University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 23
East Lansing, MI
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Michigan State
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Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
Gophers Face No. 2 Spartans in Road Test
1/22/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
B1G series set for Jan. 23-24 in East Lansing
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men's hockey team is back on the road for another Big Ten Conference challenge as it faces No. 2 Michigan State from Munn Ice Arena Jan. 23-24.
Game one of the series gets underway at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday live on B1G+ before the finale takes place Saturday at 5 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network and streaming on the Fox Sports app. Wally Shaver and Pat Micheletti will provide an audio broadcast of the entire series through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota dropped a pair of contests against No. 1 Michigan at 3M Arena at Mariucci, falling 5-1 Friday before a 3-2 overtime decision Saturday. The Gophers tied the opener on a first-period goal by Tanner Ludtke, but the Wolverines scored the final four goals to pull away. In Saturday's rematch, power-play tallies from Brodie Ziemer and Brody Lamb gave Minnesota a second-period lead, but Michigan answered late to force overtime and claimed the win on an unassisted goal.
ZIEMER KEEPS LIGHTING THE LAMP
Brodie Ziemer is operating at nearly a point-per-game pace, leading the Gophers with 22 points in 23 games, and his team-best eight power-play goals rank second nationally. The sophomore closed 2025 on a blistering run, lighting the lamp in six of the final seven outings with a pair of three-game goal streaks and piled up eight goals and 11 points across that stretch. The Chaska, Minn., native delivered back-to-back multi-goal efforts at Ohio State in December to earn B1G First Star honors (Dec. 9). Ziemer has continued that trend in 2026, finding the back of the net in each Saturday matchup for a career-best 14 goals, which ranks eighth in the country. After scoring the first goal of a game four times a year ago, he has matched that already this year, setting the tone by scoring the opener at Penn State (Jan. 10), in both matchups against Long Island (Nov. 14-15) and the season opener against Michigan Tech (Oct. 3).
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). Despite dropping both games against the top-ranked Wolverines last weekend, Di Pasquo made 92 saves and owned a .920 save percentage as he faced the most shots by a Gopher netminder since Jack LaFontaine finished with 93 saves at Penn State on Feb. 21-22, 2020.
LAMB KEEPS FEASTING
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been a driving force behind the Gophers' offense, ranking second on the team with 21 points on 10 goals and 11 assists. He reached double-digit goals for the third-straight season with the 15th power-play tally of his career last Saturday. 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 before adding his team-leading seventh multi-point effort of the season against Michigan (Jan. 17). 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 barely slowed down since, tallying three more multi-point performances to put up 10 points in the last 10 games. The West Mifflin, Pa., native has at least one point in 10 of 12 series played, totaling four goals and tying for the team lead with 14 assists, including 11 points on Minnesota's 16 total power-play goals where his vision and creativity are on full display.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Captain Luke Mittelstadt has opened his final season playing some of the best hockey of his career, putting up nine points over his last 12 appearances and is playing more than 26 minutes per game. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native is tied for the Gophers' lead with 13 assists, second in the B1G and 13th among all NCAA defensemen, with nine of those points coming while running the blue line on the man advantage. 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).
AN INSIDE LOOK AT MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans used a road sweep of No. 2 Wisconsin last weekend to switch places with the Badgers, moving back into second in the national polls. MSU has won six of its last seven games, including a title at the Great Lakes Invitational in late December, and sits in third place in the B1G standings. Behind double-digit goals from Charlie Stramel and Porter Martone, the team has a trio of players with more than 20 points as the Spartans' offense ranks eighth nationally at 3.6 goals per game. The key for MSU is the back end, led by All-American netminder Trey Augustine, to boast the NCAA's top scoring defense, allowing just 1.8 goals per game. Augustine is second in the country with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage, having not given up more than three goals in his last 10 starts.
HISTORY WITH THE SPARTANS
Minnesota has dominated the all-time series against Michigan State, holding a 136-53-19 (.700) record despite going 0-2-2 with a pair of shootout losses a year ago. The Gophers scored three goals in all four meetings but allowed a total of 20 goals in the season series between the two teams that shared the regular season B1G title. Four of the last eight meetings have gone into overtime, while Minnesota is 8-2-1 in the past 11 games played inside Munn Ice Arena dating back to January of 2020.
SPECIAL TEAMS ROLLERCOASTER
Special teams have played a defining role in Minnesota's highs and lows. After striking just four times in the first 13 games of the season, the power play has converted 12 times over their last 10 outings, including three goals versus Michigan last weekend. That has risen the Gophers to seventh nationally, but they remain just 67.7 percent on the penalty kill, ranking last in the NCAA in efficiency. Their 5-on-4 unit has surged for 12 goals in the last 28 chances with Brodie Ziemer potting six in that stretch. The margin is stark: when Minnesota keeps opponents off the board on the man advantage, it holds a 6-4-0 record, but the Gophers are just 2-10-1 when allowing a power-play goal. Historically, Minnesota has averaged 17.5 power-play goals against over the last four seasons, including a program-record low of 15 allowed in 2021-22. Through 23 games this year, the Gophers have already conceded 20.
ROAD CHALLENGES IN LEAGUE PLAY
Minnesota has struggled on the road in B1G play, going 1-5-0 through six away games and suffered sweeps at both No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 9 Penn State, including a shutout in each series. During that stretch, the Gophers have been outscored 25-16, with opponents converting 40 percent of their power-play chances to average 4.3 goals per game. Slow starts and possession have been key factors, as Minnesota has fallen behind in five of the six contests and won just 39.2 percent of faceoffs overall.
STREAK FINALLY SNAPPED
After more than 2,000 days without a shootout goal or victory, Minnesota ended both droughts against Boston College on Oct. 10 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.
