The home schedule for the Gophers women's hockey team this season featured a challenging February with a series against top-ranked and defending national champion Ohio State, followed by a set against traditional rival Wisconsin.
Gophers women's hockey attendance is on the rise, too
Coach Brad Frost said cheaper ticket prices have helped the Gophers fill more seats.
Those four games drew an announced average attendance of 2,529 to Ridder Arena and helped the Gophers post a strong increase in fans over last season.
In their 16 regular-season home games, the Gophers had an announced average of 2,079, an increase of 658 — or 45.8% — from their 2021-22 totals. When the number of scanned tickets are examined, the Gophers drew an average of 1,555 — an increase of 72.3% from the 2021-22 total of 901.
"It's been great,'' Gophers coach Brad Frost said. "A lot of credit goes to our marketing department and [coordinator] Jeff Petersen and our ticket office. They've done such a good job of getting to these youth teams and having them and their parents come to games.''
Frost's team plays St. Thomas on Friday through Sunday (if necessary) in a best-of-three WCHA quarterfinal playoff series, and he pointed to tickets that range from $5 to $10 as a strong selling point.
"I just really believe Gophers women's hockey is one of the best and cheapest products out there,'' he said. "To get a $5 ticket or an $8 ticket and watch some Olympians and see some really good hockey, it means a lot and it's been really fun to see. It certainly gives our players a jump and a boost.''
Malachi Coleman is the third transfer receiver to commit to the Gophers this month.