Gophers Wrap Up First Half at Michigan

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 11/12 Gopher men's hockey program closes out the first half this weekend with a highly anticipated Big Ten series at No. 3/2 Michigan. The Big Ten series opens on Friday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) with the weekend finale scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6:00 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). Both games are at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

'U' Trio Named to U.S. WJC Preliminary Roster
Brock Faber, Matthew Knies and Chaz Lucius have been named to USA Hockey's preliminary roster for the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team. Among a group of 31 invitees, the Maroon & Gold contingency will open training camp at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., starting Dec. 12. The 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship is set for Dec. 26, 2021-Jan. 5, 2022 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. Gopher Hockey has a proud history at the World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota being represented at 42 of the 45 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977. Faber is one of six returning players from last year's gold medal-winning squad that also included fellow Gopher defensemen Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe.

HEATING UP
Ben Meyers has jumped into the team scoring lead with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 16 games this season. The junior is currently riding a four-game point streak and has points in six of the last seven games for the Maroon & Gold.

KNIES AMONG NATION'S TOP NEWCOMERS
With 15 points and seven goals this year, Matthew Knies ranks tied for second on the Gophers in both statistics. Moreover, his seven goals are currently tied for most among NCAA freshmen this season.

BRODZINSKI FINDS THE NET
Bryce Brodzinski currently leads Minnesota with eight goals this year and has already tied his single-season high for goals in just 16 games this season.

AGAINST THE WOLVERINES
In a series that dates back to 1923, Minnesota is 148-130-18 against Michigan including a 4-1-0 mark last season that saw the Gophers sweep the Wolverines in Ann Arbor and rally for an overtime win in the Big Ten tournament semifinals.

WALKER WATCH
Minnesota's active leading scorer with 96 points (41 goals, 55 assists) in 121 games, Sammy Walker needs five points to become the 85th member of the U's 100-Point Club (first since Rem Pitlick in 2018-19). Walker tallied the overtime winner against the Wolverines in last year's Big Ten tournament semifinal matchup.

NHL UPDATE: WHEELER SET FOR MILESTONE GAME
Gopher Hockey alum Blake Wheeler will likely become the fifth 'U' product to skate in 1,000 career games this Sunday. The Winnipeg Jets captain will join Phil Kessel (1,145 as of Thursday morning), Neal Broten (1,099), Mike Ramsey (1,070) and Thomas Vanek (1,029). Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 117 all-time NHL alums including 22 already this season.

GOPHERS EXTEND MOTZKO THROUGH 2025-26
The University of Minnesota has agreed to a three-year contract extension with Gopher men's hockey head coach Bob Motzko that will keep Motzko with the Maroon & Gold through the 2025-26 season. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko is in his fourth season with the Gophers and holds a 67-44-11 record since taking over the program in 2018. In 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, the 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year and five-time conference coach of the year owns a 343-236-60 record.

PRESEASON BIG TEN PROSPECTUS
The Gophers landed on the top spot of the 2021-22 Big Ten Hockey Coaches' Poll earlier this season ahead of Michigan, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. In the eight-year history of the Big Ten Conference, the Gophers have claimed a league-high four regular-season conference championships as well as two Big Ten tournament titles including last year's thrilling playoff run by the Maroon & Gold. Minnesota also led the Big Ten with six individuals on the 2021-22 Preseason All-Big Ten Hockey Teams, headlined by four players earning First Team honors. The Gophers were represented in the preseason honor roll by Jackson LaCombe (First Team), Jack LaFontaine (First Team), Ben Meyers (First Team), Sammy Walker (First Team), Brock Faber (Second Team) and Ryan Johnson (Second Team). Mike Koster also earned honorable mention honors on behalf of the Maroon & Gold.

WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see three familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker, Jack LaFontaine and Ben Meyers have been named team captains for the 2021-22 season. Walker will enter his senior season wearing a "C" for the third-straight season for the Maroon & Gold while LaFontaine and Meyers have been elevated to share the honors after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all three players returning to the Minnesota leadership group, Gopher Hockey has now featured 175 captains dating back to the school's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold as team captain.

JACK IS BACK
Mike Richter Award winner and Hobey Baker Award finalist Jack LaFontaine returns to the Gophers for his fifth season of college hockey in 2021-22. A First Team All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, LaFontaine was also named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year. The Carolina Hurricane prospect set new school records and was among the NCAA leaders with a .934 save percentage and a 1.79 GAA while he led the nation with 22 wins. Off the ice, LaFontaine was named a recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was the only Division I men's hockey player to earn CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America honors.

IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fifteen of Minnesota's 26 players on the 2021-22 roster have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft including five newcomers -- Chaz Lucius (2021), Matthew Knies (2021), Tristan Broz (2021), Aaron Huglen (2019) and Rhett Pitlick (2019). Lucius is the 22nd Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round (18th overall by Winnipeg), joining 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on this year's roster for Minnesota. Meanwhile, Knies and Broz were selected with back-to-back picks in the second round this year.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR
The 100th season of Gopher Hockey certainly was a memorable one as Minnesota won an NCAA-best 24 games in 2020-21. The Gophers won three thrilling games to capture the Big Ten tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017 before picking up the program's first NCAA tournament win since 2014 at the NCAA West Regional. Minnesota started the year on a 10-0-0 run for the first time since 1939-40 and earned nine sweeps in 13 series during the regular-season. Nationally ranked all season long, the Gophers kept themselves in the top-five of both national polls since the beginning of December including the team's first No. 1 ranking in both polls since Nov. 11, 2014. Along with LaFontaine's national awards, the Gophers boasted a trio of All-Americans in LaFontaine (First Team), Sampo Ranta (First Team) and Jackson LaCombe (Second Team).

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Players Mentioned

Bryce Brodzinski

Tristan Broz

Brock Faber

Aaron Huglen

Ryan Johnson

Matthew Knies

Mike Koster

Jackson LaCombe

Jack LaFontaine

Chaz Lucius

Ben Meyers

Rhett Pitlick

Sampo Ranta

Sammy Walker