert Field. Game one against the Hawkeyes is slated to be a maroon out on Friday starting at 3 p.m..

Gophers women’s hockey has eight representatives at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) Women’s World Championships — tied for the most of any Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) team this season. Minnesota Duluth is also sending eight current and former players to the tournament.

The Women’s World Championships – set in Brampton, Ontario, this year — features four current Gophers, three alumni and one future Gopher.

Current players Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy are representing the United States alongside alumni Amanda Kessel, Kelly Pannek and Lee Stecklein. International first-years Josefin Bouveng and Nelli Laitinen are representing Sweden and Finland, respectively. Incoming first-year Emma Kreisz is playing for Hungary in the tournament.

In their opening game against Japan on Wednesday,, Heise and Murphy each had 1 goal in the 7-1 rout. Kessel had an assist in the win, and Heise assisted on the United States’ first goal.

Laitinen had an incredible game in Finland’s opening match on Wednesday against France, scoring Finland’s ninth goal of the game and adding three assists for a stellar 4-point performance. She skated just under 21 minutes with a +4 plus-minus rating in the 14-1 win.

Kreisz was held pointless in Hungary’s 4-2 opening win over Germany. However, she did tally three shots on goal as well as more than 20 minutes of ice time. In last year’s Women’s World Championship, Kreisz had 1 goal in four games.

On Friday, Murphy made IIHF history, recording the fastest goal to open a game in the United States’ 9-1 win over Switzerland. Murphy beat Swiss and St. Thomas goaltender Saskia Maurer short-side just seven seconds into the game.

Playing for St. Thomas, Maurer is familiar with Murphy; in the Gophers’ first-round series of the WCHA tournament against St. Thomas this past season, Murphy scored twice against Maurer.

Kessel also had a goal in the United States’ win. In addition to her record-setting goal, Murphy had two assists. Heise had three assists, with one being a helper on Kessel’s goal.

In Finland’s second game against Germany, Laitinen had the primary assist on Finland’s third goal of the 3-0 win.

After two games, Heise and Laitinen are a part of a four-way tie for first place in points in the tournament, each with 5.

Murphy has 4 points so far and leads the tournament with a staggering 25 penalty minutes. She received a major penalty and a game misconduct in the game against Switzerland for charging and is suspended for the United States’ game versus Czechia.

The Gopher representatives have done nothing but impress on the international stage and look to continue their dominance throughout the remainder of the tournament, which ends on Sunday.

The Gophers hosted Purdue this past weekend in Minneapolis for their first home series. Minnesota was coming off a series win from the previous weekend in Columbus against Ohio State.

Purdue entered the series with an even record of 3-3 after claiming two of three against Northwestern last weekend.

The Boilermakers took the first two matchups, winning Game 1 with a 3-0 shutout and dominating in Game 2 with a 15-3 victory. Minnesota took the final game via a 9-3 victory for their first home conference win of the season.

April 7

Minnesota opened their home conference play on a sunny Friday afternoon at Siebert Field. However, the weather didn’t exactly reflect the outcome for the home team.

Ike Mezzenga got the first hit of the game for the Gophers, doubling to left center. He managed to advance to third the following at-bat but failed to score.

The game remained even until the top of the seventh inning, when Purdue managed to score 3 runs.

Minnesota managed to get a man on third in the bottom of the seventh, but again, failed to make anything of it.

The Gophers fell to Purdue 3-0 in their home opener.

April 8

The two teams were right back at it on Saturday on yet another sunny afternoon at Siebert.

Purdue made the first 3 runs of the game in the top of the fourth inning.

Minnesota couldn’t respond in the bottom of the fourth, and the Boilermakers earned another run in the following inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, Purdue earned another 3 runs to increase their lead to 7-0.

The game managed to reach 15-0 by the top of the ninth inning.

Minnesota spoiled the Boilermakers’ shutout in the final inning, as Danny Davis earned the Gophers’ first point off of an Easton Fritcher single. Two more Gophers scored in the inning as Minnesota dropped Game 2 15-3.

Even

Minnesota hosted Purdue one final time at Siebert, looking to avoid being swept in their Big Ten home opener series.

The Boilermakers earned the first run for the third time this series in the top of the first inning.

However, unlike the last two games, Minnesota responded big time in the bottom of the first.

It began with the Gophers loading the bases on the first three at-bats. Mezzenga doubled to left field, allowing Brady Counsell, Jake Perry, and Brett Bateman to score.

