University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, October 30
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Penn State
Photo by: Brady Paitrick
10/29/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Homestand rolls on with conference-opening series
MINNEAPOLIS - The 18th-ranked Golden Gophers men's hockey team opens Big Ten Conference play at 3M Arena at Mariucci this weekend when it hosts the Nittany Lions of Penn State for a two-game series Oct. 30-31.
The action gets started at 7 p.m. Friday night and continues Saturday evening at 6 p.m. with both games airing live on FOX9+ and streaming through B1G+. Audio coverage is also available for the entire series via the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM / AM-1130 KTLK and iHeartRadio.
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.
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 swept No. 3 North Dakota in its home-opening series at 3M Arena at Mariucci, earning a 5-3 victory Thursday before repeating the score Friday in front of sold-out crowds both nights. Christian Humphreys scored twice in Thursday's win as the Gophers erupted for four third-period goals, including the game winner, and Luca Di Pasquo made 21 saves to secure the first victory of the Brett Larson era. On Friday, freshman Wyatt Cullen delivered a hat trick and a four-point performance to bring the Maroon and Gold back from a 2-1 deficit, scoring twice in the third period to complete the sweep. Newcomer Melvin Strahl turned aside 42 shots, while the Gophers secured their first series sweep of the Fighting Hawks since 2011.
CULLEN'S HAT TRICK CLAIMS A B1G STAR
Following a breakout, four-point performance to secure the Gophers' sweep of the Fighting Hawks, freshman Wyatt Cullen was named the B1G First Star of the Week. The Moorhead, Minn., native put together a memorable Friday night, recording a hat trick and an assist. His hat trick was the first by a Minnesota player in nearly two years and he is the only freshman to score three goals in a college game this season. After being held to one point through his first five NCAA appearances, Cullen scored the first goal of his collegiate career on the power play to tie the game in the second period before adding an assist on the go-ahead tally five minutes later. He then scored twice in a four-minute span of the third period, with his second of the contest going down as the game-winning goal.
HUMPHREYS FINDS SCORING TOUCH
Making his home debut at 3M Arena at Mariucci over the weekend, Christian Humphreys quickly became a fan favorite by scoring his first three collegiate goals to help Minnesota sweep North Dakota. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native net his first NCAA tally during Thursday's home opener, giving the Gophers a 2-1 lead just two minutes into the third period. He added a power-play goal less than three minutes later for the eventual game-winner. Humphreys struck again Friday, burying the go-ahead goal in the second period to help secure the series sweep.
KVASNICKA ON THE RISE
Jacob Kvasnicka opened his NCAA scoring account with a goal on the road at Minnesota Duluth and has continued to make an impact offensively. The Wayzata, Minn., native found the back of the net again Thursday against UND before recording his first multi-point performance in a Maroon and Gold sweater with two assists Friday. The freshman has tallied four points over his first six collegiate games, putting him just one point shy of the team leaders.
CAPTAIN ZIEMER BREAKS THROUGH
Coming off a career-high 23 goals a season ago, Gophers captain Brodie Ziemer scored his first goals of 2026-27 in the series finale at Duluth, finding the back of the net twice in the second period. His eighth career multi-goal game helped Minnesota erase a deficit and earn a tie against the top-10 Bulldogs. His offense kept rolling last weekend versus UND where he tallied a goal and two assists, extending his current point streak to three games, while his five total points are tied for the team lead.
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, which snapped a stretch of 21-straight penalties killed off by the Bulldogs to enter the season. Minnesota's power play tacked on two more goals when it hosted UND, another team that held a perfect penalty kill entering the series against the Gophers. The Maroon and Gold went 2-for-7 in the series and is now converting at a 28.6 percent rate (4-for-14), ranking ninth in the NCAA.
NEW FACES, NEW HELPERS
Of the 28 total assists accumulated through three series in 2026-27, 19 came from newcomers to the lineup. From his spot on the blue line, Evan Murr has helped drive play to the tune of a team-leading four assists after his first multi-point outing of the year versus North Dakota last Thursday. Freshman Brooks Cullen has recorded a helper in all three series-opening contests, while Austin Burnevik's two-assist effort against North Dakota also pushed his assist total to three, one behind the team lead. Wyatt Cullen, Jacob Kvasnicka, Axel Löfgren, and Finn Loftus also have two assists each in six outings.
HOMESTAND FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
Minnesota continues its longest single-season homestand in 3M Arena at Mariucci history against Penn State during a nine-game stretch that runs from Oct. 22 through Nov. 27. 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 PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions were in a similar spot to the Gophers entering last weekend and delivered in a big way with a pair of wins over Canisius to snap a four-game losing streak to open the season. PSU picked up its first win of the year, 5-1, Friday night before adding a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday to finish the weekend sweep. Sophomore transfer Justin Poirier paces the team with eight points thanks to three multi-point efforts and has reached the scoresheet in five of six appearances. Jackson Smith is riding a five-game point streak and was the B1G Third Star of the Week after recording four points against the Griffins, including the overtime game winner Saturday. Goaltenders Joshua Fleming (3.04 GAA / .904 SV%) and Ryder Fetterolf (3.39 GAA / .897 SV%) have posted nearly identical numbers for the year with 1-2-0 records.
HISTORY WITH THE NITTANY LIONS
Minnesota owns a record of 33-23-1 (.588) in the all-time series against Penn State, including an impressive 21-8-0 (.724) mark in games at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Nittany Lions enter the B1G opener on a four-game win streak versus the Gophers after the Maroon and Gold won 16 of the previous 19 matchups dating back to 2021. Last year, Javon Moore had a team-high four points against PSU and Brodie Ziemer was the only other skater to record multiple goals as Minnesota won just one of the five meetings in the season series.
