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. 

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: 

The Gophers are hard at work preparing for Senior Day on Saturday, when they end their home season against the Penn State Nittany Lions (tickets available by clicking here). PSU pulled off a court-storming upset of their own Wednesday against No. 4 Michigan.

TICKETS: Watch the home finale vs. Penn State Saturday!

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): 

- Mbakwe's epic block of Cody Zeller (ESPN):

- TV call of court storming (ESPN):

My big head! RT @sdace18: Congrats @rainnwilson on the big win and storming the court instagr.am/p/WN7RF2GqRz/

-- RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) February 27, 2013

Gophers get a major major W 4 their CONFIDENCE which has been shattered - should be High now! #GONZAGA

-- Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 27, 2013

Gopher Nation!!! Upset city! #1 toughest schedule in NCAA...put these boys in the tourney! #underdogs #tubby

-- Eric Decker (@EricDecker87) February 27, 2013

Congrats to Coach Tubby Smith and the Gopher BB team on defeatingNo. 1 ranked Indiana. Great job!

-- Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) February 27, 2013

-And finally, one of our favorite photos of the night via ESPN's Mike Tirico on Twitter

Man who is truly a senior who rushed the court at Minnesota @espncbb @b1gmbball twitter.com/miketirico/sta...

-- MikeTirico (@miketirico) February 27, 2013

Help us celebrate the 10th anniversary of Minnesota's fifth national championship as the University of Minnesota honors the 2003 Golden Gopher hockey team during tonight's game against Minnesota Duluth.

The first 5,000 fans to arrive at tonight's game will receive commemorative posters of the 2003 national championship team with members of the title team signing autographs from 6:15-6:45 on the concourse of Mariucci Arena. The Gophers will also honor the team during the first intermission.

Minnesota captured its fifth NCAA title and second-straight championship with a 5-1 win over New Hampshire in the 2003 NCAA championship game at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. Minnesota posted a 28-8-9 overall record in 2002-03 and for the second-straight season, the Gophers went the entire season without suffering consecutive losses. In addition to the national championship, Minnesota also captured the Broadmoor Trophy as the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five champions. Paul Martin captured Second Team All-America honors while Thomas Vanek was the nation's leading rookie scorer and finished one goal shy of John Mayasich's freshman goal record.

Saturday's series finale with the Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. at Mariucci Arena. The Big Ten Network and 1500 ESPN will broadcast the action. 

The Gophers captured a 5-3 victory over visiting Minnesota Duluth tonight.

Weekend Starts with a Win

The Gophers claimed victory in their first game at Mariucci Arena this month. The win keeps the Gophers alive in the battle for the MacNaughton Cup. The two points did not come easy. The Bulldogs outshot the Gophers for most of the game and fought back from two separate deficits to tie the game at three. Austin Fairley tallied two goals for Duluth. In the end, the Gophers had too much firepower. They reversed the shot counter, for a final total of 34-29, and scored two late goals.

Game Winner From Rau

Kyle Rau broke a 3-3 tie with 6:35 remaining in the game. The play started with Nick Bjugstad winning a face off in the Duluth end and getting the puck back to Zach Budish. Zach's shot from the point deflected off of Bjugstad's skate and right to Kyle Rau. Rau made no mistake putting the puck away to give the Gophers a lead they would never relinquish. Kyle's goal proved to be the game winner. Erik Haula added an empty-net goal to seal the game with five seconds left.

 One Shot = One Goal

It took the Gophers over four minutes to register their first shot on goal, but they made it count. Nate Condon's shot snuck past Minnesota Duluth goalie Matt McNeely and crept just over the line. The goal came while the Bulldogs had the first three shots of the game and many of the best chances in the first period. The Gophers thought they had a second goal in the opening frame, but it was waived off for goalie interference. The first period ended with the Gophers leading 1-0.

Condon Ignites the Second Line

The coaches have switched up lines throughout the season to provide a spark. Tonight, Nate Condon was put back on the second line with Sam Warning and Erik Haula. Nate made an instant impact on the line tonight. He scored the Gophers first goal of the game and assisted on Sam Warning's goal in the second period. Sam's goal came at a particularly key time because Duluth evened the game less than two minutes earlier. Warning cut in off the wing, made a sweet move around one defender, and buried the puck behind McNeely. Erik Haula also scored two goals on the night.

