In ST. PAUL, Minn., abbey murphy skated through the low slot with just over three minutes left in the second period, took a feed from Bella Fanale, and ripped a high glove-side shot that the Ohio State goaltender turned away. It was Minnesota’s cleanest look in a game that slipped toward a 4-0 loss and ended the Gophers’ WCHA Final Faceoff run in the semifinal round.
What happened in the WCHA semifinal loss to Ohio State?
The fourth-ranked and third-seeded University of Minnesota women’s hockey team fell 4-0 to second-ranked and second-seeded Ohio State in the 2026 WCHA Final Faceoff Semifinal. The defining detail was special teams: Minnesota allowed three power-play goals in the contest.
Ohio State struck first on a power play at the 7: 06 mark of the opening period to take a 1-0 lead. Through the first 20 minutes, the Buckeyes led 13-7 in shots on goal. The pattern continued in the middle frame, when Ohio State added a second power-play goal at the 10: 58 mark and again carried the shots in the period, 11-7.
By the third period, the game opened further. Ohio State scored at 6: 51 of the final frame to make it 3-0 after beating the Minnesota defense for a one-on-zero rush. Then, with 16 seconds remaining, the Buckeyes added their third power-play goal to seal the 4-0 victory.
Hannah Clark finished with 28 saves for Minnesota, a workload that kept the score from ballooning earlier. Still, Minnesota was shut out for the second time this season, with the previous shutout noted as Feb. 27, 2026, against St. Cloud State in Game 1 of the opening round of the WCHA Playoffs.
How did abbey murphy factor into the game’s pivotal moments?
In a night when Minnesota struggled to solve Ohio State’s goaltending, abbey murphy generated volume. Murphy led the Gophers with seven shots on goal, repeatedly trying to create offense even as the game tilted toward the Buckeyes’ power play.
The moment that best captured Minnesota’s search for daylight came late in the second period: Bella Fanale found Murphy, who skated into the low slot and fired high glove-side, only to be denied. In close games, that kind of sequence can swing momentum; in this one, it became a snapshot of the larger problem—Minnesota’s chances existed, but the finish never arrived.
There was also a milestone tucked inside the loss. Murphy played in her 170th career game, good for sixth all-time in program history. It’s a number that speaks to durability and years of accumulation, but it landed in the background of a postseason result defined by what Minnesota could not do: stay out of penalty trouble and break through at even strength.
The semifinal was the first time since the 2023-24 season that Minnesota bowed out of the WCHA Final Faceoff in the semifinal round, a jarring stop for a team that entered the event ranked fourth and seeded third.
What does the loss mean for Minnesota’s postseason path?
For Minnesota, the immediate consequence is a shift from conference-tournament ambition to waiting on the national bracket. The Gophers exit the WCHA Final Faceoff with a 26-11-1 record and will await their NCAA Tournament matchup, set to be announced on Sunday, March 8 at 10: 30 a. m. CT on ESPNU.
The calendar doesn’t leave much room for processing. The team’s next public waypoint is the selection show, where Minnesota will learn its NCAA Tournament seed. The semifinal’s details—three power-play goals allowed, a one-on-zero rush, and a shutout—will likely be internal points of emphasis as the team turns the page.
Within the arc of this season, the loss also lands beside a broader narrative that had surrounded Minnesota entering the Final Faceoff: a push to reestablish rhythm and make a long postseason run. That aspiration now has to be pursued through the NCAA Tournament route, with the WCHA title no longer available.
Image caption (alt text): abbey murphy lines up in the offensive zone during Minnesota’s WCHA semifinal against Ohio State in St. Paul.
