Rivalry Renewed; Minnesota and North Dakota to Meet Oct. 17-18

MINNEAPOLIS - A historic college hockey rivalry will be renewed this weekend as the No. 13/14 Minnesota men's hockey team hits the road for the first time when it travels to Grand Forks, N.D., to take on No. 8 North Dakota Oct. 17-18.

The Golden Gophers and Fighting Hawks open the series Friday night at 7 p.m. from Ralph Engelstad Arena before the conclusion on Saturday at 6 p.m. Thanks to an agreement with Midco Sports and FOX9, local fans in the Twin Cities market can watch both games of this road series on FOX9+. Audio coverage with Wally Shaver and Tanner Hoops will be available on the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.

LAST TIME ON THE ICE
The Gophers were limited to just three goals in their home series against No. 11/10 Boston College last week, earning a tie in Friday's finale before winning the non-conference shootout. Brodie Ziemer netted Minnesota's first power-play goal of the season in the second period of game two, giving the Gophers a 2-1 lead. However, the Eagles capitalized on a generous call late in the third to even the score. No Gopher recorded more than one point in the series, as Minnesota was held to three or fewer goals in a home set for the first time since January 2022.

STREAK FINALLY SNAPPED
After more than 2,000 days without a shootout goal or victory, Minnesota ended both droughts last Friday against Boston College thanks to a pair of newcomers. LJ Mooney and Tanner Ludtke each converted in the shootout, while goaltender Nathan Airey turned aside both Eagles' attempts to secure the Gophers' first shootout win since Feb. 14, 2020, at Notre Dame. The victory snapped an 11-shootout skid during which Minnesota had gone 28 consecutive attempts without a goal.

LUKE DOING IT ALL
Senior captain Luke Mittelstadt is playing some of the best hockey of his career to begin his final campaign. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native paces the Gophers with four assists and is tied for the team lead with 15 shots on goal, which are more shots than the other eight defensemen that have played in 2025-26 combined. He also has 12 blocked shots, one behind John Whipple's team-best 13.

A BREATH OF 'AIREY'
Goaltender Nathan Airey started both games against No. 11/10 Boston College last weekend and turned in an impressive performance. The junior stopped 60 of the 64 shots he faced, marking just the third time in his Minnesota career he has earned back-to-back starts. His 60-save effort over the course of the series was his highest total in consecutive appearances since combining for 61 saves last season against Michigan (Dec. 6) and Michigan State (Dec. 13).

EARLY SEASON SPARK
Minnesota spread the offense during its season-opening series, with 13 different players recording points. Returning standouts Jimmy Clark, Brody Lamb, Luke Mittelstadt, and Brodie Ziemer each tallied three points to lead the way. Lamb and Ziemer, joined by Erik Påhlsson, netted two goals apiece, while Clark and Mittelstadt each dished out three assists.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT NORTH DAKOTA
The Fighting Hawks secured a sweep over St. Thomas in a home-and-home series last weekend, winning 6-2 at home before a 5-2 victory Sunday from Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. It was a balanced attack for UND in the sweep of the Tommies with 15 different skaters recording a point, including 11 different goal scorers. Four players are tied for the team lead with three points overall. Transfer goaltender Gibson Homer earned the win both nights, totaling 48 saves for a .923 save percentage. The Hawks power play struck four times in six chances, and their penalty kill was successful in 7-of-9 opportunities.

HISTORY WITH THE FIGHTING HAWKS
In the all-time series dating back to 1930, Minnesota holds a 151-137-16 (.523) record in one of college hockey's greatest rivalries. The teams have split each of their last three series with the Maroon and Gold winning the series opener all three times. Of late, UND has held the edge as it has claimed seven of the previous 10 matchups overall. The Gophers were victorious in the inaugural game at Ralph Engelstad Arena back in 2001 thanks to four goals in the third period. Minnesota has added 12 more wins in the venue since that contest, including a 4-0 win in its last trip in 2023 behind Brody Lamb's game winner and two-point performance.

GAUNTLET RUN FROM START TO FINISH
Minnesota's 2025-26 regular-season slate will once again be among the nation's toughest. Of the Gophers' 35 scheduled games, 25 come against teams ranked in the USCHO preseason poll, while eight more are against unranked opponents that still received votes. Seventeen matchups will be against opponents ranked inside the top 12, including a heavy dose of Big Ten play. The conference is again stacked, with six Big Ten programs ranked in the preseason top 20. Minnesota is no stranger to difficult schedules, having battled the nation's No. 4 strength of schedule in 2023-24 and the No. 2 schedule the year before. Even last year's "dip" to the No. 19 toughest schedule still placed the Gophers among the most battle-tested teams in the country.

HISTORIC POSTSEASON STANDARD
Last season, Minnesota reached the NCAA Tournament for the fifth year in a row, marking the program's 42nd all-time appearance, the most by a single NCAA team. The Gophers also own 62 all-time tournament victories, the most of any college hockey program. Their current streak is the program's longest since an eight-year run from 2001-08. Under head coach Bob Motzko, Minnesota has compiled a 7-5 record in the tournament, earning at least one win in four of the last five years and advancing to two of the program's 23 NCAA Frozen Four appearances.

DEFENSEMAN 'U'
Minnesota was the lone college hockey program in the country with more than 10 blue liners in the NHL last season. A total of 12 former Gopher defensemen took the ice in the NHL during the 2024-25 campaign, accounting for more than 600 games played. Highlighted in that group was Erik Johnson becoming the ninth former Minnesota skater to reach the 1,000-game milestone when he hit the mark last November and capped by Nate Schmidt's Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers. At the collegiate level, Minnesota has dominated the Big Ten Conference's postseason awards dedicated to defensive play, winning six of the 12 Defensive Player of the Year awards distributed, including three of the last four.

PROVEN PATH TO THE PROS
Minnesota continues to make its mark on professional hockey, as 36 players with ties to the program participated in NHL training camps for the 2025-26 season, representing 20 different organizations. The group, which spans back to the 2009 roster, features 15 former team captains and 10 All-Americans. The Gophers' NHL presence remains unmatched across college hockey. A total of 25 alumni skated in the league last season, pushing the all-time number of Minnesota players to reach the NHL to an NCAA-best 130. Four more joined the list in 2024-25, as Oliver Moore, Sam Rinzel, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Matthew Wood each made their professional debut following their collegiate seasons in Maroon and Gold.

Upcoming Events

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nathan Airey

Jimmy Clark

Brody Lamb

Tanner Ludtke

Luke Mittelstadt

LJ Mooney

Oliver Moore

Sam Rinzel

Jimmy Snuggerud

John Whipple

Matthew Wood

Brodie Ziemer