Since The Collegian’s last article featuring local glassblowers, Bryan Ratcliffe of Surf Rat Glass has blown up.

The Fort Collins-based artist shifted his focus from creating smaller pendants with the theme of a “road trip” to making cannabis-themed drinkware. He makes glasses that look like large bangers and bowls among other drinkware creations.  

“Small things like (pendants) required a posture that was bad for my back, so I knew I had to make a shift, so I shifted to working on a lathe,” Ratcliffe said. “When I was in middle school, I got my first potter’s wheel. A lathe is similar to that but with glass. It has to hold both ends, so making that transition to the lathe felt like home to me.”

“You take something that has a connection with the viewer, and you put your twist on it, so you already have that instant connection with the viewer or consumer.” –Bryan Ratcliffe, Surf Rat glassblower

Ratcliffe produces carefully crafted Instagram reels and TikToks that showcase his drinkware in a creative and engaging way. How did he think of this unique idea?

“I was listening to my audience as well as developing things at the time, and it kind of organically evolved,” Ratcliffe said. “I made a few videos and released the product, and it did really well.”

Ratcliffe currently has more than 80,000 Instagram followers and more than 134,000 TikTok followers with several of his videos reaching more than 1 million views and some even reaching 5 million views.  

“You take something that has a connection with the viewer, and you put your twist on it, so you already have that instant connection with the viewer or consumer,” Ratcliffe said. “What I did that really helps set me apart is I went 100% in on learning how to produce and make the videos.”

Ratcliffe makes his videos with an iPhone 13 Pro and posts them on Instagram and TikTok several times a week. His videos are so well-crafted that the Corning Museum of Glass featured his work in its yearly new glass review.

The Corning Museum of Glass is “the world’s largest space dedicated to the display of contemporary art and design in glass,” according to its website. The video the museum references shows Ratcliffe lighting a marshmallow on fire while making hot chocolate in one of his banger mugs, and a still shot of the video is featured in the museum’s magazine.

“The Corning Museum of Glass picks 100 substantial works in glass that they think were some of the best things produced over the year, so it was really cool to be in that magazine,” Ratcliffe said.

Ratcliffe’s use of social media and the crossover between Instagram and TikTok helped boost his reach substantially. Instagram and TikTok both have strict guidelines surrounding the promotion of cannabis products, so Ratcliffe had to find a way to work around them.

“I made sure to have food and use (cannabis-themed drinkware) with food each time so it was without a doubt a mug,” Ratcliffe said. “That’s a big struggle for a lot of glassworkers, but it’s (TikTok’s) platform, so you just have to play by the rules.”

Ratcliffe’s following has grown substantially over the last year, and his social media accounts continue to grow each day. By thoroughly understanding his audience and the market, Ratcliffe has created a successful and unique glassware business.

“I feel like as a maker, as long as I invest myself into it heavily, I have the possibility to put out some really good videos and stand behind my products,” Ratcliffe said.

Reach Lindsay Barker at cannabis@collegian.com or @lindsaybarkerj.

Staying informed is more frustrating than ever. Being up to date on what’s happening in the world often means reading the same story covered by multiple sources to receive the full picture. As news organizations struggle to adapt in a digital landscape, many take drastic measures to ensure people click on their news stories, utilizing intentionally infuriating headlines. But as journalists, it’s our responsibility to abide by high ethical standards to ensure we give audiences a straightforward perspective of the world.

What it Means to be a Journalist 

Journalists are at the forefront of shedding light on the injustices of our society: we keep the public aware and informed of what is going on in our communities, and our work plays a massive role in how people draw conclusions on different topics.

Being a journalist is not an easy job — each piece requires hours of research, writing and revisions, not to mention adhering to strict deadlines. Burnout is extremely common, but with that said, no matter how tight deadlines are, we have a responsibility to put out thorough and accurate information. We triple-check sourcing, run through multiple edits and abide by the highest standards of ethics in accuracy, transparency and honesty. When your job is to inform the public, you make sure to provide accurate reporting.

Unethical Journalism

It isn’t uncommon to see articles that are poorly written or minimally researched, or intentionally leave out key details in a news story to misinform readers. Some platforms are guilty of pushing pieces out with little regard for the consequences a story can have.

