University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, December 3
East Lansing, MI
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Michigan State
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Hit the Road for MSU Series
12/2/2020 10:53:00 AM | Men's Hockey
After opening the 100th season of Pride on Ice with four-straight home games, the No. 5 Gopher men's hockey program hits the road for four-straight conference contests starting later this week with a two-game Big Ten series at Michigan State. The Gophers and the Spartans start things off on Thursday, Dec. 3 before wrapping up the series on Friday, Dec. 4 -- both games are set for 7:00 p.m. CT starts (TV: FOX Sports North/FOX Sports Detroit; Stream: FOX Sports Go/BTN+; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).
CELEBRATING 100 SEASONS OF PRIDE ON ICE
The 2020-21 campaign marks the 100th season of play for the University of Minnesota, dating back to the 1921-22 season. Since that first season, the Gophers have hoisted five national championship trophies (1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003), celebrated four Hobey Baker Award winners (Neal Broten in 1981, Robb Stauber in 1988, Brian Bonin in 1996, Jordan Leopold in 2002) and earned a total of 65 All-America honors. The Maroon & Gold have produced over a hundred NHL players with 11 alums having their names engraved on the Stanley Cup while other Pride on Ice products have been part of some of the most iconic international hockey events in history including U.S. Olympic gold medals in 1960 and 1980. Throughout the season, the University of Minnesota will honor the people, the moments and the memories that define "Pride on Ice".
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
In a series that dates back to 1950, the Gophers hold a 120-50-16 all-time record against Michigan State including a 49-30-8 mark on the road against the Spartans. The two teams split a series at Munn Ice Arena last year with Jared Moe earning his first career shutout in a 2-0 win in the series finale on Jan. 11, 2020. Sophomores Blake McLaughlin (three goals, seven assists) and Sammy Walker (two goals, eight assists) lead all active Gophers with 10 points each in eight career games against Michigan State.
4-0-0 AND READY TO GO
With an unusual start to an unusual season, the Gophers have started the 2020-21 season with a 4-0-0 record after playing four home games in six days last month. The pair of conference series sweeps has given Minnesota its first 4-0-0 start since the 2014-15 season (the Gophers won seven of their first eight games (7-1-0) before winning the Big Ten regular-season and playoff titles). The 'U' also started the 2013-14 with a 4-0-0 record (going unbeaten in its first six games (5-0-1) and losing only one game in its first 11 contests (9-1-1) before winning the inaugural Big Ten regular-season championship and earning a national championship game berth). The last time the Gophers started 5-0-0 was 2011-12 when the Maroon & Gold won the WCHA regular-season title and made an appearance at the Frozen Four.
THREE NAMED TO U.S. WJC PRELIMINARY ROSTER
USA Hockey has named three Gophers defensemen to its preliminary 2021 U.S. National Junior Team roster in Jackson LaCombe, Ryan Johnson and Brock Faber. The trio will miss the upcoming Michigan series (Dec. 8-9) to attend training camp with the final U.S. roster expected on Dec. 13 ahead of the 2021 World Junior Championship in Edmonton (Dec. 25-Jan. 5). Gopher Hockey has a proud history at the IIHF World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 41 of the previous 44 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977. Bob Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to back-to-back medals at the event, winning gold in 2017 and bronze in 2018.
LAFF-ING ALL THE WAY
Senior Jack LaFontaine ranks first in the nation in save percentage (.961) and GAA (1.00) and is tied for the national lead in wins (four) among NCAA goalies with more than one appearance this year. The alternate captain picked up his first career shutout in Minnesota's last game and has now won six straight for the Gophers. He has started 12-straight games entering the Michigan State series and has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last nine starts.
GOPHERS ANNOUNCE CENTURY SEASON CAPTAINS
Junior Sammy Walker will return to the Gophers lineup as team captain in 2020-21 while senior Brannon McManus, senior Jack LaFontaine and sophomore Ben Meyers will serve as alternate captains for the Maroon & Gold. The three newcomers to the leadership group are the 173rd, 174th and 175th players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Gophers.
MINNESOTA TABBED PRESEASON BIG TEN FAVORITES
The Gophers enter the season as the favorite to win the Big Ten this year ahead of Michigan in second, Notre Dame and Ohio State tied for third, Wisconsin in fifth, Michigan State in sixth and Penn State in seventh, as selected by conference coaches. Additionally, Sammy Walker was named Preseason All-Big Ten First Team while Brannon McManus and Jackson LaCombe were named Preseason All-Big Ten Second Team. Ben Meyers received honorable mention on the list.
