Abbey Murphy is known for playing gritty. But the Gophers forward can put a pretty spin on things, too.
She gave her team the best of both Friday, pacing the Gophers to a 4-2 victory over top-ranked Ohio State at Ridder Arena. In a fast, fierce game between the top two teams in the WCHA, Murphy put on a bravura performance, scoring the game-winner with some fancy moves while demonstrating the toughness the No. 3 Gophers needed to stay atop the league standings.
The victory was the 13th in a row for the Gophers (23-3-2, 20-1-2 WCHA), who remain undefeated in 13 games this season at Ridder Arena. It ended a 10-game win streak for Ohio State (24-3-2, 19-3-1), which is winless in three games against the Gophers this season.
The Gophers were solid in all areas. Goaltender Skylar Vetter made 31 saves, and her teammates provided outstanding support, blocking 20 Buckeyes shots.
Murphy stole the show. Her first goal, scored after skating through the neutral zone and shedding two Ohio State defenders, put the Gophers ahead 3-0 at eight minutes, 44 seconds of the second period. Her second came at 13:46 of the third, halting a Buckeyes rally that pulled them within 3-2.
"There were a lot of eyeballs popping on that one," Gophers coach Brad Frost said of Murphy's first goal. "She's just so gifted. She got two penalties and came back after each of those and had two big goals for us.''
That, Frost said, is the best revenge. While Murphy acknowledged the importance of playing gritty hockey against the hard-edged Buckeyes — "that's right up my alley," she said — the pretty side was a bonus.
"That goal was very fun," said Murphy, who has 20 goals this season. "The momentum shift is just insane for our team. It just gets everyone going."