Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 6

The Gophers finally got a sweep this season and Nate Wells and Drew Cove are here to talk about it in this week's That Gopher Hockey Puckcast.

The two dive into Minnesota's performance in two wins against then-No. 9 Clarkson. They discuss the impact freshmen Casey Mittelstadt and Scott Reedy in their return from injuries, the power play breaking its drought, getting more scoring from seniors and the lineup, and the play of Eric Schierhorn. Wells and Cove also preview this weekend's series against Michigan State and first year head coach Danton Cole, along with what surprises them nationally after the first month of college hockey.

Those debating the ethics of cloning a team of Casey Mittelstadts can directly download here.


As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes.

Plugs and stuff

-Drew can be found on Twitter @covedrew and covers Minnesota men's hockey and football for the Minnesota Daily.

-Nate can be found here on this website and at The Athletic (as well as every other website if the various links here don't make clear). You can follow him on Twitter @gopherstate and like/subscribe to his Facebook page.

Feature: Shorthanded Gopher women keep learning lessons as No. 1 Wisconsin looms (The Athletic)

Returning home to Ridder Arena from a difficult four-game road trip, Minnesota enters the end of October a different team than the one that began the month.

The Gophers face top-ranked Wisconsin Saturday and Sunday on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Along the way, Minnesota (5-2-1, 4-1-1-0 WCHA) swept two in-state foes in two tough environments. The team won a pair of games at Bemidji State before sweeping Minnesota Duluth last weekend, coming back from a 1-0 deficit Saturday with two third-period goals for a 2-1 victory.

Throughout October, Minnesota has been slowly finding its own identity.

“It’s a process. We’re learning a little bit more about that each game, each day that we practice,” senior defender Sydney Baldwin said. “I think we’re just becoming a really gritty team, just fighting back, keep moving forward and getting better each day and keep playing our hardest.”

Baldwin and Minnesota's lessons in self-discovery began early.

Click here to read the rest! (Subscription Required)

Author's note: I wrote this before the weekend series against Wisconsin. Keep that in mind.

Game Story: Minnesota Women's Hockey Swept by Wisconsin in Overtime Loss (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- Sidney Peters said it happened both pretty quickly and frustratingly slow.

In an instant, the Gopher goaltender saw Wisconsin’s Baylee Wellhausen celebrate a goal and Sunday’s game all in one. The Badger senior forward scored 1:32 into overtime to hand Minnesota a 2-1 loss at Ridder Arena.

“She shot it and I kind of got a piece of [the puck] with my blocker,” Peters said of the overtime goal. “It bounced a few times, bouncing off my shoulder and into the net. It’s a frustrating way to get scored on because I watched it in slow motion.”

A moment earlier, the Gophers (5-4-1, 4-3-1-0 WCHA) nearly won the game when Nicole Schammel’s point-blank shot was saved by Wisconsin goaltender Kristen Campbell. It proved to be the difference in an intense and sometimes chippy Border Battle rivalry.

While Minnesota got off to a better start Sunday, holding the Badgers off the scoresheet in the first period, the end result was the same. The home team played with undefeated and top-ranked Wisconsin (12-0-0, 6-0-0-0 WCHA) for much of the game, but could not get a go-ahead goal.

Click here to read the rest!

Game Story: Gopher Seniors Score First Goals as Minnesota Gets First Season Sweep (Zone Coverage)

First Battle Hymn and stick salute of the year. #Gophers #PrideOnIce pic.twitter.com/GEcybdYtx5

— Nate Wells (@gopherstate) October 29, 2017

MINNEAPOLIS- October closes with a sweep.

Beginning the season with three weekends where No. 7 Minnesota won one game and lost one, the Gophers found some consistency this weekend against No. 9 Clarkson. For the first time this year, the team won twice in a weekend.

Seniors Leon Bristedt and Mike Szmatula each scored a power-play goal Saturday to help lead Minnesota to a 2-1 win over the Golden Knights.

“Early on we were struggling trying to find our identity. I think the older guys kind of put that on ourselves,” Szmatula said. “We know we’re going to go through some tough times and it’s just about you keep getting back up when you get knocked down.”

No players felt more comfortable Saturday night than Szmatula and Bristedt — and for good reason. Both had yet to score a goal this season entering the game.

Click here to read the rest!

Game Recap: Gopher Women Fall Short Against Top-Ranked Wisconsin (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- Tying the game a third time was one too many for Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.

Trailing top-ranked Wisconsin from the opening minute, the Gophers got back in the game, but were unable to get a lead. The Badgers scored late with a goal by 2016 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Presley Norby and held on for a 3-2 victory at Ridder Arena in the first of two games between the WCHA title mainstays.

