University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, January 24
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Ohio State
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Photo by: Craig Lassig
Minnesota Hosts OSU in Return to B1G Play
1/22/2020 4:38:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gopher Hockey program returns to Big Ten play this weekend, hosting No. 6 Ohio State for a two-game conference series at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The action kicks off on Friday, Jan. 24 at 7:05 p.m. CT (TV: FOX Sports North PLUS, TSN; Stream: FOX Sports Go, TSN App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM) before the series finale on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:31 p.m. CT (TV: Big Ten Network; Stream: FOX Sports App; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).
DOUG WOOG NIGHT SET FOR JAN. 25
The University of Minnesota lost a legend as Doug Woog passed away on Dec. 14, 2019 at the age of 75. A First Team All-American and captain for the Gophers, Woog returned to the University of Minnesota as head coach in 1985 and led the Maroon & Gold for 14 years including a then-program record of 388 wins. To honor Woog, the Gophers will wear commemorative patches for the remainder of the season and will also host Doug Woog Night on Jan. 25 with members of the Woog family and Gopher Hockey alumni on hand to celebrate Woog's legacy. The Maroon & Gold will wear special gold "Wooger" jerseys on Saturday while Minnesota will also hand out 2,000 commemorative rally towels to fans in attendance.
AGAINST THE BUCKEYES
Minnesota enters the weekend with a 29-8-5 all-time record against Ohio State including a 15-2-3 mark on home ice against this weekend's opponent. The last eight games (and nine of the last 10 meetings) of the rivalry have either ended in a tie or been decided by one goal -- six of the last 10 games have gone to overtime. Sophomore Sammy Walker is Minnesota's active leading scorer against the Buckeyes with five points (all assists) in six career games against Ohio State.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Senior forward Joey Marooney will see a familiar face when the Gophers take on Ohio State this weekend -- his younger brother, James, is a freshman for the Buckeyes. The pair also had an older brother, Cody, who played at Alabama-Huntsville. Marooney is one of five active Gophers with a brother who plays or played Division I college hockey, joining Tyler Nanne (brother, Lou, played at RPI), Jack Perbix (brother, Nick, plays at SCSU), Bryce Brodzinski (brother, Easton, plays for SCSU; brother, Michael, played for Minnesota; brother, Jonny, played for SCSU) and Blake McLaughlin (stepbrother, Jake Bischoff, played for Minnesota).
DECADE REWIND
The University of Minnesota closed out the decade with a 218-138-35 record while recording a pair of NCAA Frozen Four appearances. The Maroon & Gold also set a new NCAA record with six-straight regular-season conference championships during the decade.
MOTZKO HITS MILESTONE
Bob Motzko earned his 300th career win on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019 (302-218-56 including a 26-26-7 mark with the Gophers). Motzko is the third head coach with ties to Gopher Hockey to reach the 300-win mark, joining his predecessors in Don Lucia (736 career wins, 457 at Minnesota) and Doug Woog (388 career wins, all at Minnesota).
TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM
The Maroon & Gold currently lead the Big Ten and rank fourth nationally in blocked shots with 330 on the year. Senior defensemen Ryan Zuhlsdorf (40) and Tyler Nanne (39) lead Minnesota individually.
RANTA/FINLAND FINISH FOURTH AT WJC
Sophomore Sampo Ranta helped Team Finland to a fourth-place showing at the World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trince, Czech Republic. Ranta is the second Gopher to represent Finland at the tournament following Erik Haula in 2011 while Minnesota has been represented at the event in 41 of 44 tournaments dating back to the inaugural event in 1977.
TWO HIGH SCHOOL GREATS IN ONE CLASS
Two Gopher Hockey freshmen forwards may have flown under the radar compared to Mr. Hockey Award winners, NHL prospects and state champions, but both Jaxon Nelson and Ben Meyers rank among the top-10 all-time scorers in Minnesota high school hockey history. Nelson currently ranks fifth in state history with 290 career points while playing for Luverne High School, and Meyers currently ranks eighth in state history with 278 career points while playing for Delano High School. Nelson also holds the state high school record with 78 goals during the 2015-16 season.
