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Photo by: Matt Krohn
Five Gophers Named Big Ten Award Finalists
3/9/2022 12:26:00 PM | Men's Hockey
The Big Ten Conference will announce the men’s hockey All-Big Ten teams and individual award winners on Tuesday, March 15.
MINNEAPOLIS – The 2021-22 Big Ten Regular-Season Champions are well represented today as the conference announced finalists for its year-end awards with the No. 2 Gophers featuring a finalist for all five annual accolades.
Representing the Maroon & Gold as finalists are 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.
A native of Delano, Minn., Meyers currently leads the Gophers with career highs of 15 goals and 34 points in 29 games despite missing five games to compete with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. After finishing second in scoring among U.S. skaters at the Olympics, the Minnesota captain has tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in three games since returning to the Gophers lineup. A Hobey Baker Award candidate, Meyers would be the third Gopher to be named Big Ten Player of the Year (Adam Wilcox in 2013-14, Tyler Sheehy in 2016-17).
A native of Maple Grove, Minn., Faber has already matched his freshman offensive totals with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 27 games while also leading a Minnesota defense that ranks among the top-10 nationally in goals against. The Los Angeles Kings prospect has twice been called upon by USA Hockey this year – serving as an alternate captain for the U.S. National Junior Team before competing with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Faber, who has now been named a finalist for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row (also was a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season), would be the third Gopher to earn the honor (Mike Reilly in 2013-14 and 2014-15, Jake Bischoff in 2016-17).
A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Knies ranks third among the Gophers and first among Maroon & Gold newcomers with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 28 games this season. Similar to Faber, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has represented the United States twice this year – skating at the IIHF World Junior Championships and the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. The forward would be the second Gopher to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after Sammy Walker in 2018-19.
A native of Kindersley, Sask., Close continues to be one of college hockey's great stories this season. Since making his first career start in January, the junior has gone 11-3-0 including an eight-game winning streak to help the Gophers clinch the Big Ten regular-season crown. The goaltender ranks fifth nationally in both goals against average (1.73, first in the Big Ten) and save percentage (.933). Close would be the fourth Gopher to win Big Ten Goaltender of the Year honors and the fifth overall honor for Minnesota in the nine-year history of the Big Ten (Adam Wilcox in 2013-14, Eric Schierhorn in 2015-16 and 2016-17 and Jack LaFontaine in 2020-21).
Finally, Motzko has guided the Gophers to a 23-11-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking as Minnesota begins its Big Ten playoff title defense this weekend. The Maroon & Gold captured the program's first Big Ten regular-season title under Motzko this year and fifth overall in the nine-year history of the Big Ten. The 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year, who holds an 81-48-11 record with the Gophers and a 357-40-60 all-time mark in 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, has now been named a finalist for the accolade in each of his four years at Minnesota. The honor would be Motzko's sixth career conference coach of the year accolade (WCHA in 2006, 2007; NCHC in 2014, 2018; Big Ten in 2020).
Next Up: B1G Tournament Semifinal
No. 2 Minnesota hosts Penn State for a Big Ten tournament semifinal at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). Tickets are just $20 and are available at GopherSports.com.
Representing the Maroon & Gold as finalists are 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.
A native of Delano, Minn., Meyers currently leads the Gophers with career highs of 15 goals and 34 points in 29 games despite missing five games to compete with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. After finishing second in scoring among U.S. skaters at the Olympics, the Minnesota captain has tallied eight points (four goals, four assists) in three games since returning to the Gophers lineup. A Hobey Baker Award candidate, Meyers would be the third Gopher to be named Big Ten Player of the Year (Adam Wilcox in 2013-14, Tyler Sheehy in 2016-17).
A native of Maple Grove, Minn., Faber has already matched his freshman offensive totals with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 27 games while also leading a Minnesota defense that ranks among the top-10 nationally in goals against. The Los Angeles Kings prospect has twice been called upon by USA Hockey this year – serving as an alternate captain for the U.S. National Junior Team before competing with the U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team. Faber, who has now been named a finalist for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row (also was a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season), would be the third Gopher to earn the honor (Mike Reilly in 2013-14 and 2014-15, Jake Bischoff in 2016-17).
A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Knies ranks third among the Gophers and first among Maroon & Gold newcomers with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 28 games this season. Similar to Faber, the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has represented the United States twice this year – skating at the IIHF World Junior Championships and the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. The forward would be the second Gopher to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after Sammy Walker in 2018-19.
A native of Kindersley, Sask., Close continues to be one of college hockey's great stories this season. Since making his first career start in January, the junior has gone 11-3-0 including an eight-game winning streak to help the Gophers clinch the Big Ten regular-season crown. The goaltender ranks fifth nationally in both goals against average (1.73, first in the Big Ten) and save percentage (.933). Close would be the fourth Gopher to win Big Ten Goaltender of the Year honors and the fifth overall honor for Minnesota in the nine-year history of the Big Ten (Adam Wilcox in 2013-14, Eric Schierhorn in 2015-16 and 2016-17 and Jack LaFontaine in 2020-21).
Finally, Motzko has guided the Gophers to a 23-11-0 record and a No. 2 national ranking as Minnesota begins its Big Ten playoff title defense this weekend. The Maroon & Gold captured the program's first Big Ten regular-season title under Motzko this year and fifth overall in the nine-year history of the Big Ten. The 2020 Big Ten Coach of the Year, who holds an 81-48-11 record with the Gophers and a 357-40-60 all-time mark in 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, has now been named a finalist for the accolade in each of his four years at Minnesota. The honor would be Motzko's sixth career conference coach of the year accolade (WCHA in 2006, 2007; NCHC in 2014, 2018; Big Ten in 2020).
Next Up: B1G Tournament Semifinal
No. 2 Minnesota hosts Penn State for a Big Ten tournament semifinal at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM). Tickets are just $20 and are available at GopherSports.com.
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