College Hockey Update:  Last week presented three top twenty matchups, and North Dakota edged down to #3 after splitting its weekend at Nebraska-Omaha; the Mavericks held at #9. Mankato State dropped three spots to #6 on its loss at Bemidji State, which lifted the Beavers into the top twenty at #18.  And Massachusetts held at #10 after sweeping a home and home series with Massachusetts-Lowell, which dropped Lowell four pegs to #20.

Minnesota moved up two notches to #2 after sweeping its weekend at Ohio State; Minnesota Duluth edged up to #5 after sweeping its weekend at Miami of Ohio; and Bowling Green held at #8 after hosting and sweeping Michigan Tech.  Wisconsin moved up two slots to #11 after hosting and sweeping Michigan State; Providence edged up to #16 after sweeping a home and home series with New Hampshire; American International moved up two spots to #17 after beating Sacred Heart and then sweeping a home and home series with Holy Cross; and Robert Morris entered the top twenty at #19 after hosting and beating Mercyhurst.  An idle Boston College held at #1 (BC won at Northeastern Tuesday night, after Monday’s poll came out); idle St. Cloud State edged up to #4; idle Michigan held at #7; idle Quinnipiac edged down to #12; idle Clarkson edged down to #13; idle Northeastern held at #14; and idle Boston University held at #15.

Last weekend Minnesota had huge help from  junior forward Sampo Ranta, of Naantali, Finland, who scored a goal and tallied an assist Friday night in his team’s 5-1 win, and scored a goal Saturday night in his team’s 5-2 win, both at Ohio State. The 6’2″ 200 lb forward leads his team in goals scored, with twelve, and is seventh on the team in assists, with eight. Ranta has been a contributor on the team from day one:  As a freshman he tied for seventh on the team in goals, with six, and was ninth in assists, with nine; As a sophomore was second in goals, with twelve, and tied for seventh in assists, with eight.  He was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the third round of the 2018 NHL entry draft with the 78th pick overall.  Ranta’s hometown of Naantali is home to 20,000 residents spread out among its 120 square miles on the southwest coast of Finland.  Known for its beaches and nicknamed “The Summer Town,” Naantali becomes quite the tourist spot in the summer months when the temperatures soar upwards. Daylight approaches nineteen hours on the longest days, and in July the average high temperature hits 72 degrees.

Friday night at Ohio State, it was all Minnesota, as Jackson LaCombe scored an exciting short-handed goal seven minutes into the first to make it 1-0, and was followed by Sampo Ranta eleven minutes into the first to make it 2-0, Gophers.  Minnesota dominated the first in shots, 15-8.  In the second Ohio State tightened things up and kept Minnesota to a very slim 8-7 shots advantage, but Sammy Walker found the net for the Gophers seven minutes into the period to make it 3-0.  In the third Minnesota again dominated in shots, 10-3, and Blake McLaughlin scored just a minute in to make it 4-0, and and Ben Meyers followed seven minutes later (assist by Sampo Ranta) to make it 5-0, Gophers.  With four minutes left, Michigan scored on a power play to make the final 5-1.  Saturday night was more of the same, with Jonny Sorenson scoring eight minutes into the first for the 1-0 Minnesota lead.  Sampo Ranta scored two minutes into the second on a 5×3, and Jaxon Nelson scored half a minute later on the power play to make it 3-0, Gophers.  Ohio State netted one seven minutes into the period, but Jackson LaCombe scored another short-hander with a minute left make it 4-1, Minnesota.  Minnesota had dominated the second in shots, 13-6, but Ohio State took over in the third, 13-2.  Minnesota contained the action until the sixteen minute point when Ohio State made it 4-2.  Sammy Walker found the empty net with half a minute left to make the final 5-2, Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota was founded in 1851, straddles the Mississippi River, putting the campus in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, and has an enrollment of 52,000, the sixth largest in the U.S.  In addition to the Twin Cities campus, the University of Minnesota also has campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester.  Minnesota first put a team on the ice in 1921, has won five NCAA titles, and is currently coached by Bob Motzko, of Austin, MN.  He was a forward at St. Cloud State, graduating in 1987, and prior to coaching at Minnesota, coached for thirteen seasons at St. Cloud State, during which his teams made it to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including one trip to the Frozen Four in 2013.  Before St. Cloud State, he was head coach for six seasons on two different USHL teams, and was an assistant coach for eleven seasons at St. Cloud State, Miami of Ohio (twice), Denver, and Minnesota.  Matzko is in his third season as Minnesota Head Coach; in his first two seasons his teams compiled a 34-30-11 record.  His lifetime NCAA coaching record is 325-225-60.

The Minnesota Athlete’s Village opened three years ago and is nothing short of stupendous.  It functions as something of a world-within-a-world for student athletes there.  Not only is it the base location for all practices for student athletes in all sports, it also contains The Land O’ Lakes Center For Excellence, comprised of state of the art weight and conditioning facilities, academic, study and tutoring facilities, and a new, central nutrition and dining facility for student athletes only.  On the subject of nutrition, in a recent interview with the Minnesota Alumni Magazine Coach Bob Motzko said, “Well there will be other things that are fun for the student athletes as well.  It seems the interest for this comes mainly from the Hockey, Lacrosse, Crew, Soccer, and Golf athletes, for some reason, and we’ve been the main team pushing for this, as we have been for years the team making sure it has been included in the campus cafeterias up to this point.  We will have cake brought in from the best of those bakeries south of Minneapolis that straddle the Minnesota River; The Queen of Cakes, Jerry An’s Cakes, and so on.  It has always been a big plus in our recruiting here to get that certain type of athlete from that certain type of background down there, and it was for me at St. Cloud State as well.  I can’t really relate to it, coming from Austin, and being a very down to earth guy, but it’s a different world down there, and even for those who come out of the private schools in other parts of Minnesota, so we do what we must to get them to sign here.  Some of these kids come from schools that serve these cakes on a regular, daily basis, so we have to have the right stuff.” Minnesota, 15-3-0, and ranked #2, hosts #11 Wisconsin for two games this weekend.

There are two more top twenty matchups this weekend in addition to the Minnesota/Wisconsin matchup just mentioned:  #1 Boston College will play a home and home series with #15 Boston University, at BC Friday night, and at BU Saturday night; and #6 Mankato State will host #8 Bowling Green for two games.

This provides the top twenty teams, rankings, records, and last week’s results:

[table id=221 /]

That’s all for now.  Stay tuned, and go Terriers!

— Tom