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Saturday, December 28
7:00 PM

University of Minnesota

vs

Bemidji State

3M Arena at Mariucci

Mariucci Classic Returns this Weekend

12/27/2019 4:44:00 PM | Men's Hockey

MINNEAPOLIS -- After a two-year hiatus, the Mariucci Classic returns to 3M Arena at Mariucci this weekend with an all-Minnesota lineup as the Gophers are joined by Bemidji State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State. Minnesota hosts the Beavers on Saturday night while the Mavericks and Huskies play earlier in the day for the first semifinal. 

About the Mariucci Classic
Named for legendary Gopher John Mariucci, the Mariucci Classic will be played for the 27th time this weekend. The Maroon & Gold have won 14 of the previous 16 tournaments including the last event in 2016-17 while the Gophers are 36-13-3 all-time in Mariucci Classic play. Bemidji State is making its third appearance at the Mariucci Classic (2-1-1) after winning in its last appearance in 2010-11 (Minnesota and Bemidji State have never met in the Mariucci Classic). St. Cloud State and Minnesota State are making their first appearances at the tournament as the 38th and 39th teams to participate. 

Against the Beavers
Minnesota enters Saturday's game with a 19-2-1 all-time record against Bemidji State including a 12-1-0 record on home ice. The two teams last met in the third-place game of the North Star College Cup on Jan. 28, 2017 -- a 4-0 win for Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center.  

Solitary Senior
Senior defenseman Ryan Zuhlsdorf is the only active Gopher to have played Bemidji State -- having done so as a freshman in 2016-17 -- and the only active Gopher to have played in the Mariucci Classic after helping Minnesota to the tournament title as a freshman in 2016-17. Zuhlsdorf leads all active Gophers in games played at 128. 

Motzko Nears Career Milestone
The University of Minnesota's next win will mark Bob Motzko's 300th career win. Motzko currently holds a 299-217-56 career coachign record including a 23-25-7 mark with the Gophers. Motzko would be the third head coach with ties to Gopher Hockey to reach the 300-win mark, joining his predecessors in Don Lucia (736 career wins, 457 at Minnesota) and Doug Woog (388 career wins, all at Minnesota). 

Ranta Set for World Junior Championship
Sophomore Sampo Ranta will miss the Mariucci Classic to represent Team Finland at the World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trince, Czech Republic. Ranta is the second Gopher to represent Finland at the tournament following Erik Haula in 2011 while Minnesota has be represented at the event in 41 of 44 tournaments dating back to the inaugural event in 1977. Ranta currently leads Minnesota with seven goals (a career high) and is tied for the team point lead with 11. 

Honoring Coach Woog
The University of Minnesota lost a legend earlier this month as Doug Woog passed away on Dec. 14, 2019 at the age of 75. A First Team All-American and captain for the Gophers, Woog returned to the University of Minnesota as head coach in 1985 and led the Maroon & Gold for 14 years including a then-program record of 388 wins. The Gophers will wear Woog patches for the remainder of the season and will wear "Wooger" name plates on Saturday night in honor of the Minnesota legend. The program will also host Doug Woog Night on Jan. 25 with members of the Woog family and Gopher Hockey alumni on hand to celebrate Woog's legacy. 

Gopher Hockey Notes & Stats
Six of Minnesota's 18 games this year have gone to overtime with the Gophers holding a 1-1-4 record in overtime this year...Jackson LaCombe leads all Big Ten freshman defensemen with eight assists this year and is one point off the overall Big Ten freshman point lead...Minnesota leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation with 282 blocked shots this year (Robert Morris has 314).

Two High School Greats in One Class
Two Gopher Hockey freshmen forwards may have flown under the radar compared to Mr. Hockey Award winners, NHL prospects and state champions, but both Jaxon Nelson and Ben Meyers rank among the top-10 all-time scorers in Minnesota high school hockey history. Nelson currently ranks fifth in state history with 290 career points while playing for Luverne High School, and Meyers currently ranks eighth in state history with 278 career points while playing for Delano High School. Nelson also holds the state high school record with 78 goals during the 2015-16 season. 

Nanne, Walker Tabbed Team Captains
Senior defenseman Tyler Nanne and sophomore forward Sammy Walker have been voted to serve as team captains for the Gophers for the 2019-20 season. The pair are the 171st and 172nd players in University of Minnesota history to wear letters, dating back to the first season of play in 1921-22 when Chet Bros led the Maroon & Gold. Nanne, the first third-generation player in Pride on Ice history, is also the second Gophers captain in his family following his grandfather -- All-American Lou Nanne -- in 1962-63.

Statistically Speaking
The University of Minnesota will field both the youngest team in college hockey (average age of 20 years, 240 days) and the biggest team in college hockey (average weight of 193.89 pounds) this season. The Maroon & Gold will also be the eighth tallest team in college hockey this year (average height of 6-00.67). All statistics are as of Oct. 1, 2019. 

Follow the Golden Gophers on TV 
The University of Minnesota once again boasts college hockey's best television broadcast schedule with 31 of 34 regular-season games available in the Minnesota/Twin Cities market. FOX Sports North leads the way in Gopher Hockey coverage with 19 games scheduled to be broadcast on the network while the Big Ten Network will currently air 10 Minnesota contests in 2019-20. FOX9+ will pick up the Gophers' road game at Minnesota Duluth while NBC Sports will broadcast the series opener at Notre Dame. Visit GopherSports.com to view the complete and up-to-date Gopher Hockey schedule. 

Gopher Hockey Notes and News
Fourteen Gophers on the 2019-20 roster have been drafted by NHL teams including 2019 first rounder and incoming freshman defenseman Ryan Johnson (31st overall by Buffalo). Johnson, whose father Craig also played for the Gophers before an NHL career, is the 21st Gopher Hockey prospect selected in the first round...freshman forward Bryce Brodzinski was also drafted in 2019, part of an eventful offseason that included being named the 2018-19 All-USA Boys Athlete of the Year and the 2019 Mr. Hockey Award. The 35th Mr. Hockey Award recipient, Brodzinski is the 24th Gopher Hockey prospect to win the honor...the University of Minnesota Board of Regents has approved a renovation project for 3M Arena at Mariucci with over 11,000 square feet of team space impacted including a state-of-the-art weight room, a new 'M' Club alumni room and a remodeled office suite. The project is anticipated to begin in late 2019...former Gopher Hockey assistant coach Jack Blatherwick was honored with the NHL's Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the U.S. on Dec. 12 as part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Celebration. 

 

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