NANNE, WALKER NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior defenseman Tyler Nanne and sophomore forward Sammy Walker have been voted to serve as team captains for the Gophers for the 2019-20 season. The pair are the 171st and 172nd players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Nanne, the first third-generation player in Pride on Ice history, is also the second Gophers captain in his family following his grandfather -- All-American Lou Nanne -- in 1962-63.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The University of Minnesota will field both the youngest team in college hockey (average age of 20 years, 240 days) and the biggest team in college hockey (average weight of 193.89 pounds) this season. The Maroon & Gold will also be the eighth tallest team in college hockey this year (average height of 6-00.67). All statistics are as of Oct. 1, 2019.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS ON TV
The University of Minnesota once again boasts college hockey's best television broadcast schedule with 31 of 34 regular-season games available in the Minnesota/Twin Cities market. FOX Sports North leads the way in Gopher Hockey coverage with 19 games scheduled to be broadcast on the network while the Big Ten Network will currently air 10 Minnesota contests in 2019-20. FOX9+ will pick up the Gophers' road game at Minnesota Duluth while NBC Sports will broadcast the series opener at Notre Dame. Visit GopherSports.com to view the complete and up-to-date Gopher Hockey schedule.
GOPHER HOCKEY SEASON NOTES
Fourteen Gophers on the 2019-20 roster have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first rounder and incoming freshman defenseman Ryan Johnson (31st overall by Buffalo). Johnson, whose father Craig also played for the Gophers before an NHL career, is the 21st Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round...freshman forward Bryce Brodzinski was also drafted in 2019, part of an eventful offseason that included being named the 2018-19 All-USA Boys Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Mr. Hockey Award. The 35th Mr. Hockey Award recipient, Brodzinski is the 24th Gopher Hockey prospect to win the honor...the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved a renovation project for 3M Arena at Mariucci with over 11,000 square feet of team space impacted including a state-of-the-art weight room, a new 'M' Club alumni room and a remodeled office suite. The project is anticipated to begin in late 2019...former Gopher Hockey assistant coach Jack Blatherwick was honored with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. on Dec. 12 as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Celebration.
DOUG WOOG NIGHT SET FOR JAN. 25
The University of Minnesota lost a legend as Doug Woog passed away on Dec. 14, 2019 at the age of 75. A First Team All-American and captain for the Gophers, Woog returned to the University of Minnesota as head coach in 1985 and led the Maroon & Gold for 14 years including a then-program record of 388 wins. To honor Woog, the Gophers will wear commemorative patches for the remainder of the season and will also host Doug Woog Night on Jan. 25 with members of the Woog family and Gopher Hockey alumni on hand to celebrate Woog's legacy. The Maroon & Gold will wear special gold "Wooger" jerseys on Saturday while Minnesota will also hand out 2,000 commemorative rally towels to fans in attendance.
AGAINST THE BUCKEYES
Minnesota enters the weekend with a 29-8-5 all-time record against Ohio State including a 15-2-3 mark on home ice against this weekend's opponent. The last eight games (and nine of the last 10 meetings) of the rivalry have either ended in a tie or been decided by one goal -- six of the last 10 games have gone to overtime. Sophomore Sammy Walker is Minnesota's active leading scorer against the Buckeyes with five points (all assists) in six career games against Ohio State.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Senior forward Joey Marooney will see a familiar face when the Gophers take on Ohio State this weekend -- his younger brother, James, is a freshman for the Buckeyes. The pair also had an older brother, Cody, who played at Alabama-Huntsville. Marooney is one of five active Gophers with a brother who plays or played Division I college hockey, joining Tyler Nanne (brother, Lou, played at RPI), Jack Perbix (brother, Nick, plays at SCSU), Bryce Brodzinski (brother, Easton, plays for SCSU; brother, Michael, played for Minnesota; brother, Jonny, played for SCSU) and Blake McLaughlin (stepbrother, Jake Bischoff, played for Minnesota).