Mezzenga then stole third base and scored on the following at-bat.

Later in the inning, Kris Hokenson singled to center field and allowed Boston Merila to score. The next at-bat, Bateman doubled to left field and Swenson scored to make the game 6-1.

The scoring wasn’t done yet; the Gophers added on 2 more in the bottom of the second inning.

Purdue mustered 2 more runs, 1 in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the seventh innings.

Minnesota added 1 more in the bottom of the eighth inning as Riley Swenson scored after Perry hit a flyout.

The Gophers claimed the final game of the series 9-3 to earn their first Big Ten win at Siebert Field this season.

Minnesota sits at 3-3 in the Big Ten standings, still in the middle of the pack. They host rival Iowa next weekend at Siebert Field with hopes of achieving an above-500 win percentage in conference play. Before then, Minnesota will play a single game against North Dakota State at Siebert on Tuesday evening.

The Gophers traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State for their first Big Ten series of the season.

Ohio State was swept in their first Big Ten series by Indiana the weekend prior, so the Gophers looked to take advantage of the already struggling Buckeyes.

March 31 at Ohio State

Minnesota took to the plate first on the rainy Friday evening. Boston Merila managed a hit for the Gophers in the top of the second inning, but nothing came of it.

Ohio State would get on the board first in the bottom of the second, scoring 2 runs off of a single to center field that allowed two Buckeyes to score.

The Gophers began to put the pressure on in the top of the fifth inning, getting a man on first and third with only one out. Unfortunately, Minnesota was unable to convert, with two players striking out on back-to-back at-bats.

In the top of the ninth, Minnesota’s Brady Counsell hit a home run to left-center to put the Gophers within 1 run.

Immediately after, Weber Neels would follow suit with a home run to left-center to tie the game at 2-2.

After two Gophers struck out, Merila got on base after being hit by a pitch. On the next at-bat, Jake Perry hit a double to right-center, allowing Merila to score and give Minnesota the 1-run lead.

Seth Clausen came into the game to close for Minnesota and tied off the Gophers’ 3-2 comeback win.

April 1 at Ohio State

Saturday afternoon the Gophers took to Bill Davis Stadium once again to face the Buckeyes in Game 2 of the series.

Once again, Ohio State got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning.

In the ensuing inning, Neels hit a single to left field, allowing Brett Bateman to score and cut the Buckeyes’ lead in half.

Sam Hunt leveled the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning with a double to right field that allowed Merila to score.

Unlike their last game, Ohio State responded immediately, reclaiming their 2-run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The Buckeyes tacked on 2 more in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the game 6-2.

April 2 at Ohio State

The two teams met one final time on Sunday afternoon to determine who would win the series.

For the third time in this series, Ohio State would strike first, scoring in the bottom of the first inning.

However, Minnesota responded with a massive inning in the top of the second. After loading the bases, Counsell was hit by a pitch and allowed Hunt to score to tie the game.

On the following at-bat, Perry hit a single to right-center, permitting Kyle Bork and Jake Larson to score.

Ohio State pitcher Jake Johnson replaced George Eisenhardt at the mound with hopes to stop the bleeding.

This attempt was to no avail; Bateman doubled to right field, allowing Counsell to score; Perry scored on a passed ball to put the Gophers up 5-1.

In the top of the fourth inning, Bateman singled to left field, enabling Bork to score.

The Buckeyes scored once more, but Minnesota prevailed with a dominant 6-2 victory to claim their first Big Ten series win of the season.

Bateman totaled 3 hits and 2 RBIs in the win, while pitcher Richie Holetz had 8 strikeouts in six innings pitched.

The Gophers earned two wins in the series against the Buckeyes, putting them in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten standings.

Minnesota’s next two games, against St. Thomas and South Dakota State, were canceled due to inclement weather, meaning their next game will be Friday at 5 p.m. when they host Purdue at Siebert Field.

“I’m super proud of her,” Sadie Lindsay said about her younger sister, Ava, and her hockey career thus far.

Sadie, a sophomore, and her sister Ava, a high school senior, hail from Minnetonka. Being so close in age provided the sisters with the opportunity to play on the same team in high school. From 2017-2021, the two played together at Breck School.

“It was an awesome experience,” Sadie said. “We’re excited to continue it next year.”

