University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, January 13
3M Arena at Mariucci
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
12-6-4
4
vs
1
Robert Morris
6-15-3
1
2
3
F
Robert Morris
0
1
0
1
Minnesota
1
2
1
4
Team Stats
RMU
MIN
Shots
17
44
PPG
0
1
SHG
0
0
Penalties
5
1
Penalty Mins
10
2
Faceoffs Won
18
30
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
1
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
2
+/-
1
Goals
0
Sh
1
A
2
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
9
A
0
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
5
A
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Bjorn Franke
'U' Secures Sweep of Colonials Saturday
1/13/2024 8:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Koster net first-career game winner
MINNEAPOLIS - Mason Nevers and Mike Koster each scored their first goal of the season Saturday and the No. 12/11 Golden Gophers men's hockey team secured a series sweep over Robert Morris, winning 4-1 inside 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Minnesota (12-6-4 overall) won its third-straight game in the non-conference finale versus the Colonials (6-18-3 overall), getting multi-point efforts from Connor Kurth and Oliver Moore. In total, nine different players recorded a point for the Maroon and Gold, while goaltender Justen Close made 16 saves in the victory.
After the Gophers tested the RMU netminder early, Jimmy Clark drew a power play three minutes into the action and the home side's chance was erased. A pass by Moore from behind the net to an open Jimmy Snuggerud nearly got the scoring started in the middle of the frame but the Colonials' goaltender was able to hold the puck under his pad. The next shift, Bryce Brodzinski picked off an errant pass and found Nevers, who buried his chance for a 1-0 edge at the 9:37 mark. The lead remained one at the end of the first period and the teams were assessed matching minors before exiting the ice.
Skating 4-on-4 to begin the second stanza, Minnesota took the initiative and generated offensive zone time until the penalties expired. RMU found space in the neutral zone and pressured Close's net, where the graduate student made a pair of clutch saves to maintain the advantage. He added a breakaway save via a shorthanded chance from the visitors before Mike Koster controlled the play at the other end and rushed the net. The senior flipped the puck high over the blocker for a power-play tally 4:53 into the period and the Maroon and Gold doubled the margin to 2-0.
Over the next three minutes, the Gophers thought they scored twice, both times off the stick of Aaron Huglen, only to have each waved off by the officials. The second time, a bench challenge proved successful as the goalie interference call was overturned, giving the home side a three-goal cushion. Kurth set up the play with a perfect, cross-ice feed to the junior, who slipped a shot between the pads 11 seconds past the game's midpoint. The Colonials got on the scoreboard in the final five minutes of the frame, scoring on a 3-on-1 break that began when a Minnesota shot went wide of the net, allowing a quick breakout and the odd-man rush.
Both teams generated chances to begin the third period and skated without a whistle for nearly seven minutes. The Gophers kept on the attack and stretched their advantage to 4-1 at the 8:23 mark thanks to a snipe from Snuggerud. Moore started the play by forcing an RMU turnover and pushed a pass to Rhett Pitlick, who threaded a saucer pass between two Colonials and on the tape of Snuggerud at the right circle. The sophomore wired a shot off the left post and in for his 17th goal of the year.
Minnesota held off the visitors the rest of the evening, securing its second sweep this season and first since opening weekend against St. Thomas (Oct. 13-14).
Noteworthy
Nevers celebrated his first goal of the year by ripping the monkey off his back as the senior snapped a 20-game streak without a goal, dating back to March 23, 2023, in the NCAA Fargo Regional versus Canisius ... Brodzinski tallied his third point of the weekend and second assist as the fifth-year senior now has 22 points this season ... Koster joined his fellow senior Nevers in scoring his first goal of 2023-24 and fifth career goal on the power play, while it was the first game-winning goal as a Gopher ... Kurth picked up his 14th point this year, 10th assist, thanks to the fourth multi-point game of his career ... Moore increased his point total to 17 with his 14th assist and the freshman has five points in the last three contests after his fourth multi-point performance ... Huglen's goal was his fourth of the year and he now has a point in four of the previous six outings ... Rinzel tallied his fourth assist of the weekend and stretched his team-leading total to 17 as the freshman has seven helpers in the last three games ... Snuggerud put away his 17th goal of the season and extended his point streak to four games with at least one point in seven of the last eight contests ... Pitlick remains one point behind Snuggerud for the team lead as the junior has 23 with an assist Saturday ... The Gophers did not allow RMU a single power-play chance the entire night.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"That was one of the better games we've played start to finish," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "I liked our energy throughout the whole lineup. We just had the one mistake where they scored and then I really liked our third period."
