University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 4
3M Arena at Mariucci
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Penn State University
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Gophers Return to Big Ten Play, Host PSU
1/2/2019 2:50:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gopher Hockey program returns to Big Ten action to kick off 2019 with a two-game conference series against No. 9 Penn State at 3M Arena at Mariucci this weekend. Friday's opener is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU while the series finale is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. on FOX Sports North.
Against Penn State
Minnesota and Penn State will meet for the 24th and 25th time this weekend with the Golden Gophers holding a 14-9-0 all-time record against the Nittany Lions. The Maroon & Gold are 8-2-0 all-time at home against this weekend's opponent. Junior forward Rem Pitlick leads all active Gophers with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 11 career games against Penn State. In goal, Eric Schierhorn holds a 7-5-0 record against the Nittany Lions while Mat Robson is 0-3-0.
Introducing the GPS Line
Minnesota's top three scorers this year -- Rem Pitlick (17 points), Tyler Sheehy (14 points) and Brent Gates Jr. (12 points) -- have found success since jumping on the same line on Nov. 23. Sheehy and Pitlick have notched points in each of the eight games since then with both skaters tying their career-best point streak. Meanwhile, Gates has a goal in three-straight games and four of the last five contests.
Alumni Update: Thomas Vanek
Gopher Hockey alum Thomas Vanek will likely become the third former Minnesota skater to play in 1,000 regular-season NHL games this weekend, joining Neal Broten (1,099 games) and Mike Ramsey (1,070 games). Vanek, who led the Gophers in scoring in each of his two years with the program and helped Minnesota claim the 2003 NCAA title has played in 998 regular-season games as of Wednesday. He is already Minnesota's all-time leader in NHL regular-season goals with 363 while his 769 career NHL points rank second among 'U' alums -- trailing Neal Broten's 923.
Schierhorn Nears School Record
Senior goaltender Eric Schierhorn (2-4-0) picked up his 12th career shutout last month as the two-time Big Ten Goaltender of the Year claimed sole possession of third all-time at Minnesota (only Adam Wilcox and Kellen Briggs have more with 13 each). With a 57-45-4 career record, Schierhorn ranks tied for sixth in school history in wins and sixth in saves at 2,579. Last Saturday marked Schierhorn's 108th all-time appearance for the Maroon & Gold, tying him for fourth in program history with Alex Kangas, only Adam Hauser (151), Kellen Briggs (132) and Adam Wilcox (115) have played more games in goal at Minnesota.
Reedy Notches First Career Hat Trick
Sophomore forward Scott Reedy picked up his first first career hat trick with the Gophers (and his first three goals of the seaosn) last Friday in a 5-3 win over Ferris State. The hat trick is the first by a Maroon & Gold skater since Brannon McManus recorded his first career hat trick in a 6-3 over Penn State at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Oct. 15, 2017. Earlier in their playing careers, Reedy and McManus were roommates at Shattuck-St. Mary's.
The Pitlick Production
Junior forward Rem Pitlick currently leads the Maroon & Gold with 17 points, eight goals, nine assists and 56 shots on goal in 17 games this season after picking up a goal and two assists last weekend. The Nashville Predators prospect is currently riding an eight-game point streak (tied for his career long). Pitlick also has points in nine of the last 10 games, 11 of the last 13 and has not been held without a point in back-to-back games this season.
Mariucci Classic Returns in 2019-20
After a two-year hiatus, the Mariucci Classic will return to the Gopher Hockey schedule in 2019-20 with a new twist as for the first time in tournament history all four participating programs hail from the state of Minnesota. Joining the Gophers for the 27th edition of the Mariucci Classic will be Bemidji State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. The Mavericks and the Huskies will both be making their first appearances at the Mariucci Classic while the Beavers will be participating for the third time, having finished third in 2000-01 and winning the tournament in 2010-11. Next year's Mariucci Classic is scheduled for Dec. 28-29, 2019 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Matchups and other tournament details will be announced at a later date. With an all-time Mariucci Classic record of 36-13-3 dating back to the inaugural event in 1991-92, the Maroon & Gold have won 14 of the previous 26 tournament titles and stand as the defending Mariucci Classic champions after winning the event in 2016-17.
Sheehy Notches 50th Goal
Senior captain Tyler Sheehy is coming a memorable performance in Minnesota's 4-3 win over No. 15 Michigan to close out the first half on Dec. 8. Sheehy scored 55 seconds into the third period to tie the game in the eventual victory -- giving Minnesota it's first third-period rally of the year. Moreover, the goal marked Sheehy's 50th career tally -- making the senior the 60th player in Pride On Ice history to reach the mark and the first since Justin Kloos tallied 63 (2013-17). Sheehy leads all active Gophers with 122 points (50 goals, 72 assists) in 128 career games after picking up three assists last weekend.
Welcome Back, Bob!