Two sister duos will be coming to Minnesota next year

The Lindsay sisters are one of two sibling duos that will be reunited on the Gophers women’s hockey team next season. Sophomore Peyton Hemp’s younger sister, Josie, is slated to join the team next season as well.

“I think Sadie and I’s relationship with our little sisters is pretty similar,” Peyton said. “I feel like we’re both super close and have a lot of fun together.”

Both Ava and Josie played for Minnetonka High School this past season. Ava led the team with 25 goals and 43 points.

Ava, a standout forward for Minnetonka this past season, was also named the “Metro Player of the Year” by the Star Tribune.

“I think the way we see the ice, kind of our passing styles or skating styles are really similar,” Sadie said, describing the similarities between her and Ava. “I think our hands are pretty similar as well.”

Competition and bonding among the sisters

“She’s very competitive and very feisty,” Sadie said about her younger sister.

According to Sadie, Ava’s grit made for some tough competition when the two would play one-on-one.

“We were always competing against each other,” Sadie said. “We took a lot from each other and push each other a lot.”

The same goes for the Hemp sisters. Peyton said growing up, their competitiveness didn’t stop at hockey. Being so close in age — just over a year and a half apart — especially benefited Peyton and Josie during COVID-19.

“We’d always do workouts in the garage,” Peyton said. “It would always be a competition, like who could hold a plank the longest.”

But there was never a shortage of fun in the Hemp household.

“It was just me and her, goofing around the whole day,” Peyton said.

Playing close to home

For the Lindsay and Hemp sisters, growing up so close to Minneapolis creates a homegrown aspect of the team.

“I feel like anybody growing up in Minnesota, like, they’ll go to the Gopher games,” Peyton said. “It’s just kind of automatic that you’ll want to be drawn here.”

Peyton said she would go to Gopher games with her dad when she was younger.

“The one thing I remember is Rachel Ramsey because she was number five, and that was my number,” Peyton said.

Just a short drive from home, Peyton is able to maintain a quality relationship with her family.

“Only being 30 minutes away has been an absolute blessing,” Peyton said. “I will go home pretty much every Sunday. And you know, go out to eat with my parents here and there.”

Sadie can say the same, commenting, “Growing up in Minnesota, everyone’s dream is to play for the U. So an opportunity presented itself — it was just a dream come true.”

The culture is another large factor that draws players to Minnesota, they said.

“I loved the coaches, I loved how the team culture was run,” Sadie said. “It felt like a really good fit for me.”

What to look forward to next season

“I think I’m ready for a new start next season,” Sadie said. “I’m just excited to get to know all the new girls.”

Both Sadie and Ava are forwards, so there is potential for the two to play on the same line together. While playing together at Breck School, the Lindsay sisters both had numerous point-per-game seasons.

“Being able to play together was awesome for both of us and we just loved the time together,” Sadie said.

The Hemp sisters, however, play different positions; Peyton is a forward, while Josie is a defenseman. Thus, they haven’t had as much shared time as the Lindsay sisters.

Nonetheless, each can bring their individual talent. So far in 76 games as a Gopher, Peyton has earned 60 points. Her younger sister tallied 40 points as a blueliner this past season with Minnetonka High School.

A lot of talent is coming to Minnesota next season. The addition of reuniting sister duos will contribute a lot to the team’s chemistry.

“I’m really excited for this group to come together and the upcoming class is going to be a really good one,” Peyton said.

Mike Mitchell Jr., a 6-foot-2-inch sophomore guard, has announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota’s men’s basketball team.

A former member of the Pepperdine Waves, Mitchell Jr. entered the transfer portal following the 2022-23 season.

Mitchell Jr. looks to replace the vacant guard positions of Ta’Lon Cooper and Jaden Henley after they entered the transfer portal earlier in March.

The sophomore from San Jose, California, brings some positivity to the Gophers basketball program after four players announced they were entering the transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.

With Pepperdine this past season, Mitchell Jr. averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5 assists in 31 games. Mitchell Jr.’s 5 assist average was the best on Pepperdine’s roster and was not the only category he led the team in. His average of 1.1 steals per game and 44% 3-point percentage was also team-best.

In his freshman season at Pepperdine, Mitchell Jr. led the team in assists and steals, averaging 4.9 and 1, respectively.

Playing against the new competition in a different conference, Mitchell Jr. will bring an offensive presence to the Gophers’ roster with hopes of improving last season’s 2-17 Big Ten record.

