University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 10
Madison, Wis.
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Wisconsin
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Gophers Set to Travel for Border Battle with Badgers
2/9/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
'U' looks for season sweep
MINNEAPOLIS - The top-ranked Minnesota men's hockey team returns to the ice after its final bye week when it travels east to face Wisconsin in a Border Battle Feb. 10-11 from the Kohl Center.
The series starts Friday at 7 p.m. and is only available to watch via streaming on Bally Sports+ and B1G+ apps. The season finale between the rivals is slated for 5 p.m. Saturday live on Big Ten Network. As always, fans can tune in to the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK with Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco.
POLLS AND STANDINGS
For the seventh week during the 2022-23 season, the Gophers are ranked No. 1 in at least one national poll and are holding down the top spot in both the DCU/USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls. Most importantly, Minnesota remains atop the PairWise rankings and the Big Ten Conference standings with 43 points, holding a 13-point lead over four second-place teams with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
TITLE PUSH
The Gophers control their own destiny, needing two wins over their final three series to secure the Big Ten Conference regular season championship outright and have a chance to clinch the title as early as Friday night. Minnesota is looking for its second-straight and sixth overall B1G crown, while it would be the 29th overall regular-season conference championship in program history. No other team has won multiple titles in the 10-year history of men's hockey in the Big Ten Conference.
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 10 at this point. 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 BADGERS
The Gophers have dominated the all-time series with Wisconsin that dates back more than a century as they hold a 180-100-24 record, including the program's first-ever victory back on Jan. 20, 1922. Minnesota has won six of the last seven meetings with its bordering rival, with the only loss in that stretch coming in overtime in November of 2021, and swept the series earlier this season. The Maroon and Gold delighted the home fans to the tune of 13 goals in the two wins over the Badgers in December and converted 40 percent (4-of-10) of its power-play chances. Bryce Brodzinski, Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud each contributed four points, while 16 different skaters had at least one point for the Gophers during the sweep.
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 14 of their last 16 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 1,300-person increase from a season ago.
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 16 of 28 games played to lead Minnesota with 17 goals, which ranks fourth nationally. 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 30 total points (17 goals and 13 assists) in Maroon and Gold wins. He is tied for the NCAA lead with five game-winning goals and continues to average more than a point per game in his Gophers' career, totaling 63 points (32 goals, 31 assists) during 61 contests.
FOCUSED FRESHMEN
Freshmen first-round picks Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley continue to pace the team offensively totaling 37 and 36 points, respectively, tying for seventh and eighth in the NCAA. It's the first time since 2013-14 and only the fourth time since 2000 that multiple Minnesota first-year players have registered 30 or more points in a single season. Snuggerud has produced 13 multi-point efforts this season, including back-to-back, three-point games against Michigan State, and has his name on the scoresheet of 20 of his 28 collegiate games played. Cooley has scored all 13 of his goals in Gophers' victories, while the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has recorded at least one point in 21 of 27 games played.
FIRST YEAR FACTOR
Minnesota's 10 skating freshmen have combined for 118 points on 44 goals and 74 assists, accounting for 38 percent of the team's offense. 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 16 and 13 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 11th for league defensemen overall, totaling 14 points.
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 18 of 28 games this season and rank eighth in the NCAA converting at 25.5 percent. The Gophers have scored 11 goals on the man advantage over their previous 10 games (27.5 percent) getting goals from nine different players in that stretch. The penalty kill has erased 21-of-23 opponent power-play chances during the 2023 calendar year, limiting teams behind a 91.3 percent kill rate.
CLOSE EYE ON THE SENIOR
The same week he was added to the 2023 Mike Richter Award Watch List for the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey, Justen Close was named the B1G Second Star of the Week (Jan. 17). It was the third time he was honored by the conference in an eight-week stretch. Close remains the B1G leader in goals against average at 2.09, which sits 13th in the nation, and shutouts after he recorded his fifth of the year versus Michigan State Jan. 27. His eight career shutouts are the 10th-most in program history, and he's done so in just 43 career starts.
VETERAN SCORING
Minnesota has counted on its veteran line of seniors Bryce Brodzinski and Jaxon Nelson with junior Mason Nevers to provide critical scoring all year. Each player has at least 20 points and totaled 62 points, including seven power-play goals and six game winners, and posted at least one point in all but five games. Nelson and Nevers have both already set career highs in goals, assists and points during the 2022-23 campaign, while Brodzinski matched his career high scoring his 12th of the year Jan. 28. The Gophers turned to a fan vote on social media to decide a nickname for this line and "N64" was chosen as the trio's jersey numbers add up to 64, while they have been putting up video game scoring this year.
HOCKEY HUMANITARIAN NOMINEE
Minnesota's Ryan Johnson was named one of 15 nominees for the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen - a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism. The senior is one of only three to make the list from NCAA Division I men's hockey.
