Minnesota Gophers Hockey Team Heads Up I-35 to Face #9 UMD Bulldogs
The tough start to the Gopher hockey team’s season continues with a weekend at a ranked in-state rival.
Minnesota Golden Gophers men's hockey team will embark on a road trip to face off against Minnesota-Duluth (UMD) Bulldogs in a crucial non-conference series this weekend. The Gophers, led by head coach Brett Larson, who played for and coached UMD in the past, aim to secure their first victory as head coach. Minnesota opened their regular season with two consecutive losses to Michigan Tech, marking their first such sweep since 2015-16 and the first time they have been swept in a non-conference series since 1999.
The Bulldogs, ranked #9, have been on a roll since losing two and drawing one against Augustana. Their top line will be missing their star player Max Plante, who is not expected to play against the Gophers. UMD's penalty kill has been flawless, allowing no goals on 18 chances this season. UMD's goaltender Carl Axelsson has been stellar, boasting a 1-0-1 record and a .974 save percentage.
The Gophers, who have a strong all-time series record of 138-87-19, will be looking to secure a win for their head coach at Amsoil Arena, while UMD will be donning a throwback jersey from the 1980s and 1990s.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
