University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 2
Bemidji, MN
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Bemidji State
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Hockey
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/ Men's Hockey
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Defense
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Forward
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/ Men's Hockey
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Photo by: Brady Paitrick
Gophers Meet Beavers for Jan. 2 Exhibition
1/1/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
'U' opens 2026 on the road in Bemidji
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men's hockey team will play its lone exhibition contest of the campaign Friday night at Bemidji State as it begins the 2026 calendar year on the road.
Puck drop for the matchup against the Beavers is set for 7 p.m. from Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn., with live television coverage available in the Twin Cities thanks to FOX9+ and Midco Sports.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota split its road series at Ohio State to close the 2025 portion of the season Dec. 4-5, opening the weekend with a 6-3 win before falling 6-5 in overtime. The Gophers' offense surged for 11 goals across the two games, highlighted by three-point efforts from Brody Lamb (Friday) and Brodie Ziemer (Saturday), while Ziemer finished with multiple goals each night to pace the squad with five points. Ten different players found the scoresheet in the opener as Minnesota pulled away late thanks to a trio of third-period tallies, while the rematch featured traded leads before the Buckeyes capitalized in overtime for the extra point in the standings.
AT HOME WITH TEAM USA
LJ Mooney and Brodie Ziemer are representing the Maroon and Gold on the international stage for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship currently taking place in the Twin Cities. Ziemer was named captain for the Red, White, and Blue and ranks second on the team with four points behind a goal and three assists through three appearances and was named Player of the Game against Switzerland (Dec. 27). Thanks to a multi-assist outing versus Slovakia (Dec. 29), Mooney has two points in three games. The Gophers have been represented by at least one player at the event in 47 of the 50 years it has been played, including 11 players that have claimed a gold medal. Head coach Bob Motzko has led the Americans to a perfect 3-0 record to start the event, coaching Team USA for the third time in his career with a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze in 2018. He is joined on the bench by Minnesota's associate head coach Steve Miller, director of operations Jacob LeRoy, and athletic trainer Jeff Winslow, and all six individuals will not make the trip with the Gophers to Bemidji.
ZIEMER LIGHTS THE LAMP FOR FIRST STAR
Brodie Ziemer is operating at a point-per-game pace, tying for the team lead with 19 points in 19 games, and his team-leading seven power-play goals rank second nationally. The sophomore closed 2025 on a blistering run, lighting the lamp in six of the last seven outings with a pair of three-game goal streaks. The Chaska, Minn., native delivered back-to-back multi-goal efforts at Ohio State in December to earn B1G First Star honors (Dec. 9) and has piled up eight goals and 11 points across his last seven games. Ziemer has turned opening goals into a habit. After striking first in four games a year ago, he set the tone again by scoring the opener in both matchups against Long Island as well as the season opener against Michigan Tech.
OVERTIME HERO EARNS MOORE B1G STAR
Javon Moore played the role of overtime hero for the Maroon and Gold in its upset at the fourth-ranked Pioneers in late November, scoring with just 35 seconds left in the extra session. The freshman's first collegiate game winner capped a two-point night and earned him B1G Second Star of the Week honors. A native of Carver, Minn., Moore has a point in seven of his last eight appearances, totaling 10 points in that stretch, including all three of his multi-point efforts, two of which sparked top-five upsets of Penn State (Nov. 21) and Denver (Nov. 29).
LAMB KEEPS FEASTING
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been a driving force behind the Gophers' offense, tying for the team's scoring lead with 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists. The Byron, Minn., native posted consecutive three-point outings at Denver (Nov. 29) and Ohio State (Dec. 4), recording four multi-point performances over the final eight games of 2025. Known for starting strong, he totaled 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 46 games played during the months of October and November across his last three seasons.
MOONEY MAGIC
LJ Mooney's breakaway goal to close the sweep of the Fighting Irish on Nov. 8 highlighted the speed and skill of the Gophers' rookie. It was the first multi-point night of his young career, and he has not slowed down since, tallying three more multi-point performances to put up 10 points in the last eight games. The West Mifflin, Pa., native has at least one point in nine of 10 series played, totaling four goals and tying for the team lead with 11 assists, including nine points on Minnesota's 13 total power-play goals.
