The 2023-24 Minnesota Gophers women’s hockey season officially kicks off Friday night when the Gophers open up the regular season with a series against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in upstate New York. Minnesota finally hits the ice for real while several of their in-state and WCHA rivals are already two weekends worth of games into their schedules. This Gopher team will have a much different look than the ones that have taken the ice the last few years. Minnesota loses over 50% of its scoring from a season ago and will need some young players to step up and play large roles this season if Minnesota wants to end back in the Frozen Four yet again.