University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 24
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Ohio State
Players Mentioned
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Bjorn Franke
'U' Hosts No. 8/7 Ohio State in Regular Season Finale
2/23/2023 9:15:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Senior Day Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci
MINNEAPOLIS - It's the final week of the regular season for the top-ranked Minnesota men's hockey team as it hosts No. 8/7 Ohio State at 3M Arena at Mariucci Feb. 24-25.
Friday's game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start on ESPNU and the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a free fleece blanket during Fan Appreciation Night. The Golden Gophers will honor nine during their Senior Day festivities Saturday with puck drop slated for 4:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, while a t-shirt giveaway is set for the first 1,000 fans. Both games also are available to listen through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
TITLE SECURED
The Gophers secured the Big Ten Conference regular season championship outright before their series started at Penn State after Ohio State beat Michigan in a shootout Thursday night. Minnesota claimed its second-straight and sixth overall B1G crown, while it is the 29th overall regular-season conference championship in program history. As the top seed, it receives a bye straight into the B1G Tournament semifinals to be played at home March 11. No other team has won multiple titles in the 10-year history of men's hockey in the Big Ten Conference, while the Maroon and Gold are looking to be the only team to ever finish a season with a double-digit lead in the standings.
HOBEY BAKER MEMORIAL NOMINEES
It's time for Minnesota to make its presence known as fan voting remains active 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 nominated for the honor and all three are in the top eight at this point with Knies at the very top. 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.
HIGH-FLYING STARS
With a combined 11 points during the Gophers' road sweep at No. 7 Penn State, Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley were named Big Ten Conference First and Second Star of the Week, respectively. Knies scored the game-winning goal and had multiple points in both outings, totaling five points on three goals and two assists. He got the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation Saturday before burying the winner in overtime. Cooley registered six points, a goal and five assists, during the series. He put on a show Friday night back in his home state as he became the first player in the B1G this season to record a five-point night.
HISTORY WITH THE BUCKEYES
The Gophers hold a 39-10-5 record in the all-time series against Ohio State, their best winning percentage against any Big Ten opponent, following a split in the first meeting back in October. The Maroon and Gold started the B1G season facing the Buckeyes and will cap the regular season against the same squad, separated by four months. Minnesota owns an impressive 20-3-3 mark when facing the Buckeyes at home and suffered only one loss across the last nine matchups at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Jackson LaCombe scored in both games at OSU this year and tied Jimmy Snuggerud getting a team-leading three points in the series split.
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE GOPHERS
Fans have come out to see the high-powered Gophers to the tune of a sellout in nine of 11 arenas played in across the country, including 16 of their last 20 games overall. Minnesota has had seven sellouts, five straight, at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season and with an announced attendance of 20,755 for the series against the Wolverines Jan. 20-21, set a program record for the most fans in a weekend series in arena history. The Gophers have the second-highest home attendance of any college hockey team this year averaging 8,980 patrons per game. That number is a more than a 1,400-person increase from a season ago.
FEELING RIGHT AT HOME
Minnesota has excelled on home ice inside 3M Arena at Mariucci posting a 13-3 record with only one of the losses coming in regulation. The Maroon and Gold have outscored its opponents by a 70-35 margin and held the opposition to two or fewer goals nine times, including three shutouts. Twenty different players have registered at least one point for the Gophers at home, while 10 have reached double-digit scoring, thanks in part to a power play that is converting 28 percent of their chances. Goaltender Justen Close has a 1.78 goals against average and a .929 save percentage in 15 home appearances.
FOCUSED FRESHMEN
First-round NHL draft picks in 2022, Logan Cooley (third overall) and Jimmy Snuggerud (23rd overall) continue to pace the team offensively during their freshmen campaigns totaling 44 and 43 points, respectively, tying for fourth and fifth in the NCAA. It's the first time since 2006-07 and only the second time since 2000 that multiple Minnesota first-year players have registered 40 or more points in a single season. Cooley has scored all 15 of his goals in Gophers' victories, while the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has recorded at least one point in 25 of 31 games played. He is currently riding a season-long, nine-game point streak and became the only B1G player this season with a five-point performance as he had a goal and four assists in the second period at Penn State Feb. 17. Snuggerud has produced 15 multi-point efforts this year, including four times during a current six-game point streak, and put his name on the scoresheet of 24 of his 32 collegiate games played. The product of Chaska, Minn., has 19 goals this season, tying for the most of any freshman in the country.
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 18 of 32 games played, moving up to second nationally, reaching the 20-goal mark Feb. 18. He has recorded two multi-goal outings this year, coming against Michigan Jan. 20 and at Penn State Feb. 18, including the game winner in overtime of both outings. The Phoenix, Ariz., product has generated all but three of his 36 total points (20 goals and 16 assists) in Maroon and Gold wins. He extended his NCAA lead to seven game-winning goals, getting the winner in both games against the Nittany Lions, and continues to average more than a point per game in his Gophers' career, totaling 69 points (35 goals, 34 assists) during 65 contests.