After 13 years leading in-state rival St. Cloud State, Bob Motzko was named the head coach of the University of Minnesota on March 27, 2018. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko built a 276-192-49 record as head coach of the Huskies (282-199-53 overall record) following a four-year stint as assistant coach at Minnesota that saw the Maroon & Gold claim back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. Motzko has coached 17 All-Americans in his coaching career including Hobey Baker Award winners Jordan Leopold and Drew LeBlanc. In addition to his collegiate coaching, Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to back-to-back medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship -- capturing a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018.
Big Ten Preseason Information
Tyler Sheehy and Rem Pitlick represented the Maroon & Gold on the Big Ten Preseason Watch List while the Gophers were predicted to finish fourth in a competitive Big Ten during the 2018-19 campaign. The Big Ten's three Frozen Four participants last year landed poll rankings ahead of the Maroon & Gold with Ohio State projected to finish first, Michigan to finish second and Notre Dame to finish third. Behind the Gophers are Penn State in fifth, Wisconsin in sixth and Michigan State in seventh.
Minnesota Announces Captains for 2018-19
Four senior forwards will serve as leads for the University of Minnesota during the 2018-19 campaign with Tyler Sheehy and Brent Gates Jr. acting as captains for the Maroon & Gold while Jack Ramsey and Darian Romanko will act as assistant captains. Sheehy returns after serving as team captain as a junior last year while Gates, Ramsey and Romanko will wear letters for the first time as seniors. The four skaters continue a long tradition of Gopher Hockey captains dating back to the program's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Counting the new additions, 170 Gophers have worn a letter at the University of Minnesota in the program's 97-year history.
Gophers in the NHL Draft
Thirteen current Gophers have had their names called at the NHL Entry Draft including newcomers Robbie Stucker (2017, Columbus, Seventh Round, 210th), Sammy Walker (2017, Tampa Bay, Seventh Round, 200th), Blake McLaughlin (2018, Anaheim, Third Round, 79th) and Sampo Ranta (2018, Colorado, Third Round, 78th). Ranta and McLaughlin were selected with back-to-back picks in 2018 -- the sixth time in Gophers history that has happened. Ten NHL teams have prospects on the Gopher Hockey roster this year with Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Nashville each listing two draftees with Minnesota.
Mr. Hockey Goes to Minnesota
Incoming Gophers freshman Sammy Walker closed out his prep career by leading Edina High School to a third-place finish at the 2018 MSHSL Class AA State Tournament, earning all-tournament honors along with Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year accolades. Walker was also 34th recipient of the annual Mr. Hockey Award, given to the top senior high school boy's hockey player in the state of Minnesota. Of the 34 honorees in the award's history, 23 have gone on to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.
Against Penn State
Minnesota and Penn State will meet for the 24th and 25th time this weekend with the Golden Gophers holding a 14-9-0 all-time record against the Nittany Lions. The Maroon & Gold are 8-2-0 all-time at home against this weekend's opponent. Junior forward Rem Pitlick leads all active Gophers with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 11 career games against Penn State. In goal, Eric Schierhorn holds a 7-5-0 record against the Nittany Lions while Mat Robson is 0-3-0.
Introducing the GPS Line
Minnesota's top three scorers this year -- Rem Pitlick (17 points), Tyler Sheehy (14 points) and Brent Gates Jr. (12 points) -- have found success since jumping on the same line on Nov. 23. Sheehy and Pitlick have notched points in each of the eight games since then with both skaters tying their career-best point streak. Meanwhile, Gates has a goal in three-straight games and four of the last five contests.
Alumni Update: Thomas Vanek
Gopher Hockey alum Thomas Vanek will likely become the third former Minnesota skater to play in 1,000 regular-season NHL games this weekend, joining Neal Broten (1,099 games) and Mike Ramsey (1,070 games). Vanek, who led the Gophers in scoring in each of his two years with the program and helped Minnesota claim the 2003 NCAA title has played in 998 regular-season games as of Wednesday. He is already Minnesota's all-time leader in NHL regular-season goals with 363 while his 769 career NHL points rank second among 'U' alums -- trailing Neal Broten's 923.
Schierhorn Nears School Record
Senior goaltender Eric Schierhorn (2-4-0) picked up his 12th career shutout last month as the two-time Big Ten Goaltender of the Year claimed sole possession of third all-time at Minnesota (only Adam Wilcox and Kellen Briggs have more with 13 each). With a 57-45-4 career record, Schierhorn ranks tied for sixth in school history in wins and sixth in saves at 2,579. Last Saturday marked Schierhorn's 108th all-time appearance for the Maroon & Gold, tying him for fourth in program history with Alex Kangas, only Adam Hauser (151), Kellen Briggs (132) and Adam Wilcox (115) have played more games in goal at Minnesota.
.@GopherHockey's Scott Reedy was looking to register his first goal of the season when the puck dropped last Friday. By the end of the game, he had his first collegiate hat trick!
— Minnesota Gophers (@GopherSports) January 4, 2019
There's still time to get tickets to see what fun will happen tonight: https://t.co/2hBRgmyh8I pic.twitter.com/Xvn0l52WIz
Reedy Notches First Career Hat Trick
Sophomore forward Scott Reedy picked up his first first career hat trick with the Gophers (and his first three goals of the seaosn) last Friday in a 5-3 win over Ferris State. The hat trick is the first by a Maroon & Gold skater since Brannon McManus recorded his first career hat trick in a 6-3 over Penn State at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Oct. 15, 2017. Earlier in their playing careers, Reedy and McManus were roommates at Shattuck-St. Mary's.
