University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, October 30
Madison, WI
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Wisconsin
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/ Men's Hockey
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Defense
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Defense
/ Men's Hockey
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Forward
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Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
'U' Readies for Border Battle at Wisconsin
10/29/2025 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Series set for Thursday, Saturday in Madison
MINNEAPOLIS - Looking for a bounce-back series, the University of Minnesota men's hockey team turns the page to Big Ten Conference play as it travels to Madison, Wis., for a Border Battle with the 14th-ranked Badgers Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 from Kohl Center.
The series starts with a late-night matchup Thursday at 8 p.m. live on Big Ten Network and the Fox Sports app before the teams have a day off Friday. The rivalry trip concludes Saturday evening at 6 p.m. with coverage streaming on B1G+. Fans can listen to an audio broadcast via the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK all weekend.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
The 12th-ranked Gophers dropped both games of their weekend series against No. 18/19 Minnesota Duluth at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Bulldogs claimed a 3-0 shutout Friday before completing the sweep with a 4-1 victory Saturday. Freshman Tate Pritchard provided the Gophers' lone goal of the series, scoring midway through the second period in game two. UMD built early leads both nights before sitting back and shutting down the neutral zone to seal the wins aided by three power-play goals during the weekend.
LAMB'S OCTOBER SCORING FEAST
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been the driving force behind the Gophers' offense, leading the team with seven points and ranking 23rd nationally with four goals. The Byron, Minn., native showcased his scoring touch in a road win at North Dakota on Oct. 18, recording a three-point night for the fourth time in his career and first since Feb. 21, 2025, against Ohio State. Known for starting strong, Lamb has totaled 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 28 career games played during the month of October.
HENDRICKSON HITTING HIS STRIDE
Beckett Hendrickson continues to make his presence felt each weekend as he takes a significant step forward in his development with Gopher hockey. His assist in the series finale against Minnesota Duluth marked his fifth point of the season, and he has recorded at least one point in every series so far in 2025-26. That same milestone took the sophomore until the 22nd game to reach a year ago. Hendrickson also leads the team with a plus-6 rating.
SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALIST
Tanner Ludtke continues to make his presence felt early in games, scoring in back-to-back contests at UND, with both goals coming in the first period. It's the second time in his career he has scored in consecutive outings after finding the back of the net versus Denver and St. Cloud State in January of 2024 as a freshman at Omaha. The junior transfer has showcased his versatility this season, becoming one of just eight players in the country to record both a power-play goal and a shorthanded tally.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Senior captain Luke Mittelstadt is playing some of the best hockey of his career to begin his final collegiate campaign. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native paces the Gophers with five assists, which ranks 10th among all NCAA defensemen, and has 19 shots on goal as he has consistently jumped into the attack. He also blocked a career-high eight shots in the home tie versus Boston College (Oct. 10).
BUILT ON SACRIFICE
Through eight games, the Maroon and Gold have turned defensive sacrifice into a national best. Minnesota leads the country with 141 blocked shots, averaging nearly 18 per game, a full 36 more than the next closest Big Ten team. The Gophers' commitment to getting sticks and bodies in shooting lanes is led by sophomore John Whipple and senior Luke Mittelstadt, who rank first and second in the NCAA with 22 and 21 blocks, respectively. Cal Thomas has also reached double digits with 11 blocks.
OFFENSE FROM THE DEFENSE
Leo Gruba and Max Rud each scored in the series finale against the Fighting Hawks on Oct. 18, recording the first goals of the season by Minnesota defensemen. The blue line has been active offensively, contributing 11 assists through the early portion of the season. Gruba notched the first multi-point game of his career at UND on Saturday, and his four points in five games already surpassed his freshman total of three points.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT WISCONSIN
The Badgers enter Big Ten play unbeaten at 4-0-2 following sweeps of Lindenwood and Alaska and a pair of ties against Minnesota State that ended in shootout wins. Wisconsin has outscored opponents 22-9 through six contests and are tied for the national lead allowing just 1.5 goals per game. Special teams have been a difference-maker early, as the team's power play ranks eighth in the NCAA and has produced eight of their 22 goals. Simon Tassy leads the Badgers with seven points, while Christian Fitzgerald paces the squad with four goals, including two game winners. Freshman goaltender Daniel Hauser has started every game and boasts a 1.46 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
HISTORY WITH THE BADGERS
The Gophers own a 188-103-25 (.634) all-time record against Wisconsin, their most wins versus any opponent in program history, in a rivalry that dates back to 1922. Minnesota has dominated recent Border Battle meetings, going 11-3-1 in the last 15 contests and are 5-2-1 in its past four trips to Madison. Three of the last four series at the Kohl Center have had a game that needed overtime, including last November's dramatic finale when Brodie Ziemer's viral game-winner sealed a Gopher sweep. Brody Lamb provided the late heroics in February of 2024 as he scored an overtime winner on the road.
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.
WE ARE THE STATE OF HOCKEY
The state of Minnesota continues to lead college hockey, with 223 NCAA Division I men's players coming from the state, nearly a quarter of all American-born student-athletes and more than double any other state, per data from College Hockey Inc. The Gophers contribute heavily to that total with 20 homegrown players on this year's roster, including seven of their 10 newcomers. Remarkably, 19 of those 20 players are from within 70 miles of 3M Arena at Mariucci.
