The 12th-ranked Golden Gophers men’s hockey team is set to face in-state foe, No. 18/19 Minnesota Duluth for a two-game series inside 3M Arena at Mariucci Oct. 24-25.
The action gets underway both nights at 7 p.m.
LAST TIME ON THE ICE
Minnesota battled through a hard-fought weekend in Grand Forks, bouncing back from a Friday setback to earn a statement win Saturday night. After dropping the opener, 5-2, despite first-period goals from Mason Moe and Tanner Ludtke and a 2-2 tie after two periods, the Gophers regrouped and returned the favor with a dominant third period to earn the split the next night. Four goals in the final frame powered a 5-1 victory over No. 8 North Dakota, highlighted by Brody Lamb’s three-point night and Max Rud’s first collegiate goal, which proved to be the game-winner. Goaltender Luca Di Pasquo stopped 23-of-24 shots to secure his first win in the Maroon and Gold and help Minnesota hand the Fighting Hawks their first loss of the season.
LAMB’S OCTOBER SCORING FEAST
Senior captain Brody Lamb has been the driving force behind the Gophers’ offense through the first three weeks of the season, leading the team with seven points and ranking 11th nationally with four goals. The Byron, Minn., native showcased his scoring touch in Saturday’s win at North Dakota, recording a three-point night for the fourth time in his career and first since Feb. 21, 2025, against Ohio State. Known for starting strong, Lamb has totaled 23 points (15 goals, eight assists) in 26 career games played during the month of October.
SPECIAL TEAMS SPECIALIST
Tanner Ludtke continues to make his presence felt early in games, scoring in back-to-back contests at UND last weekend, with both goals coming in the first period. It’s the second time in his career he has scored in consecutive outings after finding the back of the net versus Denver and St. Cloud State in January of 2024 as a freshman at Omaha. The junior transfer has showcased his versatility this season, becoming one of just six players in the country to record both a power-play goal and a shorthanded tally.
LUKE DOING IT ALL
Senior captain Luke Mittelstadt is playing some of the best hockey of his career to begin his final campaign. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native paces the Gophers with five assists, which ranks fourth among all NCAA defensemen, and is tied for the team lead with 7 shots on goal, nearly matching the entire total of 19 shots from the other eight defensemen that have played in 2025-26. He also blocked a career-high eight shots in the home tie versus Boston College (Oct. 10).
BUILT ON SACRIFICE
Through six games, the Maroon and Gold have turned defensive sacrifice into a national best. Minnesota leads the country with 117 blocked shots, averaging nearly 20 per game, a full 36 more than the next closest Big Ten team. The Gophers’ commitment to getting sticks and bodies in shooting lanes is led by sophomore John Whipple, who paces the NCAA with 17 blocks. Veterans Luke Mittelstadt (15) and Cal Thomas (11) have also reached double digits, ranking fourth and 23rd nationally, respectively. As a unit, the team has made blocking shots a defining piece of its defensive identity.
OFFENSE FROM THE DEFENSE
Leo Gruba and Max Rud each scored in last weekend’s series finale against the Fighting Hawks, recording the first goals of the season by Minnesota defensemen. The blue line has been active offensively, contributing 11 assists through the early portion of the season. Gruba notched the first multi-point game of his career at UND on Saturday, and his four points in five games already surpass his freshman total of three points.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT MINNESOTA DULUTH
The Bulldogs have started the season strong, winning five of their first six games, including three on the road. Their offensive firepower has been key, outscoring opponents 25-11. UMD ranks fifth nationally, averaging 4.2 goals per game, led by Jayson Shaugabay and Max Plante, who each have 12 points, while Zam Plante has 10. The trio has contributed four of the Bulldogs’ seven power-play goals, and each has recorded a game-winning goal. In net, Adam Gajan has played every minute for UMD, posting a 1.51 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage through six games.
HISTORY WITH THE BULLDOGS
The long-time WCHA rivals meet again in the second year of a four-year scheduling agreement, with Minnesota holding a 138-85-19 (.610) record in the all-time series dating back to 1952. The Gophers have been strong at home, posting a 76-35-9 (.671) record against the Bulldogs, though they have gone just 2-5 in the last seven home games since 2013. Minnesota has also been successful in recent matchups overall, going 3-0-1 in the last four meetings, including a sweep at AMSOIL Arena last October with victories of 7-5 and 5-1. Last season, a five-point weekend from Jimmy Clark helped Minnesota secure the series sweep, with Connor Kurth, Oliver Moore, and Matthew Wood each contributing four points.
GAUNTLET RUN FROM START TO FINISH
Minnesota’s 2025-26 regular-season slate will once again be among the nation’s toughest. Of the Gophers’ 35 scheduled games, 25 come against teams ranked in the USCHO preseason poll, while eight more are against unranked opponents that still received votes. Seventeen matchups will be against opponents ranked inside the top 12, including a heavy dose of Big Ten play. The conference is again stacked, with six Big Ten programs ranked in the preseason top 20. Minnesota is no stranger to difficult schedules, having battled the nation’s No. 4 strength of schedule in 2023-24 and the No. 2 schedule the year before. Even last year’s “dip” to the No. 19 toughest schedule still placed the Gophers among the most battle-tested teams in the country.
LUCKY 13 VIA THE NHL DRAFT
Minnesota begins the campaign with 13 NHL-drafted players on its roster, the fourth-most of any NCAA program, but will take the ice without a first-round draft pick for the first time since the 2018-19 season. After being selected in the second round over the summer, Jacob Rombach is the highest-drafted prospect for the Gophers this season, while Mason Moe (2025), Brodie Ziemer (2024), and Tanner Ludtke (2023) were all picked in the third round of their respective draft class. The Maroon and Gold lead all NCAA men’s hockey programs with 248 total draft selections, a number boosted by five more in June 2025, including two future signed prospects. Dating back to 1974, at least one Gopher has been chosen in 51 of the last 52 NHL Entry Drafts, with 2001 standing as the lone exception.
HISTORIC POSTSEASON STANDARD
Last season, Minnesota reached the NCAA Tournament for the fifth year in a row, marking the program’s 42nd all-time appearance, the most by a single NCAA team. The Gophers also own 62 all-time tournament victories, the most of any college hockey program. Their current streak is the program’s longest since an eight-year run from 2001-08. Under head coach Bob Motzko, Minnesota has compiled a 7-5 record in the tournament, earning at least one win in four of the last five years and advancing to two of the program’s 23 NCAA Frozen Four appearances.
(info and stock photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
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