University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 27
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Michigan State
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Matt Krohn
Minnesota Meets Spartans in B1G Men's Hockey
1/26/2023 2:30:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Series set for Jan. 27-28
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 2-ranked Golden Gophers continue a four-game men's hockey homestand at 3M Arena at Mariucci as they host No. 15 Michigan State Jan. 27-28.
The series gets started Friday at 7 p.m. before continuing Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. as part of Hockey Day Minnesota coverage. Watch each contest live on Bally Sports North Extra or listen on the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK. Friday's game also can be heard on KFAN FM 100.3.
POLLS AND STANDINGS
The Gophers find themselves ranked No. 2 in both the DCU/USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll for the third-straight week. Most importantly, Minnesota remains atop the PairWise rankings and the Big Ten Conference standings with 37 points, holding a 10-point lead over both Ohio State and Penn State in second place. The Gophers lead the conference in both goals for (68) and goals against (37) in B1G contests.
FEELING RIGHT AT HOME
Minnesota has excelled on home ice inside 3M Arena at Mariucci posting an 11-3 record with only one of the losses coming in regulation. The Maroon and Gold have outscored its opponents by a 56-32 margin and held the opposition to two or fewer goals eight times, including two shutouts. Twenty different players have registered at least one point for the Gophers at home, while seven have reached double-digit scoring, thanks in part to a power play that is converting 29 percent of their chances. Goaltender Justen Close has a 1.82 goals against average in 13 home appearances and tallied both of the team's shutouts.
HOBEY BAKER MEMORIAL NOMINEES
It's time for Minnesota to make its presence known as fan voting is officially underway for the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Three Gophers are part of the initial round of voting as Brock Faber, Matthew Knies and Jackson LaCombe were all nominated for the honor. Fans can go to https://hobeybaker.com/awards/vote-for-hobey/ and vote for one player every day until March 26. The top 10 list of finalists will be announced March 15.
HISTORY WITH THE SPARTANS
The Gophers improved their record to 131-50-16 in the all-time series versus Michigan State following a road sweep back in early December that extended their win streak to 11 over the Spartans. Minnesota got five points from freshman Logan Cooley in the trip to Munn Ice Arena, while Justen Close held the home side scoreless for the first five periods of play and ended the weekend with a 1.50 goals against average. Brock Faber and Mason Nevers each had four points in the series and Matthew Knies and Bryce Brodzinski posted multiple goals for the Maroon and Gold. MSU is coming its bye week and is in fourth place in the standings, having played two fewer games than the rest of the league. The last time on the ice, the Spartans took four of six points at home against No. 5 Penn State.
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE GOPHERS
Fans have come out to see the high-powered Gophers to the tune of a sellout in eight of nine arenas played in across the country, including each of their last 10 road games, counting an exhibition game on New Year's Eve at Bemidji State. Minnesota has had five sellouts, three straight, at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season and set a program record with an announced attendance of 20,755 for the series against the Wolverines Jan. 20-21, the most in a weekend series in arena history. The Gophers have the second-highest home attendance of any college hockey team this year averaging 8,800 patrons per game. That number is a more than a 1,300-person increase from a season ago.
FIRST STAR FOR SCORING SENIOR
For the first time in his four-year career, Jackson LaCombe was named a Star of the Week by the Big Ten Conference after he led the Gophers with four points in their split against No. 8/7 Michigan. The senior scored the tying goal with less than five minutes to play in regulation Friday and added his third point of the night on the game winner in overtime. The next night, the Eden Prairie, Minn., native assisted on the third-period goal that forced another extra session. It was his fourth-career outing with three points and sixth game this year recording multiple points as he leads all B1G defensemen in scoring at 25 points.
FOCUSED FRESHMEN
Freshmen Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud are tied for the team lead totaling 31 points each this year, tying for eighth in the NCAA. It's the first time since 2013-14 and only the fourth time since 2000 that multiple Minnesota players have registered 30 or more points in a single season and there are still four weeks to play in the regular season. Cooley has scored all 12 of his goals in Gophers victories, while the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has recorded at least one point in 19 of 25 games played. Snuggerud has produced a league-best 11 multi-point efforts this season and has 27 points in Minnesota's 18 wins and scored in 18 of his 26 collegiate games played.