Gophers Go For Sweep Tomorrow

Every game is critical for the Gophers for the remainder of the season if they are to recapture the MacNaughton Cup. Tomorrow's rematch with the struggling Bulldogs provides an excellent opportunity for the Gophers to keep the heat on the top teams in the WCHA. Duluth is winless in their last eight regular season games. At Wednesday's media availability, coaches and players stressed the importance of putting together a complete weekend and not just playing a strong first game.  Tomorrow's game will determine the success of the weekend for the Gophers.

Written by Communications Student intern Josh Brennock 

The Gophers met with the media Wednesday ahead of this weekend's showdown with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

Minnesota Duluth enters this weekend in the midst of a tailspin. Last Saturday's tie with Bemidji State represents the Bulldogs first point earned in seven league contests. Despite this, the Gophers are well aware of the dangers of playing in-state opponents.

"They have a lot of Minnesota kids, so it will be some of their biggest games of the year," forward Travis Boyd said. Head coach Don Lucia cautioned not to judge the Bulldogs on their record. "They have not scored on a consistent bases throughout their lineup, but their top end is very good. I think their team speed is as good as anybody."

With just three weeks left of the regular season, the Gophers still have work to do if they want to assure home-ice advantage in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. To do this, Minnesota must find consistency. "We have to put a good weekend together, and a good weekend is two nights, not just one," Boyd said. 

Captain Zach Budish said the key to a good weekend comes before gametime. "We have had good weeks of practice leading up to Friday games, and we have won the last couple of Friday games. Saturday, maybe we haven't had the same intensity coming out or preparation during the day."

Minnesota players and staff had a chance to reflect on their experience at the Hockey City Classic. Here are some thoughts:

Lucia - "I think it was a great experience for us. I think the players will remember it the rest of their lives. From our standpoint it was a positive experience, except for the score."

Budish -- "It was a once in a lifetime event. The people at the Hockey City Classic did a great job putting it on. It was a big stage for us and we had a blast. Obviously, coming out with a loss was not what we planned for."

Jake Parenteau -- "It was really cool, a once in a lifetime experience. I will cherish it for a long time."

Boyd -- "We were all in the moment. Playing on that stage is something no one has done on that big of a stage before."

Story by University of Minnesota Communications Intern Josh Brennock

Watch this video feature on Gopher men's basketball guard Maverick Ahanmisi. The junior and Santa Clarita, Calif. native has provided a spark off the bench for the Gophers in 2012-13, playing in all 26 games (through Feb. 20) and shooting a team-best 42 percent from behind the three-point line.

Through Feb. 20, Ahanmisi is averaging 3.7 points and 9.9 minutes per game. His 16 three-pointers (in 38 attempts) has already set a career high.

Feature originally aired during "Gopher Basketball with Tubby Smith" which can be seen Fridays on Fox Sports North. Check your local listing for exact times and dates.

Phil Kessel. Bar Down-hands up-mama cries. No one more exciting in full flight with that wrist finisher than Kessel #snipedream #bunkbed

-- John Buccigross (@Buccigross) February 19, 2013

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, the Gophers will continue the Big Ten season against Ohio State in Columbus. In preparation for their only meeting with OSU during the regular season, GopherSports.com's Jeff Fett previewed the Buckeyes. 

Head Coach: Thad Matta 

2012-13 Record: 18-7 (8-5) 

Leading Scorers: Deshaun Thomas-20.2 ppg; Lenzelle Smith, Jr.-10.3 ppg; Aaron Craft-9.5 ppg; LaQuinton Ross-7.8 ppg; Sam Thompson-7.0 ppg.      

Leading Rebounders: Deshaun Thomas-6.2 rpg; Lenzelle Smith, Jr.-5.3 rpg; Evan Ravenel-4.6 rpg; Amir Williams-4.2 rpg; Aaron Craft-3.8 rpg. 

