Wikipedia

Bella Fanale

Anabella Fanale (born May 19, 2007) is an American college ice hockey forward for the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Anabella Fanale
Born (2007-05-19) May 19, 2007 (age 19)
Webster, New York, U.S.
Height 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight 161 lb (73 kg; 11 st 7 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
WCHA team Minnesota
Playing career 2025–present

Playing career

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On November 14, 2024, Fanale signed her Letter of Intent to play college ice hockey at Minnesota during the 2025–26 season.[1] She began her collegiate career during the 2025–26 season. She made her collegiate debut on September 25, 2025, in a game against Boston College, and scored the team's opening goal of the season. She finished the game with two goals, for her first career multi-goal game. The next day she scored one goal and three assists and was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week.[2] She finished September with three goals and three assist in two games and was named the WCHA Rookie of the Month.[3] On January 10, 2026, Abbey Murphy produced a widely acclaimed assist against Minnesota State, batting a bouncing puck through a defender's legs at full speed before feeding Fanale for a goal. The play went viral across social media.[4][5] During January, she recorded eight goals and sevens for 15 points. She posted two multi-goal games and four multi-point games, and was named WCHA Rookie of the Month for the second time in her career.[6]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
U18 World Championship
Gold medal – first place2024 Switzerland
Silver medal – second place2025 Finland
Bronze medal – third place2023 Sweden

Fanale made her international debut for the United States at the 2023 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship where she recorded one goal and one assist in five games and won a bronze medal. She again represented the United States at the 2024 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship where she recorded two assists in four games and won a gold medal.[7]

On November 13, 2024, Fanale was selected to represent the United States at the 2025 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship.[8] On January 1, 2025, she was named team captain.[9] She led team USA in scoring with five goals and four assists in six games and won a gold medal. During the semifinals against Sweden, she scored both goals in a 2–1 victory to help the United States advance to the gold medal game.[10][11] She was subsequently named named to the media all-star team and was named best forward by the IIHF Directorate.[12][13]

Personal life

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Fanale was born to Michele and Tony Fanale, and has two siblings, Mikayla and Maeliana.[14] She has no pre game rituals, and her favorite postgame meal is protein shakes.[15]

Career statistics

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International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2023 United States U18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 1 1 2 0
2024 United States U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 0 2 2 0
2025 United States U18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 5 4 9 4
Junior totals 15 6 7 13 4

References

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  1. ↑ "The 'U' Adds Six to 2025-26 Freshman Class". gophersports.com. November 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Murphy, Morrow, Fanale Earn WCHA Weekly Awards". gophersports.com. September 29, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Minnesota Trio Earn Monthly Honors". gophersports.com. October 1, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  4. ↑ Liebert, Tony (January 11, 2026). "Gophers star Abbey Murphy delivers 'greatest assist of all time'". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  5. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (January 11, 2026). "Abbey Murphy's Ridiculous Assist Has The Hockey World In Awe". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Murphy, Fanale Earn WCHA Monthly Honors". gophersports.com. February 4, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bella Fanale". USA Hockey. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  8. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (November 13, 2024). "USA Hockey Unveils U-18 National Team For 2025 World Championships". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Fanale Named Captain of U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team". USA Hockey. January 1, 2025. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  10. ↑ Pakarinen, Risto (January 11, 2025). "Fanale takes U.S. to finale". IIHF.com. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  11. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (January 12, 2025). "Top 10 Players From The U-18 Women's Worlds". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  12. ↑ Potts, Andy (January 12, 2025). "MVP goes to Lopusanova". IIHF.com. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  13. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (January 12, 2025). "Lopusanova Named U-18 World Championships MVP For Second Time". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Bella Fanale". gophersports.com. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Bella Fanale | 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team". teamusa.usahockey.com. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
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