GOPHERS WOMEN'S HOCKEY GAMEDAY
Gophers-Minnesota Duluth women's hockey previwe: Minnesota unbeaten against Bulldogs this season
The Gophers have three wins in regulation and one in overtime against the Bulldogs, entering Saturday's regional final at Ridder Arena.
March 10, 2023 at 7:58PM
2 p.m. Saturday vs. Minnesota Duluth * BTN+
NCAA Minneapolis Regional final
Gophers at a glance: Minnesota (29-5-3), the NCAA tournament's No. 2 seed, won the WCHA Final Faceoff, beating Wisconsin 4-2 in the semifinals and top-ranked Ohio State 3-1 for the championship. The Gophers are trying to return to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019, when they were runners-up to Wisconsin. This year's event is at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. Minnesota is 4-0 against UMD this season, with three wins in regulation and one in overtime. Seniors Taylor Heise (29 goals, 36 assists, 65 points) and Grace Zumwinkle (25-35-60) rank second and third, respectively, in the nation in scoring, while sophomore forward Abbey Murphy is second in goals with 28. Sophomore goalie Skylar Vetter is 26-5-3 with a 1.88 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and six shutouts.
Bulldogs at a glance: No. 7 Minnesota Duluth (26-9-3) advanced to the regional final with a 2-0 victory over Clarkson, as Taylor Stewart scored two goals and goalie Emma Soderberg made 16 saves for her nation's-best 12th shutout. Last year Minnesota Duluth upset the Gophers 2-1 in the Minneapolis Regional final, as Soderberg made 37 saves. … The Bulldogs finished fourth in the WCHA this season, then lost 2-1 to Ohio State in the Final Faceoff semifinals. Senior forward Gabbie Hughes (10-36-46) leads the Bulldogs in scoring, while Ashton Bell (12-21-33) supplies offense from the blue line.
The Gophers have won seven in a row and beaten the Huskies nine times over the past 11 meetings.