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.
Game one of the series gets underway at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday live on B1G+ before the finale takes place Saturday at 5 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network and streaming on the Fox Sports app. Wally Shaver and Pat Micheletti will provide an audio broadcast of the entire series through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota dropped a pair of contests against No. 1 Michigan at 3M Arena at Mariucci, falling 5-1 Friday before a 3-2 overtime decision Saturday. The Gophers tied the opener on a first-period goal by Tanner Ludtke, but the Wolverines scored the final four goals to pull away. In Saturday's rematch, power-play tallies from Brodie Ziemer and Brody Lamb gave Minnesota a second-period lead, but Michigan answered late to force overtime and claimed the win on an unassisted goal.
ZIEMER KEEPS LIGHTING THE LAMP
Brodie Ziemer is operating at nearly a point-per-game pace, leading the Gophers with 22 points in 23 games, and his team-best eight power-play goals rank second nationally. The sophomore closed 2025 on a blistering run, lighting the lamp in six of the final seven outings with a pair of three-game goal streaks and piled up eight goals and 11 points across that stretch. The Chaska, Minn., native delivered back-to-back multi-goal efforts at Ohio State in December to earn B1G First Star honors (Dec. 9). Ziemer has continued that trend in 2026, finding the back of the net in each Saturday matchup for a career-best 14 goals, which ranks eighth in the country. After scoring the first goal of a game four times a year ago, he has matched that already this year, setting the tone by scoring the opener at Penn State (Jan. 10), in both matchups against Long Island (Nov. 14-15) and the season opener against Michigan Tech (Oct. 3).
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). Despite dropping both games against the top-ranked Wolverines last weekend, Di Pasquo made 92 saves and owned a .920 save percentage as he faced the most shots by a Gopher netminder since Jack LaFontaine finished with 93 saves at Penn State on Feb. 21-22, 2020.
LAMB KEEPS FEASTING
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been a driving force behind the Gophers' offense, ranking second on the team with 21 points on 10 goals and 11 assists. He reached double-digit goals for the third-straight season with the 15th power-play tally of his career last Saturday. 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 before adding his team-leading seventh multi-point effort of the season against Michigan (Jan. 17). 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 barely slowed down since, tallying three more multi-point performances to put up 10 points in the last 10 games. The West Mifflin, Pa., native has at least one point in 10 of 12 series played, totaling four goals and tying for the team lead with 14 assists, including 11 points on Minnesota's 16 total power-play goals where his vision and creativity are on full display.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Captain Luke Mittelstadt has opened his final season playing some of the best hockey of his career, putting up nine points over his last 12 appearances and is playing more than 26 minutes per game. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native is tied for the Gophers' lead with 13 assists, second in the B1G and 13th among all NCAA defensemen, with nine of those points coming while running the blue line on the man advantage. 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).
AN INSIDE LOOK AT MICHIGAN STATE
The Spartans used a road sweep of No. 2 Wisconsin last weekend to switch places with the Badgers, moving back into second in the national polls. MSU has won six of its last seven games, including a title at the Great Lakes Invitational in late December, and sits in third place in the B1G standings. Behind double-digit goals from Charlie Stramel and Porter Martone, the team has a trio of players with more than 20 points as the Spartans' offense ranks eighth nationally at 3.6 goals per game. The key for MSU is the back end, led by All-American netminder Trey Augustine, to boast the NCAA's top scoring defense, allowing just 1.8 goals per game. Augustine is second in the country with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage, having not given up more than three goals in his last 10 starts.
HISTORY WITH THE SPARTANS
Minnesota has dominated the all-time series against Michigan State, holding a 136-53-19 (.700) record despite going 0-2-2 with a pair of shootout losses a year ago. The Gophers scored three goals in all four meetings but allowed a total of 20 goals in the season series between the two teams that shared the regular season B1G title. Four of the last eight meetings have gone into overtime, while Minnesota is 8-2-1 in the past 11 games played inside Munn Ice Arena dating back to January of 2020.
SPECIAL TEAMS ROLLERCOASTER
Special teams have played a defining role in Minnesota's highs and lows. After striking just four times in the first 13 games of the season, the power play has converted 12 times over their last 10 outings, including three goals versus Michigan last weekend. That has risen the Gophers to seventh nationally, but they remain just 67.7 percent on the penalty kill, ranking last in the NCAA in efficiency. Their 5-on-4 unit has surged for 12 goals in the last 28 chances with Brodie Ziemer potting six in that stretch. The margin is stark: when Minnesota keeps opponents off the board on the man advantage, it holds a 6-4-0 record, but the Gophers are just 2-10-1 when allowing a power-play goal. Historically, Minnesota has averaged 17.5 power-play goals against over the last four seasons, including a program-record low of 15 allowed in 2021-22. Through 23 games this year, the Gophers have already conceded 20.
ROAD CHALLENGES IN LEAGUE PLAY
Minnesota has struggled on the road in B1G play, going 1-5-0 through six away games and suffered sweeps at both No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 9 Penn State, including a shutout in each series. During that stretch, the Gophers have been outscored 25-16, with opponents converting 40 percent of their power-play chances to average 4.3 goals per game. Slow starts and possession have been key factors, as Minnesota has fallen behind in five of the six contests and won just 39.2 percent of faceoffs overall.
STREAK FINALLY SNAPPED
After more than 2,000 days without a shootout goal or victory, Minnesota ended both droughts against Boston College on Oct. 10 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.
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.
Highlights: Gophers 2, MIchigan 3
Saturday, January 17
Highlights: Gophers 1, Michigan 5
Friday, January 16
Highlights: Gophers 2, Penn State 5
Saturday, January 10
Highlights: Gophers 0, Penn State 3
Friday, January 09