University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, March 12
3M Arena at Mariucci
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Penn State
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B1G Playoff Title Defense Starts on Saturday
3/11/2022 10:52:00 AM | Men's Hockey
A win on Saturday would send the Gophers to the Big Ten tournament title game next Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota's Big Ten playoff title defense begins this weekend as the No. 2 Gopher men's hockey program hosts Penn State on Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 p.m. CT in a conference semifinal at 3M Arena at Mariucci (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). Tickets are now on sale at GopherSports.com. A win on Saturday for the Gophers would send Minnesota to its fourth Big Ten tournament championship game with Minnesota hosting in that event on Saturday, March 19 at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
BACK ON TOP IN THE BIG TEN
Minnesota ended the regular season on an eight-game winning streak to capture the program's fifth Big Ten regular-season crown in the league's nine-year history (and 28th overall regular-season conference championship in Minnesota's 101-year history). The Maroon & Gold won the first four Big Ten titles as part of an NCAA-record six-straight conference championships. The Gophers were 23-11-0 overall this season and 18-6-0-1-2-0 in Big Ten play after being correctly picked to finish first in the conference in the preseason Big Ten coaches poll.
GOPHERS IN THE BIG TEN PLAYOFFS
Last season saw the Gophers capture their second Big Ten tournament title (2015, tied for most in league history with Notre Dame) by winning three thrilling games at Compton Family Ice Arena. Minnesota defeated Michigan State 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals, bested Michigan 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals and then outgunned top-seeded Wisconsin 6-4 in the championship. The Gophers, who have played all six conference teams in Big Ten tournament play, are 10-7 (.588) in conference playoff action while Bob Motzko's .778 winning percentage (7-2) in the Big Ten playoffs stands as the best mark of any coach in league history. Three of Minnesota's seven Big Ten playoff losses have come to Penn State as the Gophers are 0-3 against the Nittany Lions in tournament action (a double overtime loss in the 2017 semifinals and a two-game quarterfinal sweep in 2018).
UP FOR SOME B1G AWARDS
The Big Ten regular-season champions were well represented this week as the Gophers boast finalists for all five Big Ten end-of-year awards -- Ben Meyers (Player of the Year), Brock Faber (Defensive Player of the Year), Matthew Knies (Freshman of the Year), Justen Close (Goaltender of the Year) and Bob Motzko (Coach of the Year). The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network will announce the men's hockey All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners as selected by the conference coaches and a media panel on Tuesday, March 15.
WALKER NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST
Senior captain Sammy Walker is one of 10 finalists for this year's Senior CLASS Award, the winner of which will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men's Frozen Four in April. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition. Walker is Minnesota's active-leading career scorer and the first three-time captain in the program's 101-year history.
AGAINST THE NITTANY LIONS
In a series that begin in 2014 with the formation of the Big Ten Conference, Minnesota holds a 20-16-1 all-time record against Penn State with the two programs splitting a two-game series at 3M Arena at Mariucci earlier this year before a weekend split for the Maroon & Gold last month at Pegula Ice Arena. The road wins were Minnesota's first at Penn State in five years and the first at Pegula Ice Arena for Bob Motzko.
CLOSING TIME
Justen Close continues to be one of college hockey's best stories this season as the junior took over starting duties in January and has since gone 11-3-0. The goaltender ranks fifth nationally in both goals against average (1.73, first in the Big Ten) and save percentage (.933). Close secured his first two career shutouts in the final series of the regular-season against Wisconsin -- becoming the first Gophers goalie to blank the Badgers in back-to-back games since George Clausen did so on Feb. 9-10, 1934.
PITLICK NAMED NATIONAL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
The Gophers closed out a perfect 8-0-0 month of February with Rhett Pitlick being named the National Rookie of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners Association. Pitlick tallied 10 points (five goals, five assists) last month while February saw the Montreal Canadiens prospect score his first five collegiate goals along with 10 of his 17 points in his first campaign with the Maroon & Gold.
CENTURY CLUB GOPHERS
Blake McLaughlin became the 86th member of Gopher Hockey's 100-Point Club last month and currently has 102 points (37 goals, 65 assists) while his linemate and classmate Sammy Walker hit the milestone earlier this season and now has 111 points (47 goals, 64 assists) in 139 games. The duo are the first Gophers to notch 100 career points since First Team All-American Rem Pitlick in 2018-19.
