GOPHERS MEN'S HOCKEY GAMEDAY
Gophers' next men's hockey opponent, Penn State, is sixth in the PairWise Ratings
The Nittany Lions have slumped of late but remain potent, especially at home, where they are 12-4.
February 17, 2023 at 1:50AM
5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Penn State • BTN, 103.5-FM, 1130-AM
Gophers update: Minnesota (21-8-1, 15-4-1 Big Ten, 46 points) dropped to No. 2 in the U.S. College Hockey Online and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls but remains No. 1 in the PairWise computer rankings after its series split at Wisconsin. … The Gophers and Penn State split a November series in Minneapolis with the Nittany Lions winning the opener 4-2 and Minnesota taking the finale 3-1. … Jimmy Snuggerud (17 goals, 23 assists, 40 points) leads the Gophers in scoring, with linemates Logan Cooley (14-24-38) and Matthew Knies (17-14-31) close behind. Jackson LaCombe (7-20-27) supplies scoring from the blue line and becomes even more important with defensemen Brock Faber and Ryan Chesley (both upper body) out for the series. Goalie Justen Close is 18-8-1 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .923 save percentage.
Nittany Lions update: Penn State (19-10-1, 9-10-1, 30 points) sits in sixth place in the Big Ten but is No. 5 in the PairWise Ratings and No. 7 in both polls. The Nittany Lions were idle last weekend and had a split at Ohio State on Feb. 3-4. They are 2-5-1 in their past eight games. Penn State is 12-4 at home. The Nittany Lions have struggled on special teams, ranking 46th nationally on the power play (17-for-105, 16.2%) and 49th on the penalty kill (61-for-79, 77.2%). … Kevin Wall (14-10-24), Connor MacEachern (11-11-22) and Ture Linden (7-14-21) are Penn State's top offensive threats. Goalie Liam Souliere has started 27 of 30 games, going 16-9-1 with a 2.46 GAA and .913 save percentage.
The Gophers quarterback believed in himself, and his transfer to the U has led to a winning record this season.