Fox News and other conservative news outlets are especially notorious for their use of rage-bait. One article from Fox News covered outrage following an AP news breakdown of how drag queens have been pulled into politics. Journalist Kristine Parks used exactly three tweets as examples of said outrage, but misled viewers into thinking their attitudes were widespread: in fact, one of the tweets used as evidence had a whopping total of seven likes and four retweets. Not only did the article misleadingly report on the public’s opinion, but it also perpetuated the false idea that drag grooms children, since Parks linked an opinion piece claiming drag story hours sexualize children.

Sometimes, news outlets don’t act in the best interest of audiences and people seeking truthful journalism, and instead publish the stories they know will bring in the most clicks.

More from Elle Cowley

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Ramifications of Unethical Journalism

The ramifications of unethical, incendiary and frankly lazy journalism are dangerous. Going back to the aforementioned Fox News article on drag queens, if you take one look at the comment section, it shows the effects of this skewing of the truth. One comment reads, “There is no ‘rich history’ for perversion. Taking children to see ‘drag queens’ is child abuse. The ‘drag queens’ and the people who take children to see them should be arrested and jailed.”

The effects of such stories don’t stop at the comment section: the hateful rhetoric and blatant false information present incites real life violence. 2021 was the deadliest year on record for trans and nonbinary people, with 2022 on track to overtake it. Is it a coincidence that these statistics coincide with a 400% surge in anti-LGBT grooming narratives being spread online?

The articles journalists publish and the narratives outlets push have real effects on real people. It is beyond irresponsible to treat people, their experiences and their stories as nothing more than a way to bring more traffic to news outlets.

Another example of unethical journalism would be certain reporting during the 2020 election cycle — some stories circulated conspiracies of mail-in voting fraud. Our state of Utah has employed the use of mail-in voting for years without any public outcry. But when unsubstantiated reports of dead voters and other claims of voter fraud popped up, some Utahns wanted to do away with the mail-in voting system. There was a failed attempt to undo the entire thing completely. This outcry was fueled by reports of non-existent voter fraud and jeopardized an entirely legitimate means of democracy.

It is the job of journalists to produce well researched and informative stories. It is our job to promote ethical journalism, no matter how much more work comes with it, and we should hold other journalists and news outlets accountable in following ethical journalism standards.

e.cowley@dailyutahchronicle.com

@elle_cowley_

With 19.1 seconds left in the game, Old Dominion’s field hockey season met a swift end as the Liberty Flames 12-7 (6-1 Big East) netted in the empty-net goal to seal the 3-1 Big East championship victory. The Lady Monarchs 15-3 (6-1 Big East) rode into Sunday on a ten-game winning streak, but those winning ways would not go further and because of the defeat, they were not chosen to participate in the NCAA tournament. 

Hours after the match, the ODU squad gathered in a room and watched the NCAA Tournament selection show where they would meet their fate. There were eight at-large bids up for grabs, but the Lady Monarchs were overshadowed by the Power 5 conferences like the ACC and Big Ten. After the selection results, head coach Andrew Griffiths’s consoled his team.

“There’s not a lot I can say that’s going to make you feel any better,” he stated. “We did everything we could. I feel like we’ve been shortchanged and I’m sure you do, too. We’ve been shortchanged the last three years.”

It was a packed house at L.R Sports Hill Complex, with almost 600 people in attendance. The ODU Baseball team made their presence heard as they rooted for the Lady Monarchs. Many ODU officials and head coaches were in attendance as well to support their companions. The Flames got things going early in the match as senior Daniella Rhodes scored a goal in the first 94 seconds of the contest, giving Liberty the 1-0 advantage. The game would then slow down and find its pace as both teams went up and down the field, but with not much action to show for it. Each team accounted for two shots apiece in the first quarter as the Flames held their 1-0 lead. 

