Gophers men’s hockey in NCAA Sioux Falls Regional: How to watch, what to know
If the Gophers get past Nebraska Omaha on Thursday — no small task — they could face one of the nation’s top teams and top players Saturday.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 27, 2024 at 7:40PM
Thursday, Saturday at Denny Sanford Premier Center
TV, stream: Each game on ESPNU and ESPN+
Gophers game radio: 103.5 FM, 1130-AM
Thursday’s first semifinal
No. 4 seed Rochester Institute of Technology vs. No. 1 Boston University, 4 p.m.
Tigers at a glance: RIT (27-10-2) won the Atlantic Hockey Association tournament to secure an NCAA bid after winning the conference regular-season title, too. The Tigers enter the tournament on a seven-game winning streak and are on a 14-2-1 run. They average 3.92 goals per game (sixth nationally) and give up 2.31 (fifth nationally). Elijah Gonsalves and Matthew Wilde pace RIT with 19 goals each, while Carter Wilkie (16-25-41) and Cody Laskosky (13-27-40) are the top points producers. Goalie Tommy Scarfone (25-8-2, 2.18 goals-against average, .928 save percentage) is a three-year starter.
Terriers at a glance: Boston University (26-9-2) is the No. 2 overall seed in the 16-team NCAA field and finished runner-up to Boston College in both the Hockey East regular season and tournament. The Terriers are on a 10-2-1 run and are 7-5-1 vs. teams in the NCAA field. BU has star power in freshman center Macklin Celebrini, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft this year. Celebrini is tied for second nationally in scoring (31-28-59) and has 12 power-play goals. Defenseman Lane Hutson, a first-team All-America selection in 2023, is 13-33-46, which ranks second nationally among blue-liners. Goalie Mathieu Caron has started every game and has a 2.33 GAA and .916 save percentage.
Did you know? RIT has played giant-killer before, knocking out No. 1 overall seed Minnesota State Mankato 2-1 in 2015.
Thursday’s second semifinal
No. 3 Nebraska Omaha vs. No. 2 Gophers, 7:30 p.m.
Mavericks at a glance: Nebraska Omaha (23-12-4) earned an at-large NCAA bid after finishing runner-up in the NCHC tournament and fifth in the regular season. The Mavericks are 12-3-2 since Jan. 26. UNO doesn’t have a 30-point producer but has six players with 20 or more points, led by the Ludtke brothers from Elko. Tanner, a freshman forward, has 11 goals and 17 assists, while Griffin, a sophomore defenseman, has four goals and 23 assists. Goalie Simon Latkoczy is 19-11-3 with a 2.68 GAA and .912 save percentage.
Gophers at a glance: Minnesota (22-10-5) received an at-large NCAA bid after finishing third in the Big Ten regular season and losing in the tournament semifinals. The Gophers have been strong in the second half of the season, going 13-5-1 since Jan. 1. Rhett Pitlick (19-16-35) and Jimmy Snuggerud (21-13-34) are the Gophers’ top offensive threats, while Jaxon Nelson has eight goals in the past six games. Goalie Justen Close is a veteran of two Frozen Fours and is 21-9-5 with a 2.33 GAA and .923 save percentage this season.
Did you know? The Gophers are 5-3 all-time against UNO, including a 7-2 win in the 2021 Loveland, Colo., Regional.
Saturday’s championship: Semifinal winners, 5:30 p.m.
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