Monday Morning Gophers: Minnesota Sweeps Niagara, St. Cloud State

Don't take a Battle Hymn for granted.

Each weekend leaves several lessons to take away, but if there's one to sit and chew upon, it's the above sentence. Sweeps are not a gimme.

Minnesota went nearly the entire season in 2018-19 without sweeping a team at home. The Gophers needed exactly two games in 2019-20 to match the total after a 3-2 overtime win on Friday and 4-2 victory Saturday.

On paper, it's easy to write, "It was just Niagara. Of course, the Gophers should win. Why didn't they win by more?" That would be further from the truth for Minnesota.

No matter what from a name perspective, Niagara was set up to be a tricky team for the Gophers. In a way, the Purple Eagles are at the point Minnesota would like to be.

A season ago, NU added 11 freshmen and one transfer to a team that was in need of a makeover. The Purple Eagles come into the season with the top sophomore class from a scoring perspective and one who played its best hockey towards the end of the season. Niagara came within an overtime goal of making the NCAA Tournament.

Niagara also plays a very constricting defense, which makes it difficult for a team finding its chemistry in October to find success. It's a good lesson for Minnesota, with its 11 freshmen and one transfer, given the team faces the two-time defending champions next weekend in Minnesota Duluth, who do not give many opportunities.

All of these things are those which challenge Minnesota. By sweeping, the Gophers passed its next test. Enjoy the Battle Hymn that comes with a home sweep on Saturday night.

Truth is, it's not easy to sweep any team.

Five Quick Thoughts:

1. It wasn't the prettiest pair of wins, but the pair of wins didn't need to be pretty. There was a difference between coming through Friday after turnovers and a mishmash of failed plays with Saturday's much cleaner win.

However, in both games, it was nice to see a trailing Minnesota keep their foot on the pedal after scoring. The Gophers scored back-to-back goals in under 75 seconds in both games, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 game. Add in a pair of goals in back-to-back shifts in the win against Colorado College and that makes three in a row.

2. It's early in the season. Sometimes that means time to get used to new players and new numbers. In this case, I'm getting used to
Brannon McManus being the upperclassman on a line with freshmen Jonny Sorenson and Ben Meyers. In a very college hockey way, it's less about age and more about experience. McManus is younger than Meyers and two months older than Sorenson.

3. Once again both goaltenders played this weekend with veteran Jack LaFontaine starting Friday and rookie Jared Moe getting the nod Saturday. Both kept Minnesota in the game when needed. It'll be interesting whether the rotation continues. Friday's game is in Minneapolis while Duluth hosts Saturday.

4. Tyler Nanne left Saturday's game following being checked into the boards and did not return.

5. Friday marked Charlie Beattie's debut as the Gopher hockey play-by-play announcer on Fox Sports North. Based on my timeline, it seemed like he got positive reviews. I really enjoyed his call of Sammy Walker's OT game-winner. Beattie had a perfect combination of making Walker's winner seem like a big deal mixed with letting it breathe and allowing the crowd and band noise at Mariucci to take over. There was nearly 20 seconds between the winning call and when Ben Clymer next spoke.

O CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN! Sammy gets his second of the year at the perfect time and wins this one for the #Gophers in OT. pic.twitter.com/FdwJnrzUop

— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) October 19, 2019

Gopher Women Sweep St. Cloud State to move to 8-0-0

Minnesota ends its opening month with a perfect record after sweeping St. Cloud State at home. Sydney Scobee finished with a 21 save shutout on Saturday before the Gophers won 4-2 on Sunday. (The game was further apart than the score indicated. Minnesota outshot SCSU 40-15 and the second goal came with 10 seconds left.)

This was a weekend where the Alex Woken-Taylor Heise-Grace Zumwinkle line shined, led by Woken scoring on Saturday's first shift. After the Potomaks and Wente line made the most of the trip to Pittsburgh, the group was only on the ice for a single goal, scored by defender Emily Brown. Alex Gulstene remained out, as Scobee started both games.

