MANKATO, Minn. – No. 12 Minnesota State women's hockey is set to open the 2026 calendar year with a home-and-home series against No. 3 Minnesota this weekend. 

The Mavericks will host the Golden Gophers on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Mayo Clinic HSEC before traveling to Minneapolis for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop Saturday at Ridder Arena. Friday's contest will be streamed on FOX9+, while Saturday's game will air on the Big Ten Network. 

Scouting the Golden Gophers 

Minnesota enters the weekend with a 16-4 overall record after sweeping non-conference opponent Sacred Heart. The Golden Gophers earned a 4-0 win on Friday before a 14-2 victory Saturday. 

Minnesota currently sits third in the WCHA standings with 30 conference points and is ranked No. 3 in both the USA Hockey and USCHO Division I national polls. 

Graduate student Abbey Murphy leads the Gophers offensively with 43 points this season, totaling 24 goals and 19 assists. In goal, sophomore Hannah Clark has posted a 1.76 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. 

Recap vs. St. Cloud State 

Minnesota State last saw action Dec. 5–6 against St. Cloud State in a WCHA series split. 

The Mavericks fell 4-0 in the series opener despite recording 28 shots on goal. Goaltender Hailey Hansen made 28 saves in the loss. 

Minnesota State rebounded Saturday with a 3-2 overtime victory. The Mavericks opened the scoring late in the first period as Zoe Lopez scored at 19:11, assisted by Makayla Moran and Ava Guillemette, to give MSU a 1-0 lead. 

Mercury Bischoff extended the advantage early in the second period with a goal at 19:30, assisted by Taylor Otremba and Kianna Roeske. St. Cloud State responded with a power-play goal from Avery Farrell at 2:49, sending Minnesota State into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead. 

The Huskies tied the game in the third period on a goal by Sofianna Sundelin. 

In overtime, both teams traded scoring chances, including a key  save by Hansen on a St. Cloud State 2-on-1 rush. Kamryn Van Batavia sealed the win at 3:10 of overtime, one-timing a feed from Otremba in front. Hansen finished the game with 23 saves on 25 shots. 

Series History 

The Mavericks and Gophers have met 125 times in program history. The teams last faced each other Nov. 21–22, when Minnesota State earned a sweep with a 3-1 win Friday and a 4-1 victory Saturday. 

The sweep marked the first time the Mavericks swept Minnesota since 2006, highlighted by a Bischoff hat trick in Saturday's win. Minnesota holds a 114-6-3 all-time record in the series.