Gophers women’s hockey carries momentum into key home series vs. No. 1 Wisconsin

Just off a two-game series against the defending national champions, the Gophers women’s hockey team still senses something different in the air about this weekend’s upcoming games.

It’s Wisconsin week at Ridder Arena.

It’s the No. 1-ranked Badgers against the No. 3 Gophers.

It’s also the 6-0 visitors who have outscored opponents 46-6, including seven or more goals in five of their first six games.

That’s a 7.6 scoring average in two-game series against Lindenwood, Boston College and Minnesota Duluth.

“Which is just unheard of,” Gophers coach Brad Frost said.

The Badgers have won seven NCAA championships, the Gophers six. Wisconsin has four current U.S. national team members to the Gophers’ one (Abbey Murphy) and has won three of its national titles since the Gophers won their last in 2016. The Badgers were runner-up to Ohio State in last season’s Frozen Four.

“These games are always big,” Frost said. “They’ve been a big rival of ours. In the recruiting process it often comes down to us and Wisconsin. We’re rivals because of the Border Battle. A lot of our players know their players and vice versa because of the national-team stuff. It’s always a big weekend when they come in or we go there. Then because it’s a No. 1-No. 3 matchup, it adds a little more to it.”

Natálie Mlýnková, a transfer from Vermont, has heard all about the Wisconsin rivalry. Now she’ll get a taste in home games Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

“I watch hockey, I play hockey,” she said. “I like playing against those players, and I know what they bring to the table. It’s going to be a fun matchup and I’m very excited for it.”

The Gophers (4-1-1) are coming off a weekend when they lost 4-3 and tied 1-1 at Ohio State. Before that, Minnesota had swept nonconference series against Connecticut and Boston University.

“The results were frustrating, to come out with just one point on the weekend,” Frost said about the Ohio State series. “I was really happy with how we played. We were playing our game. We were doing what we needed to do, holding them under 25 shots in regulation in both games. It’s a really big deal. They’re a high-shot volume team.”

Murphy has picked up where she left off last season, scoring six goals with three assists in the season’s first six games. A goal or two has been of the highlight variety on ESPN.

“She likes doing that,” Frost said. “Obviously, Murph continues to score at a high rate, which has been great.”

No other Gopher has scored more than two goals in the first six games.

“I’ve just been impressed with the depth of our team,” Frost said. “It’s less about individuals and more about our group. I think it’s why we’re able to defend as well as we defend here. We do need to start putting the puck more in the net and we’ve got players who can do it.

“It will come. We’re not worried about that. They know that’s part of their job, and I can’t wait for the lid to pop off because it’s going to happen soon.”