University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 29
Columbus, OH
5:00 PM
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at
Ohio State
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Hit the Road for OSU Series
1/27/2021 1:18:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 4 Gopher men's hockey program continues its 100th season of competition this weekend with a two-game Big Ten series at Ohio State's Value City Arena. The action gets underway on Friday, Jan. 29 at 5:04 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) with the series finale set for Saturday, Jan. 30 at 4:04 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: KFAN PLUS 96.7 FM).
AGAINST OHIO STATE
The Gophers are 33-8-5 all-time against Ohio State in a series that began in 1968 while Minnesota has won four-straight against the Buckeyes (all at 3M Arena at Mariucci) and are unbeaten in the last five meetings (4-0-1) including a home sweep earlier this season. Brannon McManus, Sampo Ranta and Sammy Walker lead all active Gophers with eight points each against the Buckeyes. McManus has points in four-straight games against Ohio State and has eight points (two goals, six assists) over that stretch while Ben Meyers has points in four-straight against Ohio State and five of his six career games against the Buckeyes.
A SERIES TO REMEMBER
Minnesota is coming off a nonconference sweep of Arizona State that saw the Gophers improve to 6-0-0 all-time against the Sun Devils (4-0-0 this year). After going just over 17 years without scoring 10 goals or more in a game (10-3 win over Minnesota State on Jan. 17, 2004), the Maroon & Gold did it in back-to-back games with a 10-0 win and a 10-2 victory. The last time the Gophers scored 10 or more games in back-to-back games was Nov. 20 (11-7 win over Denver) and Nov. 26 (12-3 win at Colorado College) in 1982. The only other example of Minnesota scoring 10 or more goals in back-to-back games in a two-game series came against Dartmouth on Dec. 29 (11-0) and Dec. 30 (10-3) in 1953.
MCLAUGHLIN, MCMANUS EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
Blake McLaughlin was tabbed the Big Ten First Star of the Week and Brannon McManus was named the Big Ten Second Star of the Week following the Arizona State series. McLaughlin led the Big Ten with seven points (four goals, three assists) and led the nation with 3.50 points per game and tied for the NCAA lead with four goals over the last week including a career-high four points in Thursday's win. McManus also tied for the NCAA lead with four goals and notched six points in the series including his second career hat trick on Thursday (Minnesota's first natural hat trick since Sam Warning accomplished the feat against Ohio State on Jan.18, 2004.
GOPHER HOCKEY NOTABLES
Scott Reedy tied the program record with five assists in Thursday's win (a career high for points for the senior). The feat marked the 11th five-assist performance in program history and the first since Gino Guyer on March 27, 2003...Brannon McManus and Sammy Walker tallied Minnesota's first hat tricks of the season on Thursday -- the first time Minnesota had multiple hat tricks in a game since Thomas Vanek, Jon Waibel and Troy Riddle did so in a 12-1 win over Alabama Huntsville on Nov. 1, 2002....Jack LaFontaine picked up his third shutout of the season and third of his career on Thursday...after tallying his first collegiate points with two assists on Thursday, freshman defenseman Carl Fish added his first career goal on Friday. All 24 Gophers who have played this season have now recorded a point including goaltenders Jack LaFontaine and Jared Moe...the Gophers boast the nation's most offensive-minded sophomore class with 63 points (22 goals, 41 assists) this season while the sophomores lead all Minnesota classes in scoring this season.
WHERE THE GOPHERS RANK
Minnesota leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 4.12 goals per game (third nationally), scoring defense at 1.63 goals per game (third nationally), penalty kill at .895 (tied seventh nationally), and fewest penalty minutes per game at 5.2 (first nationally)...Jack LaFontaine leads all Big Ten goalies in save percentage at .949 (fourth nationally), goals against average at 1.37 (fourth nationally) and wins at 11 (tied for first nationally)...Sampo Ranta is tied for the Big Ten goal scoring lead (10) and ranks tied for third in the nation (two goals off the NCAA lead) ...Scott Reedy remains the Big Ten leader and tied for the NCAA lead with four game-winning goals this season.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The spring semester at the University of Minnesota began on Tuesday after the Gophers celebrated one of their best semesters in the (virtual) classroom during the fall. As a program, the Maroon & Gold set a new program record with a 3.35 cumulative grade point average as a team while men's hockey recorded a team term grade point average of 3.46 -- second in program history after last spring's 3.64. As a department, the University of Minnesota set a new school record with a 3.41 cumulative grade point average as the Gophers increased the statistic for the sixth-straight semester. Additionally, Cullen Munson, Mason Nevers, Sampo Ranta and Sam Rossini were named to the Dean's List for the fall semester.
GOPHERS HELP U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM TO GOLD
Brock Faber, Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe helped the U.S. National Junior Team earn a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton on Tuesday night. USA Hockey has now earned 13 medals at the World Junior Championship while this year's performance stands as the fifth gold medal in U.S. history (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2021). This year's Maroon & Gold trio join Jordan Schroeder (2010), Mike Reilly (2013) and Ryan Lindgren (2017) as University of Minnesota products to win gold at the event as players. Gopher Hockey, which tied for the most representatives of any NCAA program on this year's U.S. squad, has a proud history at the IIHF World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 42 of the 45 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977.