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
The Gophers lead all NCAA programs in returning goal scoring (.930, 93 of 100) and returning points (.872, 232 of 266) from last season while the team's 93 returning goals are the second most in the nation behind Bowling Green (96). Minnesota also brings back its top six scorers from the 2019-20 season as well as nine of its 10 double-digit point producers from a year ago.
BOB IS BACK AS BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Bob Motzko was named the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award (national coach of the year) in his second year leading the Gophers. The honor was Motzko's fifth career conference coaching honor after winning the accolade in the WCHA in 2006 and 2007 and in the NCHC in 2014 and 2018. While Motzko headlined Minnesota's postseason Big Ten honors, Ben Meyers, Jackson LaCombe and Jared Moe were all named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team (Meyers was a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year).
MARTIN JOINS 'U' COACHING STAFF
All-American alum and 14-year NHL veteran Paul Martin will serve as an undergraduate assistant for the Gophers this year while completing his degree at the University of Minnesota. The defenseman, who helped the Maroon & Gold to back-to-back national championships, went on to play in over 800 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks and led his teams to the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of his 14 seasons.
GOPHER HOCKEY SEASON NOTES
Fourteen members of the 2020-21 Gopher Hockey squad have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first round pick Ryan Johnson (31st overall to Buffalo)...the Anaheim Ducks lead all NHL teams with three prospects on the Maroon & Gold roster...senior Jack LaFontaine posted a .919 save percentage for the Gophers last year in his first season with the Maroon & Gold -- the statistic ranks seventh all-time in program history...the University of Minnesota will host the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four at Xcel Energy Center -- marking the ninth time the school has hosted the event and the fourth time the event was hosted at Xcel Energy Center (a Minnesota team has won the national championship every time the venue has played host)...Todd Richards became the 11th Gopher Hockey alum to win the Stanley Cup after guiding the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2020 title as an assistant coach. A Second Team All-American and team captain in 1988-89, Richards remains the program's all-time leader for scoring among defensemen with 158 career points. Richards, who now serves as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators, is the second Gopher to win the Stanley Cup as a coach after Bob Johnson (Pittsburgh in 1991 and posthumously in 1992)...Gopher Hockey alum and college hockey coaching legend Dean Blais is among the inductees for the Class of 2020 to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame...Gopher Hockey roster breakdown by home state/country: Minnesota (19), California (2), Canada (2), Michigan (1), Wisconsin (1), Finland (1), Arizona (1)...the Big Ten Conference enters its eighth season sponsoring men's hockey in 2020-21 with Minnesota claiming more regular-season titles (four) than every other conference opponent combined (three). The Gophers won the first four league titles in Big Ten history as part of an NCAA record six-straight regular-season conference championships.
CELEBRATING 100 SEASONS OF PRIDE ON ICE
The 2020-21 campaign marks the 100th season of play for the University of Minnesota, dating back to the 1921-22 season. Since that first season, the Gophers have hoisted five national championship trophies (1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2003), celebrated four Hobey Baker Award winners (Neal Broten in 1981, Robb Stauber in 1988, Brian Bonin in 1996, Jordan Leopold in 2002) and earned a total of 65 All-America honors. The Maroon & Gold have produced over a hundred NHL players with 11 alums having their names engraved on the Stanley Cup while other Pride on Ice products have been part of some of the most iconic international hockey events in history including U.S. Olympic gold medals in 1960 and 1980. Throughout the season, the University of Minnesota will honor the people, the moments and the memories that define "Pride on Ice".
AGAINST THE SPARTANS
In a series that dates back to 1950, the Gophers hold a 120-50-16 all-time record against Michigan State including a 49-30-8 mark on the road against the Spartans. The two teams split a series at Munn Ice Arena last year with Jared Moe earning his first career shutout in a 2-0 win in the series finale on Jan. 11, 2020. Sophomores Blake McLaughlin (three goals, seven assists) and Sammy Walker (two goals, eight assists) lead all active Gophers with 10 points each in eight career games against Michigan State.
4-0-0 AND READY TO GO
With an unusual start to an unusual season, the Gophers have started the 2020-21 season with a 4-0-0 record after playing four home games in six days last month. The pair of conference series sweeps has given Minnesota its first 4-0-0 start since the 2014-15 season (the Gophers won seven of their first eight games (7-1-0) before winning the Big Ten regular-season and playoff titles). The 'U' also started the 2013-14 with a 4-0-0 record (going unbeaten in its first six games (5-0-1) and losing only one game in its first 11 contests (9-1-1) before winning the inaugural Big Ten regular-season championship and earning a national championship game berth). The last time the Gophers started 5-0-0 was 2011-12 when the Maroon & Gold won the WCHA regular-season title and made an appearance at the Frozen Four.
