14 October 2023
After losing 11 players to graduation, Minnesota women’s hockey coach Brad Frost considers his team a work in progress. Despite being ranked fourth in the country, the Gophers have a lot of goals that need to be replaced if they are going to make what has become an annual run at a national title.
Friday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center, Abbey Murphy provided a not-too-subtle reminder that not all of the Gophers’ world-class talent has moved on.
Murphy, a member of the 2022 U.S. Olympic team who is coming off a 29-goal season, collected a hat trick as the Gophers pounded St. Thomas 8-0 in the WCHA opener for both teams. The redshirt junior right winger from Evergreen Park, Ill., has scored six goals in three games to help the Gophers start the season 3-0.
The Gophers are counting on Murphy to raise the bar even higher in an already stellar career, and the early returns suggest she is prepared to do just that.
“She’s just kind of taken on the load more significantly as she has in the past,” Frost said. “It’s nobody’s fault, but most of those world-class players are out the door now. Murph is the motor that makes us go. I think she has just taken it upon herself that she has to be the catalyst of the group, and she’s done that.”
It was a disappointing afternoon for the host Tommies, who came into the game 4-0 and feeling good about themselves.
“Sometimes you have to tip your cap,” St. Thomas head coach Joel Johnson said. “We’ve got some work to do. I told our group I still believe in them. I still believe we can compete in this league, but tonight was not our best representation.
“A lot of credit to Minnesota, for they really showed up in what could have been a moment for our group. They made it their moment.”
The Tommies are a young team, with five of their top six forwards being freshmen. They were able to generate very little offense against a rebuilt Gophers defense.
“They are five of the six players we feel deserve to play on the top two lines,” Johnson said. “What that means in a game like today is that they got exposed. They got shown what it’s like to play in the WCHA, and we can learn from that.”
Murphy gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead at 10:27 of the first period, beating St. Thomas goaltender Calla Frank on a wrist shot from the left circle.
The Tommies went on a power play with just over a minute to play in the period, but Murphy pounced on a turnover in the St. Thomas zone and blasted a slap shot past Frank for a shorthanded goal.
“Her habits continue to get better as well; it’s not just the scoring,” Frost said. “She hasn’t killed a lot of penalties in the past, but now she’s one of our best penalty killers.”
Murphy completed the natural hat trick three minutes into the second period, driving the net to deflect a centering pass from Madeline Wethington past Frank.
“It was exciting getting those first two,” Murphy said. “I was just kind of focused on doing the right things first, and just figured the third one would come eventually. I really wanted it.”
Goals by Ella Huber and Peyton Hemp gave the Gophers a 5-0 lead after two periods. Huber’s second of the game, a power-play goal by Audrey Wethington and a late goal by Emma Connor closed out the scoring.
Briefly
Gophers sophomore goaltender Skylar Vetter made 23 saves to pick up her 10th career shutout.
The teams play again Saturday afternoon at St. Thomas Ice Arena.
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