LUCA A SHUTOUT STAR
Luca Di Pasquo stopped 52-of-53 shots he faced to lead the Gophers to a series sweep of Notre Dame and was named the B1G Second Star of the Week (Nov. 11). The Livonia, Mich., native recorded his first shutout with the Maroon and Gold, third of his career, and also added an assist in the third period for the first point of his NCAA tenure. The junior continued that trend by making 33 saves in the series finale against the Irish before backstopping Minnesota with a brilliant, career-best 47-save performance to secure an upset over No. 4 Denver (Nov. 29). In four road appearances, Di Pasquo is averaging 35 saves per night to go with a .915 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Captain Luke Mittelstadt has opened his final season playing some of the best hockey of his career. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native is tied for the Gophers' lead with 11 assists, ninth among all NCAA defensemen, and has generated 35 shots thanks to his consistent offensive jump. His first goal of the year, a power-play game winner against Notre Dame on Nov. 8, ended a 23-game scoring drought and capped the series sweep. Mittelstadt added his second multi-assist night of the year versus Long Island (Nov. 15) and extended his point streak to four games thanks to an assist against Penn State (Nov. 21). The senior blocked a career-best eight shots against Boston College and is fourth nationally in that category with 41 blocked shots.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT BEMIDJI STATE
A 7-1-2 stretch from the end of October through November helped the Beavers surge towards the top of the CCHA standings before a 0-3-1 record in the final two series closed the first half of the season. As a team, BSU's 176 total points ranks seventh in the country at the holiday break, while its 111 assists also sit seventh nationally. Adam Flammang paces the squad with 24 points and Oliver Peer joins him above the 20-point mark at 21 points this season thanks to a team-leading 12 goals. Raythan Robbins and Max Hildebrand have split minutes in goal earning 10 starts apiece, but it's Robbins that owns better numbers as he holds a 2.27 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
HISTORY WITH THE BEAVERS
Friday's test is officially an exhibition matchup and will not count towards the record for either team in an all-time series that has been dominated by Minnesota. The Gophers own a 21-3-1 record versus BSU, including a 14-2-1 mark since 2011. This will be the fourth-straight year the Maroon and Gold have the Beavers on the schedule and third time facing each other in an exhibition contest in that stretch. The teams split a home-and-home series last November with each side winning on home ice.
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 that were ranked in the USCHO preseason poll, with eight more against opponents that received votes. Through 10 weeks, the schedule is the most difficult in the country and will remain a challenge through the meat of Big Ten Conference play where the league has the top three teams in the national polls. 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.
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.
Puck drop for the matchup against the Beavers is set for 7 p.m. from Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn., with live television coverage available in the Twin Cities thanks to FOX9+ and Midco Sports.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota split its road series at Ohio State to close the 2025 portion of the season Dec. 4-5, opening the weekend with a 6-3 win before falling 6-5 in overtime. The Gophers' offense surged for 11 goals across the two games, highlighted by three-point efforts from Brody Lamb (Friday) and Brodie Ziemer (Saturday), while Ziemer finished with multiple goals each night to pace the squad with five points. Ten different players found the scoresheet in the opener as Minnesota pulled away late thanks to a trio of third-period tallies, while the rematch featured traded leads before the Buckeyes capitalized in overtime for the extra point in the standings.
AT HOME WITH TEAM USA
LJ Mooney and Brodie Ziemer are representing the Maroon and Gold on the international stage for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship currently taking place in the Twin Cities. Ziemer was named captain for the Red, White, and Blue and ranks second on the team with four points behind a goal and three assists through three appearances and was named Player of the Game against Switzerland (Dec. 27). Thanks to a multi-assist outing versus Slovakia (Dec. 29), Mooney has two points in three games. The Gophers have been represented by at least one player at the event in 47 of the 50 years it has been played, including 11 players that have claimed a gold medal. Head coach Bob Motzko has led the Americans to a perfect 3-0 record to start the event, coaching Team USA for the third time in his career with a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze in 2018. He is joined on the bench by Minnesota's associate head coach Steve Miller, director of operations Jacob LeRoy, and athletic trainer Jeff Winslow, and all six individuals will not make the trip with the Gophers to Bemidji.
ZIEMER LIGHTS THE LAMP FOR FIRST STAR
Brodie Ziemer is operating at a point-per-game pace, tying for the team lead with 19 points in 19 games, and his team-leading seven power-play goals rank second nationally. The sophomore closed 2025 on a blistering run, lighting the lamp in six of the last seven outings with a pair of three-game goal streaks. The Chaska, Minn., native delivered back-to-back multi-goal efforts at Ohio State in December to earn B1G First Star honors (Dec. 9) and has piled up eight goals and 11 points across his last seven games. Ziemer has turned opening goals into a habit. After striking first in four games a year ago, he set the tone again by scoring the opener in both matchups against Long Island as well as the season opener against Michigan Tech.
