By Brian Deutsch on March 4, 2013 2:41 PM
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The Don Lucia Radio Show continues tonight at the Beacon Public House on campus. If you haven't checked out the new restaurant yet, catch tonight's show live starting at 6 p.m. as Coach Lucia and Wally Shaver discuss all things surrounding Gopher hockey. Tonight's show also airs live on 1500 ESPN.
Tonight, Lucia and Shaver discuss this year's Western Collegiate Hockey Association points race -- one of the closest ever in the league's history. The pair will also hit on Minnesota's split last weekend with Denver and preview this weekend's series at Bemidji State -- the final WCHA regular-season series ever for the Maroon and Gold.
Fans can also participate in the show via social media by tweeting their questions using the hash tag #PrideonIce. We'll ask the best questions live on the air.
The Beacon Public House offers great deals each week for the Don Lucia Radio Show including half price entrees and a happy hour special. The Beacon Public House is located in the new Commons Hotel on campus (615 Washington Avenue SE).
By Paul Rovnak on March 4, 2013 2:40 PM
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(Video courtesy of GopherGridiron.com)
The Minnesota football team held its pro day this morning at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. Representatives from 13 NFL teams were in the Twin Cities to watch the former Gophers workout.
Seniors from last year's team Michael Carter, Keanon Cooper, MarQueis Gray, Brandon Green, John Rabe, Mike Rallis, Spencer Reeves, Troy Stoudermire and Jordan Wettstein joined former Gophers and players from smaller schools in the workout.
By Brian Deutsch on March 2, 2013 10:07 PM
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The Gophers defeated the Pioneers 5-1 tonight.
Gopher's Respond
Just a night after getting shutout for the first time in
nearly two years, the Gophers responded by scoring five goals in defeating the
Denver Pioneers. The win means Minnesota has not lost a weekend series all
year. The win also ended a three-game losing streak to the Pioneers. The
offense came alive in the third period. Nick Bjugstad's power-play goal kicked
off a four-goal rush for the Gophers in the final frame. Adam Wilcox wrapped up a spectacular weekend by making 31 saves in net.
Second Period Ignites
the Crowd
Despite 15 shots in the first period, the Gophers trailed by a goal heading into the second period. Zach Budish scored the
equalizer for Minnesota 9:03 into the second period. The goal was of the
greasy variety. Zach continued to whack at the puck on the edge of the crease
while skaters from both sides and Denver goalie Sam Brittain were sprawled out
on the ice. Zach was finally able to push the puck over the line. In the
closing moments of the period, both teams had great chances to take the lead.
Kyle Rau broke in all alone, but was denied by Brittain. At the other end of
the ice, Wilcox made multiple 10-bell saves on breakaways. With all the action
on the ice, the crowd reached a decibel level normally reserved for North Dakota
games.
Power Back On Just In
Time
Minnesota came into the weekend with the best power play in
the country. However, last night the power play went dark. In five tries, the
Gophers generated very little offense and gave up top-notch opportunities with
the extra skater. Tonight, they converted only once in four opportunities, but
It came at a critical time. Erik Haula set Nick Bjugstad up on a tee to blast
home what would be the game-winning goal from the left circle 9:52 into the
period. Power play success will be critical to the Gophers this postseason.
Third Period Worth
the Wait
Minnesota generated just 10 shots in the third period, but
four of them found the back of the net. Goals from Bjugstad, Holl, Warning, and
an empty-netter from Budish made the final score look rather comfortable. Holl
scored his second goal of the season. Warning showed great effort and speed all
night. He ended the night with a +2 rating and two points. He also hit the pipe
on another scoring chance. Erik Haula also had a strong night, posting three
assists to earn the number-one star.