Notable wins: Michigan, Washington, Winthrop, Wisconsin 

Notable losses: Duke, Kansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Illinois 

Outlook 

Ohio State is one of those scary young teams no one wants to face this time of year. 

The Buckeyes have only one senior in Evan Ravenel, and are led by junior guards Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith, Jr. and junior power forward Deshaun Thomas. 

Last season, Jared Sullinger and William Buford led this team, but Thomas has stepped up this season and is shooting the lights out, averaging a conference-high 20.2 ppg. Craft is also one of the best defenders in the nation.

Along with Craft and Thomas, the Buckeyes are getting nice contributions this season from their sophomore class of Amir Williams, LaQuinton Ross, Sam Thompson and Shannon Scott. 

After a non-conference season where they beat respectable teams in Washington and Winthrop, the Buckeyes have taken care of business in the Big Ten this season. They've beat the teams they needed to in Nebraska, Penn State and Northwestern, which are near the bottom of the standings, but they've also knocked off conference contenders in Michigan and Wisconsin too. 

Right now, the Buckeyes appear in safe position for a spot in the NCAA tournament, but the schedule still has some roadblocks. Such is life in the Big Ten Conference. 

The Gophers collected a 3-2 victory in Madison against the Badgers.

Gophers Grab Game One

The Gophers kicked off the weekend with a big win in Madison by a score of 3-2. Minnesota now has lost only once in their last six contests at the Kohl Center against the Badgers. The Gophers pulled themselves to within three points of league-leading St. Cloud State and even with second-place North Dakota in the WCHA standings. Both St. Cloud State and North Dakota are idle this weekend, so the Gophers can make up more ground on Sunday during the OfficeMax Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field. 

Power Play was Key

In a close game, special teams is always going to play a key role. Minnesota came into the game with a league-best mark of 25.2% on the power play. The percentage will only get better. All three goals for the Gophers came on the power play. Sam Warning scored late in the first period to tie the game at one on a juicy rebound. Nick Bjugstad scored late in the second period to give the Gophers a 2-1 lead with a blast from the point that clicked off the point. The Gophers final goal came in the third period when Seth Ambroz battled for space on top of the crease and slipped the puck past just over the line.

Got the Goaltending

Adam Wilcox has provided the Gophers with excellent goaltending all season and tonight was no different. On the road, in a hostile environment, Adam Wilcox made 28 saves. Wilcox flashed his patented glove early and often tonight. He also made a number of huge saves when Wisconsin pulled their goalie late in the game to get an extra attacker. The Badgers have now scored two goals or less in four straight games against the Gophers. Adam Wilcox was responsible for the last three games.

First Period Shot Barrage

Minnesota registered 20 shots in the first period. The period was more wide open and featured more chances for both sides than a typical matchup with the Badgers. The most important Gopher shot of the period came from Sam Warning. He evened the game with a power-play goal late in the period, cashing in a rebound from a good Ben Marshall shot. The Gophers had five shots on the late power play alone. The second and third periods were tighter checking as the neutral zone became harder to navigate.

Hockey City Classic is Next

This week, Minnesota coaches and players all emphasized the importance of tonight's game. Now, with the battle in Madison over, everyone can turn their attention to Sunday's OfficeMax Hockey City Classic. The Gophers will bus down to Chicago before having a practice on Soldier Field at 4:45 p.m. Saturday. The Maroon & Gold will play their first outdoor game in the modern era against the Badgers at 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The game can be seen on BTN. 

Story Written by University of Minnesota Student Intern Josh Brennock

The Gophers met with the media Wednesday afternoon to discuss this weekend's two-game battle with the Wisconsin Badgers. The two teams will tangle Friday in Madison before the team takes the bus ride to Chicago for Sunday's OfficeMax Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field.

The Gophers enter the weekend five points behind idle St. Cloud State for the top spot in the standings, making every game vital. Head coach Don Lucia knows the team's focus has to be on Friday's matchup before they turn their attention to playing outdoors. "We are going to worry about the Chicago game on Saturday. We want to make sure we have a good week of practice and get ready to play Friday in Madison."

The importance of Friday's game has been made clear to the players. "It has been a emphasis all week that our goal was to come out ready on Friday night," defenseman Mark Alt said.

