Gophers women’s hockey must evolve to reach the mountaintop

Brad Frost has guided the Gophers women’s hockey team to four national championships and 10 NCAA Frozen Four berths as he enters his 19th year as Minnesota’s coach.

Those accomplishments are impressive, but Frost would like to add to them.

“It’s been a while since we’ve gotten to the championship game and obviously won it,” said Frost, whose Gophers last won the national title in 2016 and last made the final in 2019. “We’ve had a lot of success, but the national championship has eluded us here.”

In large part, that is due to the blockade that fellow WCHA members Wisconsin and Ohio State have imposed on women’s college hockey. The Badgers and the Buckeyes have combined to win the past six NCAA championships and have met in the final for three consecutive seasons. Last year, Wisconsin topped the Gophers 6-2 in the Frozen Four semifinals at Ridder Arena before edging Ohio State 4-3 in overtime for the title.

Frost sees that duo and recognizes the challenge.

Last season, the Gophers were 2-2-1 against Ohio State and 0-6 against Wisconsin. They pushed the Badgers to the limit in the WCHA tournament final only to fall 4-3 on a goal with 25 seconds left in the third period.

Close, though, isn’t what Frost wants.

The Gophers begin their 2025-26 season on Thursday and Friday against Boston College at Ridder Arena. They hope to end it in the Frozen Four at Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena on March 20-22.

Here are four key storylines for the Gophers:

Wisconsin certainly will miss Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O’Brien, but the Badgers have plenty of firepower returning in Kirsten Simms, Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey, who combined for 78 goals and 123 assists as the Badgers finished 38-1-2.

They’re the unanimous pick as the preseason No. 1 team in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll, followed by Ohio State and the Gophers.

“Every team is going to bring their best against us, so we just have to be ready for that and be prepared every game,” Gophers junior forward Ava Lindsay said.

“She’s having a ton of fun, and what people forget is how much fun it is to play college hockey,” Frost said. “She could have gone to the PWHL and been the first overall [draft] pick. … Her time with the PWHL will come, but we’re certainly happy that she’s back."

Murphy plays with an edge, and that has led to her spending 240 minutes in the penalty box.

Frost believes that can change this season. His instructions: Don’t linger in front of the net after play has been whistled dead.

“This is going to be a turning point for her and her career, not just with the Gophers, but just in her career overall,” he said. “Be on the ice more, out of the penalty box more.”

Murphy’s presence will help offset the losses of PWHL draftees Ella Huber, Natalie Mlynkova and Peyton Hemp.

The transfers have produced offensively. Forward Sarah Paul, formerly of Princeton, had 28 goals and eight assists last season. Forward Jamie Nelson had eight goals and 22 assists for Minnesota State Mankato last season. And defender Molly Jordan had eight goals and 16 assists for Boston College in 2024-25.

Among the freshmen are forward Tereza Plosova, a native of the Czech Republic who played in Sweden last season; Minnetonka’s Layla Hemp, the top senior goalie in Minnesota last season; and forward Sienna D’Alessandro, a Quebec native who’s played for Canada’s Under-18 National Team.

“Everybody’s gonna need to play,” Frost said.

Goalie Hannah Clark had a solid season as a freshman in 2024-25, going 25-10-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. She has the inside track to remain the starter, though Frost said Hemp will play, too.