The Pitlick Production
Junior forward Rem Pitlick currently leads the Maroon & Gold with 17 points, eight goals, nine assists and 56 shots on goal in 17 games this season after picking up a goal and two assists last weekend. The Nashville Predators prospect is currently riding an eight-game point streak (tied for his career long). Pitlick also has points in nine of the last 10 games, 11 of the last 13 and has not been held without a point in back-to-back games this season.
Mariucci Classic Returns in 2019-20
After a two-year hiatus, the Mariucci Classic will return to the Gopher Hockey schedule in 2019-20 with a new twist as for the first time in tournament history all four participating programs hail from the state of Minnesota. Joining the Gophers for the 27th edition of the Mariucci Classic will be Bemidji State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. The Mavericks and the Huskies will both be making their first appearances at the Mariucci Classic while the Beavers will be participating for the third time, having finished third in 2000-01 and winning the tournament in 2010-11. Next year's Mariucci Classic is scheduled for Dec. 28-29, 2019 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Matchups and other tournament details will be announced at a later date. With an all-time Mariucci Classic record of 36-13-3 dating back to the inaugural event in 1991-92, the Maroon & Gold have won 14 of the previous 26 tournament titles and stand as the defending Mariucci Classic champions after winning the event in 2016-17.
Sheehy Notches 50th Goal
Senior captain Tyler Sheehy is coming a memorable performance in Minnesota's 4-3 win over No. 15 Michigan to close out the first half on Dec. 8. Sheehy scored 55 seconds into the third period to tie the game in the eventual victory -- giving Minnesota it's first third-period rally of the year. Moreover, the goal marked Sheehy's 50th career tally -- making the senior the 60th player in Pride On Ice history to reach the mark and the first since Justin Kloos tallied 63 (2013-17). Sheehy leads all active Gophers with 122 points (50 goals, 72 assists) in 128 career games after picking up three assists last weekend.
Welcome Back, Bob!
After 13 years leading in-state rival St. Cloud State, Bob Motzko was named the head coach of the University of Minnesota on March 27, 2018. A native of Austin, Minn., Motzko built a 276-192-49 record as head coach of the Huskies (282-199-53 overall record) following a four-year stint as assistant coach at Minnesota that saw the Maroon & Gold claim back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003. Motzko has coached 17 All-Americans in his coaching career including Hobey Baker Award winners Jordan Leopold and Drew LeBlanc. In addition to his collegiate coaching, Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to back-to-back medals at the IIHF World Junior Championship -- capturing a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018.
Big Ten Preseason Information
Tyler Sheehy and Rem Pitlick represented the Maroon & Gold on the Big Ten Preseason Watch List while the Gophers were predicted to finish fourth in a competitive Big Ten during the 2018-19 campaign. The Big Ten's three Frozen Four participants last year landed poll rankings ahead of the Maroon & Gold with Ohio State projected to finish first, Michigan to finish second and Notre Dame to finish third. Behind the Gophers are Penn State in fifth, Wisconsin in sixth and Michigan State in seventh.
Minnesota Announces Captains for 2018-19
Four senior forwards will serve as leads for the University of Minnesota during the 2018-19 campaign with Tyler Sheehy and Brent Gates Jr. acting as captains for the Maroon & Gold while Jack Ramsey and Darian Romanko will act as assistant captains. Sheehy returns after serving as team captain as a junior last year while Gates, Ramsey and Romanko will wear letters for the first time as seniors. The four skaters continue a long tradition of Gopher Hockey captains dating back to the program's first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Counting the new additions, 170 Gophers have worn a letter at the University of Minnesota in the program's 97-year history.
Gophers in the NHL Draft
Thirteen current Gophers have had their names called at the NHL Entry Draft including newcomers Robbie Stucker (2017, Columbus, Seventh Round, 210th), Sammy Walker (2017, Tampa Bay, Seventh Round, 200th), Blake McLaughlin (2018, Anaheim, Third Round, 79th) and Sampo Ranta (2018, Colorado, Third Round, 78th). Ranta and McLaughlin were selected with back-to-back picks in 2018 -- the sixth time in Gophers history that has happened. Ten NHL teams have prospects on the Gopher Hockey roster this year with Anaheim, Tampa Bay and Nashville each listing two draftees with Minnesota.
Mr. Hockey Goes to Minnesota
Incoming Gophers freshman Sammy Walker closed out his prep career by leading Edina High School to a third-place finish at the 2018 MSHSL Class AA State Tournament, earning all-tournament honors along with Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year accolades. Walker was also 34th recipient of the annual Mr. Hockey Award, given to the top senior high school boy's hockey player in the state of Minnesota. Of the 34 honorees in the award's history, 23 have gone on to play college hockey at the University of Minnesota.
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