In the second quarter, there was only one shot on goal which came from the Liberty attack. The Lady Monarchs weren’t able to convert any of their penalty corners in the first half and the score remained 1-0 going into the break. Coming out of halftime, the ODU offensive pressure began to take shape as they started to push through the Flames’ defense and get shots at the goal. In the first half, the game was mostly in ODU’s defensive zone, but it was the opposite in the second half as they managed to get four shots on the goal. The Lady Monarchs had two more penalty opportunities, but they failed to convert them and the score remained 1-0 going into the final frame. 

The match was neck-and-neck and could’ve gone either way, but the ODU offense continued their heavy pressure on the Flames’ defense. With ten minutes left in the fourth period, freshman Sanci Molkenboer wound up with the ball. She moved to her left and fired a shot past the Liberty goalkeeper to tie the game at 1-1. She was assisted by sophomore Frederiuque Zanderbergen. With the goal, L.R. Sports Complex went into an uproar because it was now anyone’s game to win. Old Dominion had several opportunities to take the lead, including two shots from senior Marlon de Bruijine, but they went wide. As tensions mounted, the Flames’ found the back of the net again off a rebound from graduate goalkeeper Cam MacGillivary to regain the lead. Senior Bethany Dykema was there to fire the ball in the cage after the stick save from MacGillivary with only 6:41 left to play. 

Time was not in ODU’s favor anymore as they needed to score a goal to tie the game at least. With 2:12 left in the match, Griffiths would make the decision to pull MacGillivary to add the extra attacker. The Liberty defense stood its ground and prevented any chance for a tie. Sophomore forward Martu Cian found herself with a breakaway and scored the empty-net goal to seal the deal for the Lady Monarchs. The match would end in a 3-1 defeat for ODU as the Flames’ players swarmed their goalkeeper and dogpiled in celebration. 

ODU outshot Liberty 12-8 and had eight penalty corners to Liberty’s three, but the Monarchs failed to score on any of the penalty corners. The Lady Monarchs finish their season at 15-3 and that alone is something to be proud of. After the game, Griffiths talked about the energy from the crowd and reiterated that this team deserved a shot at the big tournament. “The crowd tonight was great. We couldn’t have had a better atmosphere,” Griffiths mentioned. “We’re still a young team, but this team, this year, was a very special team. They deserved a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.”

Next up for this field hockey program is the offseason, where they can regroup and prepare for the next season. Although this is not the ending they wanted, the future is looking bright for the Lady Monarchs. Although they will lose their Big East defensive player of the year in  MacGillivary, eight of their 11 starters will return itching to get further next time around. 

Gerald Sastra/The Cougar

The UH tennis team completed its fall season at the Rice Fall Invitational Saturday, finishing with two doubles wins and 10 singles victories.

UH began the event with two wins in singles play on the first day as junior Laura Slisane won her first singles match in straight sets while senior Azul Pedemonti picked up her first win with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory.

Both of the Cougar’s doubles wins at the event came on the first day, with freshman Sophie Schouten and sophomore Elena Trencheva winning in the first round 6-4 while Slisane teamed up with freshman Sonya Kovalenko to win their match in the second round.

UH excelled on the second day of singles play, with three players including Pedemonti winning in straight sets and senior Manasi Reddy winning via retirement. Junior Blanca Cortijo Parreno also earned first win of the tournament Friday.

Schouten and sophomore Maria Dzemeshkevich both got their first singles wins on Friday. Dzemeshkevich scoring a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory and Schouten winning 6-3, 6-2.

The Cougars wrapped up the event with three more singles wins on the final day, as Slisane, Kovalenko, and Dzemeshkevich all won in straight sets to close out the event.

sports@thedailcougar.com

—
“UH tennis wraps up fall season at Rice Fall Invitational” was originally posted on The Cougar

Miami-based pop duo and couple Magdalena Bay teleported SLC fans across space to their “Mercurial World” tour on Nov. 1 at the Soundwell concert hall.

BAYLI

Brooklyn-born singer BAYLI opened the show. The solo artist mixes pop, R&B and electronic beats to create energetic music that fans of artists like Doja Cat, SOPHIE and Jorja Smith would appreciate. Proudly queer, BAYLI’s music is tastefully sensual, confident and fun, with playful titles like “sushi for breakfast” and not-so-subtle merchandise reading “#SOGAY” which matched the bisexual lighting of the venue perfectly. On stage, BAYLI is magnetic and engaging, moving the audience to bounce along to her bass-heavy music. 

