NCAA West Regional preview: Gophers vs. Nebraska Omaha

The Gophers, the lone remaining Big Ten team in the field, face a battle-tested Mavericks team.

March 27, 2021 at 1:56AM
Nebraska-Omaha forward Chayse Primeau (13) battles Miami defenseman Bray Crowder (3) for the puck during an NCAA hockey game on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
Nebraska Omaha forward Chayse Primeau. (AP/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

NCAA West Regional

No. 1 seed Gophers vs. No. 4 Nebraska Omaha • 9 p.m. in Loveland, Colo. • ESPNU, 103.5-FM, 1130-AM

Gophers at a glance: With Wisconsin being upset by Bemidji State and Notre Dame and Michigan out of the tournament because of COVID-19, the Gophers are the only Big Ten team remaining in the field. … Minnesota (23-6) has thrived with a balanced attack that features seven players with 20 or more points. Leading the way is junior F Sampo Ranta, who leads the team and is tied for second nationally with 18 goals and has a team-high 29 points. He's followed by junior F Sammy Walker (13-15-28) and junior F Blake McLaughlin (12-15-27) … Jack LaFontaine, a Mike Richter Award top-three finalist for goalie of the year, is 21-6 with 1.74 goals-against average, .936 save percentage and five shutouts.

Mavericks at a glance: Nebraska Omaha (14-10-1) finished fourth in the NCHC regular-season standings and lost in the league tournament quarterfinals to Denver. The Mavericks went 5-4-1 against conference powers North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth. This is the Mavericks' fifth NCAA tournament appearance, and they reached the Frozen Four in 2005. … F Chayse Primeau, whose father, Keith, played 15 years in the NHL, leads the Mavericks in scoring (9-14-23). Junior F's Tyler Weiss (7-14-21) and Taylor Ward (11-9-20) add scoring depth. … G Isaiah Saville is 12-10-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .912 save percentage. … The Mavericks have nine Minnesotans on their roster, the most of any non-Minnesota team in the field. Among them is Nate Knoepke, who played for the Gophers for two games in 2017-18.

about the writer

about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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