Gopher Glory: The Rise of University of Minnesota Athletics

MINNEAPOLIS – The third-seeded Minnesota men’s hockey squad embarks on their first away games in almost 50 days as they visit No. 11 Ohio State for a Big Ten Conference matchup at Value City Arena on Jan. 10-11.

The opening game of the series has been rescheduled to a 4 p.m. (CT) puck drop on B1G+, whereas Saturday’s concluding game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network beginning at 5:30 p.m. (CT). Supporters can listen to the Gopher Radio Network at 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK for audio coverage of both games, featuring commentary from Wally Shaver and Pat Micheletti.

LAST TIME OUT
The Gophers achieved their seventh sweep of the season by defeating Mercyhurst twice on home ice, outscoring the Lakers with an impressive 11-4 tally. Minnesota remains flawless at 7-0-0 in their historical series against Mercyhurst with contributions from nine different players and points from 14 overall. Jimmy Snuggerud tallied multiple points in both games, while Ryan Chesley, Nick Michel, John Mittelstadt, and Erik Påhlsson all recorded personal-best offensive outings during the series. The Maroon and Gold netted six of their 11 goals in the first period against the Lakers and boasted an average of 44.5 shots on goal this past weekend.

PACK UP THE SUITCASES
It has been nearly 50 days since the Gophers have taken to the road, as their last eight contests since late November have been held at home. Prior to this homestand, Minnesota went through a phase where five of six games were held away from their arena, including trips to Madison, Wisconsin, and South Bend, Indiana, around a home-and-home series with Bemidji State. During that road stretch, they recorded a 4-1-0 record, bringing their true road game record to 6-1-0 this season. While there is a slight variance in scoring offense between home and away situations, 3.92 to 4.29 goals per game respectively, the defensive statistics show a significant difference, allowing over a goal more per game while on the road, 1.67 to 2.71. One area where the Gophers have excelled while traveling is in their power play, converting at a rate of 34.6 percent (9-for-26) compared to just 15.4 percent (6-for-39) at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

FEELING GOLDEN AGAIN
Oliver Moore and Brodie Ziemer, along with associate head coach Steve Miller, contributed to the United States achieving a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship on Jan. 5 in Ottawa. Ziemer ranked fifth on the team in scoring with a total of seven points in seven games, including an assist on the gold-medal-winning goal against Finland. The freshman made his tournament debut against Germany on Dec. 26, marking two goals and initiating a three-game point streak. Moore amassed a five-point tournament with a goal and four assists, registering points in four of five games leading to the finals. Notably, three of Moore’s five points were earned during the medal round, aided by a two-assist game versus Switzerland (Jan. 2) in the quarterfinals. The Maroon and Gold have featured at least one player at the tournament in 46 of the 49 years of its existence, with 11 players, including Moore, having secured a gold medal, and he is the only Gopher skater to have won the event twice.

SHOWING OFF THE BALANCE
The Gophers have scored an NCAA-best 91 goals this season, exceeding any other program by 16 goals and featuring 18 different players contributing to the score sheet, while their 243 points have been recorded by 21 of their 22 total players and one goaltender. Minnesota’s offensive depth this season has been prominent, with 11 players achieving double-digit scoring, the highest among any collegiate program, and the team is currently tied for first nationally in scoring offense, averaging 4.1 goals per game. The squad has scored five or more goals in 12 instances and has been restricted to fewer than three goals in just four matches. Even more crucial, the Gophers have excelled defensively, boasting the NCAA’s best scoring margin at plus-2.14, having allowed only 44 goals all season, averaging 2.0 goals against per game.

HISTORY WITH THE BUCKEYES
Minnesota possesses a 44-10-6 (.783) record in their historical matchups against Ohio State, including a 15-6-3 record for games played away. The Gophers are unbeaten in their last seven encounters, with a record of 6-0-1, and maintain a remarkable record of 15-2-1 in their last 18 meetings with the Buckeyes since the beginning of 2020. Last year, the Maroon and Gold emerged victorious in three out of four confrontations, with a 1-1 tie and a shootout loss marking the only instance where Minnesota did not net at least five goals. Sam Rinzel recorded six assists, and Oliver Moore had five against OSU last year, with eight other players contributing multiple points across the season series.

INSIDE LOOK AT OHIO STATE
The Buckeyes are coming off a series in which they claimed four out of six points from Michigan, highlighted by an intense 4-3 win at the B1G Frozen Confines at Wrigley Field. Since being swept by Princeton in late November, Ohio State has displayed some of their finest hockey of the season, posting a record of 5-1-0, remaining unbeaten in any regulation game. The team currently boasts the NCAA’s ninth-best scoring defense, permitting only 2.05 goals per game, supported by goaltender Kristoffer Eberly, who has a stellar 1.50 goals against average and a .937 save percentage, ranking second and sixth nationally, respectively. Offensively, the Buckeyes are spearheaded by Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, who has recorded nine goals and 22 points, with three additional players also surpassing the 18-point mark this season.