Forward Erik Haula spelled out why both games this weekend is so important. "With the standings so close and the two games in hand, we have to focus on Friday and go from there."

At the same time, it is only human nature to have an eye towards playing Sunday at Soldier Field. "We are really excited (for the game in Chicago.) It is going to be a fun weekend, "Alt said.

When the Gophers last met the Badgers in November, Wisconsin was off to very slow start. Mike Eaves' team has since found their grove, dropping only two of their last 14 games. "(Wisconsin) is winning some of the close games now. Our mindset has to be to try and win a 2-1 or 3-2 game," Lucia said. "We are going to have to do something on the power play because we know five-on-five it will be difficult to score." 

Friday's game at the Kohl Center can be seen at 7:00 p.m. on Fox Sports North. Sunday's tilt at Soldier Field will be on BTN. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

-Story by University of Minnesota Communications Intern Josh Brennock

Former Gopher Paul Martin helped the University of Minnesota to back-to-back national championships in 2002 and 2003 before jumping to the NHL in 2003-04. 

Now in his third year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Martin has seen his play revitalized this season and the Elk River native is big reason the Penguins are one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division. 

But the process wasn't easy. 

ESPN.com featured Martin's impressive turnaround this weekend. Read Scott Burnside's full article below. 

PITTSBURGH -- At the end of last season, Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero invited defenseman Paul Martin into his office.

With Martin sitting across from him, Shero asked a simple question: Do you want out?

Was the abomination that was Martin's season so brutal that he would appreciate a new start somewhere else?

"I asked him if he wanted a trade," Shero told ESPN.com this week.

These are the moments that define a person, a career even. In some ways, they define a franchise too.

Martin, signed to a five-year, $25-million deal in the summer of 2010, could not have been blamed if he said, "Yes, get me the heck out of here."

Fans were certainly clamoring for just such a move throughout the season as the mistakes piled up and Martin's play worsened.

"He was embarrassed by his year," Shero said.

But Martin looked at his boss and insisted he wanted to stay. He told Shero he didn't want to take the easy way out. Moreover, Martin pledged to return this season a different player, the old player, the player that had made him one of the top free-agent defensemen on the market in 2010.

"He said, 'I do not want to be traded. I came here for a reason, and you signed me for a reason,'" Shero recalled Martin saying. "He said, 'If I do come back, you're going to see a different player.'"

So far, Martin has been good to his word.

"I basically told him I have a lot of pride in what I do," Martin told ESPN.com. "I came here for a reason. It wasn't just because of the money. [He had more lucrative offers.] I came here because I wanted to win a Stanley Cup."

Assistant coach Todd Reirden visited Martin at his offseason home in Minnesota during the summer to monitor the defenseman's workout regimen and discuss Martin's place with the team.

Physically, Martin put on 10 pounds to make himself more solid, while managing to increase his foot speed and mobility.

Reirden, who handles the Penguins' defensemen, and coach Dan Bylsmadecided to move Martin to the right side where he had played earlier in his career in New Jersey and pair him with rock-solid veteran defenseman Brooks Orpik.

The results have been remarkable.

Martin leads all Penguin skaters in average ice time at 25:28 a night. He and Orpik play against opposing teams' top lines every night, and have been the defensive anchors on a team that ranks in the top 10 in the NHL in goals allowed per game and penalty killing.

Through the Pens' first 12 games, Orpik and Martin combined for six minutes in penalties with Martin taking his first and only minor of the season in the third period of Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Devils.

Martin has been on the ice for just seven even-strength goals in Pittsburgh's first 12 games.

"Paul's a good story," Shero said. "He's playing like the Paul Martin we signed and the player Paul Martin is."

Phil Bourque is a former Penguins defenseman who won two Stanley Cups with the team in the early 1990s and now is a radio analyst covering the Penguins. He describes Martin's 2011-12 season as "a train wreck."

Bourque figures there are a number of elements to Martin's renaissance. First, he is completely healthy, something that wasn't the case last season when Martin missed nine regular-season games and three playoff games to injury, Bourque said.

