It’s been 13 years and a couple days since Minnesota and UMD last met for a two-game series in Duluth. You have to go back to Oct. 14-15 of 2011, with UMD coming off its first national championship and the Gophers suddenly looking up at their northern rivals.
Minnesota won both of those games, and outside of a trip up to the 2017 Ice Breaker (the teams met in the semifinals), the Gophers have only returned for single games ever since.
Until this weekend.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin gave the credit to Gophers coach Bob Motzko, who took us through the change back to two-game series under the teams’ current four-year arrangement.
“When I got here,” the seventh-year Minnesota coach said recently, “they were all set up one and one (home and home series, one game at each venue). I get it, you want to be at home. But two years ago, we went up to play an exhibition game in Bemidji. The hotels around the rink were full of Gophers fans.
“I got a hold of Sandy, I set we should switch this thing back to two and two. Our fans want to come up to Canal Park. And it’s October, a great time of year.”
Motzko noted that Wisconsin is the only Big Ten rival within driving distance from the Gophers’ home base, so these are nice opportunities for their fans to travel and support the team on the road without breaking the bank.
Sandelin talked Wednesday about the move and agreed with Motzko.
“When you do those home and homes, fans don’t necessarily stay for a full weekend,” he said. “So hopefully it helps the businesses. That’s not why we did it, but it’s just, but I think it’s gonna help.”
It’s, of course, also a good chance for his young group to get better. Read more about that in our weekend preview.
A few changes for UMD up front, as the Bulldogs look to achieve more balance but also a little more consistency across the lines. Obviously, this is a group that is going to look different once Max Plante returns from injury in a few weeks, but in the meantime the coaches are going to do what they can to maximize what they have.
Adam Gajan vs Nathan Airey (we think, he’s listed first and started last Friday).
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Plante (Zam) – James – Bettens
Molenaar – Smith – Shaugabay
Perkins – Arnott – Loney
Menghini – Fischer – Bechen
UMD defense
Pionk – Dubinsky
Gallatin – Kleber
Bast – Hanson
Pierce
UMD goalies
Gajan – Knapp – Sandy
Minnesota forwards
Falloon – Huglen – Nevers
Lamb – Pahlsson – Snuggerud
Hendrickson – Moore – Ziemer
Kurth – Clark – Wood
Minnesota defense
Whipple – Rinzel
Koster – Gruba
Mittelstadt (Luke) – Chesley
Thomas
Minnesota goalies
Airey – Souliere – Wiese
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