Gophers Host Badgers for Border Battle on Ice

MINNEAPOLIS - The fourth-ranked Minnesota men's hockey team hosts No. 17/18 Wisconsin at 3M Arena at Mariucci Jan. 31-Feb. 1 for a Border Battle in the penultimate home series of the regular season presented by Flint Hills Resources.

The action gets underway on Friday night at 7 p.m. and continues during Saturday's Gold Out beginning at 5 p.m. where all fans in attendance will receive a gold pom pom. A limited number of tickets remain for Friday, while the series finale on Saturday is sold out. Those looking to attend can visit SeatGeek, the official fan-to-fan ticket marketplace of Gopher Athletics.

Both games of the rivalry will be available live on FOX9 and streaming via B1G+, while an audio broadcast can be heard each night through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK with expanded coverage Friday on KFAN 100.3 FM.

PARKING ADVISORY (SATURDAY)
Fans have the option to purchase parking in advance. To purchase in advance, please click HERE. A limited number of valet parking passes are available for purchase HERE. Fans who arrive on campus without a parking pass should park in Gold, Ski-U-Mah, and Victory surface lots east of Huntington Bank Stadium or the Oak Street or Washington Avenue Ramps south of 3M Arena at Mariucci.

LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Gophers struggled on the road at No. 2 Michigan State and claimed only one point during the weekend series following a 3-3 tie Saturday night from Munn Ice Arena. Minnesota never held a lead against the first place Spartans but tied the score five different times over the course of two games. Jimmy Snuggerud paced the team with three goals and an assist, while Brodie Ziemer extended his scoring streak to all four career outings versus MSU behind a goal and a helper.

WATCH THE PRIDE ON ICE
Minnesota and FOX9 have partnered for a local television broadcast deal for the second-straight year that will air 16 home games and four road games during the 2024-25 campaign presented by Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union. This year's home broadcasts on FOX9 and FOX9+ will feature a 30-minute Pride on Ice Pre-Game Show presented by M Health Fairview as well as a post-game show recapping the action presented by RBC Wealth Management. This is in addition to the six games picked by the Big Ten Network and one airing on FS1 during the year. Check the schedule page on GopherSports.com for all the latest information and viewing options for every contest. Other FOX affiliates around the area have added Gopher hockey to their coverage with games available in Duluth (KQDS) and Fargo (KVRR) markets.

SNUGGERUD STOCK RISING
Jimmy Snuggerud was named the B1G First Star of the Week (Jan. 21) for the second time this season and sixth weekly award of his career behind a three-goal series versus Notre Dame. The junior scored twice in Friday's 5-2 victory and followed with another goal Saturday. He kept that trend going at Michigan State with three goals and a four-point weekend, extending his career-long goal streak to five games, recording the 60th goal of his career Saturday (Jan. 25) as the 38th player in program history to reach the milestone. He has put away 11 goals over his last 12 outings, remaining second in the NCAA scoring race with 37 points, while his 15 goals in 16 B1G outings this season are the most of any skater. After posting multiple points in each game at Wisconsin, he also claimed the B1G honor (Nov. 12). He capped the weekend with a backhand saucer pass to Brodie Ziemer for the overtime winner, which was the 50th assist of his career. Snuggerud has reached the scoresheet in 22 of 28 appearances this year with a team-best 13 multi-point outings. He posted 21 goals in each of his first two seasons and is one of just six Gophers to score 20 or more goals in back-to-back seasons since 2000.

HOBEY BAKER FAN VOTING CONTINUES
Sam Rinzel and Jimmy Snuggerud from the Maroon and Gold are two of more than 90 players representing all 64 NCAA Division I programs nominated for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The fan-voting portion began Jan. 22 and goes until Mar. 9 and can be found by going to hobeybaker.com/vote. Phase two of fan balloting will feature the Top Ten Hobey Baker finalists beginning Mar. 19 and closes Mar. 30. The fan vote accounts for a percentage of the total ballot in each phase in selecting this year's award recipient.

SHOWING OFF THE BALANCE
The Gophers have lit the lamp an NCAA-best 112 times this season, the only program with more than 100 goals, with 20 different players scoring after both Cal Thomas and Luke Mittelstadt joined the list versus the Fighting Irish in January. Minnesota's offensive depth in 2024-25 has shined through as its 298 points have come via 21 of their 22 total skaters, and one goaltender, including 13 players that have reached double-digit scoring, six with 20 or more points. The team has found the back of the net five or more times in 14 appearances and been held to fewer than three goals just five times. More importantly, the Gophers are putting in the work on the defensive end, holding the NCAA's fifth-best scoring margin at plus-1.57 as they have surrendered 68 goals all season, a 2.43 goals per game average.

