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On a charged Friday night at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, the Minnesota women’s hockey program added another chapter to one of college hockey’s fiercest rivalries. On January 30, 2026, the No. 3 Gophers handed top-ranked and defending national champion Wisconsin a 3–2 overtime defeat, a result that jolted the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) standings and the national women’s ice hockey picture.
In front of more than 3,000 fans, Minnesota rallied from a 2–1 deficit in the third period, forced extra time on a clutch equalizer from forward Avery Hovland, then won it 1:17 into overtime on a highlight-reel finish from defender Molly Jordan. The victory improved Minnesota to 23–4–0 overall and 17–4–0 in WCHA play, while dropping Wisconsin to 23–2–2 and 17–2–2 in the league. Both of the Badgers’ losses at that point in the 2025–26 season had come against Minnesota, making the Gophers the only team in the country to solve the reigning champs.
The Border Battle between Minnesota and Wisconsin has long shaped the women’s college hockey landscape. According to the programs’ official histories, these two WCHA powers routinely occupy top spots in the national polls, trade championships, and send rosters full of Olympians and national team players into the postseason spotlight. Wisconsin entered this season as the defending NCAA champion, coming off a dominant 35–1–2 campaign in 2024–25 that culminated in a 4–3 overtime win over Ohio State in the national title game.
The Badgers also brought historic momentum into 2025–26. They opened the year on a 23-game winning streak and a 37-game unbeaten run before Minnesota finally snapped both marks with a 5–1 win in Madison on October 31. That first meeting reestablished the Gophers as one of the nation’s few teams capable of matching Wisconsin’s speed, depth, and structure shift by shift. By the time the series shifted to Minneapolis in late January, the rankings told the story: Wisconsin at No. 1, Minnesota at No. 3, and a WCHA title race that was as tight as it was high stakes.
For high school players and families following NCAA women’s ice hockey, this is the type of rivalry that shows what the top tier of Division I looks like: multiple scoring lines, elite blue-line talent, and goaltenders capable of stealing games in pressure moments. If you are trying to understand the standard at the very top of the sport, matchups like this are the blueprint.
Minnesota wasted no time setting the tone on home ice. Just 3:47 into the opening period, defender Sydney Morrow jumped into the rush to capitalize on a crisp, three-player sequence. Forward Jamie Nelson first disrupted a Wisconsin breakout by lifting a Badger stick, then quickly moved the puck to center Ava Lindsay in the slot. Lindsay drew attention and slipped a perfect pass into Morrow’s wheelhouse, and the defender hammered a one-timer past Wisconsin goaltender Rhyah Stewart for a 1–0 lead.
From there, the period settled into the kind of back-and-forth, territory-based chess match that defines elite WCHA hockey. Both teams traded chances and controlled stretches of play, but Minnesota’s early strike stood up. The Gophers carried that 1–0 advantage into the first intermission despite shots finishing essentially level in the frame, highlighting just how slim the margins were between the nation’s top two programs that night.
As expected from the country’s top-ranked team, Wisconsin responded in the second. The Badgers tilted the ice more consistently, spending extended stretches in the Minnesota zone and forcing goaltender Hannah Clark and the Gophers’ blue line to manage repeated cycles and net-front traffic.
With 5:32 left in the period, Wisconsin captain Lacey Eden finally broke through, knotting the game at 1–1 on a play initiated by alternate captain Kelly Gorbatenko. Less than a minute later, the Badgers seized their first lead. Forward Finley McCarthy took a pass from linemate McKayla Zilisch, walked into space just inside the blue line, and ripped a high shot past Clark to make it 2–1 Wisconsin.
In a matter of seconds, Minnesota went from controlling the scoreboard to chasing the game. The Gophers ultimately finished the night level with Wisconsin at 27–27 in shots on goal, but at that moment the momentum had swung firmly toward the visitors. Between periods, Minnesota had to regroup against a Badger team that had rarely surrendered late leads all season.
