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Goligoski, Okposo, Team USA Face Finland In Quarterfinals

2012-05-16T16:27:10Z

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	Former Gopher Kyle Okposo has two goals and one assist in seven IIHF World Championship games.

The 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship has reached the win-or-go-home stage. The quarterfinals are tomorrow and former Gophers Alex Goligoski and Kyle Okposo and Team USA will face defending champion Finland in Helsinki.

The Americans finished round-robin play with a 4-2-0-1 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record, which put them in second place in their group. One of their four wins was a 5-0 triumph against Finland (5-0-0-2) on May, 13.

Goligoski, who had one assist against Finland, has five points in seven tournament games. He has one goal and four assists and is +6 (tied for second best on the team) during the annual tournament. He also has taken only one minor penalty.

Okposo has two goals and one assist in seven games and has not taken any penalties for Team USA.

Two other former Gophers competed in the championship, but their teams have been eliminated from play. Evan Kaufmann skated in seven games for Germany (2-0-0-5) and had one assist, while Matt DeMarchi totaled two goals and 14 penalty minutes in seven games for Italy (0-1-0-6). DeMarchi scored two of Italy's six goals in the tournament.

Complete IIHF World Championship information.

A Decade Later, Whalen Returns to the Sports Pavilion

2012-05-16T14:35:46Z

The last time Lindsay Whalen had played a game in the Sports Pavilion, she was a sophomore wearing a Golden Gophers jersey. It was 2002. Pluto was still a planet, the Oklahoma City Thunder was still the Seattle Supersonics, and no one yet owned an iPhone.

The Gopher women moved to Williams Arena in 2002. Whalen returned to the Sports Pavilion yesterday afternoon for an exhibition game between her Minnesota Lynx and the Chicago Sky. In the decade between her Pavilion appearances, Whalen has made a Final Four run, been traded from the Connecticut Sun to her hometown team, and won a WNBA Championship.

She had actually played an exhibition game in Williams Arena as a member of the Sun, but this was her first time back in the Pavilion, and her first time playing at the University of Minnesota as a member of the Lynx.

Although the game was in the Pavilion, the Lynx used the basketball locker room in Williams Arena. The hallway walls outside the locker room--as well walls and trophy cases within the locker room itself--bear images of Whalen and the rest of the Gophers' 2004 Final Four team. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said that Whalen took some ribbing from teammates for this.

It was all in good fun. Reeve also said that her team wanted to perform well for Whalen at her former home arena. The team delivered. The crowd of 4,102 saw the Lynx take a 40-25 lead into halftime and win by a final score of 82-61.

Whalen played 22 of 40 minutes. She scored nine points, distributed eight assists, and added five rebounds. A few of her scoring highlights included a crossover and step-back jumper, and an and-one layup to open the second half.

She also displayed her usual hustle and toughness, flying out of bounds and through some seats. But Reeve was not worried about the possibility of injury.

"Whay is a hockey player playing basketball," she said. "She takes all kinds of hits. It doesn't ever worry me. Occasionally she gets up a little slower, but I know she's going to get up."

Whalen is one of the big reasons the Lynx won the 2011 WNBA title. Virtually the entire roster from last season remains intact in 2012. The team has a shot to become the first back-to-back league champions since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. The Lynx will open their regular season on Sunday against the Phoenix Mercury.

For a final preseason tune-up on the road to a repeat, it's hard to imagine a better place for Whalen than the court that helped to launch her into the national spotlight. Ten years after her last college game in the Pavilion, and eight years after her Gopher finale, she still holds a special place Minnesota basketball fans' hearts.

GWH Blog: 2011-12 Highlight Video

2012-05-14T21:50:27Z

Did you enjoy following the Gophers during the 2011-12 season? Want to relive some of your favorite memories from the journey to the NCAA Championship? Check out the 2011-12 highlight video!

We'd like to give a special thank you to Eric Bakke, the women's hockey director of operations, for putting together this video. Thanks, Bakke!

Florida State Flashbacks: Breaking Down the Gophers 2012 Big Ten/ACC Match-Up

2012-05-14T17:25:44Z

The 2012-13 season will be Minnesota's 14th time as a participant in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, but most of those games have been against just a couple different opponents. The Golden Gophers have faced Virginia four times, and this fall's matchup in Tallahassee will be their fourth Challenge duel against Florida State. Minnesota will look to snap its five-game road losing streak in the Challenge. Coincidentally, the Gophers' one road win in the Challenge came at Florida State.