"I think they pretty much said to him, we don't care if you don't get a point all season," Bourque said. "And don't try and justify that $5 million salary and just be Paul Martin."

As expectations to provide offense diminished, Martin has actually contributed more regularly on the offensive side of things. On Thursday against Washington, with Kris Letangout of the lineup with an injury, Martin was a key part of a power-play unit that converted three of four chances during a five-goal outburst in the second period.

Martin has a goal and five assists this season.

"At first I didn't know how it was going to go," Martin said. "It's been great so far. Brooks is easy to play with. He's smart. I think he's underrated as a skater and a puck mover."

Risky?

Reirden grins.

"Yeah, it was," he said.

In fact, the whole process was fraught with risk.

In taking Martin at his word, Shero dealt his defensive partner Zbynek Michalek back to Phoenix at the draft. Then, by deciding not to just keep Martin but in effect ask him to do even more, the Penguins opened themselves to another season of defensive issues.

The bottom line is that few teams can afford to have a $5 million defenseman who has to be buried in the lineup because he cannot perform up to standards.

But part of Reirden's visit in the summer was to put all of this in front of Martin, to challenge him to revive his career.

"All the credit goes to Paul and [the] commitment he made this summer," Reirden told ESPN.com.

The coach sees a more aggressive, more assertive player who uses his speed and hockey smarts to thwart attacking forwards. He is winning more battles around the net and in the corners, and his attention to detail in terms of stick positioning is better, the coach said.

"His aggressiveness and confidence on the ice is at a level we haven't seen in a while," Reirden said. "He got off to a good start to the season and is building each game. Last year, things just started to snowball in the wrong direction."

More than his play, the coaching staff asked Martin to take on more of a mentorship role with the group of young defensemen the Penguins are grooming.

If Martin wasn't sure how this was all going to play out, neither was the coaching staff.

"I was going to give him the opportunity to succeed," Reirden said. "What he did with it was up to him."

Several analysts told ESPN.com they are withholding judgment on the Martin experiment and wonder whether he'll ever return to the promising player he was in New Jersey. But thus far the Penguins are ecstatic with the results.

As for Martin, he is as quiet and thoughtful a player as you are likely to meet in the league. Standing in the Pittsburgh dressing room, he is candid about the nightmare that was last season and thankful for a second chance to make things right.

A former standout at the University of Minnesota, Martin never played a single game in the minors, making the jump from collegiate hockey to the NHL after the Devils selected him with the 62nd overall pick in 2000. The 31-year-old was a shoo-in to make the 2010 U.S. Olympic team until he suffered a broken forearm and missed the tournament.

If he continues to play at his current level, he will definitely be back on the U.S. Olympic radar for the Sochi Games that begin a year from now in Russia.

"It was definitely difficult. I definitely wasn't happy with the way last year went," he said.

In some ways, it is a classic case of a player trying to be something he wasn't, an example of how a player becomes defined by his contract and pushes to do more to justify the money. Instead, the more Martin tried to do, the less he accomplished. And the less he accomplished, the less confidence he had to make the plays that had at one point been second nature to him.

The fact that fans and sports talk shows began taking Martin to task for his play exacerbated the situation.

Even if you don't read or listen, you know what people are saying about you.

"You don't want to believe it," Martin said. "You're so hard on yourself. I wasn't satisfied with the way I was playing. You're frustrated. You expect more of yourself."

He questioned how he was preparing and what he was doing. In the offseason, Martin went about addressing those issues.

"I don't want to make excuses for anything," he said. "For me, it was a great learning experience. I think it will help make me a better hockey player and make me a better person."

University of Minnesota head women's basketball coach Pam Borton and her staff, in conjunction with the Fast Break Club, will hold their Coaches Social on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Campus Pizza in Stadium Village. The event is set to get underway at 6:30 p.m.

The Coaches Social is the final event of a series of Coaches Luncheons hosted by the Fast Break Club. The events serve as a great way for Golden Gopher women's basketball supporters to discuss the season and enjoy great company throughout the year.

Cost to attend the Coaches Social is $25 for Fast Break Club members and $30 for non-members. Fans can access the registration form on the Fast Break Club website at fastbreakclub.net.