Trailing 2–1 to the defending champions in the third period, Minnesota needed a spark, and it came from an unexpected source. Midway through the frame, sophomore forward Avery Hovland, who entered the night with just one goal all season, delivered the biggest shot of her collegiate career to that point.
At 9:27 of the third, Hovland collected a loose puck in the neutral zone, attacked with speed, beat a Wisconsin defender, and snapped a wrist shot over Stewart’s glove to tie the game 2–2. Ridder Arena erupted, the Gophers’ bench surged with energy, and suddenly the top-three showdown was reset.
From a player-development standpoint, performances like Hovland’s are instructive for recruits and families: depth players and underclassmen can have game-changing impacts in high-pressure environments. College coaches at the Division I level look for athletes who stay engaged, compete in all three zones, and are ready to seize their moment even if they are not the featured star.
In the closing minutes of regulation, both teams traded rushes, but neither side could find a winner. Clark and the Minnesota defense held firm, and on the other end, the Gophers’ attack continued to test Stewart and the stout Badger back end. With the score locked at 2–2 after 60 minutes, the Border Battle moved to overtime.
Early in the extra period, Wisconsin generated a golden opportunity that could have flipped the script. A breakdown sprung a Badger skater in alone on Clark, setting up a one-on-zero chance. Clark stood tall, turning away the breakaway in what would become a pivotal stop in the narrative of the night.
That save opened the door for Minnesota’s winning moment. At 1:17 of overtime, junior defender Molly Jordan corralled a loose puck in the offensive zone, executed a smooth toe drag to slip around a Wisconsin defender, and snapped a shot high to the near side. The puck beat Stewart, the red light flashed, and the Gophers bench poured onto the ice to celebrate a 3–2 triumph.
Jordan’s poise and skill on the winning play underscored how modern college defenders are expected to contribute offensively, not just by moving pucks efficiently but by finishing plays in big spots. For prospects eyeing programs in the WCHA and beyond, it is a reminder that puck-moving, offensive upside from the blue line can be a major separator in recruiting evaluations.
Beyond the emotion of the night, the numbers tell a lot about why this game resonated nationally:
With the win, Minnesota tightened the WCHA regular-season title race, bolstered its PairWise résumé for NCAA tournament seeding, and strengthened its case as the one program that could consistently challenge Wisconsin’s grip on the national pole position. For the Badgers, the loss was a reminder of just how fine the line is between dominance and defeat in the sport’s top tier.
According to the NCAA’s own tournament historical records, WCHA powers like Minnesota and Wisconsin have figured prominently in the women’s ice hockey championship since its inception. A midseason result of this magnitude does not decide the title, but it often foreshadows who is capable of making a deep March run.
The overtime win did not happen in a vacuum. It came less than a week after star forward Abbey Murphy tied the program’s all-time goals record with her 139th career tally in a 5–1 win over St. Cloud State. That same game also marked head coach Brad Frost’s 550th career victory behind the bench, underscoring the sustained excellence of the Minnesota program.
Murphy would go on to become the Gophers’ career goals leader in a subsequent win over St. Cloud State, a milestone covered widely in local and college media. Her presence in the lineup, combined with veteran leaders, high-impact transfers like Nelson, and emerging contributors such as Jordan, Hovland, Morrow, and Clark, illustrates how layered Minnesota’s roster has become.
For recruits, Murphy’s trajectory is a reminder that even at powerhouse programs, there is space to grow into a record-setting career. It also demonstrates how elite development environments prepare athletes for top-level competition, whether in conference play, NCAA tournaments, or international opportunities.
The story of the weekend did not end with the overtime thriller. Wisconsin, as expected from a program with national-championship standards, answered on Saturday afternoon. The Badgers rolled to a 6–1 win in the series finale, powered by a hat trick from forward Cassie Hall, to earn a road split.