With the announcement of the 2012 matchups today, GopherSports.com took a look back at the Gophers' Big Ten/ACC Challenge history against the Seminoles.

November 30, 2000
Minnesota 76, Florida State 71

	Bauer hit a key three-pointer late in the 2000 game.

In the second year of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Gophers took to the road. Coming off a loss to Georgetown in the Hawaii Pacific Thanksgiving Classic championship, they had extra motivation to win this game. The Gophers came out firing early, shooting 51.9 percent in the first half. Minnesota led, 35-33, at half time. The hot shooting continued after the break--the Gophers hit six of seven three-pointers in the second half.

The game stayed close the whole way. The Gophers trailed by five with six minutes to go. They took a 63-62 lead on a Terrence Simmons three with under four to go. After the Seminoles tied it up again, Michael Bauer hit a three to reclaim the lead for good. Simmons led the Gophers with 19 points. The victory gave Minnesota a 2-0 record in the Challenge, and helped the Big Ten win.

November 30, 2004
Florida State 70, Minnesota 69
The Gophers led for more than 36 minutes after Vincent Grier (who led the Gophers with 23 points) hit a three for the team's first points. But Florida State cut into the lead and then ended the game on a 21-6 run. The visiting Seminoles led by four with 14 seconds to go, and then Aaron Robinson hit a three for the Gophers with six seconds left. After a missed Seminole free throw, the Gophers had one last desperation shot, but it did not fall.

November 27, 2007
Florida State 75, Minnesota 61
The visiting Gophers took a 22-18 lead in the first half before Florida State began to take control with a 12-2 run. The loss was the first of Tubby Smith's tenure at Minnesota. The Gopher freshman class provided some bright spots, with Blake Hoffarber scoring a team-high 12 points off the bench and Al Nolen making his first career start.

Richards To Lead Blue Jackets

2012-05-14T14:05:09Z

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	Todd Richards had 158 points as a Gopher in 167 games.

The Columbus Dispatch reported this morning that former Gopher standout Todd Richards will be named the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The club has since confirmed the hiring and will hold a press conference at 12 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the press conference here.

Richards has been on the Columbus staff for one year. He started last season as an assistant coach, but was then named interim head coach with 41 games remaining in the regular season.

According to the Dispatch, under Richards the Blue Jackets went 18-21-2, which included an 11-8-0 record after March 1 and wins in five of their last six games. Columbus was also 14-0 with Richards behind the bench when they had the lead after 40 minutes.

Richards played in 167 games for the Gophers from 1985-89 and served as captain during his senior season. He ranks first in Minnesota history for career points (158) and assists (128) by a defenseman. Among all Gopher players he is tied for 23rd in points (with Reggie Berg) and tied for fifth in assists (with John Pohl). His 30 career goals place him tied for eighth among Gopher blueliners (with Bill Baker). Richards' 43 helpers during his sophomore also rank third all-time in single-season assists for a Minnesota defenseman.

This will be the second NHL head coaching stint for Richards, as he previously led the Minnesota Wild from 2009-11. He compiled a 77-71-16 record as the bench boss for the Wild. Richards also served as an assistant coach for San Jose during the 2008-09 season. He was also the head coach of the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton franchise from 2006-08 and was an assistant with the Milwaukee Admirals from 2002-06.

Gopher Connections in the News

2012-05-08T19:32:51Z

Minnesota baseball players are picking up publicity throughout hometown papers recently. The La Crosse, Wis., connection of Drew Ghelfi, Bobby Juan, Austin Lubinsky, as well as assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere were featured in the La Crosse Tribune this past weekend.

Kurt Schlangen chatted with his hometown paper, Albany Enterprise, talking Gopher baseball since playing with Albany back in 2008 (Subscription access is required to read the full article).

Gopher signed recruits continue to get in the news as they compete for their high school teams. Earlier this year, Connor Schaefbauer was named the South Dakota's AA Basketball Player of the Year as well as well as a first-team All-State selection.He was recently featured in an extensive interview through his hometown paper of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader as he is in his final season with O'Gorman.