In this week's edition of Gophers Meet the Media, we recap the week off and look forward to visiting league-leading St. Cloud State this weekend.

The Gophers were off last weekend for the first time since the holiday break. "Early February is probably the ideal time. It allowed Erik (Haula) to get back to 100% and allowed Adam (Wilcox) to refresh himself," head coach Don Lucia said. Minnesota opted for less practices during their week off with an emphasis on intensity.

This week's opponent, St. Cloud State, sits atop the WCHA standings with 29 points. The Huskies posses some high-end talent that have returned to terrorize the league, "Getting (Drew) LeBlanc back as a fifth-year senior has really helped their team. (Ben) Hanowski is having a very good year, and they have a veteran defense core," Lucia said. With LeBlanc in the fold and the arrival of some impact freshmen the Huskies have been able to increase their scoring depth this season.

Lucia believes this is the best St. Cloud team in recent memory and they are confident. "I think getting seven out of eight points in the stretch with Denver and North Dakota was critical for them," Lucia said. St. Cloud backed those impressive results with a sweep at Bemidji State last weekend.

A trip to St. Cloud means a homecoming for Gopher defenseman Nate Schmidt. "It is a fun environment to play in. It is a hustle environment, which makes for a fun weekend," Schmidt said of the atmosphere the Gophers will be facing. Nate says he will have lots of family in attendance at the National Hockey Center, "Most important is my grandpa will be at the games. He does not really get to leave and likes to watch most of the games on TV, so I am really excited to have him come and watch me this weekend." The team will have dinner at the Schmidt's house Thursday night.

Expect to see the top six forwards reshuffled again this weekend. Haula, having recovered from a hand injury, will be back to his natural center position alongside Sam Warning and Zach Budish. Nate Condon is slated to join Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau on the top line.

-By University of Minnesota Communications Student Assistant Josh Brennock

The No. 23/24 Gophers picked up a 19-point win against Nebraska to snap a four-game losing streak. They will take on Iowa, which just beat Penn State, at noon on Sunday. GopherSports.com's Jeff Fett previewed the Hawkeyes.

Head Coach: Fran McCaffrey

	Rodney Williams scored 23 points against Nebraska and will look to carry the momentum into Sunday.

Current Record: 14-7 (3-5 Big Ten)

Last Year's Big Ten Record: 8-10

Top 5 Leading Scorers: Roy Devyn Marble-14.1 ppg; Aaron White-14.0 ppg; Mike Gesell-8.8 ppg; Melsahn Basabe-7.4 ppg; Zach McCabe-5.9 ppg.

Top 5 Leading Rebounders: Aaron White-6.0 rpg; Adam Woodbury-5.3 rpg; Melsahn Basabe-4.5 rpg; Roy Devyn Marble-4.0 rpg; Zach McCabe-3.8 rpg.

Notable Non-Conference Wins: Gardner-Webb, Iowa State, University of Northern Iowa, Western Kentucky

Notable Non-Conference Losses: Wichita State, Virginia Tech

Conference Wins: Northwestern, Wisconsin, Penn State

Conference Losses: Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue

Outlook

Second-year head coach Fran McCaffery led the Hawkeyes to a few good wins over a couple of mid-major programs during the non-conference season, and Iowa appeared to be turning the corner thanks to a strong freshman class.

The Hawkeyes brought an 11-2 record into Big Ten play. They have had some struggles against the tough conference competition, but three of their losses have been by three points or fewer.

So far this season, junior Roy Devyn Marble leads the Hawkeye attack. The guard/small forward has been a strong leader for a young team. Sophomore Aaron White has had some strong performances, too. Along with the top scorers, two freshmen in guard Mike Gesell and center Adam Woodbury have Iowa fans believing in this team again.

The Hawkeyes know how to score points. They are averaging 73.0 points per game, just behind the Gophers at fourth in the conference.

Many predicted Iowa to be a sleeper team this season. If they continue to win their most winnable games, and pick up a few victories from ranked teams as well, the Hawkeyes could still finish somewhere in the middle of the Big Ten. A finish in the upper half would be a major accomplishment for this young team.