Minnesota will look to pick up a home sweep
The Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team returns home to 3M Arena at Mariucci this weekend looking to get back in a sweeping mode. Minnesota will take on Notre Dame this weekend and look to finish off the season sweep of the Irish after sweeping them in South Bend earlier in the season. Minnesota needs a big points performance this weekend ahead of a huge series at Michigan State next weekend.
Minnesota is coming off of a split at #11 Ohio State last weekend. The Gophers played their worst game of the season on Friday looking lazy and listless in 5-1 loss, the first on the season for Gopher goalie Nathan Airey. They would fins the spark they lacked Friday night right away on Saturday scoring three quick opening period goals en route to a 6-1 thrashing of the Buckeyes. Liam Souliere entered in relief on Friday and stopped al but one shot on Saturday to pick up Big Ten Third Star of the Week honors. Minnesota has 27 points in Big Ten action, one behind conference leading Michigan State.
Notre Dame comes in off of a home split with Michigan. Notre Dame lost on Friday 5-3 before erupting for a 7-4 win on Saturday. Notre Dame has nine points in conference play and sits in 6th place just ahead of Penn State. Cole Knuble leads the Irish with 22 points on the season, one ahead of Justin Janecke. Janecke’s nine goals are tied for the team lead with Danny Nelson. In goal the Irish have struggle splitting action between Owen Say and Nicholas Kempf. Say is 6-8 with a 2.92 goals against average and a .920 save percentage while Kempf is 1-6-1 with a3.15 GAA and a .911 save percentage.
These teams met in South Bend in November with Minnesota picking up a pair of wins 6-3 and 5-3. Nathan Airey played both games in net for Minnesota that weekend. Jimmy Snuggerud and Sam Rinzel each posted multi-goal performances, while Oliver Moore scored in both outings to pace the offense with Rinzel and Brodie Ziemer collecting the game-winning goals. Minnesota has owned Notre Dame in the recent past as the Gophers are 12-3-1 over the last 16 meetings with the Irish.
HOW TO WATCH:
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ #3 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Where: 3M Arena at Mariucci, Minneapolis, Minnesota
When: 7 PM Friday; 5 PM Saturday
TV: Fox 9 (Fri); Fox 9+ (Sat)
Stream: B1G+
Radio: 1130 AM/ 103.5 FM/ I heart Radio