Gophers-Minnesota Duluth women's hockey previwe: Minnesota unbeaten against Bulldogs this season

GOPHERS WOMEN'S HOCKEY GAMEDAY

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.