University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
1-0-0, 1-0-0-0
Penn State
0-1-0, 0-1-0-0
Minnesota Opens 100th Campaign with 4-1 Win
11/19/2020 10:35:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 11 Gopher Men's Hockey program opened the program's 100th season with a 4-1 win over No. 10/9 Penn State on Thursday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Jonny Sorenson, Scott Reedy, Cullen Munson and Sampo Ranta scored for the Maroon & Gold while Jack LaFontaine made 26 saves on 27 shots to pick up the win in the season opener. Matt Staudacher added a pair of assists for his first career multi-point game while Mason Nevers picked up the first freshman point of the year with an assist.
After waiting 256 days between the sudden end of the 2019-20 season and the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Minnesota (1-0-0 overall, 1-0-0-0 Big Ten) jumped out to a two-goal lead in the second period with goals from Sorenson and Reedy. Penn State (0-1-0, 0-1-0-0) brought it back to one at the end of the second but the Maroon & Gold added two more in the third period from Munson and Ranta.
The Gophers outshot their opponent 28-27 on the night while winning 37-of-55 faceoffs – highlighted by Ben Meyers winning 11 out of 14 draws.
Minnesota and Penn State close out the first series of the season on Friday, Nov. 20 at 3:00 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.
Quotes from Coach Motzko
"Great first game for us…just to get a win and have that feeling in the locker room. Jack LaFontaine was great tonight," Gophers head coach Bob Motzko said. "I'm proud of our guys tonight."
Noteworthy
Every senior skater on the ice last night for Minnesota contributed a point towards the win…Behind a career-high seven shots on goal from Scott Reedy, the Gophers are 13-3-3 when he finds the scoresheet (15-7-3 all-time)…Staudacher's two assists marked the defenseman's first career multi-point game and snapped an eight-game point drought…After being held without a point in his first two seasons (three games played), Munson now has two goals in his last three games dating back to last season…LaFontaine has now started 10-straight games for Minnesota and has allowed two goals or fewer in his last six starts. Last night's win puts the senior on a three-game winning streak…Minnesota will attempt to earn a sweep in the home-opening series for the second-straight year after taking two games from Niagara last year (3-2 overtime win on Oct. 18, 2019, 4-2 win on Oct. 19, 2019)…After last night's win, the Gophers have opened the season at home 52 times (31-21-0) while the Maroon & Gold are 61-37-2 in 100 home openers and 18-8-2 in home openers at 3M Arena at Mariucci...Bob Motzko is 3-0-0 in home openers as head coach of the Gophers...Minnesota is 6-1-1 in Big Ten openers and 4-1-1 in Big Ten home openers.