On paper, the next month gets difficult for No. 2 Minnesota, who received two of 15 first-place votes in the USCHO poll. The Gophers face Ohio State and Wisconsin in the next two weeks. Still, as much as the opening month was supposed to build to this stretch, here's something to keep an eye on: Minnesota's opponents are playing well. Colgate has not lost since facing the Gophers, Minnesota State just tied the Buckeyes twice, and Robert Morris, who gave Minnesota its biggest scare, tied and lost by a goal to another perennial winner in Clarkson.

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University of Minnesota Men's Hockey 2019-20 Full Preview

Throughout the summer, a building under construction greets me each morning, smiling with glass windows for teeth as it stands over the rest of the skyline.

It’s surrounded by some of the nicest buildings in town, many of which are newly completed. A pair have seen their best days after being recently overhauled, reaching new heights and reputations. One is making the most of its latest name change. Another nearby building seems to be the envy of the neighborhood and town. That one is an old friend who keeps winning awards and enjoying being considered the model building of both the area and town. All of them are moving on yet continue to judge themselves against the one currently under construction.

As the neighborhood continues to undergo changes, it joins a town where new, splashy buildings making an immediate impact on the scene mixed with some forgotten ones finding a renaissance, growing in favor.

Construction has made the skyline unrecognizable from the beginning of the decade. Many of the ones who perennially grab attention have been overshadowed and dropped off lists as new tastes emerge, challenging the old guard. Several of those buildings are making cosmetic and wholesale changes to keep up with the rest of the neighborhood.

That’s been the case for the building which greets me. Scaffolding exists, along with a crane and an observation deck devoid of people in its second year of renovations. Signs of change slowly appear on its young face.

Obviously, 600 words are not enough to preview Minnesota’s 2019-20 season and the job Bob Motzko is doing in Dinkytown. The Gophers enter Motzko’s second year as head coach still a work in progress with 12 newcomers in a group that’s largely of his own choosing. By age the youngest D1 men’s hockey team on average and by size the biggest, they add to a team which finished 7-2 over its final 9 games and third in the Big Ten. At the same time, Minnesota missed its second consecutive NCAA Tournament and third in the past four years after a run of six straight Big Ten and WCHA regular-season championships.

Let’s break it down more in-depth.

Top 10 2017-18 Features Nate Wrote (or) Welcome Back!

Welcome back!

With summer unofficially coming to an end after the Minnesota State Fair closing up shop for another year, September marks a new year of hockey.

It's time to prepare for the 2018-19 college hockey season. School has begun around the country. Ice sheets are ready to go. Same with captain's practices. Countdowns until opening night remains somewhere in the 20s to 40s.

Starbucks brought back its Pumpkin Spice Latte, perhaps the biggest sign fall peeks around the corner.

Prior to any preseason coverage, however, and on the one-year anniversary of The Athletic Minnesota launching, I wanted to showcase some of my favorite features from the site in the year since launching. Give them one last bit of love before turning my attention towards the future.

BLOG: Tyler Nanne at forward, Mittelstadt/Lindgren status, playing MN teams & more

Before the blog begins, here's a reminder this weekend's series is Saturday/Sunday. Minnesota and St. Cloud State do not play tonight. This is due to Huskies head coach Bob Motzko also being the US World Juniors head coach and both teams having players in the tournament. 

Don't worry. I'll remind you again at the bottom. 

It wouldn't be another snap decision. According to head coach Don Lucia after Saturday's 3-1 win over Arrmy, the only way Tyler Nanne would be playing forward this weekend is if he spent the week practicing as a forward.

That's exactly what Nanne has been doing.

The sophomore defenseman has been practicing on the right wing in preparation for Minnesota's series against St. Cloud State. Known for his offense from the blue line, he had been a forward at Edina until his junior year of high school.

