University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Tabbed B1G Preseason Favorites
9/26/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Big Ten Preseason Coaches' Poll & Watch List
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - The three-time defending Big Ten champion Gopher Hockey program has been selected as the conference favorite in the 2016-17 Big Ten hockey preseason coaches' poll while Minnesota also led the league with four players on the Big Ten Watch List.
Justin Kloos, Jake Bischoff, Leon Bristedt and Eric Schierhorn represented the Maroon & Gold on the 13-player Big Ten Watch List. Kloos and Schierhorn were two of four overall unanimous selections by Big Ten coaches.
The Gophers, who added their third-straight Big Ten regular-season title and fifth-straight overall regular-season conference title in 2015-16, enter this year's campaign as the preseason favorite in the Big Ten followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State.
A senior captain from Lakeville, Minn., Kloos returns as the second-leading active scorer in the NCAA and active leading scorer in the Big Ten with 107 career points (45 goals, 62 assists) in 117 games. A Second Team All-Big Ten forward, Kloos led Minnesota in scoring last year with a career-high 41 points (16 goals, 27 assists).
A senior alternate captain, Bischoff is coming off his best year on the blue line for the Gophers. The defenseman played in all 37 games last season and posted career highs of 18 points, 12 assists, six goals and 66 blocked shots. A native of Grand Rapids, Minn., Bischoff has 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) in 101 career games.
A junior from Stockholm, Sweden, Bristedt nearly doubled his freshman point total last year as a sophomore with 37 points (20 goals, 17 assists) in 36 games after 19 points as a rookie in 2014-15. The forward tied for the team lead with 20 goals and enters the season with 56 points (25 goals, 31 assists) in 71 career games.
A sophomore from Anchorage, Alaska, Schierhorn returns to the lineup as the defending Big Ten Goaltender of the Year as well as a First Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Rookie selection. The goaltender started all 37 games as a freshman while his 20 wins led the Big Ten and were first among all NCAA goalies last year.
Minnesota opens the 2016-17 season on Oct. 7 against Alaska Anchorage and plays Alaska on Oct. 9 (both games will be played at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, Alaska). The Maroon & Gold host the U.S. Under-18 Team at Mariucci Arena on Oct. 14 before the official regular-season home opener against St. Cloud State on Oct. 21. Tickets for this year's Gopher Hockey campaign can be purchased through MyGopherSports.com, by visiting the Mariucci Arena Ticket Office or by calling 1-800-U-Gopher.
-Pride on Ice-
