GOPHERS WOMEN'S HOCKEY PREVIEW

6 p.m. Friday vs. MSU Mankato; 2 p.m. Saturday at MSU Mankato.

TV: BTN Plus Friday; BTN Plus, Fox 9+ Saturday.

Gophers update: The Gophers (10-3-2, 9-1-2 WCHA), ranked No. 5 in the USCHO,com poll, went 1-1 last weekend at the Henderson (Nev.) Showcase. The Gophers defeated Penn State 5-1 on Friday and lost to Yale 4-3 on Saturday. Madison Kaiser, who had a goal and assist against Penn State, was named WCHA rookie of the week... The Gophers swept MSU Mankato earlier this season — winning 11-0 on Oct. 14 in Mankato and 9-4 on Oct. 15 at Ridder Arena. That series was the first time the Gophers had scored 20 goals in a single series since October 1999. The Gophers had a 52-game winning streak against MSU Mankato until the Mavericks defeated Minnesota 5-4 in overtime on Jan. 15, 2022.

MSU Mankato update: The Mavericks (7-7-0, 5-7-0 WCHA) have won five consecutive games after sweeping St. Thomas 3-1 and 2-0 last weekend. ... After the two losses to the Gophers last month, the Mavericks were 0-6 on the season. They have won seven of eight since. ... Jamie Nelson, a junior from Andover, leads the team with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists). ... Taylor Otremba, freshman from Lakeville, has a team-high five goals.