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.
The series starts with a late-night matchup Thursday at 8 p.m. live on Big Ten Network and the Fox Sports app before the teams have a day off Friday. The rivalry trip concludes Saturday evening at 6 p.m. with coverage streaming on B1G+. Fans can listen to an audio broadcast via the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK all weekend.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
The 12th-ranked Gophers dropped both games of their weekend series against No. 18/19 Minnesota Duluth at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Bulldogs claimed a 3-0 shutout Friday before completing the sweep with a 4-1 victory Saturday. Freshman Tate Pritchard provided the Gophers' lone goal of the series, scoring midway through the second period in game two. UMD built early leads both nights before sitting back and shutting down the neutral zone to seal the wins aided by three power-play goals during the weekend.
LAMB'S OCTOBER SCORING FEAST
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been the driving force behind the Gophers' offense, leading the team with seven points and ranking 23rd nationally with four goals. The Byron, Minn., native showcased his scoring touch in a road win at North Dakota on Oct. 18, recording a three-point night for the fourth time in his career and first since Feb. 21, 2025, against Ohio State. Known for starting strong, Lamb has totaled 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 28 career games played during the month of October.
HENDRICKSON HITTING HIS STRIDE
Beckett Hendrickson continues to make his presence felt each weekend as he takes a significant step forward in his development with Gopher hockey. His assist in the series finale against Minnesota Duluth marked his fifth point of the season, and he has recorded at least one point in every series so far in 2025-26. That same milestone took the sophomore until the 22nd game to reach a year ago. Hendrickson also leads the team with a plus-6 rating.
SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALIST
Tanner Ludtke continues to make his presence felt early in games, scoring in back-to-back contests at UND, with both goals coming in the first period. It's the second time in his career he has scored in consecutive outings after finding the back of the net versus Denver and St. Cloud State in January of 2024 as a freshman at Omaha. The junior transfer has showcased his versatility this season, becoming one of just eight players in the country to record both a power-play goal and a shorthanded tally.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Senior captain Luke Mittelstadt is playing some of the best hockey of his career to begin his final collegiate campaign. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native paces the Gophers with five assists, which ranks 10th among all NCAA defensemen, and has 19 shots on goal as he has consistently jumped into the attack. He also blocked a career-high eight shots in the home tie versus Boston College (Oct. 10).
BUILT ON SACRIFICE
Through eight games, the Maroon and Gold have turned defensive sacrifice into a national best. Minnesota leads the country with 141 blocked shots, averaging nearly 18 per game, a full 36 more than the next closest Big Ten team. The Gophers' commitment to getting sticks and bodies in shooting lanes is led by sophomore John Whipple and senior Luke Mittelstadt, who rank first and second in the NCAA with 22 and 21 blocks, respectively. Cal Thomas has also reached double digits with 11 blocks.
OFFENSE FROM THE DEFENSE
Leo Gruba and Max Rud each scored in the series finale against the Fighting Hawks on Oct. 18, recording the first goals of the season by Minnesota defensemen. The blue line has been active offensively, contributing 11 assists through the early portion of the season. Gruba notched the first multi-point game of his career at UND on Saturday, and his four points in five games already surpassed his freshman total of three points.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT WISCONSIN
The Badgers enter Big Ten play unbeaten at 4-0-2 following sweeps of Lindenwood and Alaska and a pair of ties against Minnesota State that ended in shootout wins. Wisconsin has outscored opponents 22-9 through six contests and are tied for the national lead allowing just 1.5 goals per game. Special teams have been a difference-maker early, as the team's power play ranks eighth in the NCAA and has produced eight of their 22 goals. Simon Tassy leads the Badgers with seven points, while Christian Fitzgerald paces the squad with four goals, including two game winners. Freshman goaltender Daniel Hauser has started every game and boasts a 1.46 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
HISTORY WITH THE BADGERS
The Gophers own a 188-103-25 (.634) all-time record against Wisconsin, their most wins versus any opponent in program history, in a rivalry that dates back to 1922. Minnesota has dominated recent Border Battle meetings, going 11-3-1 in the last 15 contests and are 5-2-1 in its past four trips to Madison. Three of the last four series at the Kohl Center have had a game that needed overtime, including last November's dramatic finale when Brodie Ziemer's viral game-winner sealed a Gopher sweep. Brody Lamb provided the late heroics in February of 2024 as he scored an overtime winner on the road.
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.
WE ARE THE STATE OF HOCKEY
The state of Minnesota continues to lead college hockey, with 223 NCAA Division I men's players coming from the state, nearly a quarter of all American-born student-athletes and more than double any other state, per data from College Hockey Inc. The Gophers contribute heavily to that total with 20 homegrown players on this year's roster, including seven of their 10 newcomers. Remarkably, 19 of those 20 players are from within 70 miles of 3M Arena at Mariucci.
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.
Highlights: Gophers 1, UMD 4
Saturday, October 25
Highlights: Gophers 0, UMD 3
Friday, October 24
Highlights: Gophers 5, North Dakota 1
Saturday, October 18
Highlights: Gophers 2, North Dakota 5
Friday, October 17