University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, November 29
3M Arena at Mariucci
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Alaska
Players Mentioned
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Gophers Open Homestand Hosting Nanooks Nov. 29-30
11/27/2024 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Next eight games at home for 'U'
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 3/4 Minnesota men's hockey team opens an eight-game homestand inside 3M Arena at Mariucci Nov. 29-30 when it hosts the Nanooks of Alaska. The series starts on Black Friday at 7 p.m. before closing at 5 p.m. Saturday with both games airing live on FOX9+ and streaming via B1G+.
Fans can also tune into the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK to listen as Wally Shaver and Pat Micheletti call the action.
PARKING ADVISORY
Fans should plan extra time arriving to campus Friday evening as Gopher Volleyball hosts Ohio State at 6 p.m. and Gopher Men's Hockey hosts Alaska at 7 p.m. If you have not already obtained a parking pass, it is encouraged to purchase a parking pass in advance HERE. Fans who arrive on campus without a parking pass should park in Maroon, Gold, Ski-U-Mah, or Victory surface lots east of Huntington Bank Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT
Minnesota returned to its winning ways and used come-from-behind efforts to complete a weekend sweep at Notre Dame, remaining unbeaten in Big Ten Conference play. Jimmy Snuggerud paced the offense with five points on two goals and three assists, while Sam Rinzel chipped in four points from the blue line, including a pair of power-play goals Friday. Brodie Ziemer broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period on Saturday with the eventual game-winning goal to secure the series sweep. Goaltender Nathan Airey made consecutive starts for the first time in his career and walked away with two wins as he improved to 8-0-0 this season.
SUITCASES BACK IN THE CLOSET
The Gophers closed a stretch where five of their last six games were away from home with trips to Madison, Wis., and South Bend, Ind., surrounding a home-and-home series with Bemidji State. Minnesota went 4-1-0 in that road stretch, improving to 6-1-0 in true road games this season, and while there is little difference in the scoring offense between home and road, 4.00 to 4.29 goals per game, respectively, there is a stark change defensively as it allows more than a goal per game more when away from campus, 1.25 to 2.71. One area the Gophers have thrived when on the road is the power play as they are converting 34.6 percent (9-for-26) compared to just 14.3 percent (2-for-14) at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
EXTENDED TIME AT HOME
The Maroon and Gold will play its next eight games inside the friendly confines of 3M Arena at Mariucci and are not slated to hit the road again until mid-January. The homestand is the longest for the Gophers in more than a decade as they last played eight-consecutive home games between Dec. 29, 2012, and Jan. 25, 2013, where they posted a 6-1-1 record. Minnesota is a perfect 4-0-0 at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season and outscored its opposition by a 16-5 margin, getting game-winning goals from four different skaters. Jimmy Snuggerud leads the team with seven points in the four outings, while Brody Lamb has a team-best three goals.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
With an assist in the series opener at Notre Dame (Nov. 22), Jimmy Snuggerud became the 89th player in program history to reach 100 career points and the second member of the family to do so. It took the junior 92 career appearances to reach the mark, one game fewer than his father, Dave, who recorded his 100th-career point in game number 93 back in 1988. The Snuggeruds are the only father-son duo in Minnesota men's hockey history to both eclipse the century mark as Dave finished with 140 points, which ranks 38th all-time for the Maroon and Gold. Jimmy added two goals on Saturday versus the Irish and inched his way closer to another milestone, needing just one goal to reach 50 in his career.
NEW NUMBER, SAME SAM THE STAR
While he may have changed from No. 5 to No. 2 during the offseason, the game of Sam Rinzel has remained unchanged following an All-B1G Second Team selection in 2023-24. After recording multi-point performances in both games against St. Thomas, the sophomore landed B1G First Star of the Week honors (Oct. 29). He extended his career-long point streak to eight games, dating back to the final game of last season, with an assist in the series opener versus Penn State (Nov. 1). Rinzel has a point in 10 of 14 appearances this year after multi-point outings in both games at Notre Dame last weekend, including the first two power-play goals of his career on Friday. He scored a game-winning goal for the first time as a Gopher in that game before assisting on Brodie Ziemer's winner on Saturday. He now has six goals, the most among all NCAA defensemen, while his 14 points rank second.