Junior forward Sophie Skarzynski had tied the game for Minnesota earlier in the third period with her fourth goal of the season.

“I was really happy again with tying it up in the third and finding a way to get that one. There’s no question you always want to use that momentum to get the next one,” said Minnesota head coach Brad Frost. “We had our chances, but we weren’t able to get over the hump.”

Both goal lights got a workout early. Featuring two of the nation’s top-11 offenses, Minnesota (5-3-1, 4-2-1-0 WCHA) and Wisconsin scored on three of the game’s five shots.

Click here to read the rest!

Pregame Blog: Minnesota-Clarkson Saturday Line Combinations, TV Schedule + More

#9 Clarkson (4-2-1, 0-0-0 ECAC) at #7 Minnesota (4-3-0, 1-1-0-0 Big Ten)

Date: October 28, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm CT
Place: 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN
TV: Fox Sports North Plus (AVAILABLE in Twin Cities)
Stream: BTN2Go/Fox Sports Go
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: Zone Coverage

Friday night's recap: Gopher Hockey Freshmen Return; Lead Minnesota Over #9 Clarkson

One aspect of Friday's win that I didn't explore much in my game recap was Minnesota's discipline.

Game Story: Gopher Hockey Freshmen Return; Lead Minnesota Over #9 Clarkson (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- As a rule, Minnesota men’s hockey freshmen cannot talk to the press during the month of October.

They can, however, let their sticks do the talking.

There is no rule against freshmen contributing on the ice, which was the case Friday for the Gophers in a late October home victory over a top-10 opponent. Freshmen forwards Scott Reedy and Casey Mittelstadt played major roles in No. 7 Minnesota’s 3-1 win over No. 9 Clarkson as both returned from missing time with injuries.

Reedy broke open a scoreless game in the second period with his second career goal. Mittelstadt, meanwhile, assisted on the play. He finished with two assists for his first official multi-point game.

“They’re obviously important players. It’s important to get them back,” said sophomore Rem Pitlick, who scored a goal for Minnesota. “We have guys who stepped up and played well in their spots, but you go down two good players like that it’s always tough and to have them back was great.”

Read the rest of the story here.

Pregame Blog: Minnesota vs Clarkson lines, TV Schedule, Gopher expectations + More

#9 Clarkson (4-1-1, 0-0-0 ECAC) at #7 Minnesota (3-2-0, 1-1-0-0 Big Ten)

Date: October 27, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm CT
Place: 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN
TV: Fox Sports North Plus (AVAILABLE in Twin Cities)
Stream: BTN2Go/Fox Sports Go
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: Zone Coverage

Pregame Reading/Listening: 
-Casey Mittelstadt/Scott Reedy updates; Justin Kloos NHL debut
-Gophers' return to North Dakota mixes old and new in college hockey's best rivalry (The Athletic)
-That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 5

Greetings from snowy Minnesota where we've gone from 90 degrees to snow in a span of five weeks.

Not having played the Gophers in Minneapolis since 1990 in the old building, Clarkson makes its first visit to Minnesota since the 2013 Ice Breaker. The Golden Gophers are 4-0-0 all-time against the Golden Knights, including a 4-3 comeback OT victory last year at Cheel Arena.

BLOG: Updates on Casey Mittelstadt and Scott Reedy; Justin Kloos makes NHL Debut

Casey Mittelstadt is "50/50" to play against Clarkson this weekend.

The freshman forward did skate Wednesday, dealing with an upper body injury. Mittelstadt, who has 2 goals and 2 assists in 5 games, was kept out of Saturday's 4-0 loss to North Dakota as a precaution after being cross-checked during Friday's 2-1 victory, according to Minnesota head coach Don Lucia.

"He'll skate (Thursday). I would say he's 50/50. We'll see where he's at come Friday night," Lucia said.

Lucia also said that Mittelstadt wanted to play. At this point of the season, however, the team would rather error on the side of caution.

Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 5

Two guests join me for episode 5 of That Gopher Hockey Puckast.

First, Josh Seguin of College Hockey News helps preview Clarkson before they face the Gopher men at Mariucci Arena. We discuss the Golden Knights' 4-1-1 fast start, #9 rating, Eden Prairie, MN native Jake Kielly's play in net, how the ECAC shapes up and Josh drops some knowledge on new Wisconsin goaltender Kyle Hayton, who previously played 3 seasons at St. Lawrence.

Next, Nicole Haase of USCHO and The Victory Press, among other outlets, lends her expertise. She and I preview #6 Minnesota women hosting #1 Wisconsin at Ridder Arena on Saturday and Sunday. Topics include: The Badgers continuing their run of goalies, what to take from a 10-0-0 start, reloading vs. rebuilding, some first month surprises throughout the college hockey landscape and end with some USA-Canada talk in the lead up to the Olympics.