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 starts Friday at 7 p.m. and is only available to watch via streaming on Bally Sports+ and B1G+ apps. The season finale between the rivals is slated for 5 p.m. Saturday live on Big Ten Network. As always, fans can tune in to the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK with Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco.
POLLS AND STANDINGS
For the seventh week during the 2022-23 season, the Gophers are ranked No. 1 in at least one national poll and are holding down the top spot in both the DCU/USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls. Most importantly, Minnesota remains atop the PairWise rankings and the Big Ten Conference standings with 43 points, holding a 13-point lead over four second-place teams with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
TITLE PUSH
The Gophers control their own destiny, needing two wins over their final three series to secure the Big Ten Conference regular season championship outright and have a chance to clinch the title as early as Friday night. Minnesota is looking for its second-straight and sixth overall B1G crown, while it would be the 29th overall regular-season conference championship in program history. No other team has won multiple titles in the 10-year history of men's hockey in the Big Ten Conference.
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 10 at this point. 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 BADGERS
The Gophers have dominated the all-time series with Wisconsin that dates back more than a century as they hold a 180-100-24 record, including the program's first-ever victory back on Jan. 20, 1922. Minnesota has won six of the last seven meetings with its bordering rival, with the only loss in that stretch coming in overtime in November of 2021, and swept the series earlier this season. The Maroon and Gold delighted the home fans to the tune of 13 goals in the two wins over the Badgers in December and converted 40 percent (4-of-10) of its power-play chances. Bryce Brodzinski, Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud each contributed four points, while 16 different skaters had at least one point for the Gophers during the sweep.
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 14 of their last 16 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 1,300-person increase from a season ago.
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 16 of 28 games played to lead Minnesota with 17 goals, which ranks fourth nationally. 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 30 total points (17 goals and 13 assists) in Maroon and Gold wins. He is tied for the NCAA lead with five game-winning goals and continues to average more than a point per game in his Gophers' career, totaling 63 points (32 goals, 31 assists) during 61 contests.
FOCUSED FRESHMEN
Freshmen first-round picks Jimmy Snuggerud and Logan Cooley continue to pace the team offensively totaling 37 and 36 points, respectively, tying for seventh and eighth in the NCAA. It's the first time since 2013-14 and only the fourth time since 2000 that multiple Minnesota first-year players have registered 30 or more points in a single season. Snuggerud has produced 13 multi-point efforts this season, including back-to-back, three-point games against Michigan State, and has his name on the scoresheet of 20 of his 28 collegiate games played. Cooley has scored all 13 of his goals in Gophers' victories, while the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has recorded at least one point in 21 of 27 games played.
FIRST YEAR FACTOR
Minnesota's 10 skating freshmen have combined for 118 points on 44 goals and 74 assists, accounting for 38 percent of the team's offense. 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 16 and 13 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 11th for league defensemen overall, totaling 14 points.
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 18 of 28 games this season and rank eighth in the NCAA converting at 25.5 percent. The Gophers have scored 11 goals on the man advantage over their previous 10 games (27.5 percent) getting goals from nine different players in that stretch. The penalty kill has erased 21-of-23 opponent power-play chances during the 2023 calendar year, limiting teams behind a 91.3 percent kill rate.
CLOSE EYE ON THE SENIOR
The same week he was added to the 2023 Mike Richter Award Watch List for the best goaltender in NCAA Division I men's hockey, Justen Close was named the B1G Second Star of the Week (Jan. 17). It was the third time he was honored by the conference in an eight-week stretch. Close remains the B1G leader in goals against average at 2.09, which sits 13th in the nation, and shutouts after he recorded his fifth of the year versus Michigan State Jan. 27. His eight career shutouts are the 10th-most in program history, and he's done so in just 43 career starts.
VETERAN SCORING
Minnesota has counted on its veteran line of seniors Bryce Brodzinski and Jaxon Nelson with junior Mason Nevers to provide critical scoring all year. Each player has at least 20 points and totaled 62 points, including seven power-play goals and six game winners, and posted at least one point in all but five games. Nelson and Nevers have both already set career highs in goals, assists and points during the 2022-23 campaign, while Brodzinski matched his career high scoring his 12th of the year Jan. 28. The Gophers turned to a fan vote on social media to decide a nickname for this line and "N64" was chosen as the trio's jersey numbers add up to 64, while they have been putting up video game scoring this year.
HOCKEY HUMANITARIAN NOMINEE
Minnesota's Ryan Johnson was named one of 15 nominees for the 2023 Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen - a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism. The senior is one of only three to make the list from NCAA Division I men's hockey.
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 1, Michigan 5
Friday, January 16
Highlights: Gophers 2, Penn State 5
Saturday, January 10
Highlights: Gophers 0, Penn State 3
Friday, January 09
Highlights: Gophers 3, Bemidji State 3 (EXH)
Friday, January 02