Still, it was Minnesota’s Friday-night performance that stood out as a defining moment of the 2025–26 regular season. In one swing game at Ridder Arena, the Gophers:
For Wisconsin, the loss served as a sharp but useful reminder of the razor-thin margins at the top of Division I women’s hockey. In a rivalry this intense, one shift, one bounce, or one save can separate an overtime loss from yet another entry in the program’s long list of wins.
Beyond the WCHA standings, Minnesota’s overtime upset of No. 1 Wisconsin carried symbolic weight for women’s college hockey as a whole. It reinforced several key themes that recruits, parents, and coaches should keep in mind:
As the 2025–26 season progresses, games like this provide reference points for the national conversation: Who is truly battle-tested? Which rosters can close out tight games? And which programs are best positioned to navigate the pressure of single-elimination NCAA play?
If you are an aspiring college hockey player watching a matchup like Minnesota vs. Wisconsin, there are concrete lessons you can draw from a single night at Ridder Arena:
If you want to explore which college programs might fit your level and goals, tools like the Pathley Ice Hockey Hub can help you compare schools, conferences, and academic profiles while you study games like this for style-of-play fit.
Minnesota’s success on the ice also highlights the broader appeal of studying and competing in a major hockey city. Minneapolis is home to multiple colleges with rich athletic traditions, including Augsburg University, the primary college we are highlighting here.
Augsburg University offers student-athletes the chance to live and learn in a city where hockey culture runs deep, from college arenas to community rinks. Competing or studying in Minneapolis means regular access to high-level hockey, passionate fan bases, and networking opportunities that extend beyond the rink.
For prospective students interested in NCAA hockey or simply drawn to a hockey-centric environment, being in a city like Minneapolis can be a significant quality-of-life and development advantage, whether you compete in Division I, Division III, or pursue club-level play while focusing on academics.
If you are intrigued by the combination of a Minnesota location and a tight-knit campus community, it is worth exploring nearby programs that share similar geographic advantages and educational environments. One such option is:
Each campus offers its own mix of academics, campus life, and athletic opportunities. By comparing schools across the Twin Cities and broader Upper Midwest, you can find the setting that best matches your priorities on and off the ice.
Watching a game like Minnesota vs. Wisconsin can be both inspiring and overwhelming. It raises important questions: Where do I fit in this landscape? What level should I realistically target? How do I identify schools that work for my academics, budget, and playing style?
Pathley is designed to help athletes and families simplify that process. You can start by visiting the Ice Hockey Pathley Hub, which brings together college programs, rankings, and tools to compare options by location, conference, and more. From there, creating a free account on Pathley unlocks personalized tools tailored to your journey.
With a free profile on Pathley, you can explore the full College Directory to discover hockey and non-hockey schools alike, save favorites, and start building a realistic, targeted list.
If you are ready to take the next step, you can sign up for Pathley to get AI-powered college matching, guidance on how to present your athletic and academic résumé, and smart suggestions for programs that fit your profile.
Whatever happens in the 2026 NCAA women’s ice hockey tournament, Minnesota’s 3–2 overtime win over Wisconsin will loom large in the season’s story. The Gophers proved, once again, that they can outplay the reigning national champions in a playoff-style environment at Ridder Arena. Wisconsin, meanwhile, demonstrated resilience by bouncing back for a decisive win the next day, underlining why these programs remain fixtures in championship conversations.
For the broader women’s college hockey community, this Border Battle was a showcase of the sport at its highest level: speed, physicality, skill, and drama condensed into a matchup that felt every bit like a national semifinal in late January. And for athletes at all levels, it served as a vivid reminder that preparation, depth, and belief can tilt even the most daunting matchup in your favor.
As the road to the NCAA women’s ice hockey championship unfolds, games like this one in Minneapolis will continue to shape seeding, confidence, and expectations. Whether you are a recruit, a parent, a coach, or a fan, it is exactly the kind of night that shows why college hockey’s future remains so bright.