Alec Crawford was recently named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week on April 26th. So far this season, Crawford is 8-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 65 innings pitched. Allowing just 18 earned runs, he has scattered 52 hits so far this season.

Burnsville's Dan Motl was recently named a finalist for the Lions Male Amateur Athlete of the Year, which is determined by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Motl, along with Burnsville teammate Matt Stemper, and Gopher recruits Dalton Sawyer and Troy Traxler were named to Minnesota Baseball Hub's Players to Watch coming into the season.

Hansen Talks Frozen Four, Springfield and Graduation

2012-05-08T14:40:05Z

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	Jake Hansen had seven points (5g-2a) in six playoff games for the Gophers.

Jake Hansen has had a busy couple of weeks. First, he helped lead Minnesota back to the Frozen Four and then he signed a professional contract and played in the final two games of the Springfield Falcons' season. After that he was back on campus and back in class to finish up his senior year and prepare for graduation later this month. We caught up with Hansen to talk about this year and his hectic schedule.

GopherSports: Jake how would you describe your senior season?

Jake Hansen: This being my senior year, there was a lot of pressure to get back into the NCAA tournament. As soon as we lost last year we went to work. That was definitely the hardest we have worked in the summer. That is tough to do with (strength coach) Dal Dietz too, but he definitely made it tougher. It was a good season. Guys were in the best shape of their lives and we had a good team bond.

We were able to start off really hot. Obviously, you have some ups and downs during the season and we hit that streak around Christmas where we were not playing good hockey. During the middle of the season we were a .500 team, but we were able to finish the year strong.

To win the MacNaughton Cup was truly unbelievable. Then we had a tough loss to North Dakota in the Final Five where we blew a 3-0 lead, but we were able to come back the next week and beat a great team in Boston University and then we got a little bit of revenge on North Dakota and made it to the Frozen Four.

Obviously, our No. 1 goal was to win a national championship, but it is still a year to be proud of. To get to the Frozen Four is a great accomplishment and something we can look back on and be happy about. We did not win the championship, but it was still one heck of a year.

GS: You talked about pressure to get back into the NCAA tournament, but you guys did that and even more by advancing to the Frozen Four. Was there any sense of relief in doing that?

JH: There was a lot of pressure because our class took a lot of heat. The first three years a lot of guys did not play much. We had 12 or 13 guys here my freshman year and then it got down to seven after guys left early or they wanted an opportunity somewhere else. We took a lot of heat and there was a lot of pressure on us, but we ended up with a great group of seniors. There was pressure of us, but we just went to work every day and we tried to be good leaders. We just told the team over and over again that the feeling of not making it to the tournament is just brutal. Once our season started going and I realized how good we were, I had all the confidence in the world that we were going to make it to the tournament.

GS: You had a strong year individually as well, which seemed to be a little bit of a carryover from the second half of your junior season.

JH: I was happy with my year. I hit some streaks where the scoring was not there and struggled at times to get some goals, but was able to turn it on during the second half of the year and get some goals. The whole ordeal last year where Zach Budish got injured is something you never hope for, you never wish for, but I was able to get more ice time and play more because of that. This year, the chemistry between Erik Haula, Sam Warning and me was huge. I think we played our best hockey at the end of the year. Haula was on fire and Warning was playing well and had his confidence going. Our line was really clicking. For me, being on the penalty kill, the second line and the first power-play unit, getting that kind of ice time you are eventually going to produce. It also builds confidence in your own game.

GS: You also elevated your play at the end of the year, as you had five goals and two assists in six playoff games.

JH: Everyone talks about how you can do whatever you want during the season, but the biggest part of the year is the playoffs. That was something that I really wanted to do, was to play really well in the playoffs and help the team out as much as possible. I played really well toward the end of the year because our line was playing really well. I don't know if I was more determined in the playoffs, but I wanted us to get as far as we could in the tournament.

GS: Then after the Frozen Four, you signed your first professional contract. That had to be a nice feeling.

JH: Our team really was close this year. It was truly a family and we would do anything for each other. Then we lost to Boston College and you are heartbroken and that definitely killed us. But then in the next few days to be able to sign a contract was...well it was almost tough to handle because we had just lost and you still have that bitter taste in your mouth and wish you could play that game again. But to be able to sign a contract and go to play for Springfield was rewarding. Obviously, we wanted to win it all but to be able to go from the Frozen Four to signing a professional contract, you cannot ask for much better of a year than that.

