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Gophers Begin Second Half Hosting Tigers Jan. 7-8
1/6/2024 10:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
First meeting with CC since 2019
MINNEAPOLIS - After nearly a month off from official competition, the No. 10/9 Golden Gophers men's hockey team returns to action Jan. 7-8 when they host Colorado College for a non-conference series at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Game one is set for 5 p.m. Sunday before closing the series Monday night at 7 p.m. with both games televised on FOX 9+ and streaming on B1G+. Fans can hear Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco calling the games live on the Gopher Radio Network 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM.
Due to overlapping athletic events on campus, those attending the game Sunday will encounter additional traffic and parking congestion compared to traditional game days. Peak traffic is anticipated from 4:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. All fans are encouraged to arrive early and allocate additional time for arriving on campus.
HOW TO WATCH ALL SEASON
Minnesota and FOX 9 have agreed to a local television broadcast partnership for 10 home games and four road games in 2023-24. This is in addition to the 11 games picked by the Big Ten Network, seven home and four away, along with one airing on FS1 during the campaign. As always, check the schedule page on GopherSports.com for all the latest information and viewing options for every contest. Other FOX affiliates around the area have added Gopher hockey to their coverage with select games available on KTTC (Rochester, Mason City, Austin, Albert Lea), KVRR (Fargo), KQDS (Duluth), and KCRG (Cedar Rapids).
RETURNING WITH GOLD
Featuring four Minnesota skaters and one coach, the United States won a gold medal Friday in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship after a 6-2 victory over tournament host Sweden. Ryan Chesley, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and Jimmy Snuggerud, along with Gophers' associate head coach Steve Miller helped lead the Americans to their sixth-ever gold medal at the event, first since 2021, with a perfect 7-0 record. The Maroon and Gold representatives combined for 16 points, led by Snuggerud's five goals and three assists. The Gophers have had at least one player at the event in 45 of the 48 years it has been played.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Gophers are averaging 4.6 goals per game in their nine victories but have been held to just 2.0 goals per game across five losses during the 2023-24 campaign. A major difference for Minnesota is the power play as it holds a 32.1 percent (9-of-28) success rate when winning, compared to a 16.7 (2-of-12) rate in setbacks. The Maroon and Gold also average just seven minutes in the penalty box per game in victories, while spending more than 11 minutes per game in the penalty box during five losses.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTRA MAN
Special teams were pivotal in Minnesota's season-opening sweep of the Tommies as it converted 50 percent of their power-play chances (3-of-6). The Gophers were then held scoreless across their next 15 opportunities with a man advantage, spanning six games until Aaron Huglen broke the streak with a tally at Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 4). That kick-started an improving trend where the team has a goal on the man advantage in eight of its last 11 games, including a stretch of five straight. Minnesota has converted 11-of-33 chances (33.3 percent), the highest percentage of any team in the nation during that stretch, as it raised the overall power-play success rate to 26.9 percent, which ranks eighth in the nation. Bryce Brodzinski scored four of those 11 goals, while Brody Lamb, Rhett Pitlick and Jimmy Snuggerud buried two apiece. Snuggerud leads all active Gophers with 12 career power-play goals and Brodzinski and Jaxon Nelson are right behind him at 11.
HISTORY WITH THE TIGERS
Minnesota holds a 163-87-8 (.647) record in the all-time series against Colorado College with games dating back to 1947. The two former WCHA foes have played only one series in the past decade, coming during opening weekend of the 2019-20 campaign, which ended in a split in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Maroon and Gold are 7-3-1 in the previous 11 meetings and outscored the Tigers by a 40-26 margin in that stretch. Bryce Brodzinski is the only active Gopher to have faced Colorado College in his playing career and picked up a power-play assist in a come-from-behind road win Oct. 12, 2019.
INSIDE LOOK AT COLORADO COLLEGE
The Tigers jumped into the top 20 of the national polls after sweeping No. 1 North Dakota on the road before the holiday break and added a 7-1 exhibition win over Minot State Dec. 29. Colorado College has scored just seven power-play goals this season, tied for the fewest of any NCAA program in 2023-24. Noah Laba leads the NCHC and ranks sixth in the country with three game-winning goals and is joined by Gleb Veremyev for the team's goal-scoring lead as both players have seven goals. Goaltender Kaidan Mbereko has started all 16 games and played all but 10 minutes this year, owning a 2.52 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
READY FOR THE CHALLENGE
Thanks to the rise in quality of hockey across the Big Ten Conference, the full schedule for the Maroon and Gold will again be a challenge from start to finish. After facing the nation's No. 2 strength of schedule according to USCHO last year, the 2023-24 slate will be no different as 32 of 34 games are against opponents ranked in the top 20 or receiving votes in the preseason national polls. Minnesota holds a 3-1-2 record against top-10 opponents this season and after facing seven-consecutive opponents ranked in the top 20, have had the fourth-toughest schedule in the country.
