#3 Gophers return home for the East/West Showcase
The #3-ranked Golden Gophers went on the road and swept Bemidji State to open the 2026-2027 season. This weekend, the Gophers return home to Ridder Arena for the East/West Showcase.
| Opponent | Date & Time | How to Watch |
| Maine Black Bears | Friday, October 9th at 6:00 PM | BIG+ |
| Bemidji State Beavers | Sunday, October 11th at 2:00 PM | FOX 9+ & BIG+ |
Know The Opponents
Like the Gophers, Maine began the 2026-2027 season with a new head coach. This past July, Alex Gettens was named the eighth head coach in program history. Gettens and the Black Bears have struggled out of the gate; they’ve won just one of their first four games. Maine played two tight games with #6 Quinnipiac opening weekend, but fell short in both contests. Last weekend, the Black Bears picked up their first win of the season over St. Lawrence before losing game two 3-0.
Minnesotan Gracie Hanson leads the Black Bears in scoring. Senior forward Mikayla Boarder leads the team in goals (2) and is second on the team with four points. In net, Junior goaltender Kiia Lahtinen has started all four games for the Black Bears and posted a .909 save percentage.
The Gophers face a familiar foe on Sunday when they take on Bemidji State for the third time in four games. The Gophers swept Bemidji State last weekend, but Bemidji State kept both games close. The Beavers found success last weekend by capitalizing when Minnesota got overaggressive in the offensive zone. Bemidji State will need strong goaltending, to stay out of the penalty box, and to put some pressure on Minnesota’s defense group that will be without Chloe Primerano.
Players to Watch
Tereza Plosová (Forward, Minnesota)
Tereza Plosová missed opening weekend because she was representing Czechia at the Women’s Euro Hockey Tour. At just 20 years old, Plosová is already a veteran of international hockey. She’s represented Czechia in multiple senior World Championships, and she was a member of Czechia’s 2026 Olympic team. The sophomore forward is a breakout candidate in her second year with the Gophers. Plosová scored 9 goals and 19 points in 33 games in her freshman season. I’d expect her offensive production to take a big leap in year two.
Gracie Hanson (Forward, Maine)
Junior forward Gracie Hanson has started this season on a tear. Hanson scored 3 goals and 9 points in 36 games last season. This year, Hanson has scored five points in just four games. Hanson is a playmaker for the Black Bears: all five of her points are assists. She tallied three assists in Maine’s upset win over St. Lawrence last weekend. Hanson will need to continue to create offense for Maine to have success this weekend.
Sophia Villanueva (Goaltender, Bemidji State)
The Minnesota-Duluth transfer started both games against Minnesota last weekend. Villanueva finished the weekend with an .880 save percentage, but she didn’t get a ton of help from her teammates. Bemidji State allowed 83 shots against the Gophers in the two-game series. If Bemidji State is going to pick up their first win this weekend, they will need Villanueva and the entire defense group to be at their best.
What the Gophers are saying
“I loved our bench all series,” Head Coach Greg “Boom” May told reporters on Thursday. “We played four lines, six defenders, and two goalies. When Bemidji scored on us, our bench was still positive. There’s a lot to like and at the same time tons of room to grow.”
“Our group’s really close,” senior forward Ava Lindsay said. “It’s been fun to see the new girls coming in and how everyone’s kind of stepping into a new role. Also, just the energy that we had on the bench, on the ice, and the offensive plays that we had. The amount of shots we got too, I think that’s really good.”
“I’m an offensive defender, but obviously defense comes first,” senior defender Molly Jordan said. “We’re a super offensively talented team, so I think it’s a little bit tricky to kind of draw that line. I think we’ve done a really good job of it. Same goes for our forwards too, helping out in the defensive zone. I think our breakouts have been super fast, and that contributes to our fast play up the ice.”
Prediction
I think the Gophers will begin their home campaign with two wins. I expect two close games, but I think the Gophers will find a way to win both games and move to 4-0 on the season.