In a game that took place in an outdoor rink constructed in the Valleyfair parking lot for this year’s Hockey Day Minnesota, “fun” was the operative word for the Gophers as they skated past Bemidji State, 3-1, for their sixth consecutive win. “We had an absolute ball,” said Gophers senior forward Abbey Murphy, who scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the first period. “With that view in the background, how could you not have fun?” A brisk wind made the otherwise bearable mid-20s temperatures rather uncomfortable, but the Gophers weren’t about to complain. “I think we were fortunate to be one of the teams to get to come out and play in this,” said Gophers goaltender Hannah Clark, who turned in another strong performance. “I thought it was super fun. My teammates were asking me if I needed sunglasses. “Everyone was just joking around and having a good time.” Murphy was looking forward to playing in her first outdoor game, and the experience was everything she hoped it would be — including coming away with a victory. “It was windy, it was sunny; everything is out of your control,” Murphy said. “So it was about playing to our standards. When it got hard we just kind of stuck together, talked to each other. It was rough, but it was really fun.” Offered Gophers coach Brad Frost: “Any time you can play on Hockey Day Minnesota it’s like a national holiday here in Minnesota. It was a lot of fun. It’s certainly a different game, a different experience, and we are blessed to be a part of it.” Frost said the conditions led to coming up with a different game plan than the one he would ordinarily order up. “We had to try to keep getting the puck going north as quickly as possible,” he said. “On an over-handle, the puck kind of hops on your stick. And the puck moves so fast out there, which is a little different than normal. “The more we could simplify it, the better.” With the bright sunshine combining with the wind to make for some challenging conditions, heaters on the benches made things fairly comfortable — at least for those players who were able to benefit from them. “I got a little cold at times,” Clark said, “So, I tried to move around when I could, to stay fresh in case they got any opportunities.” The Gophers (21-5-1, 15-4-1 WCHA) took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission on goals by Emma Kreisz and Murphy, her 23rd of the season and third on the weekend. Murphy’s goal came on an electric rush up the ice, as she split two defenders before beating Bemidji goaltender Kaitlin Groess from in tight. “I’m glad she could do it on Hockey Day with a lot of people watching,” Frost said. “It was an epic Murph goal.” Murphy smiled when asked to describe the goal. “It just kind of went — full speed,” she said. “Just trying to have fun out here. Hockey Day Minnesota, how could you not?” Murphy goes into very game looking to score, but she was especially hoping to get one on Saturday. “Heck yeah,” she said. “It’s always fun to score, and especially under these circumstances.” The Gophers took a 3-0 lead at 5:55 of the second period on a goal by Gracie Graham. The Beavers took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play at 8:30 to cut into the Gophers’ lead, but the Gophers were airtight the rest of the way. “The third period, in particular, I don’t think we gave up a shot,” Frost said. “We need to continue to lock things down when we have the lead.” Clark, who improved to 17-3-1 on the season, was appreciative of another strong defensive outing by her teammates. “We play with a lot of speed when breaking pucks out,” she said. “And they’re super-disciplined with blocking shots, which every goalie appreciates a ton. We do whatever it takes to keep the puck out of our net.” Related Articles College Sports | Gophers women top Bemidji State on pair of Murphy goals College Sports | Important WCHA points at stake as Gophers, Beavers head outside for Hockey Day College Sports | Josefin Bouveng hat trick leads Gophers past Minnesota State College Sports | Third-ranked Gophers women top Mavericks College Sports | Gophers women’s hockey tops Tommies once again