GOPHER HOCKEY AT THE OLYMPICS
Three current Gophers -- Ben Meyers, Matthew Knies and Brock Faber -- and Minnesota alum Aaron Ness wrapped up the Olympics last month while competing with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Meanwhile, strength & conditioning coach Cal Dietz served in the same role with silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team. Gopher Hockey has been represented at each of the last 21 Winter Olympics since 1936 with the Maroon & Gold helping USA Hockey to eight medals including gold in 1960 and 1980. Ness served as an alternate captain for the U.S. while Meyers finished second on the U.S. squad with four points (two goals, two assists).
MOTZKO MILESTONES
February saw Bob Motzko set a pair of milestones as the Minnesota head coach won his 350th career game on Friday, Jan. 4 (357-240-60) before adding his 75th win with the Gophers on Saturday, Jan. 5 (81-48-11). The five-time conference coach of the year, who agreed to a three-year extension that will keep him with Minnesota through the 2025-26 season, is in his fourth season with the Maroon & Gold and 17th season as a Division I head coach. Motzko has been named a finalist for Big Ten Coach of the Year in each of his four seasons at Minnesota and won the honor in 2020. Motzko's 23 wins this season are the second most in his tenure with the Gophers after winning 24 last year.
PRIDE ON ICE HISTORY
While the Gophers celebrated the program's 100th season in 2020-21, a number of notable milestones will actually occur during the 2021-22 season. First among them, Jan. 9, 2022 marked 100 years since the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and the University Athletic Board of Control officially granted men's hockey varsity status (Jan. 9, 1922). Meanwhile, Minnesota's first varsity hockey game celebrated the century mark on Jan. 17, 2022 (a 2-1 loss to Hamline before a string of five-straight wins -- four of them coming against Wisconsin). Minnesota got its revenge against Hamline in the season finale to finish its inaugural season with a 6-3-1 record.
NHL UPDATE: GOPHERS PACE COLLEGE HOCKEY
Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 118 all-time NHL alums including 24 already this season (also the most in college hockey). Tommy Novak, Scott Reedy and Jack LaFontaine have all made their NHL debuts in 2021-22 while Sampo Ranta debuted during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs (Ranta, Reedy and LaFontaine were all on the Gophers roster last year).
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see two familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker 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 Meyers was elevated to share the honor after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all both 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.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fourteen of Minnesota's 27 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.
BACK ON TOP IN THE BIG TEN
Minnesota ended the regular season on an eight-game winning streak to capture the program's fifth Big Ten regular-season crown in the league's nine-year history (and 28th overall regular-season conference championship in Minnesota's 101-year history). The Maroon & Gold won the first four Big Ten titles as part of an NCAA-record six-straight conference championships. The Gophers were 23-11-0 overall this season and 18-6-0-1-2-0 in Big Ten play after being correctly picked to finish first in the conference in the preseason Big Ten coaches poll.
GOPHERS IN THE BIG TEN PLAYOFFS
Last season saw the Gophers capture their second Big Ten tournament title (2015, tied for most in league history with Notre Dame) by winning three thrilling games at Compton Family Ice Arena. Minnesota defeated Michigan State 2-1 in overtime in the quarterfinals, bested Michigan 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals and then outgunned top-seeded Wisconsin 6-4 in the championship. The Gophers, who have played all six conference teams in Big Ten tournament play, are 10-7 (.588) in conference playoff action while Bob Motzko's .778 winning percentage (7-2) in the Big Ten playoffs stands as the best mark of any coach in league history. Three of Minnesota's seven Big Ten playoff losses have come to Penn State as the Gophers are 0-3 against the Nittany Lions in tournament action (a double overtime loss in the 2017 semifinals and a two-game quarterfinal sweep in 2018).
UP FOR SOME B1G AWARDS
The Big Ten regular-season champions were well represented this week as the Gophers boast finalists for all five Big Ten end-of-year awards -- Ben Meyers (Player of the Year), Brock Faber (Defensive Player of the Year), Matthew Knies (Freshman of the Year), Justen Close (Goaltender of the Year) and Bob Motzko (Coach of the Year). The Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Network will announce the men's hockey All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners as selected by the conference coaches and a media panel on Tuesday, March 15.
WALKER NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST
Senior captain Sammy Walker is one of 10 finalists for this year's Senior CLASS Award, the winner of which will be announced during the 2022 NCAA Men's Frozen Four in April. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior or graduate student and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition. Walker is Minnesota's active-leading career scorer and the first three-time captain in the program's 101-year history.