EATING PUCKS
Minnesota is the only team in the NCAA this season with two players ranked in the top 10 in total blocked shots as Cal Thomas (41) and Ryan Chesley (39) sit seventh and ninth, respectively. As a team, the Gophers rank fifth nationally by blocking 259 shots, including a season-high 25 during a road win at Ohio State (Dec. 8). It's been a full team effort to get bodies in shooting lanes and seven different players have double-digit blocks for the year.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FIRST
During a five-game stretch from Oct. 20 to Nov. 3, a Gopher scored the first goal of their collegiate career in four of those outings. Freshman Oliver Moore got things started with a goal at North Dakota (Oct. 20) and was followed by sophomore Charlie Strobel's first tally versus Wisconsin (Oct. 26). The next night it was freshman Jimmy Clark that lit the lamp against the Badgers before sophomore Cal Thomas joined the fun, scoring for the first time in 47 career games from the blue line in a home win over Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 3). Sam Rinzel became the fifth Minnesota player to record his first goal this year when he found the back of the net at Penn State (Dec. 1).
MOTZKO'S HOME COOKING
Under head coach Bob Motzko's guidance, the Gophers hold a 66-36-6 (.639) record on home ice, including a 33-14-1 (.698) mark across the previous three years. That recent stretch of quality play is aided by Minnesota dominating Big Ten foes, going 21-8-1 (.717) in conference outings inside 3M Arena at Mariucci since the start of 2021.
SHOWCASING THE STATE OF HOCKEY
With five of the six members of the Gophers freshman class hailing from the State of Hockey as well as graduate transfer Nick Michel, the 2023-24 roster now features nearly 90 percent homegrown talent. Of the 26 players on the team, 23 grew up and played youth hockey inside the state lines, including all 22 skaters. Even more impressive is the fact that 17 of the Minnesotans on the team are from within 40 miles of campus. In total, 233 student-athletes on NCAA rosters are from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, nearly 100 more than any other state in the country.
TWIN CITIES ON THE WORLD STAGE
USA Hockey announced that the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., will serve as host of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. The 10-nation tournament features the best men's players in the world under 20 years of age and the 29 games of the championship will take place over 10 days. The 2026 event marks the 50th anniversary of the event and Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL's Minnesota Wild in Saint Paul, and 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, will serve as the competition venues.
Game one is set for 5 p.m. Sunday before closing the series Monday night at 7 p.m. with both games televised on FOX 9+ and streaming on B1G+. Fans can hear Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco calling the games live on the Gopher Radio Network 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM.
Due to overlapping athletic events on campus, those attending the game Sunday will encounter additional traffic and parking congestion compared to traditional game days. Peak traffic is anticipated from 4:10 p.m. to 5:10 p.m. All fans are encouraged to arrive early and allocate additional time for arriving on campus.
HOW TO WATCH ALL SEASON
Minnesota and FOX 9 have agreed to a local television broadcast partnership for 10 home games and four road games in 2023-24. This is in addition to the 11 games picked by the Big Ten Network, seven home and four away, along with one airing on FS1 during the campaign. As always, check the schedule page on GopherSports.com for all the latest information and viewing options for every contest. Other FOX affiliates around the area have added Gopher hockey to their coverage with select games available on KTTC (Rochester, Mason City, Austin, Albert Lea), KVRR (Fargo), KQDS (Duluth), and KCRG (Cedar Rapids).
RETURNING WITH GOLD
Featuring four Minnesota skaters and one coach, the United States won a gold medal Friday in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship after a 6-2 victory over tournament host Sweden. Ryan Chesley, Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, and Jimmy Snuggerud, along with Gophers' associate head coach Steve Miller helped lead the Americans to their sixth-ever gold medal at the event, first since 2021, with a perfect 7-0 record. The Maroon and Gold representatives combined for 16 points, led by Snuggerud's five goals and three assists. The Gophers have had at least one player at the event in 45 of the 48 years it has been played.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Gophers are averaging 4.6 goals per game in their nine victories but have been held to just 2.0 goals per game across five losses during the 2023-24 campaign. A major difference for Minnesota is the power play as it holds a 32.1 percent (9-of-28) success rate when winning, compared to a 16.7 (2-of-12) rate in setbacks. The Maroon and Gold also average just seven minutes in the penalty box per game in victories, while spending more than 11 minutes per game in the penalty box during five losses.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTRA MAN
Special teams were pivotal in Minnesota's season-opening sweep of the Tommies as it converted 50 percent of their power-play chances (3-of-6). The Gophers were then held scoreless across their next 15 opportunities with a man advantage, spanning six games until Aaron Huglen broke the streak with a tally at Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 4). That kick-started an improving trend where the team has a goal on the man advantage in eight of its last 11 games, including a stretch of five straight. Minnesota has converted 11-of-33 chances (33.3 percent), the highest percentage of any team in the nation during that stretch, as it raised the overall power-play success rate to 26.9 percent, which ranks eighth in the nation. Bryce Brodzinski scored four of those 11 goals, while Brody Lamb, Rhett Pitlick and Jimmy Snuggerud buried two apiece. Snuggerud leads all active Gophers with 12 career power-play goals and Brodzinski and Jaxon Nelson are right behind him at 11.