OVERTIME HERO EARNS MOORE B1G STAR
Javon Moore played the role of overtime hero for the Maroon and Gold in its upset at the fourth-ranked Pioneers in late November, scoring with just 35 seconds left in the extra session. The freshman's first collegiate game winner capped a two-point night and earned him B1G Second Star of the Week honors. A native of Carver, Minn., Moore has a point in seven of his last eight appearances, totaling 10 points in that stretch, including all three of his multi-point efforts, two of which sparked top-five upsets of Penn State (Nov. 21) and Denver (Nov. 29).
LAMB KEEPS FEASTING
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been a driving force behind the Gophers' offense, tying for the team's scoring lead with 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists. The Byron, Minn., native posted consecutive three-point outings at Denver (Nov. 29) and Ohio State (Dec. 4), recording four multi-point performances over the final eight games of 2025. Known for starting strong, he totaled 44 points (24 goals, 20 assists) in 46 games played during the months of October and November across his last three seasons.
MOONEY MAGIC
LJ Mooney's breakaway goal to close the sweep of the Fighting Irish on Nov. 8 highlighted the speed and skill of the Gophers' rookie. It was the first multi-point night of his young career, and he has not slowed down since, tallying three more multi-point performances to put up 10 points in the last eight games. The West Mifflin, Pa., native has at least one point in nine of 10 series played, totaling four goals and tying for the team lead with 11 assists, including nine points on Minnesota's 13 total power-play goals.
LUCA A SHUTOUT STAR
Luca Di Pasquo stopped 52-of-53 shots he faced to lead the Gophers to a series sweep of Notre Dame and was named the B1G Second Star of the Week (Nov. 11). The Livonia, Mich., native recorded his first shutout with the Maroon and Gold, third of his career, and also added an assist in the third period for the first point of his NCAA tenure. The junior continued that trend by making 33 saves in the series finale against the Irish before backstopping Minnesota with a brilliant, career-best 47-save performance to secure an upset over No. 4 Denver (Nov. 29). In four road appearances, Di Pasquo is averaging 35 saves per night to go with a .915 save percentage and a 3-1-0 record.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Captain Luke Mittelstadt has opened his final season playing some of the best hockey of his career. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native is tied for the Gophers' lead with 11 assists, ninth among all NCAA defensemen, and has generated 35 shots thanks to his consistent offensive jump. His first goal of the year, a power-play game winner against Notre Dame on Nov. 8, ended a 23-game scoring drought and capped the series sweep. Mittelstadt added his second multi-assist night of the year versus Long Island (Nov. 15) and extended his point streak to four games thanks to an assist against Penn State (Nov. 21). The senior blocked a career-best eight shots against Boston College and is fourth nationally in that category with 41 blocked shots.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT BEMIDJI STATE
A 7-1-2 stretch from the end of October through November helped the Beavers surge towards the top of the CCHA standings before a 0-3-1 record in the final two series closed the first half of the season. As a team, BSU's 176 total points ranks seventh in the country at the holiday break, while its 111 assists also sit seventh nationally. Adam Flammang paces the squad with 24 points and Oliver Peer joins him above the 20-point mark at 21 points this season thanks to a team-leading 12 goals. Raythan Robbins and Max Hildebrand have split minutes in goal earning 10 starts apiece, but it's Robbins that owns better numbers as he holds a 2.27 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.
HISTORY WITH THE BEAVERS
Friday's test is officially an exhibition matchup and will not count towards the record for either team in an all-time series that has been dominated by Minnesota. The Gophers own a 21-3-1 record versus BSU, including a 14-2-1 mark since 2011. This will be the fourth-straight year the Maroon and Gold have the Beavers on the schedule and third time facing each other in an exhibition contest in that stretch. The teams split a home-and-home series last November with each side winning on home ice.
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 that were ranked in the USCHO preseason poll, with eight more against opponents that received votes. Through 10 weeks, the schedule is the most difficult in the country and will remain a challenge through the meat of Big Ten Conference play where the league has the top three teams in the national polls. 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.
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 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