Minnesota Women’s Hockey: Gophers Add Boston College Transfer Savannah Norcross

The Minnesota Gophers got some good news regarding the transfer portal earlier this week as it was announced that incoming senior Savanah Norcross would be transferring from Boston College to the U to play for Brad Frost and the Gophers in 2021-22. Norcross will provide some instant offense for Minnesota as she was the leading scorer in the COVID shortened season for the Eagles with 21 points and 12 goals in 20 games.

The Lynn, Mass, native played three seasons for the Eagles and was mostly a role player until her breakout season last year. In fact she was named Boston College’s Most Improved Player by their SB Nation Blog, BC Interruption this past summer. the Norcross has 26 goals and 41 points over her three seasons in the Heights, and will step into a Gopher team that will need some offensive assistance next season. Minnesota will most likely be missing their two leading scorers from a season ago who are with the US National Team. Fifth year senior Grace Zumwinkle, who has a pair of goals in two games for the US Squad who are currently playing in the World Championships and sophomore to be Abbey Murphy both are on the US World Championship roster and will participate in the US residency program in Blaine that will cut the 27 current rostered players down to to the 23 who will make the trip to China for the Olympics. Zumwinkle is a lock for the team and Murphy will be most likely on the bubble of a roster spot. Norcross will hopefully try and fill a bit of the large hole those two will leave behind.

Minnesota also got another transfer on Monday when it was announced fifth year senior Olivia Arkell will transfer from D3 Hamline University to the Gophers. Arkell was a D3 All-American in her junior season in 2019-20 and will follow her two former coaches in Natalie Darwitz and Jake Bobrowski who left Hamline this summer to become Brad Frost’s assistants at Minnesota.

Both will see the Ridder ice for the first time very soon as somehow the start of the Gophers season is just five and a half weeks away as they open up with Ohio State at Ridder Arena on October 1st.