Helgeson's Night
Seth Helgeson played his last regular-season game for the
Maroon & Gold at Mariucci Arena tonight. There was a ceremony to honor
Helgeson, the team's only senior, before the game. He collected an assist on
Zach Budish's second goal tonight. In his four years in Minneapolis, Helgeson
was rarely found on the score sheet, but his impact is certaintly felt by his
teammates. Seth is admired for his toughness and character off the ice. Coach
Lucia said earlier this week, "When you do not notice him, he is at his best." His
point tonight was an added bonus. Helgeson has played in 144 games to this
point for the Gophers.
Written By Minnesota Communications Intern Josh Brennock
By Brian Deutsch on March 1, 2013 10:37 AM
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Former Gopher Kyle Okposo ended the month of February with a bang on Thursday night, tallying a goal and two assists in the New York Islanders' 5-4 loss to Phil Kessel and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The forward's second goal of the year erased a 4-3 deficit for New York and forced overtime although the Maple Leafs went on to pick up the win. For the season, Okposo has eight points (two goals, six assists).
Check out all three of Okposo's sweet points from last night, starting with his goal:
Okposo's first assist of the night was equally impressive on Thursday:
By Brian Deutsch on February 28, 2013 10:47 PM
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Before the day is over, please join us in celebrating the 53rd anniversary of United States' gold medal performance at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Calif. On Feb. 28, 1960, the U.S. squad captured the nation's first-ever gold medal in hockey after an undefeated stretch against Sweden, Canada, the USSR and finally Czechoslovakia -- the four best teams in the world.
The 1960 U.S. Olympic team featured a trio of Gopher alums in John Mayasich, Dick Meredith and Jack McCartan (pictured above).
For more info on the United States' gold medal performance in 1960, read USA Hockey's write-up on the historic performance.
By Matt Slieter on February 28, 2013 3:28 PM
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On Saturday,
March 2nd, the Gophers will conclude the home schedule against Penn State at
Williams Arena. In preparation for their only meeting with Penn State during
the regular season, Gophersports.com' s beat writer Jeff Fett takes a look at the
Nittany Lions.
Head Coach: Patrick Chambers
This Year's Big 10 Record: 1-14
The Gophers hope to capitalize on Tuesday's dramatic win over No. 1 Indiana during Senior Day on Saturday.
Top 5 Leading Scorers: D.J. Newbill-15.8 ppg, Jermaine
Marshall-15.0 ppg, Sasa Borovnjak-6.9 ppg, Ross Travis-6.5 ppg, Brandon
Taylor-5.7 ppg.
Top 5 Leading Rebounders: Ross Travis-7.2 rpg, D.J. Newbill-5.6
rpg, Jermaine Marshall-4.5 rpg, Brandon Taylor-3.5 rpg, Sasa Borovnjak-3.4 rpg.
Notable wins: Michigan, Providence, Bucknell, Army
Outlook
Penn State has
had its struggles, but a win over no. 4 ranked Michigan may have this team
finally turning the corner. Head Coach Patrick Chambers has had a tough time in
the Big Ten in his second season. At one point, Penn State lost 18 straight conference games dating back to last season, but the Nittany Lions will be coming in
with some confidence after the first Big Ten win of the season.
Penn State
suffered a big blow just a few games into its season. All Big Ten point guard
Tim Frazier ruptured his Achilles tendon in its loss to Akron. He's out for the
year. He led Penn State last season in all of the major categories. He is a "Mr. Do Everything" for the Nittany Lions and is obviously missed.
Fortunately
for Penn State, the backcourt is still their strength, even without Frazier. Sophomore D.J. Newbill, a
transfer from Southern Miss has stepped up in his absence and is leading the
team in scoring and second in rebounds. Junior Jermaine Marshall has also upped
his game and provided much needed leadership on the court.
In a tough
Big Ten conference where there are plenty of big men to throw the basketball to,
that's where Penn State needs help. The tallest player playing consistent
minutes is 6'9" junior Sasa Borovnjak. He's averaging six points and three
rebounds a game. Chaska native Ross Travis leads this team in rebounding at 7.2 boards per game.