DECADE REWIND
The University of Minnesota closed out the decade with a 218-138-35 record while recording a pair of NCAA Frozen Four appearances. The Maroon & Gold also set a new NCAA record with six-straight regular-season conference championships during the decade.
MOTZKO HITS MILESTONE
Bob Motzko earned his 300th career win on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019 (302-218-56 including a 26-26-7 mark with the Gophers). Motzko is the third head coach with ties to Gopher Hockey to reach the 300-win mark, joining his predecessors in Don Lucia (736 career wins, 457 at Minnesota) and Doug Woog (388 career wins, all at Minnesota).
TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM
The Maroon & Gold currently lead the Big Ten and rank fourth nationally in blocked shots with 330 on the year. Senior defensemen Ryan Zuhlsdorf (40) and Tyler Nanne (39) lead Minnesota individually.
RANTA/FINLAND FINISH FOURTH AT WJC
Sophomore Sampo Ranta helped Team Finland to a fourth-place showing at the World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trince, Czech Republic. Ranta is the second Gopher to represent Finland at the tournament following Erik Haula in 2011 while Minnesota has been represented at the event in 41 of 44 tournaments dating back to the inaugural event in 1977.
TWO HIGH SCHOOL GREATS IN ONE CLASS
Two Gopher Hockey freshmen forwards may have flown under the radar compared to Mr. Hockey Award winners, NHL prospects and state champions, but both Jaxon Nelson and Ben Meyers rank among the top-10 all-time scorers in Minnesota high school hockey history. Nelson currently ranks fifth in state history with 290 career points while playing for Luverne High School, and Meyers currently ranks eighth in state history with 278 career points while playing for Delano High School. Nelson also holds the state high school record with 78 goals during the 2015-16 season.
NANNE, WALKER NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Senior defenseman Tyler Nanne and sophomore forward Sammy Walker have been voted to serve as team captains for the Gophers for the 2019-20 season. The pair are the 171st and 172nd players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Nanne, the first third-generation player in Pride on Ice history, is also the second Gophers captain in his family following his grandfather -- All-American Lou Nanne -- in 1962-63.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The University of Minnesota will field both the youngest team in college hockey (average age of 20 years, 240 days) and the biggest team in college hockey (average weight of 193.89 pounds) this season. The Maroon & Gold will also be the eighth tallest team in college hockey this year (average height of 6-00.67). All statistics are as of Oct. 1, 2019.
FOLLOW THE GOPHERS ON TV
The University of Minnesota once again boasts college hockey's best television broadcast schedule with 31 of 34 regular-season games available in the Minnesota/Twin Cities market. FOX Sports North leads the way in Gopher Hockey coverage with 19 games scheduled to be broadcast on the network while the Big Ten Network will currently air 10 Minnesota contests in 2019-20. FOX9+ will pick up the Gophers' road game at Minnesota Duluth while NBC Sports will broadcast the series opener at Notre Dame. Visit GopherSports.com to view the complete and up-to-date Gopher Hockey schedule.
GOPHER HOCKEY SEASON NOTES
Fourteen Gophers on the 2019-20 roster have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first rounder and incoming freshman defenseman Ryan Johnson (31st overall by Buffalo). Johnson, whose father Craig also played for the Gophers before an NHL career, is the 21st Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round...freshman forward Bryce Brodzinski was also drafted in 2019, part of an eventful offseason that included being named the 2018-19 All-USA Boys Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Mr. Hockey Award. The 35th Mr. Hockey Award recipient, Brodzinski is the 24th Gopher Hockey prospect to win the honor...the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved a renovation project for 3M Arena at Mariucci with over 11,000 square feet of team space impacted including a state-of-the-art weight room, a new 'M' Club alumni room and a remodeled office suite. The project is anticipated to begin in late 2019...former Gopher Hockey assistant coach Jack Blatherwick was honored with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. on Dec. 12 as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Celebration.
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