KNIES TO THE TOP
Sophomore Matthew Knies continues to score goals at an elite rate this season as he has hit the back of the net in 14 of 26 games played to lead Minnesota with 15 goals. He recorded his first multi-goal outing of the year against Michigan Jan. 20, including the game winner in overtime. The Phoenix, Ariz., product has generated all but three of his 27 total points (15 goals and 12 assists) in Maroon and Gold wins. He is tied for the NCAA lead with five game-winning goals and continues to average a point per game in his Gophers' career, totaling 60 points (30 goals, 30 assists) during 59 contests aided by his third, three-point effort of the season last Friday.
FIRST YEAR FACTOR
Minnesota's 10 skating freshmen have combined for 101 points on 36 goals and 65 assists, accounting for 36 percent of the team's goal scoring. It's the first time since 2013-14 where the freshmen class has reached 100 total points and seventh time since 2000. Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley have 13 and 12 goals, respectively, while Connor Kurth, Brody Lamb, John Mittelstadt and Luke Mittelstadt all have multiple goals. From the blue line, Luke Mittelstadt is the second-highest scoring freshman defenseman in the B1G this year, and sixth for league D overall, totaling 14 points.
HIT THE CENTURY MARK
Minnesota is the second NCAA team this season to score 100 or more goals and needed 26 games to reach the milestone as it trails only Western Michigan's 112 goals. It was a tip by Mason Nevers off a Brock Faber shot in the second period Jan. 21 against Michigan that hit the century mark for the Gophers.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
Special teams have played a critical part of Minnesota's success this season as it has tallied a power-play goal in 17 of 26 games this season and rank sixth in the NCAA converting at 25.6 percent. The Gophers have scored nine goals on the man advantage over their previous eight games (28.1 percent) getting goals from seven different players in that stretch. The penalty kill has erased 17-of-18 opponent power-play chances during the 2023 calendar year, limiting teams behind a 94.4 percent kill rate.
LOCALLY SOURCED
Holding the moniker of the State of Hockey, Minnesota is known for its strong history of players that start skating on local ice sheets and backyard ponds. That has fed a deep pipeline of talent to colleges around the country, most importantly to the University of Minnesota. The Gophers' roster features a collection of 26 student-athletes, 20 of which were born and raised within the state lines. Even more impressive is the fact that 16 of the Minnesotans on the team are from within 40 miles of campus.
The series gets started Friday at 7 p.m. before continuing Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. as part of Hockey Day Minnesota coverage. Watch each contest live on Bally Sports North Extra or listen on the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK. Friday's game also can be heard on KFAN FM 100.3.
POLLS AND STANDINGS
The Gophers find themselves ranked No. 2 in both the DCU/USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll for the third-straight week. Most importantly, Minnesota remains atop the PairWise rankings and the Big Ten Conference standings with 37 points, holding a 10-point lead over both Ohio State and Penn State in second place. The Gophers lead the conference in both goals for (68) and goals against (37) in B1G contests.
FEELING RIGHT AT HOME
Minnesota has excelled on home ice inside 3M Arena at Mariucci posting an 11-3 record with only one of the losses coming in regulation. The Maroon and Gold have outscored its opponents by a 56-32 margin and held the opposition to two or fewer goals eight times, including two shutouts. Twenty different players have registered at least one point for the Gophers at home, while seven have reached double-digit scoring, thanks in part to a power play that is converting 29 percent of their chances. Goaltender Justen Close has a 1.82 goals against average in 13 home appearances and tallied both of the team's shutouts.
HOBEY BAKER MEMORIAL NOMINEES
It's time for Minnesota to make its presence known as fan voting is officially underway for the 2023 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Three Gophers are part of the initial round of voting as Brock Faber, Matthew Knies and Jackson LaCombe were all nominated for the honor. Fans can go to https://hobeybaker.com/awards/vote-for-hobey/ and vote for one player every day until March 26. The top 10 list of finalists will be announced March 15.
HISTORY WITH THE SPARTANS
The Gophers improved their record to 131-50-16 in the all-time series versus Michigan State following a road sweep back in early December that extended their win streak to 11 over the Spartans. Minnesota got five points from freshman Logan Cooley in the trip to Munn Ice Arena, while Justen Close held the home side scoreless for the first five periods of play and ended the weekend with a 1.50 goals against average. Brock Faber and Mason Nevers each had four points in the series and Matthew Knies and Bryce Brodzinski posted multiple goals for the Maroon and Gold. MSU is coming its bye week and is in fourth place in the standings, having played two fewer games than the rest of the league. The last time on the ice, the Spartans took four of six points at home against No. 5 Penn State.
