University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, October 22
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
North Dakota
Photo by: Brad Rempel
10/21/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Sold out rivalry inside 3M Arena at Mariucci Oct. 22-23
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota men's hockey team begins a nine-game homestand Oct. 22-23 when it hosts the third-ranked Fighting Hawks of North Dakota for a sold-out series at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
The home opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday night live on FOX9 before the rivalry series closes Friday evening at 6 p.m. on FOX9+. Fans can tune into an audio broadcast each night through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM / AM-1130 KTLK and iHeartRadio.
HOMECOMING PARADE / TRAFFIC ADVISORY
The University of Minnesota will host its annual Homecoming Parade on Friday, Oct. 23. Due to the parade route, University Ave. will be closed to all traffic from approximately 6-8 p.m. Individuals attending the women's hockey game vs. Lindenwood at 3 p.m. and/or the men's hockey game vs. North Dakota at 6 p.m. are encouraged to plan accordingly and avoid the University Ave. road closure.
All individuals are encouraged to purchase parking passes in advance (BUY HERE). Fans arriving without a parking pass should utilize available parking at the Ski-U-Mah and Victory Lots or Oak Street Ramp.
OPENGATE AND NEW BAG POLICY AT 3M ARENA AT MARIUCCI
New this year, gate entrances will have a consistent security clearance across all Gopher facilities. Please see HERE for prohibited items with the updated bag policy. Additional game day information can be found HERE.
WOMEN'S HOCKEY TICKET OFFER
Fans are encouraged to arrive early on Friday night to avoid parking and traffic delays due to the homecoming parade. All fans with a Friday night men's hockey ticket vs. North Dakota can show their ticket for FREE Admission into the women's hockey game against Lindenwood beginning at 3 p.m.
WATCH THE PRIDE ON ICE
Minnesota and FOX9 are continuing their local television partnership for a fourth-straight year that will cover 15 home games across the regular season and exhibition schedule this season. Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union serves as the title sponsor for the TV coverage, while the home broadcasts on FOX9 and FOX9+ will again feature a 30-minute Pride on Ice Pre-Game Show presented by Fairview as well as a post-game show recapping the action presented by RBC Wealth Management. The Gophers will also have a mix of 10 home and road games broadcast on Big Ten Network as well as one on FS1 this season.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota dropped the series opener at No. 9 UMD Friday night, 7-1, before earning a shootout victory following a 2-2 tie Saturday at AMSOIL Arena. Jacob Kvasnicka scored his first collegiate goal in Friday's loss, but the Bulldogs capitalized on three power-play opportunities during a three-minute stretch of a major penalty in the second period. On Saturday, Brodie Ziemer scored twice in the second period, including a power-play tally, to erase a two-goal deficit and force overtime. Luca Di Pasquo made seven saves in the extra session to secure the tie. Wyatt Cullen and LJ Mooney each converted on their attempts to win the shootout over the in-state foe.
CAPTAIN ZIEMER BREAKS THROUGH
Coming off a career-high 23 goals in 2025-26, Gophers captain Brodie Ziemer scored his first goals of the 2026-27 season Saturday at Duluth, finding the back of the net twice in the second period, six minutes apart. His eighth career multi-goal game helped Minnesota erase a deficit against the top-10 Bulldogs. The Chaska, Minn., native now has two career multi-goal games at AMSOIL Arena and 37 goals wearing the Maroon and Gold.
CAPITALIZING WITH THE EXTRA MAN
Mason Moe put away the first power-play goal of his career in game two at Michigan Tech, scoring the team's first 5-on-4 goal of 2026-27. Brodie Ziemer put away the 13th power-play goal of his career to pull even with UMD in the second period last Saturday, which snapped a stretch of 21-straight penalties killed off by the Bulldogs to enter the season. Minnesota's power play is converting at a 26.5 percent rate this season (2-for-7), ranking 11th in the NCAA.
DEFENSE PROVIDING OFFENSE
The Gophers have scored only six times in their first four appearances with their defensemen helping drive play in five of the tucks, totaling six of the team's 17 points. Freshman Axel Löfgren picked up a helper in both games versus the Huskies, while fellow newcomer along the blue line, Evan Murr, has an assist in the final game of both series played. Löfgren and Murr sit tied with three other skaters for the scoring lead with two points. Tanner Henricks and Finn Loftus have also chipped in with helpers among Minnesota's defensemen.
NEW FACES, NEW HELPERS
Of the 11 total assists accumulated through two series in 2026-27, 10 have come from newcomers to the lineup. Freshman Brooks Cullen recorded a helper in two of his first three appearances before his brother secured the first point of his NCAA career on the man advantage at UMD on Saturday. Austin Burnevik also found his name on the scoresheet for the first time wearing the Maroon and Gold versus the Bulldogs. The other six assists were registered by Gopher defensemen as previously mentioned, while Beckett Hendrickson is the only returning player to tally an assist.
