University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Three Gophers Named to Preseason All-B1G Teams
9/23/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
'U' picked to finish fourth in 2026-27
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Three members of the University of Minnesota men's hockey team were named to 2026-27 Preseason All-Big Ten Conference Teams, it was announced Thursday. Forward Brodie Ziemer was selected to the first team, while goaltender Luca Di Pasquo and newcomer defenseman Evan Murr were each chosen to represent the Maroon and Gold on the second team. As a team, the Golden Gophers were picked to finish fourth as voted upon by the league's head coaches.
An All-B1G Second Team selection last season, Ziemer averaged a point per game with 36 points across 36 contests. He finished sixth among B1G skaters behind 25 points in 24 league appearances and is the conference's top returning scorer heading into 2026-27. The Chaska, Minn., native ranked second in the NCAA with 11 power-play goals during the regular season, pushing the forward to a career-high 23 goals for the year. Thanks to nine multi-point games, five outings of multiple goals, and a career-long point streak of eight games, Ziemer showcased his elite offensive skill set and will be tasked with an added leadership responsibility this season as the captain of the Maroon and Gold.
In his first season with the Gophers, Di Pasquo provided a dependable presence between the pipes and closed the year as one of two NCAA goaltenders to record a win against all four NCAA Frozen Four participants. He posted a 5-4-0 record and a .921 save percentage against those opponents, while his .920 save percentage in conference play ranked second in the B1G. A product of Livonia, Mich., he made 40 or more saves four times, including a career-high 47 stops against both No. 4 Denver and No. 1 Michigan. Di Pasquo also picked up a pair of assists last season, earning the first point of his NCAA career in a shutout of Notre Dame.
An AHCA/CCM All-America West Second Team selection in 2025-26 and a two-time CCHA Defenseman of the Year while at Minnesota State, Murr recorded a career-best 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists a year ago. He led all CCHA defensemen in scoring and ranked among the top eight in the NCAA in both goals and total points, helping the Mavericks capture CCHA regular-season and tournament titles. Hailing from Sillwater, Minn., he finished with a league-leading plus-24 rating and secured five game-winning goals, with the team going 9-0-0 in games where he scored. Murr has consistently performed at a high level throughout his three years of college hockey, tallying at least 26 points in each campaign, totaling 83 points in 116 career appearances.
Fans will have a chance to watch the Gophers less than one week before their season-opening game at Michigan Tech as they host an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. The game inside 3M Arena at Mariucci will be free and open to the public with players also available for postgame autographs.
Season tickets for the 106th season of Minnesota men's hockey are now on sale at GopherSports.com, while single game, group, and mini plan tickets will be available for the general public starting Oct. 1. For more information about tickets, click HERE.
Preseason All-B1G First Team
F - Michael Hage, Jr., Michigan +
F - Brodie Ziemer, Jr., Minnesota
F - Danny Nelson, Sr., Notre Dame
D - Landon DuPont, Fr., Michigan
D - Luke Osburn, So., Wisconsin
G - Jack Ivankovic, So., Michigan
+ unanimous selection
Preseason All-B1G Second Team
F - Jayden Perron, Sr., Michigan
F - Ryker Lee, So., Michigan State
F - Gavin Morrissey, Jr., Wisconsin
D - Evan Murr, Sr., Minnesota
D - Jackson Smith, So., Penn State
G - Luca Di Pasquo, Sr., Minnesota
Preseason Team Poll
1 - Michigan
2 - Michigan State
3 - Wisconsin
4 - Minnesota
5 - Ohio State
6 - Notre Dame
7 - Penn State
An All-B1G Second Team selection last season, Ziemer averaged a point per game with 36 points across 36 contests. He finished sixth among B1G skaters behind 25 points in 24 league appearances and is the conference's top returning scorer heading into 2026-27. The Chaska, Minn., native ranked second in the NCAA with 11 power-play goals during the regular season, pushing the forward to a career-high 23 goals for the year. Thanks to nine multi-point games, five outings of multiple goals, and a career-long point streak of eight games, Ziemer showcased his elite offensive skill set and will be tasked with an added leadership responsibility this season as the captain of the Maroon and Gold.
In his first season with the Gophers, Di Pasquo provided a dependable presence between the pipes and closed the year as one of two NCAA goaltenders to record a win against all four NCAA Frozen Four participants. He posted a 5-4-0 record and a .921 save percentage against those opponents, while his .920 save percentage in conference play ranked second in the B1G. A product of Livonia, Mich., he made 40 or more saves four times, including a career-high 47 stops against both No. 4 Denver and No. 1 Michigan. Di Pasquo also picked up a pair of assists last season, earning the first point of his NCAA career in a shutout of Notre Dame.
An AHCA/CCM All-America West Second Team selection in 2025-26 and a two-time CCHA Defenseman of the Year while at Minnesota State, Murr recorded a career-best 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists a year ago. He led all CCHA defensemen in scoring and ranked among the top eight in the NCAA in both goals and total points, helping the Mavericks capture CCHA regular-season and tournament titles. Hailing from Sillwater, Minn., he finished with a league-leading plus-24 rating and secured five game-winning goals, with the team going 9-0-0 in games where he scored. Murr has consistently performed at a high level throughout his three years of college hockey, tallying at least 26 points in each campaign, totaling 83 points in 116 career appearances.
Fans will have a chance to watch the Gophers less than one week before their season-opening game at Michigan Tech as they host an intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. The game inside 3M Arena at Mariucci will be free and open to the public with players also available for postgame autographs.
Season tickets for the 106th season of Minnesota men's hockey are now on sale at GopherSports.com, while single game, group, and mini plan tickets will be available for the general public starting Oct. 1. For more information about tickets, click HERE.
Preseason All-B1G First Team
F - Michael Hage, Jr., Michigan +
F - Brodie Ziemer, Jr., Minnesota
F - Danny Nelson, Sr., Notre Dame
D - Landon DuPont, Fr., Michigan
D - Luke Osburn, So., Wisconsin
G - Jack Ivankovic, So., Michigan
+ unanimous selection
Preseason All-B1G Second Team
F - Jayden Perron, Sr., Michigan
F - Ryker Lee, So., Michigan State
F - Gavin Morrissey, Jr., Wisconsin
D - Evan Murr, Sr., Minnesota
D - Jackson Smith, So., Penn State
G - Luca Di Pasquo, Sr., Minnesota
Preseason Team Poll
1 - Michigan
2 - Michigan State
3 - Wisconsin
4 - Minnesota
5 - Ohio State
6 - Notre Dame
7 - Penn State
Players Mentioned
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
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Tuesday, June 30
Tuesday, June 30
Thursday, May 07