GS: You played the final two games of the season with Springfield. What did you learn from those games?

JH: It was just crazy. I signed the contract on Wednesday and then Wednesday night I am flying out at 7 p.m. I got in at midnight and got to the rink the next day. There were two days left in the season and they were on the playoff bubble. I was really nervous because you do not want to step on anybody's toes. There are a lot of veterans on the team and you do not want to be that kid who comes in and irritates anyone. But they were a great group of guys and made me feel welcome. I was really nervous that first practice, but once I got in the game I felt comfortable out there and had my legs. I felt confident and felt I played well both games. We got two wins and that was something that was a great experience for me.

GS: You also picked up your first point as a professional, which was an assist. What can you tell us about that?

	Hansen played in two games for the Springfield Falcons and recorded one assist after Minnesota's season ended.

JH: We were forechecking like crazy. The puck came out to Boone Jenner and he hit me and then I ended up sliding one through and he put it top shelf. It was a nice way to finish the two games there, with an assist and we were +2 that night. That was huge for me to know I can play at that level.

GS: You came back to campus after playing those two games and were back in class the next week. That had to be a little weird, right?

JH: It was weird because I went there Wednesday and played two games and was back home on Sunday night. It was weird being away from the guys for four days or whatever it was and they were all texting me. I enjoyed the experience in Springfield, but coming back and doing homework and being back in class on Tuesday was pretty weird. In Springfield, you are there to play hockey. You wake up, get some breakfast and then go to practice. Your main focus is hockey, so to come back after that and be in class again was a little weird.

GS: You will graduate this month, so it has been a pretty wild couple of weeks for you.

JH: Playing here four years and being able to get my degree is something my parents and I have always wanted. My dad has said that he cannot believe it is happening, but it is going to be amazing. If hockey does not work out, it is great to know that I will have my degree to fall back on.

GS: What are the plans for this summer?

JH: I am going to be training hard with Cal Dietz this summer. He will write a program for me and I will be in the weight room Monday through Friday. I plan on working out every day and skating every day, but I will make sure to get in a lot of golf as well.

Siebert Field: "One Final Goodbye"

2012-05-08T03:03:36Z

After 41 years, 766 games (including 585 wins) and countless memories, Gopher Baseball said one final goodbye to historic Siebert Field Tuesday, May 1. Siebert Field's "Final Pitch" was a resounding success, with a capacity crowd of nearly 1,500 spectators braving potential thunderstorms to bid farewell to one of college baseball's true historic landmarks.

GopherSports.com was there to capture Siebert Field's final contest, fittingly, a 9-2 Gopher victory. Enjoy this music video "One Final Goodbye."

Thanks for the memories, Siebert Field!

Gophers in the News

2012-05-07T19:41:18Z

With the Final Pitch at Siebert Field, the Gophers were in the news last week in a few locations. Holding previews in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and Minnesota Daily, the Gophers were also covered on the day of the event. With a live shot from WCCO to a MinnPost writeup on the field's history, the Gopher facility (please excuse the mispronunciation) made it on the Diamond Report through the Big Ten Network. Here's links to some of the action we found throughout the week:

The Final Pitch at Siebert Field

Game Highlights (5/1/12)

Diamond Report (5/6/12)

WCCO (5/1/12)

KSTP (5/1/12)

Postgame Star Tribune (5/2/12)

Postgame Pioneer Press (5/2/12)

Minnesota Daily (5/2/12)

Gophersports.com Photo Gallery (5/1/12)

PRE-GAME COVERAGE

MinnPost (Great historical piece) (5/1/12)

Star Tribune (5/1/12)

Pioneer Press (5/1/12)

Minnesota Daily (5/1/12)

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Gophers-Boilermakers in Rain Delay

2012-05-05T19:47:07Z

The University of Minnesota softball team has had Game Two of their doubleheader against Purdue delayed until 6 p.m. tonight, due to thunderstorms in the area.

