Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle and Abby Boleen took a lot with them when they finished their Gophers careers. Proud of winning the WCHA regular season and tournament championships. Memories of multiple NCAA Tournament appearances.
And the goal. The three combined for 76 points last season, accounting for a whopping 43 percent of the Gophers' scoring. With everyone moving on to professional hockey, coach Brad Frost knew he had to change his team in ways that went far beyond the names on the uniforms.
“I still remember the first time we met this year,” Frost said. “We said, 'We've got to be comfortable in games 1-0, 2-1, knowing we've conceded so many points. And our coaching staff has decided the way we play. I think they've done a great job of making that change.”
The change helped the No. 5 Gophers return to the NCAA Tournament, which begins Saturday when they play No. 4 Clarkson in the quarterfinals. Without abundant firepower to rely on, they have focused on sound defensive structures, discipline, and attention to detail. This brings the Gophers' record to 27-9-2, with only one loss to a team other than No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Wisconsin.
A win on Saturday will give him a 16th appearance in the Frozen Four next weekend in Durham, New Hampshire. To get there, the Gophers will need to beat the No. 1 defensive team in the country in low-scoring, potentially close games — exactly what they've come to embrace in a season of change.
“I feel like the past few years we just didn't have the size to play in tough, low-scoring games,” Frost said. “We had a lot of offense, and when the offense suddenly can’t score, you grip the sticks a little tighter and it becomes a little harder.
“I think it's quite an accomplishment for this team to have the kind of success it has this year. I'm very happy with where our group is.”
Last year, the Gophers led NCAA Division I with 4.54 goals per game. Despite their scoring average dropping to 3.50 points, they are still one of the highest scoring teams in the country, ranking sixth this season.
The Gophers are 14-4-2 when scoring three or fewer goals, a likely scenario against Clarkson. The Golden Knights allow 1.18 goals per game, the best in Division I, and are anchored by Goaltender of the Year finalist Michelle Pasiechnik. The senior has eight shutouts and a .943 save percentage.
In WCHA play, the Gophers faced similarly defensive-minded teams in St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth. They had a 6-0-2 record against those rivals, scoring three or fewer goals in six of those games.
Defender Madeline Wethington said the Gophers have to get the puck deep, forecheck aggressively and be patient in those situations.
“With that type of team, you have to play differently than you normally do,” Wethington said. “You have to have the mindset, 'They're very good defensively, but we've got to keep chasing them.'” You might not score in the first five minutes of the game, but it's okay to keep doing the right things. If you get into position, you will eventually succeed. ”
Coach Frost has been particularly pleased with the Gophers' play in the past three games. After losing 5-4 to Minnesota State Mankato in the opening game of the first round of the WCHA playoff series, they defeated the Mavericks 10-1 in the next two games. The Gophers forced Wisconsin into overtime in the WCHA Tournament semifinals, but lost 4-3.
Wethington said that while it hurt in the moment, the Gophers also gained confidence from the game. This reinforces the theme that defense, discipline and details make the difference, an idea that carried them all season, but will be even more important in the NCAA Tournament.
“We're doing the little things we need to do to win at this time of year,” Frost said. “Getting to the net, blocking shots, chipping away at the puck, forcing the other team to travel 200 feet to score. All of those things culminate in success.”