LAMB STARS THE POWER PLAY
Brody Lamb continues to experience offensive success, having set career-high marks in goals (12), assists (15), and total points (27) last year. The Byron, Minnesota native has scored in 15 of 21 games this season, aided by a career-long five-game point streak from Oct. 18 to Nov. 1. Following a three-point series against Alaska, he earned his second weekly distinction from the league office as the B1G Third Star of the Week (Dec. 3). He received his first honor after a four-goal performance against St. Thomas, which included his initial NCAA hat trick leading to the B1G Second Star of the Week distinction (Oct. 29). All three goals of his natural hat trick on Saturday occurred during power plays, and his eight goals scored while on the power play this year lead the NCAA. Lamb found the net in both games against Michigan State to wrap up 2024 and then scored in his third consecutive game, matching a career-long goal streak, against Mercyhurst (Jan. 3). It marked his team-leading 13th goal of the season, achieving a new career high, securing his position as second in the nation for total goals.

MITTELSTADT BROTHERS SERVING UP WINNERS
After Luke Mittelstadt did not register a point in his first five games this season, he has achieved 10 assists across his last 17 games, with several multi-assist performances against Notre Dame (Nov. 23), Michigan (Dec. 6), and Mercyhurst (Jan. 3). The first three assists during this stretch were crucial in the winning goals that ensured Minnesota sweeps in three different series during a nine-game winning streak from Oct. 18 to Nov. 14. He has accumulated seven points in 10 league games, ranking seventh for defensemen scoring in the B1G. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota product has become the first Gopher defenseman to tally 20 or more points in each of his first two seasons since Alex Goligoski, who achieved 20 in 2004-05 and 39 in 2005-06. Meanwhile, his brotherJohn netted his inaugural goal of the season and his second career game-winning goal during a home victory against Bemidji State (Nov. 14), ending a goal drought that spanned 26 games. He also contributed his first multi-point performance of his time with two assists at home against Mercyhurst (Jan. 4), extending his career-best scoring streak to three games.

PÅHLSSON RETURNS STRONG
After being sidelined for nearly two months due to an injury, Erik Påhlsson made his return to the roster to kick off the 2025 calendar year and resumed his previous form immediately. The freshman recorded a career-high three points in the Friday night win over Mercyhurst, which included a shorthanded goal into an empty net that clinched the win. This marked his first multi-point game with the Maroon and Gold and continued his impressive run, accumulating seven points over a six-game period, with at least one point in each of those contests.

FRIDAY NIGHT HUGLEN
Following a standout season in 2023-24 where Aaron Huglen achieved double-digit goals (13) for the first time as a Gopher, he has maintained his scoring contributions this season, particularly in Friday night games. The senior has tallied points in eight of 11 Friday matchups this year, amassing 10 of his 13 total points. He has reached the double-digit scoring mark for the fourth consecutive season, fueled by eight points over the last nine outings. With 32 goals and 35 assists totaling 67 career points in 133 games, this follows his second multi-point performance of the season against Michigan (Dec. 6). Moreover, Huglen became the 15th player in program history to score in three different NCAA Tournaments, a milestone not achieved in over 15 years, when he netted a goal against Boston University in the 2024 NCAA Sioux Falls Regional Final.

DRAFTED THE SWEET 16
The Gophers boast more NHL draft selections on their roster than any other NCAA hockey team in 2024-25. Minnesota’s 16 players mark the highest count for the team since 2011-12 when there were 17. Of that past roster, four players (Nick Bjugstad, Travis Boyd, Erik Haula, Justin Holl) are still active in the NHL. This season’s roster includes four first-round picks: Matthew Wood (15th overall), Oliver Moore (19th overall), Jimmy Snuggerud (23rd overall), and Sam Rinzel (25th overall). Minnesota holds the record for the most all-time draft selections (242) by any NCAA men’s hockey team after adding three during the summer months. At least one Gopher has been chosen in 50 of the last 51 NHL Entry Drafts since 1974, with 2001 being the only exception.

DEFENSEMAN ‘U’
Minnesota was the sole college hockey program in the nation with double-digit defensemen in the NHL last season. A total of 12 former Gophers played in the NHL during the 2023-24 season, combining for over 750 games. The standout of the group was Brock Faber, who finished second in the Calder Trophy voting for the NHL’s rookie of the year. Both Nick Leddy and Erik Johnson achieved the 1,000-game milestone, becoming the eighth and ninth former Gophers to reach this landmark.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Minnesota’s roster showcases a heightened international presence compared to previous years, featuring four players from abroad in 2024-25. The last instance of this many international players on the Gophers’ roster in a single season was back in 1951-52. Two of the team’s goaltenders hail from Canada: Nathan Airey (Cochrane, Alberta) and Liam Souliere (Montréal, Québec), while fellow Canadian Matthew Wood joins the roster as a native of Nanaimo, British Columbia. For the first time since 2018, a player born in Sweden will wear the Maroon and Gold, as Erik Påhlsson embarks on his collegiate journey. Leon Bristedt was the last Swedish skater for the Gophers, having participated in 144 games from 2014-18.