'U' Continues Homestand Hosting LIU Nov. 14-15

MINNEAPOLIS - Coming off their first sweep of the season, the Golden Gophers men's hockey team continues an extended homestand Nov. 14-15, welcoming Long Island to 3M Arena at Mariucci for the first-ever meetings between the two programs.

The series begins Friday night at 7:30 p.m. before continuing Saturday evening at 5 p.m. Tune in both nights to FOX9+ for live television coverage or stream through B1G+, while an audio broadcast can be heard via the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.

The annual "Skate with the Gophers" is set for Saturday evening following the game against the Sharks. Tickets can be purchased for just $8 by clicking the link HERE.

TRAVEL / PARKING ADVISORY
Due to multiple events happening on the University of Minnesota campus all weekend, fans attending the game are encouraged to purchase parking passes in advance by clicking HERE. For individuals arriving without a parking pass, it is recommended to park in the Oak Street or Washington Avenue Ramps, or surface lots surrounding Huntington Bank Stadium.

WATCH THE PRIDE ON ICE
Minnesota and FOX9 have partnered for a local television broadcast deal for the third-straight year that will air 17 home games during the 2025-26 campaign presented by Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union. This year's home broadcasts on FOX9 and FOX9+ will again feature a 30-minute Pride on Ice Pre-Game Show presented by M Health Fairview as well as a post-game show recapping the action presented by RBC Wealth Management. The Gophers will have 10 games broadcast on Big Ten Network as well as one on FS1 this season.

LAST TIME ON THE ICE
The Gophers picked up a Big Ten Conference sweep over Notre Dame at 3M Arena at Mariucci last weekend, winning 3-0 Friday and 4-1 Saturday, kicking off a season-long, six-game homestand. Luca Di Pasquo backstopped Minnesota with a 19-save shutout in the opener and followed with 33 stops in the finale. Brody Lamb led the offense with goals both nights, while Jimmy Clark and Luke Mittelstadt provided key second-period tallies in Saturday's victory. The weekend marked the Maroon and Gold's first series sweep of the season and moved them to 2-2-0 in B1G play.

LUCA A SHUTOUT STAR
Luca Di Pasquo provided the Gophers with a much-needed boost in goal as the junior stopped 52-of-53 shots he faced to lead the team to a series sweep of Notre Dame and was named the B1G Second Star of the Week for his efforts. The Livonia, Mich., native closed the weekend with a.981 save percentage after recording his first shutout with the Maroon and Gold, third of his career, on Friday by making 19 saves and also added an assist on the final insurance tally in the third period. It was the first point of his NCAA career. Di Pasquo followed that effort by making 33 saves, his second 30-plus save outing of the year, on Saturday in a 4-1 victory. His impressive weekend lowered his season numbers to a 2.19 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage.

LAMB'S SCORING FEAST
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been a driving force behind the Gophers' offense, pacing the team in scoring with six goals and 10 points. 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. Lamb added his third multi-point effort of the campaign in the series finale versus Notre Dame on Nov. 8. Known for starting strong, he has totaled 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 29 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, a milestone that took the sophomore until the 22nd game to reach a year ago. He has recorded at least one point in five of the six series played in 2025-26 and secured the first game-winning goal of his career to begin the sweep of Notre Dame on Nov. 7. Hendrickson also ranks second on the team with a plus-6 rating.

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 is second for the Gophers with five assists, which ranks 24th among all NCAA defensemen, and has 27 shots on goal as he has consistently jumped into the attack. That led to his first goal of the year, going down as the game winner on the power play against Notre Dame on Nov. 8 to complete the series sweep, and snapped a 23-game stretch without finding the back of the net. Mittelstadt also blocked a career-high eight shots in the home tie versus Boston College (Oct. 10) and currently leads the nation with 29 blocked shots.

CLARK CALLING THE SHOTS
Thanks to his second multi-point outing of the season and seventh of his career in the series finale versus Notre Dame on Nov. 8, Jimmy Clark capped a three-point weekend. He scored his first goal this year to go with his team-leading seventh helper. The junior is tied for second on the Gophers with eight total points, while his seven assists rank ninth among all B1G skaters. A product of Edina, Minn., Clark has reached the scoresheet in six of 12 appearances and holds a plus-3 rating overall.

MOONEY MAGIC
LJ Mooney's breakaway goal to close the sweep of the Fighting Irish last Saturday highlighted the speed and skill of the Gophers' rookie. It was the first multi-point night of his young career as he picked up an assist earlier in the contest, increasing his class-leading point total to seven in just 12 outings. The West Mifflin, Pa., native has at least one point in five of six series played and picked up a helper on three of Minnesota's four total power-play goals this season.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT LONG ISLAND
The Sharks visit Dinkytown for the first time following a series sweep at Robert Morris last weekend, winning 6-3 on Friday before a 2-0 shutout Saturday, extending their winning streak to three. LIU enters the weekend ranked 24th nationally in both scoring offense (3.2 goals per game) and scoring defense (2.7 goals per game) while also sitting sixth in the nation with an average of 17.8 penalty minutes per contest. Dylan Kinch leads the Sharks with five goals and shares the team's scoring lead with Brett Rylance, the team's assist leader, at 11 points apiece. Goaltender Daniel Duris has started eight of LIU's nine games, posting a 2.62 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage, including last Saturday's shutout. The Sharks are coming off a record-setting 2024-25 season in which they earned 20 wins for the first time in program history, highlighted by a dominant 14-1-0 record on home ice.

HISTORY WITH THE SHARKS
Minnesota and Long Island will meet on the ice for the first time in program history this weekend as the Sharks are in their sixth season of NCAA Division I competition.

SPECIAL TEAMS ON THE RISE
Special teams have been a key factor in Minnesota's early-season challenges, as the Gophers rank in the bottom 20 percent nationally in both power play and penalty kill efficiency. After allowing seven power-play goals during their four-game losing streak, the Maroon and Gold were a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill versus the Fighting Irish, which helped secure the home sweep. Luke Mittelstadt also buried a power-play tally on the offensive end, the team's fourth man advantage goal of the year, as he joined Brodie Ziemer and Tanner Ludtke as power-play scorers in 2025-26. Over the last four seasons, Minnesota has averaged 17.5 power-play goals against per year, highlighted by a program-record low of just 15 allowed during the 2021-22 campaign.

BUILT ON SACRIFICE
Through eight games, the Maroon and Gold have turned defensive sacrifice into a national best. Minnesota leads the country with 189 blocked shots, averaging nearly 16 per game, which is more than 25 higher than the next closest Big Ten team. The Gophers' commitment to getting sticks and bodies in shooting lanes is led by senior Luke Mittelstadt and sophomore John Whipple, who rank first and second in the NCAA with 29 and 28 blocks, respectively. Freshman Jacob Rombach is close behind with 16, while Cal Thomas has also reached double digits with 11 blocks despite missing the last five games.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Jimmy Clark

Luca Di Pasquo

Beckett Hendrickson

Brody Lamb

Tanner Ludtke

Luke Mittelstadt

LJ Mooney

Oliver Moore

Sam Rinzel

Jacob Rombach

Jimmy Snuggerud

Cal Thomas

John Whipple

Matthew Wood

Brodie Ziemer