Those feeling old seeing players they covered now coaching can directly download here.




As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes.

Plugs and stuff:

You can follow Drew on Twitter @covedrew. Nate can be found @gopherstate.

Josh covers ECAC for College Hockey News. His latest there is a feature on Quinnipiac being CHN's Team of the Week. You can find him on Twitter @JoshSeguin24.

Nicole is a D1 and D3 women's hockey columnist for USCHO while also doing features for The Victory Press. Her latest at USCHO deals with Wisconsin's 10-0-0 start. You can find her on Twitter sharing dog and koala photos @nicolehaase.

Feature: Gophers' return to North Dakota mixes old and new for college hockey's best rivalry (The Athletic)

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — As a kid, Ryan Norman never had much use for the North Dakota jersey his father bought him. Being different, he put on Gopher gear to wear at the rink, having developed a bond with that team.

“We had a little bit of a rivalry growing up because I always liked cheering against him,” Norman told The Athletic of his father Todd, who played at UND from 1984-86. “I thought that it was funny to grind his gears a little bit when we would watch those games together as a kid.”

This past weekend the junior forward put on Gopher gear once again, this time a member of the team, as Minnesota made the 300-plus mile trek to North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena for the first time since January 2012. None of the players on either team had participated in one. They didn’t personally know the chilling tales of snowballs thrown at buses. Many of their experiences came from growing up watching games and seeing clips on YouTube.

Five years had passed since Ben Blood and Kyle Rau’s bad-blood handshake was the final image of Gopher-UND games in Grand Forks.

“Everyone getting together at someone’s house, or trying to get tickets to the game and there’s always a brawl in any game it seemed like,” said Jack Ramsey, whose father Mike helped Minnesota win the 1979 national championship against the then-Fighting Sioux. “If your friend was cheering for North Dakota, you hated him for that week. Thinking of Gopher hockey games growing up, North Dakota games were the biggest ones to look forward to.”

Read the rest here (subscription required)

Gophers commit Clayton Phillips traded to Muskegon

Clayton Phillips is now a member of the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

The Edina, MN native and Minnesota defenseman verbal commit was traded Tuesday from the Fargo Force (USHL) to Muskegon. The Lumberjacks received Phillips and a 9th round 2018 USHL Phase 1 pick in exchange for 2nd round 2018 USHL Phase 1 and Phase 2 picks, along with a player to be named later. (Here's a primer as to what Phase 1 and Phase 2 drafts mean.)

Phillips asked to be traded, according to Fargo head coach Cary Eades. Chris Murphy of The Forum reported that Phillips was not in the Force lineup last Thursday nor did he play in either of Fargo's two road wins at Omaha last weekend.

"They've been great to me," Phillips told the author last season about the Fargo coaching staff. "I got my feet wet a little bit (in 2015-16) and this year they've been great to me, putting me in situations and it's been good."

Something changed between then and now. Fargo's leading returning scorer this season, the 5'11", 188 lbs Phillips had three points (1G-2A) in three games. A year ago he finished with 20 points (7G-13A) in 56 regular season games.

Listed at 5'11", 188 lbs, Phillips is an offensive defenseman who likes to join in the rush.

Muskegon has previously been home to Gopher players like Michael Brodzinski, Eric Schierhorn and Rem Pitlick, who found new life with the Lumberjacks when traded.

Philips is expected to arrive at Minnesota in fall 2018 after graduating high school. One of the younger draft eligible players, he is a 2017 3rd round NHL draft pick (99th overall) of Pittsburgh.

Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckast Episode 4

Nate and Drew return from Grand Forks to discuss Minnesota's series split with North Dakota with producer Tom Schreier.

They break down Friday's 2-1 win, Eric Schierhorn's 34 saves, Saturday's 4-0 loss, how the Minnesota-North Dakota rivalry is in 2017 and what the experience is covering a game at Ralph Engelstad Arena. They also answer questions on special teams, future college hockey expansion and what makes a successful month for the Gophers.

Those compared to Josh Duhamel can directly download here.



As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes.

You can follow Drew on Twitter @covedrew. Nate can be found @gopherstate.

Game Story: Major penalty dooms Minnesota against North Dakota (Zone Coverage)

GRAND FORKS, ND --Three goal celebrations later, Minnesota’s penalty finally came to an end.

Christian Wolanin and North Dakota made the most of a five-minute major power play, putting the game out of reach before the second period was five minutes old, and handing the Gophers a 4-0 loss at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The result snaps a seven-game unbeaten streak for Minnesota (3-3-0, 1-1-0-0 Big Ten) against the Fighting Hawks.