Penn State has
had its struggles this season, but a few more wins to end the year could build
some confidence as the Nittany Lions look toward next season.
By Ryan Maus on February 28, 2013 11:27 AM
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Many Gopher Basketball fans are still on Cloud Nine after the Gophers' incredible upset of No. 1-ranked Indiana Tuesday at the Barn, Minnesota's first victory over a No. 1 team since 1989 (Illinois).
Gopher head coach Tubby Smith and his staff are busy preparing for Saturday's home final vs. Penn State, but Coach has taken some time to address the local media over the past couple of days to reflect on the victory. Above, GopherSports.com has exclusive video of Coach's post game address to his players in the locker room directly following the game -- it's not quite as hip-shaking as his post-Wisconsin speech, but still worth watching!
Coach also spoke with the media during a special availability on Wednesday. Watch highlights from that interview below:
In addition, the Big Ten Network was kind enough to share with us Coach Smith's post game on-court interview with Ann Carroll directly following the win. Take a look below:
By Brian Deutsch on February 27, 2013 5:16 PM
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The Gophers men's hockey team met with the media Wednesday
afternoon ahead of their last series at Mariucci Arena of the regular season.
Minnesota enters the weekend two points behind St. Cloud State for the top spot
in the WCHA with four games to go.
This weeks opponent, the Denver Pioneers, will be just as
hungry as the Gophers. Denver sits in a tie for the final home-ice position for
the WCHA playoffs. The Pioneers have given the Gophers fits over the years,
including last season's sweep at Magness Arena.
"We have had our issues scoring
goals. They are always good defensively, so we have to do a better job of
getting second-chance opportunities and do a better job of getting traffic in
front of the goaltender," head coach Don Lucia said.
Saturday is Senior Night at Mariucci Arena. Seth Helgeson is
the lone senior on this year's team, meaning he will be the only player out on
the ice for the pregame ceremony, "It is going to be odd, but the flower budget
is going to be down and it probably will only take 30 seconds, so it will not
be a distraction to the guys," Helgeson said.
Helgeson reflected on his four years playing for Minnesota,
"I wish I could be here another four years. It is nice being here for all four
years. I have had a great group of guys the last four years. It has been
awesome."
Helgeson is a steady player for the Maroon & Gold. His
numbers are not flashy, but his physical presence on the ice and character off
the ice is not missed by coaches and teammates. Here is a sampling of what they
had to say about Helgeson.
Coach Lucia
--"Seth has done a good job. He is great with community service, he does well
in school, and he is a guy who is an anchor (on the blue line.) When you do not
notice him, he is at his best."
Nate Schmidt -
"Seth is a staple on our team. Off the rink, he is a great guy and teammate. Definitely
a guy full of character. When he gets to the rink, he is all business. He is
one of those rare guys that can flip a switch and be totally dialed in around
the rink, which is really helpful for our young defensemen."
Ben Marshall -- "I
have been his (defensive) partner this whole year. He is really stable. He lets
me do anything out there on the ice. I like to be offensive, and he understands
that. When I mess up, he is always back there to help out."
-Written by University of Minnesota student intern Josh
Brennock
By Brian Deutsch on February 27, 2013 4:01 PM
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Paul Martin led all skaters in last night's Penguins/Panthers game with 27:33 of ice time and was a game-high +3. He also had this blast of a one-timer to bring Pittsburgh within a goal in an eventual 6-4 loss to Florida.
It was one of the most memorable games in recent Gopher basketball history -- Tubby Smith's squad took down No. 1-ranked Indiana last night in dramatic fashion, and it was followed by an epic court storming by the Maroon and Gold faithful at the Barn, all in front of a national TV audience on ESPN.
GopherSports.com is collecting links, videos, Tweets and more on last night's epic win! Be sure to watch the "super slow-mo" montage we put together above, and check out these as well:
- Of course, you have to watch the highlights from the game first (GopherSports.com):
