University of Minnesota Athletics
Around the Rink: Jake Bischoff
11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) -- A second-generation skater for the Maroon & Gold, Jake Bischoff has Gopher Hockey running through his blood.
Now a senior, the Grand Rapids, Minn., native and alternate captain leads the Minnesota defensive corps for the second-straight year as the Gophers battle for their fourth-straight Big Ten regular-season title.
In 111 career games, Bischoff has 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists) as well as 184 career blocked shots.
GopherSports.com caught up with the senior defenseman to talk about all things Gopher Hockey.
You and the team had a bye weekend before the Minnesota State series. What did you do with your time off?
Yeah, it was really nice to have a break after a pretty intense weekend with North Dakota. I was able to go home to Grand Rapids and spend a little time with the family. We did some deer hunting up there, and we were lucky enough to fill a tag and put a little meat in the freezer. I went with my brother, my sister and my dad, but most of the time it was me and my brother.
You're off to a hot start this year as a senior following a career season last year with 18 points, six goals, 12 assists and 66 blocked shots. Are you excited to see your hard work paying off with the extra ice time you've earned and the increased offensive production?
I think you just feel more confident in all aspects of the game the longer you are part of this program. As a freshman, maybe you're a little more tentative about things, but as you spend more and more time here - figuring out the systems, building chemistry with the rest of the team and learning from the coaches - you start to relax a little bit and things just come easier on the ice. I definitely feel confident about my game right now.
It's interesting to see how players develop during their college careers. It doesn't seem that long ago that you were one of the young guys in the locker room, and now you're the leader of the defensive corps and one of the leaders of the team. Do you enjoy having that role with the team now?
It's really cool, and I think it's one of the best things about our program - the tradition of excellence that gets passed down from class to class. I had great role models when I was a freshman in Justin Holl and Jake Parenteau back on the blue line. They really took me in and taught me everything I needed to know about being a Gopher and playing at this level. Now it's my turn to pay that forward and teach the younger guys how we do things here.
You had 10 blocked shots in the UND series including six in the 2-0 win to close out the series. Does it hurt to eat that many pucks, and is that something the staff has really emphasized this year?
Honestly, it depends big time on where the shot gets you. If you're lucky, you take it in the shin pad, and you're fine. Sometimes you aren't so lucky, and it can hurt something terrible. I think our whole team realizes that if we want to be a good team, we all have to buy in and sell out. That means eating pucks, fighting to clear pucks out of the zone - really doing the dirty work that doesn't always get the attention. We know if we want to get to where we want to be at the end of the season, we need to do those kinds of things all season long. As older guys on the team, we need to set an example for that kind of stuff.
There's a pretty substantial legacy of success with this program's defensemen and their development into elite players. Is that something you were aware of when you chose to come here?
It's amazing when you look back at the guys who have come through here and gone on to have unbelievable NHL careers. When you come to the 'U', it's easy to understand how that's possible. Coach Guentzel has so much passion for this program and for coaching. He works so hard with our unit to make sure we're getting better every single day. So I think some of the success has to do with the kind of players they bring in here, but it's also a credit to the coaching staff here and their dedication to developing players.
You are one of several current Gophers who are following in their father's footsteps by playing in this program (Grant Bischoff scored 161 points in 180 games for the Maroon & Gold). How proud are you to play at the same program as your dad?
I think it's something we're both really proud of. Because of my dad, our whole family has always been Gopher fans. We would come down to games whenever we could. I loved coming down and watching the games and rooting for the Gophers. Finally being able to put on the jersey was a really special experience for me and something I'm really proud of.
Quick Hits - Jake Bischoff
Favorite Gopher: Gino Guyer
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Turkey
Smartest Guy on the Team: Mitch Rogge
Funniest Guy on the Team: Justin Kloos
Play Any Other Sport: Baseball, Golf
Best Road Trip: Alaska 2016
Favorite Sports Memory: Youth State Tournaments
Desert Island/Zombie Apocalypse Partner: Curt Simonson