“You come out, and this is a very difficult place to play, and we had an opportunity tonight to win two. It’s hard enough to win one in a weekend, but you are going to come out and have a parade to the penalty box through two periods,” Gopher head coach Don Lucia said. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance. That’s what disappointing, the parade to the penalty box.”

Read the rest here.

Pregame Blog: Minnesota-North Dakota Line Combinations, Game Time, TV Schedule & More

Ralph Engelstad Arena (Photo: Nathan Wells)

#8 Minnesota (3-2-0, 1-1-0-0 Big Ten) at #4 North Dakota (3-1-1, 0-0-0-0 NCHC)

Date: October 21, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm CT
Place: Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, ND
TV: Midco SN where available (not available in Twin Cities)
Stream: NCHC.TV ($$$)
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: Zone Coverage and The Athletic Minnesota

Pregame reading: "On the long road to the NHL, Casey Mittelstadt stands out" by Eric Vegoe and "Chilling tales from old rink lore add color to Minnesota-North Dakota" by Jess Myers, both over at The Athletic (subscription required) 

Pregame listening: That Gopher Hockey Puckcast Episodes 2 & 3

Friday's game story: Schierhorn stops 34 in 2-1 Gophers win

The decision Friday to play Tyler Sheehy came from Tyler Sheehy.

Minnesota's captain returned to the Gopher lineup after missing both games against Penn State. The Gophers had an extra skater in Sam Rossini skate warmups, but Sheehy felt he could play and did.

"(Sheehy) skated Wednesday and felt good. Then he skated Thursday and still felt really good after practice," said head coach Don Lucia after Friday's 2-1 win. "At that point we felt - he made the call - but he said he felt really good."

Sheehy played on a line with Rem Pitlick and Casey Mittelstadt, helping start Minnesota's opening goal. He also took 10 faceoffs Friday night in an attempt to give the Gophers a righthanded draw. (All four of Minnesota centers shoot left.) Lucia thought he did a good job.

In other injury news, Scott Reedy missed his second consecutive game Friday. He did make the trip to Grand Forks after practicing Wednesday, however, Reedy will not play Saturday either.

Facebook Live: 10/20/17 from Ralph Engelstad Arena

I quickly jumped on Facebook Friday night following Minnesota's 2-1 win over North Dakota to discuss the victory and three reasons behind it. Unfortunately due to the late nature of the game (it was nearly midnight), I didn't answer any questions.



You can like/follow my work on Facebook here at the link. I'm also on Twitter @gopherstate.

Game Story: Schierhorn saves 34 in 2-1 Gophers win over North Dakota (Zone Coverage)

GRAND FORKS, ND– It was a win nearly six years in the making. For junior goaltender Eric Schierhorn, it was more specific. Friday’s performance came from the culmination of a whole summer’s work.

Playing at Ralph Engelstad Arena for the first time since January 2012, visiting Minnesota skated off the ice with a 2-1 victory over North Dakota in the 294th game played between the two teams throughout their long history.

Schierhorn, who shut out the Fighting Hawks the last time the two teams in Minneapolis, finished with 34 saves on 35 shots. His teammates helped, blocking 29 UND shots, taking bumps and bruises, and keeping an explosive offense off the scoresheet until the third period.

Minnesota’s penalty kill finished the night 5 for 6 a week after giving up four goals in two games against Penn State.

“It’s unbelievable. It energizes me, energizes the team, brings us closer,” said Schierhorn. “The sellout you saw from all of our guys tonight was unbelievable and that’s the reason we won.”

Click here to read the rest!

That Gopher Hockey Puckast: Episodes 2 & 3

Because there was so much to discuss this week we did something different: We split everything into two podcasts.

Twice as much content. Twice as much college hockey in your ears!

As a reminder, if you subscribed to our old podcast, that feed will no longer work. You need to subscribe to the 'Cast In Gold feed wherever you listen to podcasts. Here it is on iTunes.

And leave us a review and five stars while you're at it.

BLOG: Tyler Sheehy, Scott Reedy both "doubtful" for North Dakota

Minnesota likely will be without junior captain Tyler Sheehy and freshman forward Scott Reedy this weekend against North Dakota.

Both players were question marks at the beginning of the week. While they each skated in practice Wednesday, head coach Don Lucia was cautious about their chances to make the road trip.

"I doubt that they'll be playing this weekend. We're going to take a long-term approach," he said Wednesday. "Unless we feel really comfortable, we're preparing like they won't play."

Sheehy missed both games against Penn State and was listed as "week to week." Reedy left the end of Friday's game before not playing in Sunday's 6-3 win.

