University of Minnesota Athletics
NCAA Regional: Sights and Sounds
3/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Photos | Audio | Quotes | NCAA Preview
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - The NCAA tournament officially began on Friday, but for the No. 5 Gopher Hockey program the day was filled with practice and media obligations ahead of Saturday's matchup against No. 12 Notre Dame.
"It should be a heck of a game, Minnesota head coach and Notre Dame alum Don Lucia said. "I think our guys are ready, we had a really good week of preparation and I think now let's get to tomorrow and drop the puck."
While Saturday's meeting will be the first of the season between Minnesota (23-11-3) and Notre Dame (21-11-5), the two teams have played each other each of the last five seasons while the Gophers are 27-15-3 all-time against the Irish including a 1-0 mark in NCAA tournament play.
Justin Kloos and Tyler Sheehy represented the Gophers at Friday's press conference along with Lucia - shining a spotlight on the schism of experience in the Gophers locker room. Representing a senior class that played in the national championship game as freshmen and whose last taste of the NCAA tournament ended in this weekend's venue in 2015, Kloos knows what it will take for the Gophers to move on to the NCAA Frozen Four in Chicago.
"We had 52 weeks or 53 weeks that we've been working to put ourselves into this opportunity that happens to be in this building," Kloos said. "I don't think we read too much into it that we lost in this building two years ago other than, you know, it's a do-or-die situation. To keep your season alive you're going to have to play a good team, and you're going to have to play well every day."
#Gophers starting the afternoon w/ @ESPNU prep work, chatting w/ @AllenBestwick & @BJaffe. pic.twitter.com/3MffuEoga7
-- Minnesota M Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 24, 2017
Playing well every day has been the standard for Kloos. A two-time captain for the Gophers, he's played in every game (154) since arriving on campus and has 150 career points to go with it. The forward has tallied at least 30 points in each of his four years with the Gophers including 43 in this season and last.
Meanwhile, Sheehy and the underclassmen will get their first taste of the NCAA tournament this weekend after barely missing the event as rookies last year.
"I think it's a new experience, but at the same time you've got to treat it just like another big game you've played in before," Sheehy said. "There's a group of guys that haven't played in an NCAA tournament game before that are definitely excited to be here."
If this season is any indication, Sheehy will be ready. A Hobey Baker Award finalist for the Maroon & Gold, the sophomore forward's 53 points (20 goals, 33 assists) this year are the most in a season for Minnesota in more than a decade.
In addition to team practice and the press conference, Friday's team activities included a sit-down with ESPN's Billy Jaffe and Allen Bestwick.
Saturday's NCAA opener is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU, Watch ESPN, 1500 ESPN and the Gopher Radio Network.