Next Up: Home vs. Ohio State (Jan. 19-20)
Minnesota returns to Big Ten Conference play when it hosts Ohio State for a two-game series at 3M Arena at Mariucci Jan. 19-20.
Minnesota (12-6-4 overall) won its third-straight game in the non-conference finale versus the Colonials (6-18-3 overall), getting multi-point efforts from Connor Kurth and Oliver Moore. In total, nine different players recorded a point for the Maroon and Gold, while goaltender Justen Close made 16 saves in the victory.
After the Gophers tested the RMU netminder early, Jimmy Clark drew a power play three minutes into the action and the home side's chance was erased. A pass by Moore from behind the net to an open Jimmy Snuggerud nearly got the scoring started in the middle of the frame but the Colonials' goaltender was able to hold the puck under his pad. The next shift, Bryce Brodzinski picked off an errant pass and found Nevers, who buried his chance for a 1-0 edge at the 9:37 mark. The lead remained one at the end of the first period and the teams were assessed matching minors before exiting the ice.
Skating 4-on-4 to begin the second stanza, Minnesota took the initiative and generated offensive zone time until the penalties expired. RMU found space in the neutral zone and pressured Close's net, where the graduate student made a pair of clutch saves to maintain the advantage. He added a breakaway save via a shorthanded chance from the visitors before Mike Koster controlled the play at the other end and rushed the net. The senior flipped the puck high over the blocker for a power-play tally 4:53 into the period and the Maroon and Gold doubled the margin to 2-0.
Over the next three minutes, the Gophers thought they scored twice, both times off the stick of Aaron Huglen, only to have each waved off by the officials. The second time, a bench challenge proved successful as the goalie interference call was overturned, giving the home side a three-goal cushion. Kurth set up the play with a perfect, cross-ice feed to the junior, who slipped a shot between the pads 11 seconds past the game's midpoint. The Colonials got on the scoreboard in the final five minutes of the frame, scoring on a 3-on-1 break that began when a Minnesota shot went wide of the net, allowing a quick breakout and the odd-man rush.
Both teams generated chances to begin the third period and skated without a whistle for nearly seven minutes. The Gophers kept on the attack and stretched their advantage to 4-1 at the 8:23 mark thanks to a snipe from Snuggerud. Moore started the play by forcing an RMU turnover and pushed a pass to Rhett Pitlick, who threaded a saucer pass between two Colonials and on the tape of Snuggerud at the right circle. The sophomore wired a shot off the left post and in for his 17th goal of the year.
Minnesota held off the visitors the rest of the evening, securing its second sweep this season and first since opening weekend against St. Thomas (Oct. 13-14).
Noteworthy
Nevers celebrated his first goal of the year by ripping the monkey off his back as the senior snapped a 20-game streak without a goal, dating back to March 23, 2023, in the NCAA Fargo Regional versus Canisius ... Brodzinski tallied his third point of the weekend and second assist as the fifth-year senior now has 22 points this season ... Koster joined his fellow senior Nevers in scoring his first goal of 2023-24 and fifth career goal on the power play, while it was the first game-winning goal as a Gopher ... Kurth picked up his 14th point this year, 10th assist, thanks to the fourth multi-point game of his career ... Moore increased his point total to 17 with his 14th assist and the freshman has five points in the last three contests after his fourth multi-point performance ... Huglen's goal was his fourth of the year and he now has a point in four of the previous six outings ... Rinzel tallied his fourth assist of the weekend and stretched his team-leading total to 17 as the freshman has seven helpers in the last three games ... Snuggerud put away his 17th goal of the season and extended his point streak to four games with at least one point in seven of the last eight contests ... Pitlick remains one point behind Snuggerud for the team lead as the junior has 23 with an assist Saturday ... The Gophers did not allow RMU a single power-play chance the entire night.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"That was one of the better games we've played start to finish," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "I liked our energy throughout the whole lineup. We just had the one mistake where they scored and then I really liked our third period."
Next Up: Home vs. Ohio State (Jan. 19-20)
Minnesota returns to Big Ten Conference play when it hosts Ohio State for a two-game series at 3M Arena at Mariucci Jan. 19-20.
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