The Golden Gophers took Game One of the series 5-3 before the storm clouds entered Minneapolis, Minn. Back-to-back home runs by senior Dannie Skrove and freshman Erika Smyth in the fourht inning propelled the Maroon and Gold past the Boilermakers. Sophomore pitcher Sara Moulton shutdown the potent Purdue offense by striking out eight batter (six of which came in the first three innings) and allowed the same number of hits.

Stay up-to-date on all the information regarding today's rain delay and Gopher softball by visiting GopherSports.com, Facebook and Twitter (@GopherSoftball).

Annual Awards Handed Out; Patterson, Bjugstad Share MVP

2012-05-05T02:00:00Z

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	Kent Patterson (pictured) shared the John Mariucci Most Valuable Player award with Nick Bjugstad.

The University of Minnesota men's hockey team held its annual banquet at Jax Café in Minneapolis tonight. Eight different awards were handed out to eight different individuals and only one member of the team received two different awards. The awards were voted on by members of the team.

Senior Kent Patterson and sophomore Nick Bjugstad shared the John Mariucci Most Valuable Player award. This is only the second time in the award's history, which dates back to the 1955-56 season, that Minnesota has had co-MVPs. Goaltender Kellen Briggs and forward Danny Irmen split the honor after the 2004-05 season.

Both Patterson and Bjugstad were named Second-Team All-Americans and All-WCHA First Team this year. Patterson was the National Player of the Month for October and was a three-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. Bjugstad was the National Player of the Month for November and was recognized as the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week once this year.

Patterson's 28 wins were the most by a Gopher goalie since Robb Stauber won 34 games in 1987-88. He won games against 10 different WCHA teams. He set a single-season school record and tied for the national lead in shutouts with seven this year. Patterson played in 43 games (tied for second all-time in one season) and played 2556:11 (second all-time in one season). His 2.32 goals-against average is third all-time in a single season, while his 966 saves rank fifth. He finished his career first in Minnesota history in save percentage (.913) and tied for first in goals-against average at 2.45 (Kellen Briggs also had a 2.45 career goals-against average in 132 games from 2003-07). Patterson's seven shutouts place him tied for third all-time in career shutouts.

Patterson also started the final 64 game of his career at Minnesota, dating back to his junior year. Starting on Dec. 4, 2010, he played a consecutive 3414:13 before not playing the final 20 minutes against Wisconsin on March 2, 2012. His minutes-played streak spanned 57 games and went through 170-regulation periods and parts of 12 overtime sessions.

Bjugstad led Minnesota with 25 goals and finished third on the team with 42 points, despite missing three games this year (two while he was playing for the United States in the World Junior Championship and one because of an injury). His 25 goals led Minnesota and placed him tied for fifth nationally and were the most by a Gopher since Ryan Potulny had 38 in during the 2005-06 season. Bjugstad recorded 21 of his points (9g-12a) in 16 road games and had a point in 13 of 16 road games, which included five multiple-point games. He tied for second on the team in power-play goals (8) and was third in plus-minus with a +21 rating. Bjugstad led the Gophers with a 17.2 shooting percentage and Minnesota was 20-6-1 when he recorded a point.

	Kyle Rau received the Frank Pond Rookie of the Year award after recording 43 points in 40 games as a freshman.

Freshman forward Kyle Rau earned the Frank Pond Rookie of the Year award. Rau, who missed two games while playing for the United States in the World Junior Championship, was second on the team in points (43) and third on the team in goals (18) and assists (25). He led the team with nine power-play goals and finished second on the team with a +23 rating. Rau tallied six game-winning goals, which tied him with Trent Klatt (1991-92) for ninth all-time for most game-winning goals in a single season. Rau, who was named to All-WCHA Rookie Team, was also the national Rookie of the Month for October and a three-time WCHA Rookie of the Week. His 18 goals were the most by a Gopher freshman since the 2006-07 season (Jay Barriball had 20 and Kyle Okposo had 19) and his 43 points were the most by a Gopher freshman since the 2008-09 season when Jordan Schroeder had 45.

Sophomore forward Erik Haula was named the Tom Mohr Playoff MVP. Haula, who led Minnesota in scoring with 49 points (20g-29a) in 43 games this season, increased his level of play when the postseason started. The Pori, Finland, native had five goals and six assists in six postseason games as Minnesota advanced to the Frozen Four. Haula had at least one point in all six playoff games and had four points (2g-2a) in Game 2 of Minnesota's first round WCHA playoff win against Alaska Anchorage.