MURR, ZIEMER LAND USCS SPOTS
Minnesota newcomer Evan Murr was one of six players named to the initial 2026 U.S. Collegiate Selects Team earlier this month, while Brodie Ziemer was added to the roster last week. The two will represent the Gophers at the 2026 Spengler Cup this December at Eisstadion Davos in Davos, Switzerland. The USCS open play on Saturday, Dec. 26 against Frölunda HC of Sweden before facing host HC Davos on either Dec. 27 or Dec. 28. The USCS roster, which will feature 25 student-athletes from all six NCAA Division I conferences, will continue to be announced in the coming months.
HOMESTAND FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
Minnesota begins its longest single-season homestand in 3M Arena at Mariucci history Thursday against North Dakota, opening a nine-game stretch that runs through Nov. 27 against Minnesota State. The Gophers will look to capitalize on the extended home slate before closing out the 2026 portion of their schedule with two road series. Minnesota will not return to campus until Jan. 2, 2027, when it hosts Bemidji State in an exhibition. The nine-game homestand is the program's longest since a 10-game stretch at Williams Arena from Dec. 2, 1983, to Jan. 7, 1984.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT NORTH DAKOTA
The Fighting Hawks bring an unblemished 4-0-0 record to Dinkytown for the border rivalry and are coming off a series sweep of Bentley where they did not concede a goal after winning 5-0 both nights. UND's power play is operating at a 37.5 percent clip (6-for-16), which ranks third in the NCAA and its penalty kill is a perfect 9-for-9 on the year. The team is averaging more than four goals per game offensively with six players scoring multiple goals, while Will Zellers has a team-best six points, all of which came during the opening series against Bemidji State. Goaltenders Jan Spunar and Caleb Heil are both 2-0-0, but it was the freshman Heil that had an impressive college hockey start, posting back-to-back shutouts of the Falcons.
HISTORY WITH THE FIGHTING HAWKS
Minnesota holds a 152-138-16 (.523) record in the all-time series versus the rival Fighting Hawks, including an 80-54-8 (.592) mark in home games. The last four series played between the two teams have ended in a split with six of those eight meetings taking place in Grand Forks, N.D. The Gophers bounced back for a 5-1 road win to cap the weekend a season ago, handing Dane Jackson his first loss as UND's head coach. The Maroon and Gold scored four times in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and earn the split last October aided by a three-point performance from Brody Lamb and Luca Di Pasquo's 23-save effort. The last time the Fighting Hawks visited 3M Arena at Mariucci, the teams exchanged overtime wins, with Matthew Knies sealing the victory on Oct. 21, 2022.
The home opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday night live on FOX9 before the rivalry series closes Friday evening at 6 p.m. on FOX9+. Fans can tune into an audio broadcast each night through the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM / AM-1130 KTLK and iHeartRadio.
HOMECOMING PARADE / TRAFFIC ADVISORY
The University of Minnesota will host its annual Homecoming Parade on Friday, Oct. 23. Due to the parade route, University Ave. will be closed to all traffic from approximately 6-8 p.m. Individuals attending the women's hockey game vs. Lindenwood at 3 p.m. and/or the men's hockey game vs. North Dakota at 6 p.m. are encouraged to plan accordingly and avoid the University Ave. road closure.
All individuals are encouraged to purchase parking passes in advance (BUY HERE). Fans arriving without a parking pass should utilize available parking at the Ski-U-Mah and Victory Lots or Oak Street Ramp.
OPENGATE AND NEW BAG POLICY AT 3M ARENA AT MARIUCCI
New this year, gate entrances will have a consistent security clearance across all Gopher facilities. Please see HERE for prohibited items with the updated bag policy. Additional game day information can be found HERE.
WOMEN'S HOCKEY TICKET OFFER
Fans are encouraged to arrive early on Friday night to avoid parking and traffic delays due to the homecoming parade. All fans with a Friday night men's hockey ticket vs. North Dakota can show their ticket for FREE Admission into the women's hockey game against Lindenwood beginning at 3 p.m.
WATCH THE PRIDE ON ICE
Minnesota and FOX9 are continuing their local television partnership for a fourth-straight year that will cover 15 home games across the regular season and exhibition schedule this season. Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union serves as the title sponsor for the TV coverage, while the home broadcasts on FOX9 and FOX9+ will again feature a 30-minute Pride on Ice Pre-Game Show presented by Fairview as well as a post-game show recapping the action presented by RBC Wealth Management. The Gophers will also have a mix of 10 home and road games broadcast on Big Ten Network as well as one on FS1 this season.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota dropped the series opener at No. 9 UMD Friday night, 7-1, before earning a shootout victory following a 2-2 tie Saturday at AMSOIL Arena. Jacob Kvasnicka scored his first collegiate goal in Friday's loss, but the Bulldogs capitalized on three power-play opportunities during a three-minute stretch of a major penalty in the second period. On Saturday, Brodie Ziemer scored twice in the second period, including a power-play tally, to erase a two-goal deficit and force overtime. Luca Di Pasquo made seven saves in the extra session to secure the tie. Wyatt Cullen and LJ Mooney each converted on their attempts to win the shootout over the in-state foe.