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE GOPHERS
Fans have come out to see the high-powered Gophers to the tune of a sellout in eight of nine arenas played in across the country, including each of their last 10 road games, counting an exhibition game on New Year's Eve at Bemidji State. Minnesota has had five sellouts, three straight, at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season and set a program record with an announced attendance of 20,755 for the series against the Wolverines Jan. 20-21, the most in a weekend series in arena history. The Gophers have the second-highest home attendance of any college hockey team this year averaging 8,800 patrons per game. That number is a more than a 1,300-person increase from a season ago.
FIRST STAR FOR SCORING SENIOR
For the first time in his four-year career, Jackson LaCombe was named a Star of the Week by the Big Ten Conference after he led the Gophers with four points in their split against No. 8/7 Michigan. The senior scored the tying goal with less than five minutes to play in regulation Friday and added his third point of the night on the game winner in overtime. The next night, the Eden Prairie, Minn., native assisted on the third-period goal that forced another extra session. It was his fourth-career outing with three points and sixth game this year recording multiple points as he leads all B1G defensemen in scoring at 25 points.
FOCUSED FRESHMEN
Freshmen Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud are tied for the team lead totaling 31 points each this year, tying for eighth in the NCAA. It's the first time since 2013-14 and only the fourth time since 2000 that multiple Minnesota players have registered 30 or more points in a single season and there are still four weeks to play in the regular season. Cooley has scored all 12 of his goals in Gophers victories, while the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has recorded at least one point in 19 of 25 games played. Snuggerud has produced a league-best 11 multi-point efforts this season and has 27 points in Minnesota's 18 wins and scored in 18 of his 26 collegiate games played.
KNIES TO THE TOP
Sophomore Matthew Knies continues to score goals at an elite rate this season as he has hit the back of the net in 14 of 26 games played to lead Minnesota with 15 goals. He recorded his first multi-goal outing of the year against Michigan Jan. 20, including the game winner in overtime. The Phoenix, Ariz., product has generated all but three of his 27 total points (15 goals and 12 assists) in Maroon and Gold wins. He is tied for the NCAA lead with five game-winning goals and continues to average a point per game in his Gophers' career, totaling 60 points (30 goals, 30 assists) during 59 contests aided by his third, three-point effort of the season last Friday.
FIRST YEAR FACTOR
Minnesota's 10 skating freshmen have combined for 101 points on 36 goals and 65 assists, accounting for 36 percent of the team's goal scoring. It's the first time since 2013-14 where the freshmen class has reached 100 total points and seventh time since 2000. Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley have 13 and 12 goals, respectively, while Connor Kurth, Brody Lamb, John Mittelstadt and Luke Mittelstadt all have multiple goals. From the blue line, Luke Mittelstadt is the second-highest scoring freshman defenseman in the B1G this year, and sixth for league D overall, totaling 14 points.
HIT THE CENTURY MARK
Minnesota is the second NCAA team this season to score 100 or more goals and needed 26 games to reach the milestone as it trails only Western Michigan's 112 goals. It was a tip by Mason Nevers off a Brock Faber shot in the second period Jan. 21 against Michigan that hit the century mark for the Gophers.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
Special teams have played a critical part of Minnesota's success this season as it has tallied a power-play goal in 17 of 26 games this season and rank sixth in the NCAA converting at 25.6 percent. The Gophers have scored nine goals on the man advantage over their previous eight games (28.1 percent) getting goals from seven different players in that stretch. The penalty kill has erased 17-of-18 opponent power-play chances during the 2023 calendar year, limiting teams behind a 94.4 percent kill rate.
LOCALLY SOURCED
Holding the moniker of the State of Hockey, Minnesota is known for its strong history of players that start skating on local ice sheets and backyard ponds. That has fed a deep pipeline of talent to colleges around the country, most importantly to the University of Minnesota. The Gophers' roster features a collection of 26 student-athletes, 20 of which were born and raised within the state lines. Even more impressive is the fact that 16 of the Minnesotans on the team are from within 40 miles of campus.
Highlights: Gophers 2, MIchigan 3
Saturday, January 17
Highlights: Gophers 1, Michigan 5
Friday, January 16
Highlights: Gophers 2, Penn State 5
Saturday, January 10
Highlights: Gophers 0, Penn State 3
Friday, January 09