The fourth-ranked Gophers women’s hockey team entered the final weekend of the regular season on Friday night at Ridder Arena coming off what could prove to be the most important 20 minutes of its season.

Playing on the road last weekend, Minnesota scored twice in the third period to beat St. Cloud State 2-1 and end a four-game losing streak that included three one-sided losses. For the comeback to prove pivotal, however, the Gophers would have to step up against the No. 6 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, a team they had swept in November, in hopes of building momentum for the postseason.

Overcoming a slow start and surviving a late scare, the Gophers got the job done Friday night, beating the Bulldogs 3-2.

“After losing four in a row, which I later found out was for first time in program history, we knew it was going to be hard to try to get out of it,” Gophers coach Brad Frost said. “Getting two in the third against a very good defensive team kind of springboarded us and got us going back going in the right direction.”

Gophers fifth-year senior forward Natalie Mlynkova, who missed the last two games due to an undisclosed injury, provided what proved to be the winning goal in the second period, which gave the Gophers a 3-1 lead.

“We’ve been facing some adversity for sure,” Mlynkova said. “Better that it came now than in the playoffs. Everything happens for a reason, and I think maybe we needed that little warning.

“We took it to heart, and I hope we can learn from it and move on.”

Mlynkova’s goal was her 14th of the season, a total that undoubtedly would be higher if not for a series of injury and health issues.

“She’s such an impact player,” Frost said. “I think she’s one of the best in the country when she’s healthy.”

Like the Gophers (24-9-1, 18-8-1 WCHA), Mlynkova might be trending in the right direction just in time.

“I told the girls in the locker room that I feel better today than I have in the last five months,” she said.