Senior captain Taylor Matson was named the Mike Crupi Most Determined Player and also received the Elwin "Doc" Romnes Leadership and Sportsmanship award. Matson, who coach Don Lucia has often referred to as the hardest-working player he has ever coached, has now received the Mike Crupi Most Determined Player award the last three seasons. He is the third player to receive the honor three times since it was first handed out after the 1972-73 season. Matson joins Scott Bell (1991-93 and 1994-1995) and John Pohl (1999-2002) as the only three-time winner of the award. Matson played in all 43 games this season and had 23 points (8g-15a).

Senior goaltender Jake Kremer received the Dr. V. George Nagobads Unsung Hero award. Kremer served as the team's third goalie for the last four years and in that timeframe nobody practiced or faced shots more than him. Kremer played in one game during his career, as he was in net for the final 44 seconds in a 7-3 win against Alaska Anchorage as Minnesota won Game 2 in the first round of the WCHA playoffs this year.

Sophomore Nate Condon earned the John Mayasich Outstanding Student-Athlete award. Condon is double majoring in Finance and Accounting and has a 3.61 grade-point average. On the ice, he played in all 43 games and set career highs in goals (11), assists (19) and points (30).

Junior Seth Helgeson received the Donald M. Clark Community Service Award for the third straight year. He joins Justin Johnson (2002-05) as the only three-time recipient of the award. Helgeson played in all 43 games this year and set career highs in goals (5), assists (9) and points (14).

Former Gophers To Compete In IIHF World Championship

2012-04-30T16:55:40Z

	Alex Goligoski, who will play for Team USA at the IIHF World Championship, had 98 career points as a Gopher.

Complete Listing of Games l Team Rosters

The 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship begins this week in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden. Minnesota will be represented by four former players participating for three different countries in the annual tournament, which begins May 4 and ends with the Gold Medal game on May 20.

Alex Goligoski and Kyle Okposo will play for the United States, while Evan Kaufmann will play for Germany and Matt DeMarchi will suit up for Italy. Minnesota has had at least one player compete in the tournament every year since 1995.

Goligoski and Okposo were on campus last weekend to get ready for the tournament. They were joined by Team USA goaltender, former Boston University standout and Shorewood, Minn., native John Curry.

The United States will play an exhibition tomorrow against Sweden in Gavle, Sweden, to prep for the event. The Americans will face France in the first game of the tournament in Helsinki on May 4 and will play seven official tournament games from May 4-15.

Goligoski, who played in 118 games and had 98 points (25g-73a) for Minnesota from 2004-07, played 71 games in his first full year with the Dallas Stars this year. He finished sixth on the team in scoring and led Dallas' defensemen with 30 points (9g-21a). His 16 penalty minutes were also the lowest among team blueliners who played more than 55 games. Goligoski is making his first appearance for Team USA in the World Championship.

Okposo, who recorded 51 points (26g-25a) in 58 games at Minnesota from 2006-08, had 45 points this year for the New York Islanders. He finished sixth on the team in scoring and was third in goals (24), while playing in 79 games. Okposo also played for Team USA in the World Championship in 2009 and 2010.

Kaufmann was a Gopher from 2004-08. He played in 147 games at Minnesota and had 32 goals and 30 assists. He has played the last four seasons for the DEG Metro Stars in Germany and finished fourth on the team in scoring this past year with 42 points (19g-23a) in 52 games. Kaufmann will be making his first appearance for Germany in the World Championship when he plays this year.

DeMarchi played in 158 games for Minnesota from 1999-2003. He totaled 48 points (16g-32a) as a Gopher, but was more known for his rugged play. The Bemidji, Minn., native racked up 204 penalties (second most in program history) and 473 penalty minutes (most in program history) during his career. DeMarchi played 17 games for Vasteras IK of the Swedish league this season, where he totals six points (1g-5a) and 14 penalty minutes. DeMarchi also played for Italy in the 2010 World Championship.

Coach Kill Back on the Speaking Circuit

2012-04-30T16:42:51Z

Now that spring practice has wrapped up at the University of Minnesota, head coach Jerry Kill has been busy meeting with next year's team as individuals. But that's not the only thing he's doing. Coach Kill has also gotten right back out there on the speaking circuit.