The injuries, mixed with Leon Bristedt being suspended - he'll be back for the series against the Fighting Hawks - allowed Minnesota to juggle lines. Lucia singled out his normal fourth line of Jack Ramsey, Ryan Norman and Darian Romanko as guys he believed stepped up and can play in elevated roles.

"The other guys did a good job. Our lineup on Sunday without three important players, and the other guys stepped up like you hope. That's what the team game is all about, that you're going to have a mix," he said. "You can't use it as an excuse. I don't know who they are yet, but we'll have 18 guys who are ready to go.

"In the long run it'll make us a better team."

Nick Williams commits to Minnesota

The Gophers picked up its second verbal commitment in a week Tuesday (October 17, 2017) when Edina, MN native Nick Williams announced his intentions to play at Minnesota via Twitter.

Proud to announce my commitment to play hockey at the University of Minnesota! Thanks to everyone who has helped me get here! #Gophers〽️

— nick williams (@nick_williams65) October 18, 2017

Williams is a 2002-born defenseman who most recently played for the Edina 14U AA Bantams. He continues an Edina D pipeline to the Gophers. Other players to come from the program or slated to down the line include Ryan Zuhlsdorf, Tyler Nanne, Clayton Phillips, Jake Boltmann and Ben Brinkman.

He joins Rosemount's Jake Ratzlaff as 2002-born verbal commitments the Gophers have received.


Recent Gopher hockey verbal commitments:
-Rhett Pitlick - Chaska (men's)
-Jake Braccini - Buffalo (men's)
-Chaz and Cruz Lucius (men's)
-Aaron Huglen - Roseau (men's)
-Audrey Wethington - Blake (women's)
-Tella Jungels - Edina (women's)

Gopher hockey has another rollercoaster weekend against Penn State (The Athletic)

MINNEAPOLIS — Don Lucia walked into his postgame press conference Friday night and opened by saying his Minnesota team is not yet a finished product. The same holds true after Sunday’s game against Penn State, although the Gophers could take solace in their best 60-minute performance of the young season coming two days after their worst.

Two weekends into 2017-18 has seen Minnesota twice struggle Friday night before bouncing back in the weekend’s second game to earn a victory.

This has created plenty of teaching moments for Lucia in the early going. Repeatedly in practices Monday through Thursday, players have been told to focus on staying disciplined and starting off the first 10 minutes strongly.

Neither happened Friday night.

Click the link for the full story (Subscription Required)

Pregame Blog: Gophers without 3 top-9 forwards, Peyton Jones' Sportcenter save + More

#11 Penn State (2-1-0, 1-0-0-0 Big Ten) at #7 Minnesota (1-2-0, 0-1-0-0 Big Ten)

Date: October 15, 2017
Time: 3:00 pm CT
Place: 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN
TV: Fox Sports North (Doug McLeod, Ben Clymer and Krissy Wendell-Pohl)
Stream: BTN2Go/Fox Sports Go
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for today: The Athletic

Among the many things Minnesota failed to do in Friday's 3-1 loss was test Penn State sophomore goaltender Peyton Jones.

"Not at all," junior forward Darian Romanko said. "We got zero shots in the first ten minutes and 16 on the game, I think (Note: It was 21). That's not good enough for Gopher hockey."

The slow start was Minnesota's second consecutive Friday night opening the game being outshot over the first ten minutes. The Gophers didn't have a shot stopped by Jones until the 12 minute mark. He was barely tested as the Nittany Lions forced Eric Schierhorn (making his record-breaking 79th straight start Sunday) to stop 2 breakaways during that stretch.

Leon Bristedt suspended for Sunday's game

University of Minnesota senior forward Leon Bristedt will miss Sunday's game against Penn State after being suspended by the Big Ten for one game.

Bristedt, who is without a point in three games this season, was assessed a game misconduct for checking Nittany Lions forward James Gobetz from behind into the wall during Minnesota's 3-1 loss Friday. The conference determined it was aggregious enough to earn supplementary discipline.

The play came with his team on the penalty kill 8:47 into the second period.

Gopher head coach Don Lucia was okay with the checking from behind call when asked after Friday's game.

"That's a safety issue. You don't go into the boards and push a guy in his numbers, putting him in a really vulnerable position. I have no problem with the call," he said. "(Leon) knows better. He's a senior. You wrap up a guy in that situation, but you don't check him from behind."

This is Bristedt's second career suspension. He missed one game in March 2016 for spearing Michigan State captain Michael Ferrantino in a play that did not earn a penalty.

--
In case you missed it, I have a new professional Facebook page for my college hockey writing. Please like and follow at www.facebook.com/natewellswriteshockey/

You can also follow Nate on Twitter @gopherstate

Rhett Pitlick commits to Minnesota

Minnesota picked up a verbal commitment this week from Chaska, MN native Rhett Pitlick.