This is the first transfer Minnesota has landed this offseason; head coach Ben Johnson will continue to look to fill the open positions on the Gophers’ roster.

Minnesota baseball headed southwest to Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday and Saturday to take on the hot-and-cold Creighton Bluejays.

The Gophers were coming off a 10-3 victory over Illinois State from earlier in the week. Minnesota was slated to play a second game against Illinois State, but it was rained-out.

March 24 at Creighton

The first half of Friday’s contest was scoreless. No hits were recorded until the bottom of the third inning, when Creighton’s Tate Gillen bunted and made it to first base.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Colby Canales put Creighton on the scoreboard with a home run. The Bluejays opened the sixth inning with 2 runs when Tyler Lozano hit a double into left field, which allowed Nolan Clifford and Andrew Meggs to score. Creighton tacked on 2 more runs in the sixth to lead 5-0.

A hit by Jake Perry allowed Ike Mezzenga to score, followed by a wild pitch that let Weber Neels score to cut Minnesota’s deficit to 3 runs.

After those eventful two innings, no other hits were recorded and Creighton took down Minnesota 5-2.

March 25 at Creighton

The two teams met again Saturday afternoon. Yet another scoreless first half, but this time, the Gophers recorded the first run.

Jake Larson’s hit led to Neels running home to put Minnesota up in the top of the fifth inning.

With the bases loaded, Brady Jurgella was walked, leading Perry to score and double the Gophers’ lead to 2-0.

A Brett Bateman bunt allowed Larson to score in the top of the seventh inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Richie Holetz replaced George Klassen at the mound to close the game for Minnesota. The redshirt senior, Holetz, struck out the first two batters he faced.

Creighton failed to crack Holetz and the Gophers would blank the Bluejays 3-0. This was Minnesota’s first shutout of the season.

The Gophers will travel to Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to open conference play against Ohio State. The Buckeyes are coming off a three-game skid against Indiana that opened their Big Ten play.

The Gophers have not faced Ohio State since the 2019 season, when the two played in the Big Ten tournament semifinal. In their last matchup, Ohio State emerged victorious and eliminated Minnesota from the tournament with an 8-6 win.

Last season, Minnesota was swept in their first Big Ten series by Rutgers, so they will look to open their conference play on a more positive note this upcoming weekend in Columbus.

Sixty minutes was not enough for Friday night’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Frozen Four semifinal game, the Gophers’ last of the season. .

The two Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) powerhouses, Minnesota and Wisconsin, had yet another thrilling matchup to determine which team would advance to the national title game and which team would go home.

Prior to overtime, the Gophers had been trailing for more than half of the third period and needed to find a way to rally back and tie the game.

Discussing what Minnesota could do to net the equalizer, ice-level reporter Hilary Knight said on the ESPN+ broadcast, “get a good bounce — you just need pucks on net.”

Enter Madeline Wethington. Immediately after Knight’s comment, the senior defender blasted a shot from the point that deflected off of a Wisconsin defender and past goaltender Cami Kronish to tie the game.

Time expired about a minute later, and the two teams headed into overtime.

Despite the incredible comeback effort from the Gophers with Wethington’s late game-tying goal, Wisconsin still emerged victorious.

In the final minutes of the first overtime, Jesse Compher found Caroline Harvey in a prime shooting position at the top of the right circle. The All-American Wisconsin freshman made no mistake; Harvey delivered the season-ending blow with a top-shelf shot to beat Minnesota goaltender Skylar Vetter.

A season to be proud of

Regardless of their shortcomings in the Frozen Four, Minnesota’s 2022-23 season was one with many individual and team accomplishments.

The Gophers achieved 30 wins for the first time since the 2018-19 season and the seventh time with Brad Frost as head coach.

“We’re very proud of the season we had,” Frost said in a press email.

However, 30 wins was not the greatest team accolade; the Gophers dominated the WCHA tournament and claimed their first conference title since the 2017-18 season.

The team also returned to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2018-19. Although the team didn’t bring home the trophy, this season was a step in the right direction for the future.

Familiar fifth-year faces depart

With every season end comes the departure of graduating players.

The Gophers will have to say goodbye to nine fifth-year players, seven of which have played at Minnesota since their freshman year.

Catie Skaja, Gracie Ostertag, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Crystalyn Hengler, Emily Oden and Abigail Boreen will all move on after five seasons with the team.

