University of Minnesota Athletics
Rinkside: Border Battle Rivalry Renewed
1/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) ââ'¬" The Gopher Hockey program heads into Madison for this weekend's Border Battle with plenty of momentum amid the team's three-game winning streak as the Maroon & Gold appear to have found its balance in the second half.
Minnesota (11-10-0 overall, 6-2-0-0 Big Ten) has combined for 15 goals over the last three games and has only one loss in regulation since the beginning of December ââ'¬" owning a record of 7-3-0 in that span.
But anything goes when the Gophers take on the Badgers.
"We know it will be difficult going into Wisconsin," Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said. "We just want to continue to play well and keeping making steps forward."
One of those steps forward has been the resurgence of Minnesota's offense, which has now outshot opponents in four-straight games and has had at least 29 shots on goal in each of the last six games.
Minnesota has also had key players step up to contribute offensively in the second half. Thirteen skaters have tallied points during the three-game winning streak including Justin Kloos, who has eight points in the last three games. Another Gopher who hopes to stay hot this weekend is Connor Reilly, who tallied the game winner in last Saturday's win over Michigan State for just his second goal of the year and first non-empty net tally.
Reilly, who was lost for the season during last year's trip to Madison with an injury (he was leading the team in goals at the time), noted just how competitive the Border Battle rivalry is in the new Big Ten Conference.
"No matter what, you know they're going to give their best effort, and we're going to give our best effort," Reilly said. "With all of the history and tradition, it's two teams that don't exactly like each other, but they respect each other. It brings the best out of you."
With Minnesota's final nonconference games next weekend in the North Star College Cup, the conference standings are beginning to take shape. And for the third year in a row, the Gophers find themselves among the frontrunners early in conference play.
"Every weekend is big for us right now," sophomore forward Leon Bristedt said. "We just got above .500, and every point for us is very important.
Stepping Up Against Wisconsin
One question the Gophers will have to answer this weekend is, "who will score against the Badgers?"
For the last four years, it was a foregone conclusion that graduated senior Seth Ambroz would have a goal or more against the border rival. The forward, who now plays in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, scored 11 of his 40 career goals against Wisconsin.
Taylor Cammarata, Connor Reilly, Hudson Fasching and Jake Bischoff are the active-leading goal scorers against the Badgers for Minnesota ââ'¬" each tallying two goals apiece. Meanwhile, Kloos leads the active roster with six points and six assists against this weekend's opponents.
Three Gophers Up for the Hobey Baker Award
Gophers Hudson Fasching, Justin Kloos and Leon Bristedt are among those nominated for this year's Hobey Baker Award as fan voting for college hockey's top honor is now open to the public.
College hockey fans have two ways to cast their vote: go to the Hobey Baker website http://www.hobeybaker.com/vote or the Hobey Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheHobey/.
This first phase of fan balloting will run now through March 6, 2016. Phase two of fan balloting will begin on March 17 from the list of Top Ten Hobey Baker finalists. The fans' vote accounts for a full 1 percent of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year's award recipient.