The HS sophomore forward did not, as is the custom, announce his decision on Twitter and thank everyone who helped him along the way. The Gopher Hockey Blog did confirm with sources that Pitlick committed, however. (Assistant coach Scott Bell also did his usual "hooked them" tweet and Chaska Boys Hockey tweeted out congratulations for the 2001-born Pitlick.)

Congratulations to sophomore Rhett Pitlick on his commitment to the University of Minnesota. Well done Rhett! #notwitter pic.twitter.com/nCIm8IPIxl

— Chaska Boys Hockey (@CHSboyshockey) October 13, 2017

A Gopher hockey legacy, Pitlick's parents were both athletes at the University of Minnesota. His father Lance played for Minnesota from 1986-1990 while Rhett's mother Lisa was a gymnast. His cousin Tyler played at Minnesota State before going on to an NHL career.

Older brother Rem, who was 5'3" when he committed before growing, is currently a sophomore forward with the Gophers.

Playing varsity at Chaska as a freshman (along with fellow Minnesota commit Mike Koster), Pitlick the younger scored 12 goals and 10 assists in 23 games.

Rhett was drafted 102nd overall by the Bloomington Thunder (now Central Illinois Flying Aces) in May's USHL Phase 1 Draft. Central Illinois also drafted Gopher commits Jake Braccini and Jake Boltmann.

The earliest he would likely be on campus is 2020.

Recent Gopher hockey verbal commitments:
-Jake Braccini - Buffalo (men's)
-Chaz and Cruz Lucius (men's)
-Aaron Huglen - Roseau (men's)
-Audrey Wethington - Blake (women's)
-Tella Jungels - Edina (women's)

Pregame Blog: Minnesota-PSU line combinations, Big Ten Hockey in October, Schierhorn ties record

Eric Schierhorn (pictured after Saturday's 2-0 win) makes his 78th consecutive start for Minnesota (Photo Credit: Nathan Wells)

#11 Penn State (1-1-0) at #7 Minnesota (1-1-0)

Date: October 13, 2017
Time: 7:00 pm CT
Place: Mariucci
TV: Fox Sports North (Doug McLeod and Ben Clymer)
Stream: BTN2Go/Fox Sports Go
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: The Athletic Minnesota

Pregame Reading: Tyler Nanne living his dream with Gophers after long recovery (The Athletic - subscription required)
Follow along for live tweeting @gopherstate

As the old promo that got greeted by Minnesota fans with boos goes, Big Ten hockey...is here.

In October. Yes, this weekend features a Big Ten conference series.

Long Feature: Tyler Nanne living his dream playing for Gophers (The Athletic)

"After two and a half years with zero competitive games, two schools, several trips to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, a year where he was not allowed to skate, and a year where he was only allowed to practice, Tyler Nanne was about to finally experience collegiate hockey for himself."

My first big feature for The Athletic is an in-depth dive into the remarkable road Tyler Nanne took to get to Minnesota and opening night. Once one of the top high school players in the state, Nanne was struck with Myocarditis and spent a year recovering. Now healthy, his family helped him greatly along the way.

I'm happy to be having the opportunity this season to write long college hockey features.

Read here (The Athletic subscription required): https://theathletic.com/126066/2017/10/13/tyler-nanne-minnesota-golden-gophers-feature/

That Gopher Hockey Puckcast: Episode 1 (We did not come up with an episode title)

We back.

The most popular question I've gotten over the last month has been "when are Drew and you doing another podcast?" Well, I'm happy to say the podcast will return this season under a new home and new name.

The first new episode of "That Gopher Hockey Puckcast" (as opposed to the other one) can be listened to below. We're excited to join the Zone Coverage Podcast Network and work with some of my favorite folks in the Twin Cities.

For episode 1, Drew and I, along with producer Tom Schreier, catch up an entire offseason, last weekend's Ice Breaker tournament (I was there, Drew was covering from afar) and games against UMD and Union, the UMD losing streak, incoming freshmen, our thoughts on the upcoming season, Big Ten, Penn State and finally we bring out the old mailbag and answer your burning questions. You can listen below.




For those who subscribed to the old podcast the old feed will not update. You have to re-subscribe here or search iTunes for "Cast in Gold." That might change in the future, but for now that's the name and feed it is under.

Those who want to direct download can do so here.

Follow Drew on Twitter @covedrew and read his work at the Minnesota Daily. You can follow me on Twitter @gopherstate, on Facebook and of course read my work both here and at The Athletic.

Radio: WCCO Sports Sunday with Steve Thomson (October 8, 2017)

Once again I'm going to be a regular guest on WCCO. This weekend I made my season debut with Steve Thomson, discussing the Gopher men's and women's teams.