CLOSE EYE ON THE SENIOR
As the watch list for the 2023 Mike Richter Award, given to the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey, was narrowed down last week, Minnesota's Justen Close was selected as one of nine semifinalists. He remains the B1G leader in goals against average (2.06), wins (20) and shutouts (5), all of which rank in the top eight nationally. His eight career shutouts are the 10th-most in program history, and he's done so in just 47 career starts. The senior was honored by the conference three times as a star of the week in an eight-week stretch and holds a 1.91 goals against average, .935 save percentage and an 8-3-1 record since the calendar switched to 2023.
LACOMBE CLIMBS SCORING LIST
Senior Jackson LaCombe has put together the best offensive season of his four-year career totaling 31 points in 32 appearances along the blue line. The most impressive part of that number is that the Eden Prairie, Minn., native has a team-leading 17 points in the Gophers' 14 games against teams ranked inside the top 10. He has at least one point in 10 of those 14 outings, including a pair of three-point performances. With his helper at PSU Saturday, LaCombe tied former All-American Paul Martin (2000-03) with 77 career assists, while his 95 career points moved him to a tie for 17th with Reed Larson (1973-77) on the all-time points by a defenseman list.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
The Maroon and Gold are the only team in the country in 2022-23 to rank inside the top 10 in both power-play efficiency (25.7 percent) and penalty-kill percentage (84.3 percent), ranking sixth and ninth, respectively. Special teams have played a critical part of Minnesota's success as it has tallied a power-play goal in 19 games this season and have scored 13 goals on the man advantage over its previous 14 games. The penalty kill has erased 30-of-32 opponent power-play chances during the 2023 calendar year, limiting teams behind a 93.7 percent kill rate.
STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE
The Gophers played double-digit periods between being whistled for a penalty from Nov. 25 to Dec. 9 as there was not a single infraction called during the two-game series against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Minnesota has been called for three or fewer penalties in a game 20 times during its 32 games played and only twice gone to the box more than five times. The team is the third-least penalized in the NCAA averaging 7.6 penalty minutes per contest.
WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME
Fourteen of Minnesota's 26 rostered players have heard their name called in the NHL Entry Draft, six of which are part of this year's freshmen class. The Gophers have had the most all-time draft selections (227) by any NCAA men's hockey program after adding four in July 2022. At least one Gopher has been drafted in 48 of the last 49 NHL Entry Drafts dating back to 1974, with 2001 being the only exception. Only Harvard has more draft picks (15) on its NCAA roster for the 2022-23 season.
Friday's game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start on ESPNU and the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a free fleece blanket during Fan Appreciation Night. The Golden Gophers will honor nine during their Senior Day festivities Saturday with puck drop slated for 4:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, while a t-shirt giveaway is set for the first 1,000 fans. Both games also are available to listen through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
TITLE SECURED
The Gophers secured the Big Ten Conference regular season championship outright before their series started at Penn State after Ohio State beat Michigan in a shootout Thursday night. Minnesota claimed its second-straight and sixth overall B1G crown, while it is the 29th overall regular-season conference championship in program history. As the top seed, it receives a bye straight into the B1G Tournament semifinals to be played at home March 11. No other team has won multiple titles in the 10-year history of men's hockey in the Big Ten Conference, while the Maroon and Gold are looking to be the only team to ever finish a season with a double-digit lead in the standings.
HOBEY BAKER MEMORIAL NOMINEES
It's time for Minnesota to make its presence known as fan voting remains active 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 nominated for the honor and all three are in the top eight at this point with Knies at the very top. 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.
HIGH-FLYING STARS
With a combined 11 points during the Gophers' road sweep at No. 7 Penn State, Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley were named Big Ten Conference First and Second Star of the Week, respectively. Knies scored the game-winning goal and had multiple points in both outings, totaling five points on three goals and two assists. He got the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation Saturday before burying the winner in overtime. Cooley registered six points, a goal and five assists, during the series. He put on a show Friday night back in his home state as he became the first player in the B1G this season to record a five-point night.
HISTORY WITH THE BUCKEYES
The Gophers hold a 39-10-5 record in the all-time series against Ohio State, their best winning percentage against any Big Ten opponent, following a split in the first meeting back in October. The Maroon and Gold started the B1G season facing the Buckeyes and will cap the regular season against the same squad, separated by four months. Minnesota owns an impressive 20-3-3 mark when facing the Buckeyes at home and suffered only one loss across the last nine matchups at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Jackson LaCombe scored in both games at OSU this year and tied Jimmy Snuggerud getting a team-leading three points in the series split.
