GOPHERS WOMEN'S HOCKEY SERIES PREVIEW
6 p.m. Friday vs. Wisconsin • BSN Extra
7:30 p.m. Saturday vs. Wisconsin • BTN
Note: Both games can be streamed on BTN+
Gophers update: No. 3 Minnesota (23-4-2, 20-2-2 WCHA, 62 points) is coming off a split against No. 1 Ohio State and finishes a tough, three-week stretch that began with a sweep of Minnesota Duluth. The Gophers and Badgers met Nov. 19 and 20 in Madison, with Minnesota gaining two points with a shootout win in the opener and Wisconsin taking four points for the opening 3-3 tie and 4-1 regulation win in the finale. Taylor Heise (20 goals, 30 assists, 50 points) and Grace Zumwinkle (21-26-57) rank second and third nationally in scoring, while Abbey Murphy (20-18-38) and Abigail Boreen (19-11-30) give the Gophers four players with 30 points or more. Goalie Skylar Vetter is 20-4-2 with a 1.85 goals-against average, .923 save percentage and five shutouts.
Badgers update: No. 8 Wisconsin (21-8-1, 17-6-1, 53 points) is in third place in the WCHA after a 1-0 loss and 3-2 win against St. Cloud State last weekend. The Badgers endured a five-game losing streak in early January but have won five of six since. Wisconsin ranks third nationally, behind the Gophers and Ohio State, with 4.23 goals per game, and its 1.40 goals allowed per game also is third. The Badgers are converting on only 14% of their power plays, 32nd in the nation. Casey O'Brien (14-22-36) and Lacey Eden (16-18-34) lead Wisconsin's offense, which features eight players with 20 or more points. Cami Kronish (13-6-1, 1.25 GAA, .936 save percentage) and Jane Gervais (8-2-0, 1.59, .926) have shared the time in goal.
