The first half of college women’s hockey ends this weekend, and the Gophers are heading into unfamiliar territory against a familiar opponent.
When the Gopher women’s hockey team meets St. Thomas Friday afternoon, it will be the first game of a home-and-home series at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena. It will be the Gophers’ first time playing in the new building.
They will also face a new St. Thomas team. The Tommies sit in sixth place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and are riding a five-game losing streak, but their 8-10 record reflects one of their strongest starts as a program.
They have taken both the University of Wisconsin and Ohio State University to overtime, climbing as high as number 13 in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll. Though they have since fallen out of the rankings, it was still their highest ranking in program history. Facing Minnesota is a chance for the Tommies to continue proving they belong in Division I hockey.
For the Gophers, it will be far from an easy series. Minnesota is trying to prevent a rare slide of its own after being swept by Minnesota State University-Mankato. They are on a season-high losing streak of two and are looking for the opportunity to reset.
Head coach Brad Frost said his team is eager to face St. Thomas and experience the new rink, but he notes how far the Tommies have come in their move to D1.
The Tommies started the transition in 2021, but this is their first season officially operating as a D1 institution and their first year eligible for NCAA postseason tournaments.
“This is probably the best team St. Thomas has had,” Frost said. “Obviously, from Division III to Division I, they’ve been building every year.”
For Minnesota, its bye week last weekend could not have come at a better time. The Gophers struggled in nearly every aspect of play against Minnesota State, from energy to consistency. The break offered a mental and physical reset.
“We just didn’t really play well,” Frost said regarding the Mankato series. “When things were going bad, they seemed to spiral, and instead of pushing back, it went the other way. We’ve got to figure some things out, and that’s why this break was really good.”
The time off helped the Gophers get healthier. Multiple players missed time in the Minnesota State series. With the exception of one long-term injury, the team is close to full strength, something that is abnormal near the end of the first half.
In terms of resetting their energy this weekend, leadership will play a key role. Minnesota’s captains and upperclassmen have experienced the ups and downs of college hockey before and are very influential to the younger players.
Frost said they set the tone immediately when returning to practice.
“One weekend isn’t going to define you,” Frost said. “Their attitude has been, ‘We didn’t do what we needed to, so we’re going to get at it.’ They handled it really well.”
St. Thomas will present a fast challenge. Their structured style is built on defending hard and blocking shots, which has kept them competitive against the top programs in the nation.
St. Thomas transfer goaltender Julia Minotti has been a key asset as well. Minotti has notably recorded three 40+ save performances this season against St. Cloud State University, Ohio State and Wisconsin. She has been beatable in those games, though, averaging around 4 goals allowed in those three matchups.
“They’ve got some good wins on the season,” Frost said. “They’re a confident group that believes that they can hang with the top teams.”
After an uncharacteristic series, Minnesota is looking to reassert exactly why it is one of the top-ranked teams.
The Gophers host their midseason finale back at Ridder Arena this Saturday, aiming to close out the first half on the right track. A statement series is exactly what they need.