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THE GOPHERS
Fans have come out to see the high-powered Gophers to the tune of a sellout in nine of 11 arenas played in across the country, including 16 of their last 20 games overall. Minnesota has had seven sellouts, five straight, at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season and with an announced attendance of 20,755 for the series against the Wolverines Jan. 20-21, set a program record for the most fans in a weekend series in arena history. The Gophers have the second-highest home attendance of any college hockey team this year averaging 8,980 patrons per game. That number is a more than a 1,400-person increase from a season ago.
FEELING RIGHT AT HOME
Minnesota has excelled on home ice inside 3M Arena at Mariucci posting a 13-3 record with only one of the losses coming in regulation. The Maroon and Gold have outscored its opponents by a 70-35 margin and held the opposition to two or fewer goals nine times, including three shutouts. Twenty different players have registered at least one point for the Gophers at home, while 10 have reached double-digit scoring, thanks in part to a power play that is converting 28 percent of their chances. Goaltender Justen Close has a 1.78 goals against average and a .929 save percentage in 15 home appearances.
FOCUSED FRESHMEN
First-round NHL draft picks in 2022, Logan Cooley (third overall) and Jimmy Snuggerud (23rd overall) continue to pace the team offensively during their freshmen campaigns totaling 44 and 43 points, respectively, tying for fourth and fifth in the NCAA. It's the first time since 2006-07 and only the second time since 2000 that multiple Minnesota first-year players have registered 40 or more points in a single season. Cooley has scored all 15 of his goals in Gophers' victories, while the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has recorded at least one point in 25 of 31 games played. He is currently riding a season-long, nine-game point streak and became the only B1G player this season with a five-point performance as he had a goal and four assists in the second period at Penn State Feb. 17. Snuggerud has produced 15 multi-point efforts this year, including four times during a current six-game point streak, and put his name on the scoresheet of 24 of his 32 collegiate games played. The product of Chaska, Minn., has 19 goals this season, tying for the most of any freshman in the country.
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 18 of 32 games played, moving up to second nationally, reaching the 20-goal mark Feb. 18. He has recorded two multi-goal outings this year, coming against Michigan Jan. 20 and at Penn State Feb. 18, including the game winner in overtime of both outings. The Phoenix, Ariz., product has generated all but three of his 36 total points (20 goals and 16 assists) in Maroon and Gold wins. He extended his NCAA lead to seven game-winning goals, getting the winner in both games against the Nittany Lions, and continues to average more than a point per game in his Gophers' career, totaling 69 points (35 goals, 34 assists) during 65 contests.
CLOSE EYE ON THE SENIOR
As the watch list for the 2023 Mike Richter Award, given to the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey, was narrowed down last week, Minnesota's Justen Close was selected as one of nine semifinalists. He remains the B1G leader in goals against average (2.06), wins (20) and shutouts (5), all of which rank in the top eight nationally. His eight career shutouts are the 10th-most in program history, and he's done so in just 47 career starts. The senior was honored by the conference three times as a star of the week in an eight-week stretch and holds a 1.91 goals against average, .935 save percentage and an 8-3-1 record since the calendar switched to 2023.
LACOMBE CLIMBS SCORING LIST
Senior Jackson LaCombe has put together the best offensive season of his four-year career totaling 31 points in 32 appearances along the blue line. The most impressive part of that number is that the Eden Prairie, Minn., native has a team-leading 17 points in the Gophers' 14 games against teams ranked inside the top 10. He has at least one point in 10 of those 14 outings, including a pair of three-point performances. With his helper at PSU Saturday, LaCombe tied former All-American Paul Martin (2000-03) with 77 career assists, while his 95 career points moved him to a tie for 17th with Reed Larson (1973-77) on the all-time points by a defenseman list.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
The Maroon and Gold are the only team in the country in 2022-23 to rank inside the top 10 in both power-play efficiency (25.7 percent) and penalty-kill percentage (84.3 percent), ranking sixth and ninth, respectively. Special teams have played a critical part of Minnesota's success as it has tallied a power-play goal in 19 games this season and have scored 13 goals on the man advantage over its previous 14 games. The penalty kill has erased 30-of-32 opponent power-play chances during the 2023 calendar year, limiting teams behind a 93.7 percent kill rate.
STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE
The Gophers played double-digit periods between being whistled for a penalty from Nov. 25 to Dec. 9 as there was not a single infraction called during the two-game series against Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. Minnesota has been called for three or fewer penalties in a game 20 times during its 32 games played and only twice gone to the box more than five times. The team is the third-least penalized in the NCAA averaging 7.6 penalty minutes per contest.
WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME
Fourteen of Minnesota's 26 rostered players have heard their name called in the NHL Entry Draft, six of which are part of this year's freshmen class. The Gophers have had the most all-time draft selections (227) by any NCAA men's hockey program after adding four in July 2022. At least one Gopher has been drafted in 48 of the last 49 NHL Entry Drafts dating back to 1974, with 2001 being the only exception. Only Harvard has more draft picks (15) on its NCAA roster for the 2022-23 season.
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