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Magdalena Bay Invades Audiences’ Minds

It feels more accurate to call Magdalena Bay’s tour a performance art experience than simply a concert. A light show coordinated to singer of the duo Mica Tenenbaum’s movements, a colorful backdrop depicting vapor wave images of Greek architecture, whales and daisies, and an AI mascot named Chaeri who learns how to be human over the course of the show through the themes — such as longing, fear and secrets — in the songs.

Opening the show with “Mercurial World,” Magdalena Bay pulled the audience into their poppy stratosphere. During their song “Chaeri,” Tenenbaum included the audience in a round, shouting “3, 4, down to the floor, lose control a little more” in unison while the music became increasingly louder and more disorienting. The lights flashed as the crowd jumped and screamed along, creating a magical, surreal atmosphere that compelled even my uncoordinated, awkward self to dance.

Soundwell is a relatively new venue with a very industrial feel that Magdalena Bay absolutely transformed into a captivating, vivid, electro-Y2K experience filling the room and the audiences’ minds. 

In a world where so many musicians show up on stage in jeans and a T-shirt and call it a day, it’s wonderful to go to a show that makes an effort to entertain. Tenenbaum’s blue leotard with lightning bolt details fit perfectly into the out-of-this-world aesthetic of her music, which lives in a happy medium between Kali Uchis dreampop and Pussy Riot-style hyperpop.

Living in a ‘Mercurial World’

After the show, both Magdalena Bay and BAYLI stuck around to greet fans and sell their stylish merchandise. I entered the concert hall relatively unaware of either act and left a lifelong fan of both with a cute “Mercurial World” tote and songs “demon time” and “U Wanna Dance?” stuck in my head likely (and hopefully) for weeks to come.

Magdalena Bay is continuing their tour across the Eastern U.S. and Canada, finishing up with the Art with Me Festival in Miami and the Falls Festival all the way in Australia.

If you missed their show in SLC, you can check out Magdalena Bay and BAYLI’s music on Spotify and explore Magdalena Bay’s website for a fun experience not unlike their concerts (be sure to “click for vibes”). Both artists are up and coming, and you can certainly expect to hear much more from them.

e.raines@dailyutahchronicle.com 

@ed_edd_n_edie

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In order to win football games, you’re going to need to score points. The Old Dominion offense was unable to move the ball efficiently and they were toppled by Marshall’s defense 12-0. The Herd forced four turnovers throughout the afternoon and relied on their freshman kicker Rece Verhoff to make 4-5 field goals to claim the victory. This was the first time ODU has been shut out since 2017 when they fell to No. 13 Virginia Tech 38-0. 

The Monarchs returned home after a two-week road trip that resulted in back-to-back losses. With their third straight defeat, their record stands at 3-6 (2-3 Sun Belt). Marshall stunned No. 8 Notre Dame 26-21 in South Bend earlier this season, but they’ve struggled since then. With this victory over ODU, they improved their record to 5-4 (1-3 Sun Belt). 

The Monarchs started the game with possession. Sophomore quarterback Hayden Wolff led ODU on a positive drive that reached midfield, but the offense was held up on third down. Throughout the first quarter, both teams struggled to move the ball and the score stood at 0 after one. Early in the second, the Herd offense established the running game and got into the Monarch red zone, but ODU held Marshall to a 33-yard field goal from Verhoff to make the score 3-0. 

On the ensuing drive, Wolff found his target in sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Spencer for 18 yards on first down. During the next play, the Monarchs stumbled over themselves after Wolff completed a pass to backup quarterback DJ Mack Jr. who took it up the field before fumbling the ball, which was returned 20 yards from the Herd defense down to the ODU 22-yard line. 

Four plays later, the Marshall offense was held on third and goal and forced to settle for three points again. Verhoff converted the 26-yard field goal, bringing the Marshall lead to 6-0. After a series of punts on the next few drives, the Herd offense continued their rhythm. They drove it down the field before being intercepted by sophomore safety Shawn Asbury to regain Monarch possession. The game remained 6-0 for the rest of the half. 