WINNERS FROM EVERYONE
The Gophers offensive balance is showcased by the fact that 13 different skaters have accounted for their 19 game-winning goals. No one from the roster has scored more than two game winners as six are tied for the team lead. A year ago, only 10 Minnesota players recorded a winning goal in the team's 23 total victories.

MITTELSTADT BROTHERS SURGING
As he did last season, Luke Mittelstadt has increased his offensive production in the second half of the campaign and has eight points over his last eight outings, including both of his goals, to reach 16 points in 2024-25. He is averaging 0.75 points per game (21 points in 28 games) over the last two seasons after the calendar switched to a new year, while recording 0.39 points per game (15 points in 38 games) at the start of the year. Luke's 13 points in 16 league appearances ranks third in the B1G for defensemen scoring, one point behind the leaders. Meanwhile, his brother John scored his first goal of the season and second-career game-winning goal in a home win over Bemidji State (Nov. 14) that snapped a goal drought of 26 games. He added the first multi-point effort of his tenure with two assists at home versus Mercyhurst (Jan. 4) to extend his career-long scoring streak to three games and picked up another game winner versus Notre Dame (Jan. 17).

HISTORY WITH THE BADGERS
After sweeping the series in Madison back in November, Minnesota pushed its record to 186-103-25 in the all-time series versus Wisconsin and are 3-0-1 in the past four meetings. The Gophers are 101-34-10 in home games against the Badgers but are just 6-5-1 at 3M Arena at Mariucci under the guidance of head coach Bob Motzko. Jimmy Snuggerud and Brodie Ziemer combined for seven points during the road sweep and the team went 3-for-6 on the man advantage over the weekend.

INSIDE LOOK AT WISCONSIN
Unbeaten over their last four outings, the Badgers have climbed up the national polls and are currently ranked in the top 20 for the first time since late October. Wisconsin picked up four B1G points during a home series versus Michigan last weekend, snapping a three-game skid in league play. The team ranks 17th in the country for scoring offense, averaging 3.23 goals per game, thanks to 22 power-play tallies and holds the fourth-best faceoff win percentage at 54.9. Quinn Finley is second nationally behind 19 goals and his 34 points ranks third, while Ryland Mosley and Gavin Morrissey both have 28 points to bolster the Badgers' offense. Goaltender Tommy Scarfone has made 20 starts and posted a 2.36 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage with three shutouts.

SKATING IN 100
The current roster of Gophers is riddled with college hockey veterans as eight different players have all reached the century mark for career games played. Mike Koster and Mason Nevers led the way as they have appeared in 168 and 159 games with the Maroon and Gold, respectively, and are nearing the top 20 list in program history, while Aaron Huglen is close behind with 139 games to his credit. This season, five members of the junior class hit the milestone in the last month with two more less than 10 games away.

PÅHLSSON PICKS BACK UP
After missing nearly two months with an injury, Erik Påhlsson returned to the lineup to begin the 2025 calendar year and picked up right where he left off. The freshman had a career-high three points versus Mercyhurst (Jan. 3), including his first shorthanded tally. It was his first multi-point game with the Maroon and Gold and continued a run where he had seven points over a six-game stretch. Påhlsson added consecutive two-assist outings against Notre Dame (Jan. 18) and at Michigan State (Jan. 24), becoming the second Gophers' freshman to reach double-digit points as he has 13 in 18 career games.

BLUE LINE SCORING
With a combined 81 points from eight skaters along their blue line, the Gophers are getting an offensive boost from the defense in 2024-25. The defensive group in 2022-23 totaled 147 points on 30 goals and 117 assists, aided by three now-NHL skaters, and that number dipped to 83 points last season. Sam Rinzel (9) and Ryan Chesley (7) have both more than doubled their single-season high for goals and rank second and fourth among NCAA defensemen in goals, respectively. The duo has helped Minnesota surpass last season's nine-goal production, totaling 23 tallies as a group this year, including four of the team's seven goals at Ohio State.

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Players Mentioned

Ryan Chesley

Aaron Huglen

Mike Koster

Luke Mittelstadt

Mason Nevers

Sam Rinzel

Jimmy Snuggerud

Cal Thomas

Brodie Ziemer