Both Heise and Zumwinkle finished their collegiate careers in the Top 10 of point scoring in Gopher history. Additionally, both were Top 10 finalists for the 2023 Patty Kazmaier Award. Heise won the award last season, becoming the first Gopher to do so since Amanda Kessel in 2013.

Heise, Zumwinkle and Oden reside in first, second and third place, respectively, in games played as Gophers. Boreen and Hengler also hold Top 7 spots in that same list.

Initially, it may be difficult adjusting to the losses. However, there are many returning players that Gopher fans can look forward to.

The future is bright in Minneapolis

Looking ahead, sophomore Abbey Murphy was second in NCAA goal scoring with 29 goals and was named the WCHA Final Faceoff’s most outstanding player.

Fellow sophomore Ella Huber had an incredible season as well, tallying 29 points in 37 games. Sophomore netminder Vetter had an outstanding year, earning a spot on the All-WCHA Third Team in addition to recording seven shutouts.

There’s a lot of upside with first-years Josefin Bouveng, Madison Kaiser and Nelli Laitinen, who all improved significantly throughout the season. Laitinen was also named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team.

Minnesota’s 2023-24 season will not be short of opportunities for redemption — this season’s accomplishments show promise for the program’s future.

After avenging their 2022 Frozen Four loss last weekend against Duluth, seven Gophers will have one last shot at redemption for their loss in the 2019 national championship.

Minnesota will take on rival Wisconsin on Friday in one final Border Battle at AMSOIL Arena in the Frozen Four semifinals. No. 2 Minnesota advanced to the Frozen Four via a 3-0 shutout of No. 7 Duluth at Ridder Arena last weekend. Over in Hamilton, N.Y., No. 6 Wisconsin upset No. 3 Colgate 4-2.

The Gophers are returning to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament semifinals for the first time since 2019. For the majority of the active roster, this will be their first time playing in the Frozen Four.

A handful of active Gophers have previously played in the Frozen Four

Two current fifth-years, Savannah Norcross and Lizi Norton, played for other collegiate teams prior to joining the Gophers. Norcross played for Boston College for three seasons, while Norton played for Duluth — the same team that eliminated Minnesota in last year’s NCAA quarterfinals — for four seasons.

Fifth-years Taylor Heise, Gracie Ostertag, Grace Zumwinkle and Emily Oden were members of the 2018-19 Gophers squad as first-years.

After dominating Princeton 5-2 and shutting out Cornell 2-0 in the NCAA tournament, the 2019 Golden Gophers earned a spot in the national championship against the Badgers.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, they came just short of their dream of winning. Wisconsin played a strong defensive game, especially goaltender Kristen Campbell, and shut out the Gophers 2-0 in the national title game.

Regular season struggles

In Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) play, Wisconsin was undefeated against Minnesota in regulation.

Outscoring the Gophers 16-11, the Badgers only failed to beat Minnesota once. Minnesota claimed an extra point in a shootout victory back in November.

Otherwise, Wisconsin would claim three out of four regular-season games versus the Gophers, winning one game in a shootout and the other two in regulation.

It was a defensive struggle for the Gophers in their two regulation losses against Wisconsin. In their first regulation loss, Minnesota fell 4-1 and was handed their second regulation loss of the season.

The second regulation loss to Wisconsin was a much different game. Minnesota held a multi-goal lead at the beginning of the second period.

That was until the defense collapsed and the Gophers allowed 4 straight goals. Despite tying the game midway through the third period, Minnesota could not stop the bleeding and allowed 3 more goals in the final frame.

Wisconsin rang up a total of 7 goals on the Gophers in their 7-5 win, the most Minnesota has conceded in a single game this season.

Finding their game in the WCHA Final Faceoff

Prior to the NCAA tournament, Minnesota competed in the WCHA playoffs.

The Gophers swept St. Thomas in the first round, setting them up against the Badgers in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals.

Minnesota played a great defensive game, holding Wisconsin to just 25 shots on goal. The Gophers won the back-and-forth scoring match 4-2 and advanced to the WCHA championship, where they took down Ohio State 3-1 to claim the title.

Their first regulation win against Wisconsin could not have come at a better time, but the Gophers will need to replicate their defensive play on the national stage in yet another elimination game against the Badgers.

The stakes this time are much higher than the WCHA Final Faceoff, as a win would send them to the national championship, while a loss would end their season.