The No. 4 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team started their 2023-24 season with a 3-0 victory against the RIT Tigers on Friday night at Gene Polisseni Center in Rochester, N.Y.
Minnesota began the season with an outstanding performance from redshirt junior Abbey Murphy, who scored two goals and provided one assist. Junior Ella Huber assisted both of Murphy’s goals, showcasing great chemistry throughout the game. Sophomore Nelli Laitinen recorded an assist on Murphy’s first goal, while sophomore Josefin Bouveng assisted the second goal of the evening.
The Maroon and Gold entered the first intermission with a 1-0 lead but added two more goals in the second period to secure a commanding lead going into the final period. Fifth-year senior Madeline Wethington scored the final goal of the game with 7:14 remaining in the second period, assisted by Murphy.
Junior Skylar Vetter achieved her ninth career shutout, making 17 saves in the game.
Head coach Brad Frost expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “Great start to our season here with a 3-0 victory. We defended really well, scored a couple of power play goals, and Skylar Vetter in net was tremendous once again. It was a really good night that will also give us something to build on and help us get better as the year goes on.”
Notable highlights include Minnesota’s record of 24-3 in season-opening games, Abbey Murphy’s ninth-career multi-goal game, and Skylar Vetter’s ninth-career shutout.
Next up, the Gophers will return to Gene Polisseni Center on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT for the second game of the weekend series against RIT.
