The University of Minnesota women's hockey team wrapped up its first WCHA series of the season with a 4-0 win against St. Thomas on Saturday night.

The game was scoreless after one period, with graduate transfer Lucy Morgan recording five saves in the opening frame. Former Gopher goaltender Olivia King stopped seven shots in period one for the Tommies.

After 40 minutes of game action Minnesota had recorded 17 shots on goal, but none had found the back of the net. Morgan and King continued to make save after save, keeping the game at a 0-0 tie. A five-minute major penalty at the very end of period two gave the Gophers an advantage that they capitalized on, allowing them to take control of the game. 

Freshman Emma Kreisz scored her first collegiate goal in the third period, the first of the Gophers' four goals. Kresiz was assisted by fellow freshman Ava Lindsay on the powerplay goal. Following seven minutes later was sophomore Nelli Laitinen, netting her first goal of the season. Ella Huber assisted Laitinen's goal. 

Sophomore Josefin Bouveng also found the back of the net for the first time in 2023-24, with Madeline Wethington assisting her. Just two minutes later, Murphy scored a goal with 19 seconds remaining in the game to push the Maroon and Gold to a 4-0 victory. Bouveng added her second point of the night by assisting Murphy's goal.

Quotable
"Great win here tonight, really tough. St. Thomas played fantastic, but I'm really proud of how our team stuck together," head coach Brad Frost said. "We defended pretty well and were able to find the back of the net late and then extend that lead. This is a great weekend sweep and we'll be ready to get back at it in a couple days against St. Cloud State."

Notable
- Freshman Emma Kreisz recorded her first collegiate goal
- Lucy Morgan's Saturday-night shutout marked the third Minnesota shutout of the season, Morgan's 14th career shutout
- Minnesota extends win streak against St. Thomas to 14
- Abbey Murphy scored a career-high four goals in a single series, also tied a career-high with six points in a single series

Up Next
Following their series with the Tommies, the Maroon and Gold will have a quick turnaround for their Oct. 17 home opener against St. Cloud State, broadcast on Big Ten Network at 7:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday.