#5 Minnesota at Michigan
Date: March 3, 2017
Time: 5:30 pm CT (6:30 pm ET)
Place: Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, MI
TV: ESPNEWS (John Buccigross and Sean Ritchlin)
Stream: Watch ESPN (Free for cable subscribers)
Radio: 1500 ESPN (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Greetings from Yost Ice Arena where I always enjoy getting welcomed by one of the old Charlie Brown statues which went up in St. Paul.
It's an early start this week with Friday's game between the Gophers and Wolverines getting the ESPNews treatment.
Mike Szmatula, as mentioned Wednesday, is out with a lower body injury and did not make the trip to Ann Arbor.
As a result Minnesota returns the same lineup that played against the Badgers last weekend. Luke Notermann, who didn't make the trip out to Penn State when Szmatula was injured, got out on the road against Michigan.
University of Minnesota Golden Gophers lines
Forwards
Rem Pitlick (#15) - Justin Kloos (#25) - Tyler Sheehy (#22)
Leon Bristedt (#18)- Vinni Lettieri (#19) - Taylor Cammarata (#13)
Brent Gates Jr. (#10) - Darian Romanko (#26) - Luke Notermann (#11)
Connor Reilly (#21) - Ryan Norman (#23) - Jack Ramsey (#16)
Defense
Jake Bischoff (#28) - Ryan Lindgren (#5)
Jack Sadek (#2) - Steve Johnson (#4)
Ryan Zuhsldorf (#20) - Ryan Collins (#6)
Goaltenders
Eric Schierhorn (#37)
Nick Lehr (#34)
Brock Kautz (#1)
For Michigan, the Wolverines get back freshman forward Will Lockwood from injury. Lockwood has been out the past three games and also missed the January series against the Gophers due to a separate injury.
Zach Nagelvoort is listed as the first goaltender, getting another chance a game after the senior stopped all 42 shots he faced last Saturday in Michigan's 1-0 win over Ohio State.
Dexter Dancs, who was involved with the collision that ended Tommy Novak's season, is not in Friday's lineup.
University of Michigan Wolverines lines
Forwards
Jake Slaker (#13) - Adam Winborg (#18) - Will Lockwood (#10)
Max Shuart (#25) - Evan Allen (#15) - Alex Kile (#23)
James Sanchez (#12) - Nick Pastujov (#14) - Tony Calderone (#17)
Cutler Martin (#4) - Brendan Warren (#11) - Niko Porikos (#22)
Defense
Nolan De Jong (#21) - Joseph Cecconi (#3)
Griffin Luce (#5) - Nicholas Boka (#27)
Sam Piazza (#6) - Luke Martin (#2)
Goaltenders
Zach Nagelvoort (#35)
Hayden Lavigne (#30)
Jack Lafontaine (#1)
The Gophers sit three points ahead of Wisconsin and eight up on Penn State, who play one another this weekend in State College, with four conference games remaining. Games are worth three points. Teams get three for a regulation/OT win, two for a shootout win, one for a shootout loss (both are officially ties), and zero for a regulation/OT loss.
With a win tonight, Minnesota would have one of two scenarios happen depending on the outcome of Penn State-Wisconsin. The Gophers can clinch a first round bye in the Big Ten tournament with a Nittany Lions loss, as Minnesota cannot finish worse than second.
If Wisconsin loses, then Minnesota enters Saturday with a chance to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title before the final weekend.
Remember you can follow me on Twitter @gopherstate for live coverage.
Joey Marooney and Jack Glover are the extra skaters on the trip.
ReplyDeleteDid we know Dancs was going to be out?
He did miss Saturday's game against Ohio State.
ReplyDeleteAnd Veegs is correct with who the two extra skaters are on this weekend's trip.
Delete