Gophers women’s hockey vs. MSU Mankato series preview: Broadcast info and analysis

Rachel Blount’s breakdown: Minnesota State Mankato has never beaten the Gophers in a postseason game, but the Mavericks kept it tight in all four matchups this season.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 1, 2024 at 5:42AM
Gophers star Abbey Murphy (18) leads all Division I players with 31 goals. (Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

WCHA playoffs, first-round best-of-three series vs. Minnesota State Mankato at Ridder Arena

6 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday (if necessary).

All games streamed on B1G+

Rachel Blount’s preview:

Opening bell: The No. 4 Gophers (25-7-2, 19-7-2 WCHA) won the WCHA tournament title last year, and a win in this weekend’s first-round series would give them the chance to pursue another crown next weekend at their home rink. They enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed, with two losses in their past 12 games. The fortunes of No. 6 seed Minnesota State Mankato (12-23, 6-22) have gone in the opposite direction; the Mavericks were swept by St. Thomas last weekend and have won only two of their past 13. MSU Mankato is 0-4 against the Gophers this season, but the four games were decided by a total of five goals. The Gophers’ power play will be key during the postseason; it leads the nation with a 38% success rate, and the team is 19-2-2 when it scores with the advantage.

Watch her: Gophers forward Abbey Murphy, who was named second-team All-WCHA on Thursday, has been stellar all season, with a Division I-best 31 goals. Seven of those are game-winners, demonstrating her ability to deliver when her team needs it most. Last year, she had five goals, including two winners, in postseason play.

Forecast: MSU Mankato has never beaten the Gophers in a postseason game, but the Mavericks kept it tight in all four matchups this season, including a 2-1 overtime loss in their last meeting Jan. 27. Expect the Gophers to take the series, but don’t expect it to be easy.

about the writer

about the writer

Rachel Blount

Reporter/Columnist

Rachel Blount is a sports reporter for the Star Tribune who covers a variety of topics, including the Olympics, Wild, college sports and horse racing. She has written extensively about Minnesota's Olympic athletes and has covered pro and college hockey since joining the staff in 1990. 

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