"We'll never know until the weekend, but wherever I end up come the weekend I'll play it and play hard," he said.

Podcast: That Gopher Hockey Puckcast Episode 11

On That Gopher Hockey Puckcast episode 11, we get through all our subjects like a perfectly timed hip check.

In the first of TWO episodes this week, Drew, Nate and producer Tom Schreier have to decide who would be the captain, skilled player and goon among the group. They then discuss fighting in junior hockey and give their picks for a way too early 2018 Frozen Four.

Minnesota's series split with Wisconsin gets touched upon as well as Mike Szmatula's 100th career point. The Gophers' win Friday and loss Saturday bring up several topics such as, "what to make of an offense that is putting up the shots but not the goals," "is Minnesota's defense a bright spot," "can you get numb to Casey Mittelstadt highlight-reel assists" and much more.

Plus: Young Drew says something that makes Nate feel really old.

Those modern day goons 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. While you're at it, please leave a review and give us five stars. It helps out the podcast.

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. Here's the USA-Canada Olympic feature for The Athletic he discusses in the episode.

-Brad Schlossman's article on how there's little separation in college hockey this season.

-The aforementioned Tyler Nanne's hip check:

#Gophers Tyler Nanne has been dropping hip checks this season, bonus points for an open ice on. pic.twitter.com/3r9jdO6rjx

— Eric Vegoe (@evegoe) December 3, 2017

Feature: Gopher hockey runs into hot goalie and a great team in South Bend (The Athletic)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Solving Cale Morris and Notre Dame’s defense is easier said than done.

For most of its weekend series against the fourth-ranked Irish, Minnesota’s offense happily executed its game plan, sustaining pressure in the offensive end while the entire lineup put shots on goal.

Morris and company were up to the challenge, however, in a battle between the Big Ten’s best at Compton Family Ice Arena. He stopped 84 of 86 shots, not allowing an even-strength goal on the weekend, as then-No. 6 Minnesota lost 1-0 Friday and 5-2 Saturday, the difference between good and great on full display.

“It’s frustrating because we did some good things, and I’d say five of our six periods were pretty good,” Gophers head coach Don Lucia told The Athletic following Saturday’s defeat. “(Notre Dame)’s a good team. We didn’t do enough to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Click here to read the rest!*

*Subscription requred - here's a 25% off deal for $3.74 a month

Game Story: Strong Start Propels Gophers to Sweep of Michigan State (Zone Coverage)

MINNEAPOLIS- Aware of the quick turnaround Saturday afternoon, Minnesota worked to avoid an early letdown against Michigan State in the team’s second game in less than 24 hours. The Gophers were prepared early and used a strong start to propel the team to a series sweep.

Minnesota scored twice in the game’s opening 10:15 while Eric Schierhorn made 21 saves to help lead his team to a 4-0 shutout win over the Spartans at Mariucci Arena.

With the victory, the Gophers (7-3-0, 3-1-0-0 Big Ten) have won four straight games after beginning the season with three split weekends. They are the first team this season to sweep a two-game series in Big Ten conference play.

“It feels good,” said Schierhorn, who got his 10th career shutout in his 50th career win. “We haven’t played the best in these four games, but if you’re winning nothing else matters. It’s good to know that we can win and not play our best. It’s good for our confidence.”

Click here to read the rest!

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/

BLOG: How to get your offseason hockey fix & watch Gophers all at once

Friday and Saturday marked the midpoint of Minnesota's offseason. Each passing day brings us closer to the start of a new year, so it should be no surprise that mid-July features players ramping up in preparation.

In addition to ongoing NHL development camps, several University of Minnesota players are spending their July and August participating in Da Beauty League. Featuring Twin Cities-based NHLers, minor leaguers and collegians playing 4x4 hockey at Braemar Arena in Edina, the league's second season begins today (July 12, 2017) and runs through August. For three games a night (5:10 pm, 6:35 pm, 8:00 pm) at $10 it's a decent value.