HISTORY WITH THE TIGERS
Minnesota holds a 163-87-8 (.647) record in the all-time series against Colorado College with games dating back to 1947. The two former WCHA foes have played only one series in the past decade, coming during opening weekend of the 2019-20 campaign, which ended in a split in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Maroon and Gold are 7-3-1 in the previous 11 meetings and outscored the Tigers by a 40-26 margin in that stretch. Bryce Brodzinski is the only active Gopher to have faced Colorado College in his playing career and picked up a power-play assist in a come-from-behind road win Oct. 12, 2019.
INSIDE LOOK AT COLORADO COLLEGE
The Tigers jumped into the top 20 of the national polls after sweeping No. 1 North Dakota on the road before the holiday break and added a 7-1 exhibition win over Minot State Dec. 29. Colorado College has scored just seven power-play goals this season, tied for the fewest of any NCAA program in 2023-24. Noah Laba leads the NCHC and ranks sixth in the country with three game-winning goals and is joined by Gleb Veremyev for the team's goal-scoring lead as both players have seven goals. Goaltender Kaidan Mbereko has started all 16 games and played all but 10 minutes this year, owning a 2.52 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
READY FOR THE CHALLENGE
Thanks to the rise in quality of hockey across the Big Ten Conference, the full schedule for the Maroon and Gold will again be a challenge from start to finish. After facing the nation's No. 2 strength of schedule according to USCHO last year, the 2023-24 slate will be no different as 32 of 34 games are against opponents ranked in the top 20 or receiving votes in the preseason national polls. Minnesota holds a 3-1-2 record against top-10 opponents this season and after facing seven-consecutive opponents ranked in the top 20, have had the fourth-toughest schedule in the country.
EATING PUCKS
Minnesota is the only team in the NCAA this season with two players ranked in the top 10 in total blocked shots as Cal Thomas (41) and Ryan Chesley (39) sit seventh and ninth, respectively. As a team, the Gophers rank fifth nationally by blocking 259 shots, including a season-high 25 during a road win at Ohio State (Dec. 8). It's been a full team effort to get bodies in shooting lanes and seven different players have double-digit blocks for the year.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FIRST
During a five-game stretch from Oct. 20 to Nov. 3, a Gopher scored the first goal of their collegiate career in four of those outings. Freshman Oliver Moore got things started with a goal at North Dakota (Oct. 20) and was followed by sophomore Charlie Strobel's first tally versus Wisconsin (Oct. 26). The next night it was freshman Jimmy Clark that lit the lamp against the Badgers before sophomore Cal Thomas joined the fun, scoring for the first time in 47 career games from the blue line in a home win over Minnesota Duluth (Nov. 3). Sam Rinzel became the fifth Minnesota player to record his first goal this year when he found the back of the net at Penn State (Dec. 1).
MOTZKO'S HOME COOKING
Under head coach Bob Motzko's guidance, the Gophers hold a 66-36-6 (.639) record on home ice, including a 33-14-1 (.698) mark across the previous three years. That recent stretch of quality play is aided by Minnesota dominating Big Ten foes, going 21-8-1 (.717) in conference outings inside 3M Arena at Mariucci since the start of 2021.
SHOWCASING THE STATE OF HOCKEY
With five of the six members of the Gophers freshman class hailing from the State of Hockey as well as graduate transfer Nick Michel, the 2023-24 roster now features nearly 90 percent homegrown talent. Of the 26 players on the team, 23 grew up and played youth hockey inside the state lines, including all 22 skaters. Even more impressive is the fact that 17 of the Minnesotans on the team are from within 40 miles of campus. In total, 233 student-athletes on NCAA rosters are from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, nearly 100 more than any other state in the country.
TWIN CITIES ON THE WORLD STAGE
USA Hockey announced that the Twin Cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minn., will serve as host of the 2026 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. The 10-nation tournament features the best men's players in the world under 20 years of age and the 29 games of the championship will take place over 10 days. The 2026 event marks the 50th anniversary of the event and Xcel Energy Center, home of the NHL's Minnesota Wild in Saint Paul, and 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, will serve as the competition venues.
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