University of Minnesota Athletics
Rinkside: Familiar Foe, New Rival
11/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
By Jackson Riebel
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 6 Gopher Hockey program is back on the road this weekend for a series showdown with No. 4 Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish currently hold a narrow lead over Minnesota for first in the Big Ten Conference standings in their first season as an affiliate member of the league.
Hello Old Friend
Motivation will be easy to come by this weekend for many in the Gopher program. Matchups in each of the past seven seasons have made for plenty of familiarity between the new Big Ten opponents, and a 3-2 Irish victory in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament ended Minnesota's 2016-2017 season a bit earlier than expected.
"What's kind of in the back of our heads right now is that they knocked us out last year and ended our season," junior captain Tyler Sheehy said Wednesday. "That's got to be something that we play for, a little bit of revenge I guess. They're having a great start to their year, they have some top-notch guys. We got to be ready to go when we get down there."
The two-game series presents a key opportunity for either team to take control of the conference standings. While last season's tournament loss has not been forgotten by his players, Head Coach Don Lucia stressed that the team wasn't dwelling on the past when preparing this week.
"I don't even think about it to be honest. It's a whole new year, and other than for one team, someone has to end your season. The focus is that they're off to a good start in the Big Ten, and that they're 4-0. It's not an easy place to play, and we have to go there and get some points this weekend, or they'll have an opportunity to really put themselves in the driver's seat."
Staying Fresh
Minnesota enters the weekend having played the fourth-toughest schedule in college hockey over the course of seven-consecutive weekends. Lucia and his coaching staff have made a few adjustments to routine in order to keep players fresh and healthy.
"For the most part we've had good legs. You could certainly make the argument that we've had better legs on Saturday than we've had on Friday. Saturdays we never skate, home or away we haven't skated on game day. We do on Friday but not on Saturday. Usually in the past during the first half we have skated on Saturdays, but this year we haven't from day one. That was because the Union game was an early game on that Saturday. We've just kind of been in that rhythm of getting a good stretch instead. It's just one less time you have to put on the equipment and get out on the ice. "
"We've been part of the grind for a very long time, so we're used to it. We just have to manage our bodies. Sleep, eat, do your usual routine and you should be good," added sophomore defenseman Ryan Zuhlsdorf. "At this point of our lives I don't think the coaches need to harp that to us. It's kind of the individual who needs to take care of their own body."
Minnesota will complete the first half of the season with series against Wisconsin and Ohio State before breaking for two weeks in mid-December to accommodate for final examinations and the Christmas holiday.