After back-to-back punts to open up the second half, Marshall marched 63 yards down the field deep into Monarch territory. The Herd used their power on the ground to move the ball, but the ODU defense prevailed on third down and forced a 30-yard field goal from Verhoff, which increased the Marshall lead to 9-0. 

Wolff and the Monarch offense continued to struggle on their end as they were forced to another punt. Although ODU was only in a nine-point deficit, the offense failed to close that gap. Marshall held their 9-0 advantage going into the final quarter.

To begin the fourth quarter, Wolff was intercepted again on a third and 17 that was returned by the Marshall defender for seven yards to the ODU 24-yard line. The Monarch defense continued to shine on their side of the ball as they held the Herd offense out of the end zone and only surrendered three points. Verhoff converted the ensuing 23-yard field goal, bringing the Marshall lead to 12-0 with about 11 minutes to play. 

Old Dominion’s defense stayed stagnant and the game remained 12-0. With six minutes left in the contest, Verhoff went for the 41-yard field goal, but it was blocked by the ODU defense and it was the Monarch’s football. The game remained at bay the rest of the way and the Monarchs fell to Marshall 12-0. 

Overall, Marshall outgained Old Dominion in total yards with 387 to 209. The 209 yards was a season-low for the Monarch offense. ODU has been known for their rushing attack, but that was nowhere to be found this afternoon, as they only accumulated 11 total yards. After the game, head coach Ricky Rahne acknowledged that ODU beat themselves more than Marshall beat them. 

“You have to score points to win games and we didn’t do that,” Rahne stated. “They are very talented, but we made them look better today than they are.”

Next up for the Monarchs is rivalry week, when they will welcome James Madison to Norfolk next weekend for the home finale. ODU and JMU will square off on the gridiron for the first time in a decade. The last time was when they were both Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) members. The game is ODU’s second sellout this season, along with the home opener against Virginia Tech. Among the ODU faithful, this matchup against the Dukes means just as much, if not more, than a game with the Hokies. This “battle of royalty” in the Commonwealth will surely be rowdy. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

The Jacket women’s basketball team is looking to rebound after being knocked out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament earlier this year and hopes to start the season stronger than when the last campaign ended. Tech women’s basketball posted a strong 21-11 record overall and 11-7 record in ACC play last year.

The roster has experienced quite a bit of turnover from last season, fielding only two players having clocked more than 100 minutes last year. Those players are senior center Nerea Hermosa and junior guard Eylia Love. With other players needing to step up in absence of those that have graduated, Tech has to look to newer players to help pick up some of the slack left behind. 

Hermosa started every game for the Jackets last season as a physical presence in the paint. Hermosa was second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.6 per game, as well as having the second-most blocks on the team with 1.1 per game. While being an elite presence around the basket, Hermosa put up the most points on the team with ridiculous efficiency connecting on 50.3% of her field goals and 81.4% of her free throws.

Love, like Hermosa, played a key role in the Jackets’ success last season as she registered 30 minutes per game while averaging a steady 10.5 points per game. She scored just one fewer point than Hermosa on the season to just miss out on being the team’s leading scorer. She led the team from beyond the arc with her 40.4% three-point percentage. Despite being listed as a guard/forward, Love was aggressive in the paint, grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game.

Most of the focus will be on fifth-year guard Cameron Swartz, who is the reigning ACC Most Improved Player. Swartz is transferring in from Boston College where she was the Eagles’ leading scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game on very efficient splits of 35.5% from the three and 83.6% from the line. Her season highlight was the 39 points that she dropped in a game against Clemson. 

With three of the starting line up being set, the Jackets will need to rely on more newcomers in hopes of making their third NCAA tournament in a row. Joining Swartz as a transfer is Bianca Jackson from Florida State. With the Seminoles, Jackson averaged 6.7 points per game and shot 80% from the stripe.

Tech started the season by facing off against Clayton State in an exhibition game on Nov. 3 at McCamish Pavilion. Their first regular season game is against the Georgia State Panthers on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. followed by another home, in-state matchup with Kennesaw State on Nov. 13. 

