Scorers return as Gophers seek 8th national championship

Months removed from an exhausting four-overtime loss in the NCAA quarterfinals to Clarkson a year ago the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team is ready to embark on a new journey in 2024-25. That journey hopes to lead them to the national championship game.

The Gophers finished 27-10-2 a year ago, their most losses in six years and only the third time in Head Coach Brad Frost’s 17 seasons his team has lost double-digit games. But the team brings back almost all of their scoring from a year ago and are picked to finish third in this year’s pre-season coaches poll behind Wisconsin and Ohio State. That gives the Gophers something to prove as they return to the ice this fall.

The team is led by senior Abbey Murphy (Evergreen Park, IL) who led he team with 33 goals and 29 assists last season. She also finished a plus-34. Linemate Josefin Bouveng (Vassunda, Sweden) also returns after posting a 50-point season (19g, 31a) as a sophomore. Ella Huber, another product of Illinois, also enters her senior season after a productive junior campaign where she scored 18 goals and 42 points. 

The hope is each of those high scorers will increase their output even more with another year under their belt, and after a disappointing season a year ago.

Former Ms. Hockey winner Peyton Hemp returns for her senior season after an impressive junior campaign where she racked up 14 goals and 16 assists and skated in all 39 games. Other Minnesota products returning and looking to contribute are Ava Lindsey (Minnetonka), Madison Kaiser (Holy Family), Audrey Wethington (Blake), Maggie Nicholson (Minnetonka), Lauren O’Hara (Centennial), Allie Franco (Hill-Murray), and Emma Conner (Edina).

Newcomers

Head coach Brad Frost brings in a strong freshman class led by 2024 Ms. Hockey winner Ayla Puppe (Northfield). Puppe scored 110 points her senior season for Northfield, leading them to the state tournament. She is an exceptional skater with good hands, but will have to adjust to a more physical college game. Kendra Distad had a stellar career at Minnetonka and gives the Gophers a player who is strong on her edges and isn’t afraid to battle for pucks. Her game should translate well to college ice.

On the defensive end, Kate Kosobud (Moorhead, MN) comes in to help bolster the blue line. A Ms. Hockey finalist in 2024, Kosobud is a solid defender who can also apply pressure in the offensive zone. She is a heads player on both ends of the ice. Carly Humphrey (Elk River, MN) also joins the blue line corps after a stellar career at Elk River/Zimmerman and is a strong defender with some offensive upside. Outstate defensive recruits include Chloe Primerano of British Columbia. Primerano played for Team Canada’s U18 squad and in six games tallied eight goals and eight assists and should step in and provide the Gophers with solid scoring and playmaking skills from the blue line. She doesn’t turn 18 until January. Gracie Graham is another product of Canada and played for Team Canada’s U18 squad, scoring a goal and adding five assists in six games. In her final prep season she had 19 goals and 40 assists in 29 games. 

Goaltending

Former Lakeville North netminder Skylar Vetter split time with Lucy Morgan last season, starting 21 games. Morgan graduated, leaving the net open for Vetter who finished with a 2.26 goals against average and .921 save percentage. Former Minnetonka goalie Sophia Johnson enters her junior year and will vie for playing time between the pipes, and Frost also brings in Hannah Clark, a native of Ontario, who has posted solid numbers for Team Canada in the World Juniors Championship (.935 GAA).

Outlook

As always the Gophers will be a contender on the national stage. They are currently ranked No. 2 behind border rival Wisconsin. Staying healthy, getting quality goaltending, and seeing some players make big jumps from last season will go a long way in determining the Gophers success. They outscored opponents 135-80 last season and their special teams were outstanding. That should only get better with most players returning. Their top seven scorers return and combined for 105 goals and 150 assists last season. Expect the Gophers to score a lot of goals this season and make a deep run come playoff time. They should be right there at the end fighting for a national title, which would be their first since winning back to back in 2015 and 2016.

2024-25 Roster