2023-11-01 19:43:33
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MANKATO, Minn.— Minnesota State (2-6-0, 0-6-0) will take on #4 Minnesota (5-2-0, 3-2-0 WCHA) for its first home-and-home series of the 2023-24 season. The Gophers come into this weekend slotting in fifth in the WCHA standings with 10 conference points.
Last Time Out:
Minnesota State battled No. 10 St. Cloud State last weekend at the Mayo Clinic HSEC dropping both games by finals of 3-1 and 2-0.
Senior Kennedy Bobyck notched the first goal of the series to open the scoring up in the first minute of regulation. Bobyck cashed in for her second goal of the season on a steal in the neutral zone on the first shift of the game.
Bobyck is one of two players on the team who has sported the purple and gold for over 100 games. Senior Charlotte Akervik is the only other Maverick who has participated in at least 125 career games. Bobyck leads Akervik in games played with eight in hand at 134. The Mavericks failed to find the net for the duration of the weekend and the Huskies outscored the Mavericks 5-1.
Senior Lauren Barbro and junior Suzette Faucher split the weekend combining for five goals allowed on 57 shots. Through 474 minutes this season, Maverick goaltenders combine for a 3.54 goals- once morest average and a .880 save percentage.
The Gazdik twins have solidified themselves as everyday defenders seeing first-line action last Saturday once morest SCSU. On October 7th, Jenessa Gazdik found the back of the net for her first collegiate goal once morest Sacred Heart. Defensively, the Gazdik duo has combined for 31 blocked shots this season leading all MSU defensive pairings.
Freshman defender JuliAnna Gazdik leads the team in blocks with 21 which is the most blocks through the first eight games of a season since Anna Wligren (31), Tristen Truax (22), and McKenzie Sederberg (21) in the 2019-20 season. All three players from the 2019-20 season are on the MSU all-time leader board in block shots.
Taking on Minnesota:
This week, Minnesota has been ranked fourth in both NCAA Division I Women’s college hockey by USA Hockey Magazine and in the USCHO rankings. The Gophers have outscored opponents 30-12 through seven games this season going 5-2 in that stretch. Last time out for the Gophers, they were swept by No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus by finals of 4-3 (OT) and 6-5.
Headlining the Minnesota offense are juniors Abbey Murphy and Ella Huber who have combined for 26 points through seven games. Murphy leads the Gophers in goals (9) and points(15) while also owning a team-best plus-14 on the season.
In 109 previous matchups with the Gophers, the Mavericks own a 4-102-3 record. The most recent victory once morest the Gophers came on an overtime game-winner off the stick of former Maverick Kelsey King on January 15, 2022.
In goal, Minnesota relies on a platoon of juniors Lucy Morgan and Skylar Vetter who have combined for a 1.72 goals- once morest average and a .941 save percentage for a 5-2-0 record.
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