University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Brad Rempel
B1G Announces Men's Hockey Award Finalists
3/13/2024 3:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Rinzel, Motzko named to top three
ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced its major award finalists for 2023-24 with a pair representing Minnesota men's hockey in Sam Rinzel and Head Coach Bob Motzko. Rinzel is one of three finalists for the B1G Freshman of the Year honor, while Motzko looks to win his fourth B1G Coach of the Year title.
Rinzel has played in all 36 games in his first college hockey campaign and leads the Maroon and Gold in assists with 25, which ranks second among NCAA freshman defensemen, to go with two goals for 27 total points. The Gophers are unbeaten in the 17 games when he has a point this year, posting a 15-0-2 record, and he also paces the squad with a plus-23 rating. A native of Chanhassen, Minn., he has seven multi-assist performances thanks to a five-point series against Ohio State where he extended his career-best scoring streak to five games, totaling 12 assists during that streak. Rinzel recorded a season-high three assists three times in a four-game span in early January to land the first Big Ten Conference weekly award of his career when he was named the B1G Third Star of the Week.
The reigning Spencer Penrose Coach of the Year award winner, Motzko has guided Minnesota to its fourth-straight, 20-plus-win campaign. After losing five players to the National Hockey League from a season ago, he helped guide the Gophers to a third-place conference finish in the regular season and their sixth-consecutive appearance in the B1G Tournament Semifinals. Motzko currently owns a 135-69-17 record behind the Maroon and Gold bench, leading the team to back-to-back trips to the NCAA Frozen Four. He has earned the title of B1G Coach of the Year three times in the last four seasons and been a seven-time conference coach of the year honoree during his illustrious tenure.
The award winners and all-conference teams will be announced March 19 as part of the B1G Today show live on Big Ten Network starting at 12 p.m.
Rinzel has played in all 36 games in his first college hockey campaign and leads the Maroon and Gold in assists with 25, which ranks second among NCAA freshman defensemen, to go with two goals for 27 total points. The Gophers are unbeaten in the 17 games when he has a point this year, posting a 15-0-2 record, and he also paces the squad with a plus-23 rating. A native of Chanhassen, Minn., he has seven multi-assist performances thanks to a five-point series against Ohio State where he extended his career-best scoring streak to five games, totaling 12 assists during that streak. Rinzel recorded a season-high three assists three times in a four-game span in early January to land the first Big Ten Conference weekly award of his career when he was named the B1G Third Star of the Week.
The reigning Spencer Penrose Coach of the Year award winner, Motzko has guided Minnesota to its fourth-straight, 20-plus-win campaign. After losing five players to the National Hockey League from a season ago, he helped guide the Gophers to a third-place conference finish in the regular season and their sixth-consecutive appearance in the B1G Tournament Semifinals. Motzko currently owns a 135-69-17 record behind the Maroon and Gold bench, leading the team to back-to-back trips to the NCAA Frozen Four. He has earned the title of B1G Coach of the Year three times in the last four seasons and been a seven-time conference coach of the year honoree during his illustrious tenure.
The award winners and all-conference teams will be announced March 19 as part of the B1G Today show live on Big Ten Network starting at 12 p.m.
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