AGAINST THE NITTANY LIONS
In a series that begin in 2014 with the formation of the Big Ten Conference, Minnesota holds a 20-16-1 all-time record against Penn State with the two programs splitting a two-game series at 3M Arena at Mariucci earlier this year before a weekend split for the Maroon & Gold last month at Pegula Ice Arena. The road wins were Minnesota's first at Penn State in five years and the first at Pegula Ice Arena for Bob Motzko.
CLOSING TIME
Justen Close continues to be one of college hockey's best stories this season as the junior took over starting duties in January and has since gone 11-3-0. The goaltender ranks fifth nationally in both goals against average (1.73, first in the Big Ten) and save percentage (.933). Close secured his first two career shutouts in the final series of the regular-season against Wisconsin -- becoming the first Gophers goalie to blank the Badgers in back-to-back games since George Clausen did so on Feb. 9-10, 1934.
PITLICK NAMED NATIONAL ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
The Gophers closed out a perfect 8-0-0 month of February with Rhett Pitlick being named the National Rookie of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners Association. Pitlick tallied 10 points (five goals, five assists) last month while February saw the Montreal Canadiens prospect score his first five collegiate goals along with 10 of his 17 points in his first campaign with the Maroon & Gold.
CENTURY CLUB GOPHERS
Blake McLaughlin became the 86th member of Gopher Hockey's 100-Point Club last month and currently has 102 points (37 goals, 65 assists) while his linemate and classmate Sammy Walker hit the milestone earlier this season and now has 111 points (47 goals, 64 assists) in 139 games. The duo are the first Gophers to notch 100 career points since First Team All-American Rem Pitlick in 2018-19.
GOPHER HOCKEY AT THE OLYMPICS
Three current Gophers -- Ben Meyers, Matthew Knies and Brock Faber -- and Minnesota alum Aaron Ness wrapped up the Olympics last month while competing with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Meanwhile, strength & conditioning coach Cal Dietz served in the same role with silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team. Gopher Hockey has been represented at each of the last 21 Winter Olympics since 1936 with the Maroon & Gold helping USA Hockey to eight medals including gold in 1960 and 1980. Ness served as an alternate captain for the U.S. while Meyers finished second on the U.S. squad with four points (two goals, two assists).
MOTZKO MILESTONES
February saw Bob Motzko set a pair of milestones as the Minnesota head coach won his 350th career game on Friday, Jan. 4 (357-240-60) before adding his 75th win with the Gophers on Saturday, Jan. 5 (81-48-11). The five-time conference coach of the year, who agreed to a three-year extension that will keep him with Minnesota through the 2025-26 season, is in his fourth season with the Maroon & Gold and 17th season as a Division I head coach. Motzko has been named a finalist for Big Ten Coach of the Year in each of his four seasons at Minnesota and won the honor in 2020. Motzko's 23 wins this season are the second most in his tenure with the Gophers after winning 24 last year.
PRIDE ON ICE HISTORY
While the Gophers celebrated the program's 100th season in 2020-21, a number of notable milestones will actually occur during the 2021-22 season. First among them, Jan. 9, 2022 marked 100 years since the University of Minnesota Board of Regents and the University Athletic Board of Control officially granted men's hockey varsity status (Jan. 9, 1922). Meanwhile, Minnesota's first varsity hockey game celebrated the century mark on Jan. 17, 2022 (a 2-1 loss to Hamline before a string of five-straight wins -- four of them coming against Wisconsin). Minnesota got its revenge against Hamline in the season finale to finish its inaugural season with a 6-3-1 record.
NHL UPDATE: GOPHERS PACE COLLEGE HOCKEY
Minnesota leads all NCAA programs with 118 all-time NHL alums including 24 already this season (also the most in college hockey). Tommy Novak, Scott Reedy and Jack LaFontaine have all made their NHL debuts in 2021-22 while Sampo Ranta debuted during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs (Ranta, Reedy and LaFontaine were all on the Gophers roster last year).
WEARING THE 'C'
The 101st season of Gopher Hockey will see two familiar faces and college hockey veterans leading the 'U' as Sammy Walker 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 Meyers was elevated to share the honor after serving as alternate captains during the 2020-21 campaign. With all both 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.
IN THE NHL DRAFT
Fourteen of Minnesota's 27 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.
2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule
Monday, August 11
Herb Brooks Statue
Wednesday, August 06
Meet the Newcomers: Teddy Townsend
Friday, July 18
Meet The Newcomers: Jacob Rombach
Friday, July 11