Glancing at the schedule for the first month of their season, the Gophers women’s hockey team knew it had to hit the ground running. Knowing there’s the potential to play a Frozen Four on home ice at the end of the season should be enough to keep them running.

Add to the fact they return most of last year’s roster – including NCAA goal-scoring leader Abbey Murphy – and adding highly-touted newcomers like Canadian freshman Chloe Primerano, the expectations are rightfully sky-high.

Click the video box on this page to watch KSTP Sports’ interview with Gophers women’s hockey coach Brad Frost

The Gophers missed last year’s Frozen Four and their last national championship was in 2016. While most programs set Frozen Four appearances and NCAA titles as ultimate goals, the Gopher program’s successful history – fairly or not – dictates those serve more as measuring sticks for expectations, rather than goals to reach for.

This season’s first four weekends should offer head coach Brad Frost an idea where his team is headed. After opening the season last weekend with a sweep at #9 Connecticut, the Gophers host Boston University this weekend. Then, they dive right into conference play facing #4 Ohio State and #1 Wisconsin – their chief WCHA rivals who have combined to win the last five NCAA Championships.

Another WCHA team – Minnesota-Duluth – is currently ranked #3, giving the WCHA a clean sweep of the top four spots in the national poll. The Gophers see them in a mid-November trip to Duluth.