Wednesday was a particularly busy day for the head coach when it came to speaking engagements. He appeared at a breakfast event for the Angel Foundation for Cancer Awareness that morning and spoke about leadership that evening at Richfield High School.

It's well-documented that Coach Kill is a survivor or kidney cancer. He also has his own cancer foundation in southern Illinois that supports people fighting the disease.

"This is certainly a tremendous cause and one we felt we needed to get to," Kill said following his talk at the Angel Foundation breakfast.

See more about the Angel Foundation breakfast and Coach Kill's involvement here.

Later that evening, Coach Kill was in Richfield, taking part in a leadership series presented by the Richfield Spartan Foundation and the Richfield Chamber of Commerce. His message there talked about hard work being the only way to succeed in life.

"I really believe you can out-work anyone," Kill told the group. "It takes no talent at all to be a hard worker."

Read more about Coach Kill's visit in Richfield and see photos here.

Coach Kill also made an appearance at the Elks Fishing Fling in Brainerd Thursday. He gave those in attendance some of his thoughts on how spring ball went, the team's academic success and the possible addition of alcohol at TCF Bank Stadium.

There is plenty of video from Coach Kill's appearance at the Elks Fishing Fling here.

On a personal note, I want to say a huge thank Coach Kill for speaking at an event that didn't get any media coverage last week. My wife Jill is part of a local Toastmasters group and Coach graciously accepted her offer to speak at their most recent open house.

In addition to all the speaking engagements, Coach Kill and the team hosted a HopeKids event Saturday at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex.

One Week Til Final Pitch at Siebert Field

2012-04-24T21:35:42Z

Photo Gallery-One Week til Final Pitch

The University of Minnesota baseball program will hold its Final Pitch at Siebert Field, one week from today as the Golden Gophers host St. Thomas, May 1st at 6:35 p.m. The game, originally scheduled for the H.H.H. Metrodome, was moved to honor the legendary field over the past 41 years.

In preparation for the event, the athletic department will have a series of videos as well as launching a Siebert Field history site leading up the event. With a beautiful 70 degree, sunny today, Gopher coaches sat down with gophersports.com, while the current team practiced on the field in preparation for the North Dakota State University game (in Fargo, N.D.) tomorrow.

Fans can purchase tickets online, by phone (612-624-8080), at the Mariucci Ticket Office (during business hours), at the Metrodome (before the 5th inning of Gopher Baseball games), or at Siebert Field on game-day (starting at 2:30 p.m.). All tickets will be issued as general admission and seating is available on a first-come, first serve basis.

Breaking Down The 2012-13 Schedule

2012-04-24T17:31:11Z

	Minnesota will open the 2012-13 season at home against Michigan State. It will be the third time that the Gophers will begin a season against the Spartans (1960-61 and 1979-80).

Minnesota announced its 2012-13 schedule yesterday, so we decided to break down the 36-game schedule for you. Here are some interesting notes that we came up with.

- Minnesota will play two exhibition games during the 2012-13 season. The Gophers will play an Oct. 6 exhibition against the Lethbridge Pronghorns, a Canadian college out of Alberta. The Gophers had previously played an exhibition game against the University of British Columbia each of the last four seasons. Minnesota last played an exhibition against Lethbridge on Oct. 8, 2006. The Gophers won that game 6-2. Minnesota will also play an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 Team on Oct. 26. The Gophers last played an exhibition against the U.S. Under-18 Team on Jan. 7, 2011, and won 9-0.

- The Gophers open the regular season against soon-to-be Big Ten conference rival and current CCHA member Michigan State. The last time Minnesota opened the season against a CCHA opponent was Oct. 12, 2002, when it beat Ohio State 7-2 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at Xcel Energy Center. This will be the third time that Minnesota will open a season against the Spartans. The Gophers beat Michigan State twice (9-8, 11-5) at home to open the 1979-80 season. Minnesota also began the 1960-61 season against the Spartans (the Gophers won those games 6-3 and 6-5 on the road).

- Minnesota will open the season at home for the third straight year. The Gophers began last season at home against Sacred Heart and opened the 2010-11 season at home against Massachusetts. Minnesota, who will host Michigan State to open the 2012-13 season, has not started three consecutive seasons at home since 1996-1998. The Gophers hosted Colorado College in 1996, welcomed Maine to Mariucci Arena in 1997 and played St. Lawrence and Ohio State in the Icebreaker Cup at Mariucci Arena in 1998.