ZIEMER ENJOYING LIFE ON THE ROAD
Brodie Ziemer scored a highlight-reel goal in overtime that helped the Gophers to a come-from-behind victory at Wisconsin (Nov. 9). It was the first game-winning goal of his short career and a night where he put up multiple points for the first time with the Maroon and Gold. The freshman did the same thing in the final game at Notre Dame (Nov. 23) as he again found the back of the net for the game winner during a two-point effort. Ziemer has found his rhythm when Minnesota is away from home as seven of his eight points this year have come on the road, including goals in four of the seven contests. Ziemer ranks second among B1G rookies in goals and fifth in total scoring in 2024-25.
EXTRA MANPOWER
Minnesota's 14 goals on the man advantage lead the B1G and rank second in the NCAA as it has converted at least one power play in nine of its last 12 outings. The team has converted 26.9 percent of its chances overall (14-of-52), sitting eighth in the country for power-play efficiency. The Gophers have a pair of three-goal efforts coming versus St. Thomas (Oct. 26) and Notre Dame (Nov. 22) aided by major penalties taken by their opposition those nights. It's been goal contributions from six different players on the man advantage this season, while 12 skaters have a power-play point, led by eight from Jimmy Snuggerud and seven via Brody Lamb, who has six goals on just nine shots.
HISTORY WITH THE NANOOKS
In the limited history between the two programs, Minnesota holds a 4-2-1 record in the all-time series against Alaska. The teams split the last series played in January of 2022 at 3M Arena at Mariucci with the Gophers winning Friday, 4-1, before falling in the weekend finale, 3-2. Justen Close won the first of his 62 career victories for the Maroon and Gold to begin the series in his first NCAA start, while Sammy Walker reached 100 career points the same night. Despite a 38-15 edge in shots on Saturday, including a 14-2 margin in the third period, the Gophers went 0-for-7 on the power play in the one-goal loss.
INSIDE LOOK AT ALASKA
The Nanooks come to Dinkytown with a 4-1-2 record over their last seven outings with nationally-ranked wins over Notre Dame, Clarkson, and Union in that time, but had their six-game unbeaten streak stopped at rival Alaska Anchorage in their last outing on Nov. 16. Alaska is in the midst of a lengthy road stretch as it plays 12-straight outings away from its home rink, a span of 61 days between home games. The team ranks 52nd in the country in scoring offense, averaging just 2.17 goals per game, while its defense surrenders 3.00 goals per game. The Nanooks sit 14th nationally with more than 11 minutes of penalties a night leading to 10 power-play goals against. Matt Koethe and Broten Sabo pace Alaska with seven points each, while Anton Rubtsov joins the pair for the goal-scoring lead as all three have lit the lamp three times this season. Goaltender Nicholas Grabko has started all but one game and has one shutout to go with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage for the Nanooks.
STRONG SOPHOMORE START
Goaltender Nathan Airey is fully healthy entering his second year of college hockey after missing nearly the entire first half of last season with an injury and is making an impact in the Minnesota net. He earned his first win during his college hockey debut at home last year against Robert Morris (Jan. 12) and has won all eight of his starts to begin his sophomore campaign. A native of Cochrane, Alberta, Airey is the only NCAA goaltender with more than five appearances to have won every start this season. He owns a 2.38 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 2024-25 and given up two or fewer goals in four of eight outings.
MOORE PRODUCTION INCREASES
After enduring a career-long, six-game scoring drought, Oliver Moore has responded in a major way with six points over his last four appearances to reach double-digit scoring. The sophomore had a goal and an assist in each of his past two Friday outings and now has four games with multiple points this season and 13 in his tenure. Moore has a goal in three of his last four games after finding the back of the net just once in his first 10 contests, reaching 44 points in 53 career games played. Following a gold-medal win with Team USA at last year's IIHF World Junior Championship, he had a late-season surge with 26 points in the final 25 games after the calendar flipped to 2024, earning a spot on the B1G All-Freshman Team.
DRAFTED THE SWEET 16
The Gophers have more NHL draft picks on their roster than any other NCAA hockey program in 2024-25. Minnesota's 16 players are the most for the team since 2011-12 when it had 17. From that roster more than a decade ago, four players (Nick Bjugstad, Travis Boyd, Erik Haula, Justin Holl) are still playing in the NHL. This year's roster features four first-round selections in Matthew Wood (15th overall), Oliver Moore (19th overall), Jimmy Snuggerud (23rd overall), and Sam Rinzel (25th overall). Minnesota has had the most all-time draft selections (242) by any NCAA men's hockey program after adding three over the summer. At least one Gopher has been drafted in 50 of the last 51 NHL Entry Drafts dating back to 1974, with 2001 being the only exception.
