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Walker Picks Up Preseason All-Big Ten Honor
9/30/2019 10:48:00 AM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – Gopher Hockey sophomore captain Sammy Walker has been chosen as a Preseason Second Team All-Big Ten selection by the conference coaches, the league announced on Monday. The Maroon & Gold were also selected to finish fifth in the 2019-20 Big Ten Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll.
A forward from Edina, Minn., Walker was the 2018-19 Big Ten Freshman of the Year – the first Gopher to earn the honor -- and a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection after leading all conference newcomers with 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 37 games. The forward was also honored as Minnesota's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year. Walker was selected in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten coaches chose Penn State as the preseason favorite to win the conference this season, followed by Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State. The Gophers have won four regular-season conference championships in the six-year history of the Big Ten – the only program to win multiple conference crowns.
All tickets for the 2019-20 Gopher Hockey season – the 99th campaign in program history – are now on sale through GopherSports.com. Season tickets start at $500 – the lowest price point for season tickets at the University of Minnesota since 1999-2000. Highlighting the 2019-20 slate is one of the strongest home schedules in program history with Minnesota hosting all six Big Ten opponents (Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin) along with nonconference foes in North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, St. Cloud State and Niagara.
A forward from Edina, Minn., Walker was the 2018-19 Big Ten Freshman of the Year – the first Gopher to earn the honor -- and a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection after leading all conference newcomers with 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) in 37 games. The forward was also honored as Minnesota's Frank Pond Rookie of the Year. Walker was selected in the seventh round (200th overall) of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten coaches chose Penn State as the preseason favorite to win the conference this season, followed by Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State. The Gophers have won four regular-season conference championships in the six-year history of the Big Ten – the only program to win multiple conference crowns.
All tickets for the 2019-20 Gopher Hockey season – the 99th campaign in program history – are now on sale through GopherSports.com. Season tickets start at $500 – the lowest price point for season tickets at the University of Minnesota since 1999-2000. Highlighting the 2019-20 slate is one of the strongest home schedules in program history with Minnesota hosting all six Big Ten opponents (Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin) along with nonconference foes in North Dakota, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, St. Cloud State and Niagara.
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