- The Maroon and Gold will play only five regular-season games in October in the upcoming season, which is the fewest amount of October games for the Gophers since they also played five October games during the 2009-10 season. Minnesota played eight October games last year and during the 2010-11 season.

- The Gophers will make their first-ever trip to Vermont (and will play in the famed Gutterson Fieldhouse for the first time) when they travel to face the Catamounts on Nov. 23-24. It will be the third and fourth ever meeting between the schools, as they split a pair of games last year at Mariucci Arena.

- The 2012-13 season will be the last year that Minnesota plays as a member of the WCHA conference. The Gophers, who will compete in the new Big Ten hockey conference in 2013-14, will play their final 28 games as a WCHA member this year. Minnesota will play conference road games at Alaska Anchorage, Michigan Tech and Colorado College. The 2012-13 season could be the last time that Minnesota travels to these three schools in the immediate future.

- The Gophers will play eight of their first nine road games outside the state of Minnesota this year. The lone exception is a back end of a home-and-home date at Minnesota State on Nov. 3. Minnesota's next road game in the state is when it makes a return visit to Mankato on Jan. 26. Before that January game, Minnesota will travel to Michigan Tech, Alaska Anchorage, Vermont and Colorado College.

- Ten of the Gophers 16 road games will be contested outside of Minnesota during the 2012-13 season. The Gophers played 12 of 16 road games outside of Minnesota last year. Two years ago, Minnesota played only six games outside of the state.

- The Mariucci Classic will be held Dec. 28-29 and will feature defending national champion Boston College, Atlantic Hockey champion and NCAA tournament qualifier Air Force and independent Alabama in Huntsville. The last time that the Mariucci Classic was held this early in December was 2002. That year the event was held on Dec. 27-28 and featured Boston College, Bowling Green and Yale. Minnesota beat Boston College 2-1 in overtime to win the title.

- The Gophers will play five straight road games from Jan. 26-Feb. 16 and will play one game at Minnesota State and two games each at St. Cloud State and Wisconsin. The Gophers have not had a five-game road stretch since Jan. 12-26, 2008 (one game at St. Cloud and two games at Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin). This will be only the fourth time under Don Lucia that Minnesota will play five straight games on the road. In addition to the 2007-08 season, Minnesota also played five straight road games in the 2006-07 season and the 1999-2000 season.

- Minnesota will play a season-high, eight-game homestand from Dec. 28-Jan. 25. The homestand begins with two Mariucci Classic games and will also feature one game against Notre Dame and Minnesota State and two games with Alaska Anchorage and North Dakota. It is the Gophers' first eight-game homestand since they played eight straight at Mariucci Arena from Dec. 29, 2005, to Jan. 21, 2006 (Minnesota went 7-1-0 in that homestand).

- Notre Dame and Canisius will travel to Mariucci Arena for one game each during the 2012-13 season. The Gophers lost 5-4 to Notre Dame last year at home in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game and are now 22-13-3 all-time against the Irish. Minnesota has never played Canisius.

- In addition to playing 28 WCHA games, Minnesota will also play opponents from the CCHA (Michigan State and Notre Dame), Hockey East (Vermont) and Atlantic Hockey (Canisius). The Mariucci Classic schedule has not yet been set, but Minnesota could play Boston College (Hockey East), Air Force (Atlantic Hockey) or college hockey's lone independent Alabama in Huntsville. For the second straight year, Minnesota will not face an ECAC opponent in the regular season (last ECAC opponent the Gophers played in the regular season was Union in the 2010 Mariucci Classic).

- The Gophers will face Notre Dame this year and could face Air Force as well in the Mariucci Classic, which means for the second straight year there is potential to have a father-son matchup. Coach Don Lucia's son Mario has committed to Notre Dame and could be playing for the Irish when they visit Mariucci Arena on Jan. 5. Minnesota sophomore Tom Serratore's father, Frank, is the head coach at Air Force. Last year, Minnesota associate head coach Mike Guentzel coached against his son, Gabe, in two games when Colorado College visited Mariucci Arena.