Fans can also tune into the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK to listen as Wally Shaver and Pat Micheletti call the action.
PARKING ADVISORY
Fans should plan extra time arriving to campus Friday evening as Gopher Volleyball hosts Ohio State at 6 p.m. and Gopher Men's Hockey hosts Alaska at 7 p.m. If you have not already obtained a parking pass, it is encouraged to purchase a parking pass in advance HERE. Fans who arrive on campus without a parking pass should park in Maroon, Gold, Ski-U-Mah, or Victory surface lots east of Huntington Bank Stadium.
LAST TIME OUT
Minnesota returned to its winning ways and used come-from-behind efforts to complete a weekend sweep at Notre Dame, remaining unbeaten in Big Ten Conference play. Jimmy Snuggerud paced the offense with five points on two goals and three assists, while Sam Rinzel chipped in four points from the blue line, including a pair of power-play goals Friday. Brodie Ziemer broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period on Saturday with the eventual game-winning goal to secure the series sweep. Goaltender Nathan Airey made consecutive starts for the first time in his career and walked away with two wins as he improved to 8-0-0 this season.
SUITCASES BACK IN THE CLOSET
The Gophers closed a stretch where five of their last six games were away from home with trips to Madison, Wis., and South Bend, Ind., surrounding a home-and-home series with Bemidji State. Minnesota went 4-1-0 in that road stretch, improving to 6-1-0 in true road games this season, and while there is little difference in the scoring offense between home and road, 4.00 to 4.29 goals per game, respectively, there is a stark change defensively as it allows more than a goal per game more when away from campus, 1.25 to 2.71. One area the Gophers have thrived when on the road is the power play as they are converting 34.6 percent (9-for-26) compared to just 14.3 percent (2-for-14) at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
EXTENDED TIME AT HOME
The Maroon and Gold will play its next eight games inside the friendly confines of 3M Arena at Mariucci and are not slated to hit the road again until mid-January. The homestand is the longest for the Gophers in more than a decade as they last played eight-consecutive home games between Dec. 29, 2012, and Jan. 25, 2013, where they posted a 6-1-1 record. Minnesota is a perfect 4-0-0 at 3M Arena at Mariucci this season and outscored its opposition by a 16-5 margin, getting game-winning goals from four different skaters. Jimmy Snuggerud leads the team with seven points in the four outings, while Brody Lamb has a team-best three goals.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
With an assist in the series opener at Notre Dame (Nov. 22), Jimmy Snuggerud became the 89th player in program history to reach 100 career points and the second member of the family to do so. It took the junior 92 career appearances to reach the mark, one game fewer than his father, Dave, who recorded his 100th-career point in game number 93 back in 1988. The Snuggeruds are the only father-son duo in Minnesota men's hockey history to both eclipse the century mark as Dave finished with 140 points, which ranks 38th all-time for the Maroon and Gold. Jimmy added two goals on Saturday versus the Irish and inched his way closer to another milestone, needing just one goal to reach 50 in his career.
NEW NUMBER, SAME SAM THE STAR
While he may have changed from No. 5 to No. 2 during the offseason, the game of Sam Rinzel has remained unchanged following an All-B1G Second Team selection in 2023-24. After recording multi-point performances in both games against St. Thomas, the sophomore landed B1G First Star of the Week honors (Oct. 29). He extended his career-long point streak to eight games, dating back to the final game of last season, with an assist in the series opener versus Penn State (Nov. 1). Rinzel has a point in 10 of 14 appearances this year after multi-point outings in both games at Notre Dame last weekend, including the first two power-play goals of his career on Friday. He scored a game-winning goal for the first time as a Gopher in that game before assisting on Brodie Ziemer's winner on Saturday. He now has six goals, the most among all NCAA defensemen, while his 14 points rank second.
ZIEMER ENJOYING LIFE ON THE ROAD
Brodie Ziemer scored a highlight-reel goal in overtime that helped the Gophers to a come-from-behind victory at Wisconsin (Nov. 9). It was the first game-winning goal of his short career and a night where he put up multiple points for the first time with the Maroon and Gold. The freshman did the same thing in the final game at Notre Dame (Nov. 23) as he again found the back of the net for the game winner during a two-point effort. Ziemer has found his rhythm when Minnesota is away from home as seven of his eight points this year have come on the road, including goals in four of the seven contests. Ziemer ranks second among B1G rookies in goals and fifth in total scoring in 2024-25.
