The No. 4 University of Minnesota women’s hockey team wrapped up their season-opening series with a 5-1 victory over RIT on Saturday night.
Minnesota (2-0-0) wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as senior Maggie Nicholson scored her second-career goal just 1:23 into the game, giving the Maroon and Gold an early lead.
In the next period, Abbey Murphy netted her third goal of the season, a powerplay goal assisted by Huber. Despite committing two penalties and briefly playing with three skaters, the Gophers allowed a goal in the second period, cutting their lead to one. However, sophomore Madison Kaiser restored a two-goal lead for Minnesota with her fifth-career goal near the end of the second frame.
The Gophers added two more goals in the final period. Freshman Ava Lindsay scored her first goal in Maroon and Gold with an assist from fellow freshman Emma Kreisz and senior Audrey Wethington. Huber also contributed to the scoreline with a short-handed goal early in the third period.
Lucy Morgan, in her debut as a Gopher, recorded 18 saves and secured her first win.
Head coach Brad Frost expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “We had a really solid win tonight. It was great for Lucy Morgan to get her first win as a Gopher, and Ava Lindsay getting her first goal. We started strong and were able to build on that lead. Although it got tight in the second period, it shows good progression for our group. Overall, it was a really good weekend, and we know it’s only going to get tougher.”
Notable achievements from the game include Maggie Nicholson’s second-career goal, Minnesota’s 5-0 record against RIT, and having five different goal scorers for the first time since March 6, 2022. Abbey Murphy leads the Gophers in points with 5, and Ava Lindsay recorded 14 shots on the night, 10 of which were on goal.
Next, the Gophers will face off against the St. Thomas Tommies at Xcel Energy Center on Friday, October 13 at 4:00 p.m. CT, marking the start of WCHA play.