CAPTAIN ZIEMER BREAKS THROUGH
Coming off a career-high 23 goals in 2025-26, Gophers captain Brodie Ziemer scored his first goals of the 2026-27 season Saturday at Duluth, finding the back of the net twice in the second period, six minutes apart. His eighth career multi-goal game helped Minnesota erase a deficit against the top-10 Bulldogs. The Chaska, Minn., native now has two career multi-goal games at AMSOIL Arena and 37 goals wearing the Maroon and Gold.
CAPITALIZING WITH THE EXTRA MAN
Mason Moe put away the first power-play goal of his career in game two at Michigan Tech, scoring the team's first 5-on-4 goal of 2026-27. Brodie Ziemer put away the 13th power-play goal of his career to pull even with UMD in the second period last Saturday, which snapped a stretch of 21-straight penalties killed off by the Bulldogs to enter the season. Minnesota's power play is converting at a 26.5 percent rate this season (2-for-7), ranking 11th in the NCAA.
DEFENSE PROVIDING OFFENSE
The Gophers have scored only six times in their first four appearances with their defensemen helping drive play in five of the tucks, totaling six of the team's 17 points. Freshman Axel Löfgren picked up a helper in both games versus the Huskies, while fellow newcomer along the blue line, Evan Murr, has an assist in the final game of both series played. Löfgren and Murr sit tied with three other skaters for the scoring lead with two points. Tanner Henricks and Finn Loftus have also chipped in with helpers among Minnesota's defensemen.
NEW FACES, NEW HELPERS
Of the 11 total assists accumulated through two series in 2026-27, 10 have come from newcomers to the lineup. Freshman Brooks Cullen recorded a helper in two of his first three appearances before his brother secured the first point of his NCAA career on the man advantage at UMD on Saturday. Austin Burnevik also found his name on the scoresheet for the first time wearing the Maroon and Gold versus the Bulldogs. The other six assists were registered by Gopher defensemen as previously mentioned, while Beckett Hendrickson is the only returning player to tally an assist.
MURR, ZIEMER LAND USCS SPOTS
Minnesota newcomer Evan Murr was one of six players named to the initial 2026 U.S. Collegiate Selects Team earlier this month, while Brodie Ziemer was added to the roster last week. The two will represent the Gophers at the 2026 Spengler Cup this December at Eisstadion Davos in Davos, Switzerland. The USCS open play on Saturday, Dec. 26 against Frölunda HC of Sweden before facing host HC Davos on either Dec. 27 or Dec. 28. The USCS roster, which will feature 25 student-athletes from all six NCAA Division I conferences, will continue to be announced in the coming months.
HOMESTAND FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
Minnesota begins its longest single-season homestand in 3M Arena at Mariucci history Thursday against North Dakota, opening a nine-game stretch that runs through Nov. 27 against Minnesota State. The Gophers will look to capitalize on the extended home slate before closing out the 2026 portion of their schedule with two road series. Minnesota will not return to campus until Jan. 2, 2027, when it hosts Bemidji State in an exhibition. The nine-game homestand is the program's longest since a 10-game stretch at Williams Arena from Dec. 2, 1983, to Jan. 7, 1984.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT NORTH DAKOTA
The Fighting Hawks bring an unblemished 4-0-0 record to Dinkytown for the border rivalry and are coming off a series sweep of Bentley where they did not concede a goal after winning 5-0 both nights. UND's power play is operating at a 37.5 percent clip (6-for-16), which ranks third in the NCAA and its penalty kill is a perfect 9-for-9 on the year. The team is averaging more than four goals per game offensively with six players scoring multiple goals, while Will Zellers has a team-best six points, all of which came during the opening series against Bemidji State. Goaltenders Jan Spunar and Caleb Heil are both 2-0-0, but it was the freshman Heil that had an impressive college hockey start, posting back-to-back shutouts of the Falcons.
HISTORY WITH THE FIGHTING HAWKS
Minnesota holds a 152-138-16 (.523) record in the all-time series versus the rival Fighting Hawks, including an 80-54-8 (.592) mark in home games. The last four series played between the two teams have ended in a split with six of those eight meetings taking place in Grand Forks, N.D. The Gophers bounced back for a 5-1 road win to cap the weekend a season ago, handing Dane Jackson his first loss as UND's head coach. The Maroon and Gold scored four times in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and earn the split last October aided by a three-point performance from Brody Lamb and Luca Di Pasquo's 23-save effort. The last time the Fighting Hawks visited 3M Arena at Mariucci, the teams exchanged overtime wins, with Matthew Knies sealing the victory on Oct. 21, 2022.
Players Mentioned
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Goaltender
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Forward
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Defense
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Defense
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Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
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Forward
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