A Better Response, But...

You may know Abbey Murphy for her work with Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship, or the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, but you'll normally find her on a sheet of ice in Minnesota. Murphy has been a Minnesota Golden Gophers women's hockey player since 2020, and she's shown all sorts of exceptional ability that has allowed her to skate at three consecutive IIHF World Women's U18 Championships before jumping to the senior American National Team. In short, Abbey Murphy can play the game.

What makes Minnesota so great is that they have a pile of fantastic NCAA women's hockey programs in the state. Along with Wisconsin to the east, Minnesota is one of those places where NCAA women's hockey is thriving, and the competition among the teams within the state is fierce. Whether it's Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State, St. Thomas, St. Cloud State, or Bemidji State, anytime two of these teams meet on the ice, there's usually intense competition.

There should be no surprise that these teams have contempt for one another at times, but it seems Abbey Murphy may have dialled it up a few notches after she capped off Sunday's game between Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth with an empty-net goal that resembled one recently seen in the NHL. Here's the video of Murphy's goal.
Let me be blunt by saying that if clapbombing a puck into an empty net becomes some new trend that everyone does, it loses its spectacle. I'm not reading deeper than what MUrphy did was score a goal, but the chirping after the play when the Bulldogs player skated by and was directed away by the official seems to show some bad blood between these two squads. If Minnesota-Duluth needed a villain, it seems Abbey Murphy will be that person.

What Murphy did was similar to what Ottawa's Ridly Greig did against Toronto, and the intention was the same as he blew off some frustration while icing the game for his team. If people want to read deeper into these goals, one is certainly welcome to write whatever narrative one likes. My entire outlook on this goal is that if Minnesota-Duluth doesn't like what Murphy did, don't let her have that opportunity. Otherwise, an empty-net goal scored with a slapshot is no different than any other empty-net goal.

Clara Van Wieren clearly didn't like it as she was the player who went over to Murphy after the goal, and it seems she said something to Murphy that caused the Gophers forward to say something back. Clearly, Van Wieren sent whatever message was necessary in her mind, and Murphy had her own thoughts on the matter. What should be noted is there was no violent outburst from Van Wieren after the goal - she responded like a well-adjusted and rational human being.

In games between these two fierce rivals, this ramps up the dislike for one another for the next meeting. With WCHA Playoffs beginning on Friday, the Bulldogs and Gophers may not see one another again, though, as the Gophers enter the playoffs as the third-ranked team while the Bulldogs are the fourth-ranked team. Unless there's an upset or these two can knock off the teams ahead of them, there won't be a chance to renew the hostility seen in Sunday's game.

I'll give Clara Van Wieren and the Bulldogs some credit for not overreacting like Morgan Rielly did, but it's just an empty-net goal. If you don't like how Abbey Murphy scored that goal, don't give her that opportunity. On the other side of the coin, Abbey Murphy shouldn't make slapshot empty-netters a habit either.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!