THREE NAMED TO U.S. WJC PRELIMINARY ROSTER
USA Hockey has named three Gophers defensemen to its preliminary 2021 U.S. National Junior Team roster in Jackson LaCombe, Ryan Johnson and Brock Faber. The trio will miss the upcoming Michigan series (Dec. 8-9) to attend training camp with the final U.S. roster expected on Dec. 13 ahead of the 2021 World Junior Championship in Edmonton (Dec. 25-Jan. 5). Gopher Hockey has a proud history at the IIHF World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 41 of the previous 44 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977. Bob Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to back-to-back medals at the event, winning gold in 2017 and bronze in 2018.
LAFF-ING ALL THE WAY
Senior Jack LaFontaine ranks first in the nation in save percentage (.961) and GAA (1.00) and is tied for the national lead in wins (four) among NCAA goalies with more than one appearance this year. The alternate captain picked up his first career shutout in Minnesota's last game and has now won six straight for the Gophers. He has started 12-straight games entering the Michigan State series and has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last nine starts.
GOPHERS ANNOUNCE CENTURY SEASON CAPTAINS
Junior Sammy Walker will return to the Gophers lineup as team captain in 2020-21 while senior Brannon McManus, senior Jack LaFontaine and sophomore Ben Meyers will serve as alternate captains for the Maroon & Gold. The three newcomers to the leadership group are the 173rd, 174th and 175th players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Gophers.
MINNESOTA TABBED PRESEASON BIG TEN FAVORITES
The Gophers enter the season as the favorite to win the Big Ten this year ahead of Michigan in second, Notre Dame and Ohio State tied for third, Wisconsin in fifth, Michigan State in sixth and Penn State in seventh, as selected by conference coaches. Additionally, Sammy Walker was named Preseason All-Big Ten First Team while Brannon McManus and Jackson LaCombe were named Preseason All-Big Ten Second Team. Ben Meyers received honorable mention on the list.
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
The Gophers lead all NCAA programs in returning goal scoring (.930, 93 of 100) and returning points (.872, 232 of 266) from last season while the team's 93 returning goals are the second most in the nation behind Bowling Green (96). Minnesota also brings back its top six scorers from the 2019-20 season as well as nine of its 10 double-digit point producers from a year ago.
BOB IS BACK AS BIG TEN COACH OF THE YEAR
Bob Motzko was named the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award (national coach of the year) in his second year leading the Gophers. The honor was Motzko's fifth career conference coaching honor after winning the accolade in the WCHA in 2006 and 2007 and in the NCHC in 2014 and 2018. While Motzko headlined Minnesota's postseason Big Ten honors, Ben Meyers, Jackson LaCombe and Jared Moe were all named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team (Meyers was a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year).
MARTIN JOINS 'U' COACHING STAFF
All-American alum and 14-year NHL veteran Paul Martin will serve as an undergraduate assistant for the Gophers this year while completing his degree at the University of Minnesota. The defenseman, who helped the Maroon & Gold to back-to-back national championships, went on to play in over 800 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks and led his teams to the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of his 14 seasons.
GOPHER HOCKEY SEASON NOTES
Fourteen members of the 2020-21 Gopher Hockey squad have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first round pick Ryan Johnson (31st overall to Buffalo)...the Anaheim Ducks lead all NHL teams with three prospects on the Maroon & Gold roster...senior Jack LaFontaine posted a .919 save percentage for the Gophers last year in his first season with the Maroon & Gold -- the statistic ranks seventh all-time in program history...the University of Minnesota will host the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four at Xcel Energy Center -- marking the ninth time the school has hosted the event and the fourth time the event was hosted at Xcel Energy Center (a Minnesota team has won the national championship every time the venue has played host)...Todd Richards became the 11th Gopher Hockey alum to win the Stanley Cup after guiding the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2020 title as an assistant coach. A Second Team All-American and team captain in 1988-89, Richards remains the program's all-time leader for scoring among defensemen with 158 career points. Richards, who now serves as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators, is the second Gopher to win the Stanley Cup as a coach after Bob Johnson (Pittsburgh in 1991 and posthumously in 1992)...Gopher Hockey alum and college hockey coaching legend Dean Blais is among the inductees for the Class of 2020 to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame...Gopher Hockey roster breakdown by home state/country: Minnesota (19), California (2), Canada (2), Michigan (1), Wisconsin (1), Finland (1), Arizona (1)...the Big Ten Conference enters its eighth season sponsoring men's hockey in 2020-21 with Minnesota claiming more regular-season titles (four) than every other conference opponent combined (three). The Gophers won the first four league titles in Big Ten history as part of an NCAA record six-straight regular-season conference championships.
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