The action gets started at 7 p.m. Friday night and continues Saturday evening at 6 p.m. with both games airing live on FOX9+ and streaming through B1G+. Audio coverage is also available for the entire series via the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM / AM-1130 KTLK and iHeartRadio.
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.
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 swept No. 3 North Dakota in its home-opening series at 3M Arena at Mariucci, earning a 5-3 victory Thursday before repeating the score Friday in front of sold-out crowds both nights. Christian Humphreys scored twice in Thursday's win as the Gophers erupted for four third-period goals, including the game winner, and Luca Di Pasquo made 21 saves to secure the first victory of the Brett Larson era. On Friday, freshman Wyatt Cullen delivered a hat trick and a four-point performance to bring the Maroon and Gold back from a 2-1 deficit, scoring twice in the third period to complete the sweep. Newcomer Melvin Strahl turned aside 42 shots, while the Gophers secured their first series sweep of the Fighting Hawks since 2011.
CULLEN'S HAT TRICK CLAIMS A B1G STAR
Following a breakout, four-point performance to secure the Gophers' sweep of the Fighting Hawks, freshman Wyatt Cullen was named the B1G First Star of the Week. The Moorhead, Minn., native put together a memorable Friday night, recording a hat trick and an assist. His hat trick was the first by a Minnesota player in nearly two years and he is the only freshman to score three goals in a college game this season. After being held to one point through his first five NCAA appearances, Cullen scored the first goal of his collegiate career on the power play to tie the game in the second period before adding an assist on the go-ahead tally five minutes later. He then scored twice in a four-minute span of the third period, with his second of the contest going down as the game-winning goal.
HUMPHREYS FINDS SCORING TOUCH
Making his home debut at 3M Arena at Mariucci over the weekend, Christian Humphreys quickly became a fan favorite by scoring his first three collegiate goals to help Minnesota sweep North Dakota. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native net his first NCAA tally during Thursday's home opener, giving the Gophers a 2-1 lead just two minutes into the third period. He added a power-play goal less than three minutes later for the eventual game-winner. Humphreys struck again Friday, burying the go-ahead goal in the second period to help secure the series sweep.
KVASNICKA ON THE RISE
Jacob Kvasnicka opened his NCAA scoring account with a goal on the road at Minnesota Duluth and has continued to make an impact offensively. The Wayzata, Minn., native found the back of the net again Thursday against UND before recording his first multi-point performance in a Maroon and Gold sweater with two assists Friday. The freshman has tallied four points over his first six collegiate games, putting him just one point shy of the team leaders.
CAPTAIN ZIEMER BREAKS THROUGH
Coming off a career-high 23 goals a season ago, Gophers captain Brodie Ziemer scored his first goals of 2026-27 in the series finale at Duluth, finding the back of the net twice in the second period. His eighth career multi-goal game helped Minnesota erase a deficit and earn a tie against the top-10 Bulldogs. His offense kept rolling last weekend versus UND where he tallied a goal and two assists, extending his current point streak to three games, while his five total points are tied for the team lead.
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, which snapped a stretch of 21-straight penalties killed off by the Bulldogs to enter the season. Minnesota's power play tacked on two more goals when it hosted UND, another team that held a perfect penalty kill entering the series against the Gophers. The Maroon and Gold went 2-for-7 in the series and is now converting at a 28.6 percent rate (4-for-14), ranking ninth in the NCAA.
NEW FACES, NEW HELPERS
Of the 28 total assists accumulated through three series in 2026-27, 19 came from newcomers to the lineup. From his spot on the blue line, Evan Murr has helped drive play to the tune of a team-leading four assists after his first multi-point outing of the year versus North Dakota last Thursday. Freshman Brooks Cullen has recorded a helper in all three series-opening contests, while Austin Burnevik's two-assist effort against North Dakota also pushed his assist total to three, one behind the team lead. Wyatt Cullen, Jacob Kvasnicka, Axel Löfgren, and Finn Loftus also have two assists each in six outings.
HOMESTAND FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
Minnesota continues its longest single-season homestand in 3M Arena at Mariucci history against Penn State during a nine-game stretch that runs from Oct. 22 through Nov. 27. 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 PENN STATE
The Nittany Lions were in a similar spot to the Gophers entering last weekend and delivered in a big way with a pair of wins over Canisius to snap a four-game losing streak to open the season. PSU picked up its first win of the year, 5-1, Friday night before adding a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday to finish the weekend sweep. Sophomore transfer Justin Poirier paces the team with eight points thanks to three multi-point efforts and has reached the scoresheet in five of six appearances. Jackson Smith is riding a five-game point streak and was the B1G Third Star of the Week after recording four points against the Griffins, including the overtime game winner Saturday. Goaltenders Joshua Fleming (3.04 GAA / .904 SV%) and Ryder Fetterolf (3.39 GAA / .897 SV%) have posted nearly identical numbers for the year with 1-2-0 records.
HISTORY WITH THE NITTANY LIONS
Minnesota owns a record of 33-23-1 (.588) in the all-time series against Penn State, including an impressive 21-8-0 (.724) mark in games at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Nittany Lions enter the B1G opener on a four-game win streak versus the Gophers after the Maroon and Gold won 16 of the previous 19 matchups dating back to 2021. Last year, Javon Moore had a team-high four points against PSU and Brodie Ziemer was the only other skater to record multiple goals as Minnesota won just one of the five meetings in the season series.
Players Mentioned
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Defense
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Goaltender
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/ Men's HockeyWednesday, October 28
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