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".
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.
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).
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)..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...Gopher Hockey alum Dean Blais is among the inductees for the Class of 2020 to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame...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.
AGAINST OHIO STATE
The Gophers are 33-8-5 all-time against Ohio State in a series that began in 1968 while Minnesota has won four-straight against the Buckeyes (all at 3M Arena at Mariucci) and are unbeaten in the last five meetings (4-0-1) including a home sweep earlier this season. Brannon McManus, Sampo Ranta and Sammy Walker lead all active Gophers with eight points each against the Buckeyes. McManus has points in four-straight games against Ohio State and has eight points (two goals, six assists) over that stretch while Ben Meyers has points in four-straight against Ohio State and five of his six career games against the Buckeyes.
A SERIES TO REMEMBER
Minnesota is coming off a nonconference sweep of Arizona State that saw the Gophers improve to 6-0-0 all-time against the Sun Devils (4-0-0 this year). After going just over 17 years without scoring 10 goals or more in a game (10-3 win over Minnesota State on Jan. 17, 2004), the Maroon & Gold did it in back-to-back games with a 10-0 win and a 10-2 victory. The last time the Gophers scored 10 or more games in back-to-back games was Nov. 20 (11-7 win over Denver) and Nov. 26 (12-3 win at Colorado College) in 1982. The only other example of Minnesota scoring 10 or more goals in back-to-back games in a two-game series came against Dartmouth on Dec. 29 (11-0) and Dec. 30 (10-3) in 1953.
MCLAUGHLIN, MCMANUS EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
Blake McLaughlin was tabbed the Big Ten First Star of the Week and Brannon McManus was named the Big Ten Second Star of the Week following the Arizona State series. McLaughlin led the Big Ten with seven points (four goals, three assists) and led the nation with 3.50 points per game and tied for the NCAA lead with four goals over the last week including a career-high four points in Thursday's win. McManus also tied for the NCAA lead with four goals and notched six points in the series including his second career hat trick on Thursday (Minnesota's first natural hat trick since Sam Warning accomplished the feat against Ohio State on Jan.18, 2004.
GOPHER HOCKEY NOTABLES
Scott Reedy tied the program record with five assists in Thursday's win (a career high for points for the senior). The feat marked the 11th five-assist performance in program history and the first since Gino Guyer on March 27, 2003...Brannon McManus and Sammy Walker tallied Minnesota's first hat tricks of the season on Thursday -- the first time Minnesota had multiple hat tricks in a game since Thomas Vanek, Jon Waibel and Troy Riddle did so in a 12-1 win over Alabama Huntsville on Nov. 1, 2002....Jack LaFontaine picked up his third shutout of the season and third of his career on Thursday...after tallying his first collegiate points with two assists on Thursday, freshman defenseman Carl Fish added his first career goal on Friday. All 24 Gophers who have played this season have now recorded a point including goaltenders Jack LaFontaine and Jared Moe...the Gophers boast the nation's most offensive-minded sophomore class with 63 points (22 goals, 41 assists) this season while the sophomores lead all Minnesota classes in scoring this season.
WHERE THE GOPHERS RANK
Minnesota leads the Big Ten in scoring offense at 4.12 goals per game (third nationally), scoring defense at 1.63 goals per game (third nationally), penalty kill at .895 (tied seventh nationally), and fewest penalty minutes per game at 5.2 (first nationally)...Jack LaFontaine leads all Big Ten goalies in save percentage at .949 (fourth nationally), goals against average at 1.37 (fourth nationally) and wins at 11 (tied for first nationally)...Sampo Ranta is tied for the Big Ten goal scoring lead (10) and ranks tied for third in the nation (two goals off the NCAA lead) ...Scott Reedy remains the Big Ten leader and tied for the NCAA lead with four game-winning goals this season.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The spring semester at the University of Minnesota began on Tuesday after the Gophers celebrated one of their best semesters in the (virtual) classroom during the fall. As a program, the Maroon & Gold set a new program record with a 3.35 cumulative grade point average as a team while men's hockey recorded a team term grade point average of 3.46 -- second in program history after last spring's 3.64. As a department, the University of Minnesota set a new school record with a 3.41 cumulative grade point average as the Gophers increased the statistic for the sixth-straight semester. Additionally, Cullen Munson, Mason Nevers, Sampo Ranta and Sam Rossini were named to the Dean's List for the fall semester.
GOPHERS HELP U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM TO GOLD
Brock Faber, Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe helped the U.S. National Junior Team earn a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton on Tuesday night. USA Hockey has now earned 13 medals at the World Junior Championship while this year's performance stands as the fifth gold medal in U.S. history (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2021). This year's Maroon & Gold trio join Jordan Schroeder (2010), Mike Reilly (2013) and Ryan Lindgren (2017) as University of Minnesota products to win gold at the event as players. Gopher Hockey, which tied for the most representatives of any NCAA program on this year's U.S. squad, has a proud history at the IIHF World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 42 of the 45 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977.
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".
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.
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).
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)..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...Gopher Hockey alum Dean Blais is among the inductees for the Class of 2020 to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame...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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