Topics included: How the Minnesota men's weekend went, Amsoil Arena, some positives and negatives in each game, Casey Mittelstadt being brought along slowly and the challenges of being a highly regarded freshman, what's hampering the Gopher women after a 1-2-1 start, Olympic losses, and why I'm contributing this season to The Athletic.

Direct: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/audio/steve-thomson-and-eric-nelson/10-8-17-sports-sunday-3-pm/#.Wdu1TXeRbc8.blogger

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-thomson-and-eric-nelson/id403228796?mt=2

My segment begins a little after the 5 minute mark in the 3 pm hour of Sunday October 8, 2017.

Pregame Blog: Minnesota vs Union Line Combinations, UMD Loss & More

Eight is not great when it comes to Minnesota's losing streak against its in-state neighbor 150 miles north.

Minnesota Duluth's Parker Mackay scored 1:45 into overtime to hand the visiting Gophers a season-opening 4-3 loss in the Ice Breaker tournament. It's the eighth straight defeat to UMD dating back to October 2014.

"It sucks to say, but right now the numbers don't lie. They got our number these last few years. We were really hoping to change that tonight," Tyler Sheehy said after Friday's loss. "We tried to play with a chip on our shoulders. That was something that has been going on these past few years. We weren't able to come out on top tonight." 

Minnesota now faces Union today in the tournament consolation game.

As a reminder, today's game is NOT on television in the Twin Cities. Here's why. I'm in Duluth and you can follow me on Twitter @gopherstate.

Pregame Blog: Minnesota vs Minnesota Duluth Ice Breaker Line Combinations

Pregame Blog: Teams not arrived, tailgate party yet to begin 2 months before Ice Breaker opens season. pic.twitter.com/AkP1SqJ3W0

— Nate Wells (@gopherstate) August 6, 2017

Date: October 6, 2017
Time: 7:30 pm CT
Place: AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, MN
TV: No TV in Twin Cities, My9 (Duluth NBC affiliate) in Duluth
Stream: NCHC.TV ($$$)
Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM (Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco)
Nate is covering for tonight: The Athletic Minnesota

Two extra games. That's where it begins.

Notebook: Ice Breaker, Potential Lines, TV Situation, Mittelstadt & More

Here are some Minnesota news and notes in the lead-up to the men's regular season opener tonight at Duluth and the women hosting Ohio State this weekend.

I'll be up in Duluth this weekend covering the Ice Breaker for a few different outlets. Of course, you can find links to anything Gopher-related I write on this website, as well as follow me on Twitter @gopherstate. I'm also planning on doing a Facebook Live video to discuss the games, which will be posted here as well afterwards.

My plan is to put a pregame blog a couple hours before the game. I do still hope to do a TV analysis blog before we get too far into the season for those who were wondering. Unfortunately, neither of this weekend's games are on television in the Twin Cities. The Gophers do not control TV rights to visiting non-conference games and the Bulldogs and My9 Duluth did not allow Fox Sports North to broadcast. Those in the Twin Cities can stream the game live for a fee at NCHC.TV.

It's a college hockey-wide problem where every season you can almost count the number of nationally televised non-conference games on one hand. Sadly, the problem seems to be getting worse and worse as realignment creates more non-conference games and more teams get TV deals. The same situation will occur in two weeks when the Gophers travel to Grand Forks to face North Dakota.

Nate appears on Gopher Puck Live Podcast Episode #114

To kick off 2017-18 I joined my friends at Gopher Puck Live on their season-opening podcast. We previewed the freshmen, returning players, expectations for the season, what we're excited to see, this weekend's Ice Breaker tournament in Duluth and Friday's opponent UMD.

You can listen directly at their site. The podcast is number 114. You can also stream or downoad on iTunes or Google Play.

BLOG: 10 thoughts from Minnesota's weekend split against Merrimack

Sunday's faceoff between Minnesota and Merrimack (Photo: Nathan Wells)

I spent some time at Ridder Arena last weekend, covering both of Minnesota's season-opening games against Merrimack. Being there first-hand and talking with players and coaches after the games, I thought it would be appropriate to give my thoughts as a whole.

The Gophers lost Friday 4-3 before winning 4-1. If you missed Friday's game recap, click here.

Nate Knoepke, 4 Gopher commits make NHL Central Scouting's preliminary players to watch list

NHL Central Scouting released its first look at players eligible for next June's NHL Draft. Five players with University of Minnesota ties made the cut.

All five are among 18 Minnesota natives to be named to the full list, which can be seen here.

Gopher freshman defenseman Nate Knoepke, in his second year of draft eligibility, was given a "C" grade by Central Scouting. Two Minnesota forward commits - Blake McLaughlin and Jaxon Nelson - were given "B" grades. Two others - Jack Jensen and Colin Schmidt - received "C" grades.

