Gophers women's hockey reloads after Frozen Four with nine newcomers

There's one thing Brad Frost knows for sure. Given the amount of turnover on his roster, including the departure of stars Taylor Heise and Grace Zumwinkle, the Gophers women's hockey team is going to look much different this season.

Exactly what it will look like remains an open question. Yet Frost, the head coach, wasn't sweating the details as the No. 4 Gophers prepared for Friday's season opener at RIT. Though they graduated 11 players from last year's Frozen Four roster, Frost anticipates "a fun, fun year'' as nine newcomers and 17 returnees seize the opportunities that come with major change.

The Gophers must replace much of the firepower behind an offense that averaged an NCAA-best 4.54 goals per game last season, plus the leadership provided by nine players who spent five seasons with the program. Still, with the talent he has on hand, Frost considers this more of a remodel than a rebuild.

"There's a great freshness and sense of rejuvenation,'' said Frost, in his 17^th season at the Gophers' helm. "There are opportunities for this group to fill roles they haven't necessarily filled in the past. And our players are super excited about that.''

The Gophers graduated four of the top five scorers from a team that won the WCHA tournament crown last season before losing to Wisconsin in the NCAA semifinals. That quartet accounted for nearly half of the Gophers' 177 goals. Heise and Zumwinkle contributed a combined 55 goals and invaluable leadership while finishing their careers as two of the top scorers in program history.

After five seasons with the Gophers, both were drafted by Minnesota's team in the new Professional Women's Hockey League. Junior captain Peyton Hemp said it's strange not to have Heise and Zumwinkle around, but players are energized by the prospect of more ice time and greater impact.

Some of last season's leaders are back. Abbey Murphy, a 2022 Olympian and preseason all-WCHA selection, was the team's third-leading scorer with 29 goals and 21 assists. Skylar Vetter recorded a goals-against average of 1.84 and save percentage of .926 to go with seven shutouts, becoming a semifinalist for national goaltender of the year.

Most of the newcomers were on campus to skate, lift weights and socialize throughout the summer, allowing the team to get a head start on building chemistry. Four of the six freshmen — Ava Lindsay, Isa Goettl, Josie Hemp and Lauren O'Hara — were semifinalists for this year's Ms. Hockey award. The Gophers also added top transfers in defenders Taylor Stewart (Minnesota Duluth) and Solveig Neunzert (Princeton), as well as goaltender Lucy Morgan (St. Lawrence).

"We have some big holes to fill,'' Peyton Hemp said. "But we also have a lot more of an even playing field.

"Everyone feels like they have a role on this team and like they have a chance to be in the lineup. And everyone has a voice. We have a whole team of girls that want to work their butts off every day for each other.''

Frost anticipates the Gophers doing many things via group effort. He said all players feel they have a stake in team leadership, and most goals probably will be scored through tenacity and toughness rather than highlight-worthy moves. The coaches will "dig in a little more'' with players, emphasizing the importance of structure, work ethic and discipline.

Hemp said the Gophers recently held a team meeting to discuss the identity they want to shape this season. They chose three words to guide them: relentless, together and prepared.

Even though this year promises to be different, their ultimate goal — winning championships — remains the same.

"Change is a part of life,'' defender Madeline Wethington said. "I think our team is super excited to showcase what we have this season.''