Coach Brad Frost wasn’t sure what to expect from the Gophers women’s hockey team to start the season. Eleven players had graduated from the 2023 squad that advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four, and that included stars Taylor Heise, the 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, and Grace Zumwinkle, a two-time Kazmaier finalist. The Gophers’ first big test came in an October series at Ohio State, last year’s national runner-up. Though the Buckeyes emerged with a 4-3 overtime win and a 6-5 regulation triumph, Frost saw reason for optimism. “We actually were really encouraged after that because that was at a point in time where we didn’t really know what we had,” he said. The Gophers will get another chance to gauge themselves against the Buckeyes at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at Ridder Arena. Top-ranked Ohio State (16-2, 13-1 WCHA) takes on No. 2 Minnesota (16-3-1, 10-3-1) in…
Continue Reading: Rebuilt Gophers women's hockey team gets another shot at No. 1 Ohio State