EXTRA MANPOWER
Minnesota's 14 goals on the man advantage lead the B1G and rank second in the NCAA as it has converted at least one power play in nine of its last 12 outings. The team has converted 26.9 percent of its chances overall (14-of-52), sitting eighth in the country for power-play efficiency. The Gophers have a pair of three-goal efforts coming versus St. Thomas (Oct. 26) and Notre Dame (Nov. 22) aided by major penalties taken by their opposition those nights. It's been goal contributions from six different players on the man advantage this season, while 12 skaters have a power-play point, led by eight from Jimmy Snuggerud and seven via Brody Lamb, who has six goals on just nine shots.
HISTORY WITH THE NANOOKS
In the limited history between the two programs, Minnesota holds a 4-2-1 record in the all-time series against Alaska. The teams split the last series played in January of 2022 at 3M Arena at Mariucci with the Gophers winning Friday, 4-1, before falling in the weekend finale, 3-2. Justen Close won the first of his 62 career victories for the Maroon and Gold to begin the series in his first NCAA start, while Sammy Walker reached 100 career points the same night. Despite a 38-15 edge in shots on Saturday, including a 14-2 margin in the third period, the Gophers went 0-for-7 on the power play in the one-goal loss.
INSIDE LOOK AT ALASKA
The Nanooks come to Dinkytown with a 4-1-2 record over their last seven outings with nationally-ranked wins over Notre Dame, Clarkson, and Union in that time, but had their six-game unbeaten streak stopped at rival Alaska Anchorage in their last outing on Nov. 16. Alaska is in the midst of a lengthy road stretch as it plays 12-straight outings away from its home rink, a span of 61 days between home games. The team ranks 52nd in the country in scoring offense, averaging just 2.17 goals per game, while its defense surrenders 3.00 goals per game. The Nanooks sit 14th nationally with more than 11 minutes of penalties a night leading to 10 power-play goals against. Matt Koethe and Broten Sabo pace Alaska with seven points each, while Anton Rubtsov joins the pair for the goal-scoring lead as all three have lit the lamp three times this season. Goaltender Nicholas Grabko has started all but one game and has one shutout to go with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage for the Nanooks.
STRONG SOPHOMORE START
Goaltender Nathan Airey is fully healthy entering his second year of college hockey after missing nearly the entire first half of last season with an injury and is making an impact in the Minnesota net. He earned his first win during his college hockey debut at home last year against Robert Morris (Jan. 12) and has won all eight of his starts to begin his sophomore campaign. A native of Cochrane, Alberta, Airey is the only NCAA goaltender with more than five appearances to have won every start this season. He owns a 2.38 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage in 2024-25 and given up two or fewer goals in four of eight outings.
MOORE PRODUCTION INCREASES
After enduring a career-long, six-game scoring drought, Oliver Moore has responded in a major way with six points over his last four appearances to reach double-digit scoring. The sophomore had a goal and an assist in each of his past two Friday outings and now has four games with multiple points this season and 13 in his tenure. Moore has a goal in three of his last four games after finding the back of the net just once in his first 10 contests, reaching 44 points in 53 career games played. Following a gold-medal win with Team USA at last year's IIHF World Junior Championship, he had a late-season surge with 26 points in the final 25 games after the calendar flipped to 2024, earning a spot on the B1G All-Freshman Team.
DRAFTED THE SWEET 16
The Gophers have more NHL draft picks on their roster than any other NCAA hockey program in 2024-25. Minnesota's 16 players are the most for the team since 2011-12 when it had 17. From that roster more than a decade ago, four players (Nick Bjugstad, Travis Boyd, Erik Haula, Justin Holl) are still playing in the NHL. This year's roster features four first-round selections in Matthew Wood (15th overall), Oliver Moore (19th overall), Jimmy Snuggerud (23rd overall), and Sam Rinzel (25th overall). Minnesota has had the most all-time draft selections (242) by any NCAA men's hockey program after adding three over the summer. At least one Gopher has been drafted in 50 of the last 51 NHL Entry Drafts dating back to 1974, with 2001 being the only exception.
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
First Half Season Highlights
Wednesday, December 31