An "A" player is seen by NHL Central as a potential first round pick. "B" players would go in the second or third round while "C" players go later.

NHL Central Scouting exists as a hypothetical 32nd team and how that team would have its board if the 2018 NHL Draft was held today. Other teams likely have different players ranked higher or lower.

Additionally, things can and will change by the time June comes around, something Knoepke would know all too well. The Farmington, MN native went undrafted in his first year of eligibility despite being 79th among North American skaters in Central Scouting's final rankings this past April. Sammy Walker, meanwhile, fell off the rankings yet was drafted by an NHL team. Other players, such as Rem Pitlick (not named to the watch list and eventually drafted in the third round) end up working their way on to future lists.

No Minnesotans were named "A" players. Of the players with "A" rankings, five have college ties, including current Michigan freshman defenseman Quinn Hughes and Boston University freshman forward Brady Tkachuk.

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In case you missed it, I have a new professional Facebook page for my college hockey writing. Please like and follow at www.facebook.com/natewellswriteshockey/

You can also follow Nate on Twitter @gopherstate

Minnesota's second game against Penn State moved to Sunday October 15

With Gopher football playing Michigan State next Saturday night across the street at TCF Bank Stadium, the Minnesota men's hockey series finale against Penn State moves to Sunday October 15.

The home opener remains unchanged on Friday October 13th.

Game time is set for 3 p.m. CT, right around the end of Vikings-Packers, for those interested. Fox Sports North will continue to broadcast both Minnesota-Penn State games that weekend, as will KTLK 1130 AM

(Click here for Minnesota's full season TV schedule - I plan on blogging about what it means at some point this week although don't hold me to it.)

If there's one silver lining, Twin Cities hockey fans do not have to choose between NHL and college hockey. The Gopher game no longer overlaps with the Minnesota Wild home opener at Xcel Energy Center.

October 13-14 remains the only weekend during the regular season where Minnesota men's hockey and football are both at home.

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In case you missed it, I have a new professional Facebook page for my college hockey writing. Please like and follow at www.facebook.com/natewellswriteshockey/

You can also follow Nate on Twitter @gopherstate

WATCH: Facebook Live after Minnesota's 6-2 exhibition victory (with Drew Cove)

I'm trying something new this year: Facebook Live after games.

Below is the first edition following Sunday's 6-2 exhibition win over Alberta. Minnesota Daily beat writer Drew Cove and myself discuss how much stock to put in exhibition games, what we liked/didn't like, what Gopher head coach Don Lucia and players said, and of course our first impressions of Casey Mittelstadt, who had a four point game.


Feel free to leave questions and comments on the page you want answered during games for future sessions. I'd like to make this an interactive experience.

Like and follow my Facebook - you can click here to do so.

BLOG: Taylor Williamson, Luke Notermann out for the foreseeable future

Both Minnesota hockey teams will be without a forward for the foreseeable future.

Junior Taylor Williamson and sophomore forward Luke Notermann are missing time on the ice this season.

In Williamson's case, she at least suited up Friday during Minnesota's season opening 4-3 loss to Merrimack. The Edina, MN native didn't leave the bench for the locker room yet wasn't playing during the second and third periods. She was scrtached in Sunday's 4-1 win.

"She's out indefinitely with an injury," head coach Brad Frost said Sunday of Williamson, the 2015 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award winner.

Williamson spent the latter part of 2016-17 on the team's second line, flourishing with a stretch where she had 4 goals in 5 games. This season Frost started her on the third line with Kippin Keller and freshman Taylor Wente.

Losing Williamson for an extended period of time puts a strain on the Gopher blue line. Thanks in part to three potential forwards gone for Olympic duty, Minnesota only has 18 skaters (12 forwards and 6 defenders). Junior Sophie Skarzynski went from defender to forward Sunday.

"Hopefully we can keep five D back there," said Frost."We don't have many more options unless we can pull somebody from the stands."

On the men's side, every eligible forward skated in Minnesota's 6-2 exhibition victory over Alberta. That left out transfer Connor Hurley and Notermann, who head coach Don Lucia said was unable to play.

He likely will be unable to play for a while.

"We're hoping (Luke)'ll be back playing, at least skating, but as of now it appears that he'll be missing the year," said Lucia.

Notermann had one assist in 10 games last season for the Gophers, filling in spot duty throughout the second half of 2016-17. Being without Notermann leaves five forwards - Darian Romanko, Jack Ramsey, Ryan Norman, Joey Marooney and freshman Cullen Munson - in the mix for three spots on Minnesota's fourth line. All five were rotating at times, with Romanko being a constant presence, during Sunday's exhibition.