The Jackets then face off against Auburn and Georgia, with the Georgia game at home. After the first batch of games, Tech heads out to Estero, Fla., where they will take part in the Gulf Coast Showcase as they join the likes of Baylor, Saint Louis, Belmont, Villanova, Michigan, Air Force and USF.

After the Gulf Coast Showcase, Tech women’s basketball gets into the meat of their schedule where they will have at least one game a week until February, with exclusively conference games being played after the new year. Overall, it is a long season and the Jackets will be hoping to improve on their already impressive performance from last year and return to the NCAA Tournament.

In theory the U.S. should be more than capable of housing its homeless population of approaching 600,000 people, yet homelessness rates have precipitously risen throughout the past decade.

The twelfth ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish took their first Big Ten Conference road trip to Minneapolis this weekend to battle the No. 3 Minnesota Gophers at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Snuggerud and Knies dice up the Irish

It was a banner night for one of the best lines in college hockey. The Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud trio destroyed Notre Dame Friday, leading a heavy offensive onslaught and scoring four goals on a whopping 54 shots on goal.

“That was a good game for us,” said Gophers head coach Bob Motzko. “The shorthanded goal kind of put a little dagger in and then our guys went to work. Pretty strong effort throughout our entire lineup tonight.”

The first period was similar to two boxers beginning to feel each other out. Even though the Gophers dominated puck possession, the score would stay tied nil-nil heading into the first intermission with Minnesota leading shots on goal 13-10.

The best hockey the Irish played all series was the theme of the start of the second period; they stopped rushing everything and got into control on both sides of the puck. With some great opportunities coming off a powerplay and longer puck possession from setting up their offense for smoother sailing, they were only down in shots on goal 16-15 on Minnesota.

Then, Mason Nevers started a Golden Gopher avalanche and Notre Dame’s little time basking in the spotlight dimmed. Nevers slotted his fourth goal of the season and Minnesota swiped a 1-0 lead over the Irish. Knies followed that up with a shorthanded puck steal in Notre Dame’s zone, glided his way and eventually slid in his sixth goal of the season, tying fellow linemate Jimmy Snuggerud for the team lead and boosting the Gopher lead to 2-0.

The third period was the culmination of a growing Gophers offensive effort. Snuggerud received an impressive no-look backward feed from Knies and took the lead in team goal scoring with seven. Minnesota led 3-0 with a 40-21 shots on goal advantage, a far cry from where they were at the beginning of the middle period.

“I heard him screaming and he made a good play,” Knies said. “Obviously, it’s an onside one timer. That’s a hell of a shot he had, so I’m really happy for him.”

The freshman phenom wasn’t finished. On a 5-on-3 powerplay, Knies found Snuggerud all alone left of the slot, which resulted in No. 81’s eighth goal of the season. With 46 seconds left in the match, the lone Irish goal came on a ticky tack play that was reviewed for goalie interference.

Hometown kid, Justin Janicke (Maple Grove), sniped the puck past the pads of Gophers goalie Justen Close, who had one of his best nights in between the pipes this year. The game would soon come to an end with a final score of 4-1 with the Gophers dominating shots on goal 54-25.

“It’s been wonderful,” said Knies on his chemistry on a line with two young guns, Snuggerud and Cooley. “Those two guys are obviously really skilled players and are starting to learn how to play like that. I want to get ‘em the puck and make their days easier. It’s definitely a privilege to play with those two.”

Off the ice, Knies playfully said the two freshmen are “weirdos” and are like “two little mice that are hard to get to calm and sit down because they are always roaming around.”

Close completes fifth shutout of his career

The Fighting Irish kept the Gophers to a more even keel game on Saturday, but to no avail in the win column, as Minnesota completed the two game sweep.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Motzko said. “We got the first one and a powerplay goal, then it kind of turned into an arm-wrestling match. We won some battles and lost some and closer (Close) was good when we needed him, but a great grown-up game for our group.”

The first period mirrored the beginning of Friday’s game but was even more quick with few stoppages. Neither team drew blood, even though the Gophers put up a valiant effort beating Notre Dame in shots on goal 9-3.

The second period came and boy did it go well for Minnesota. The Gophers took a commanding lead in shots on goal and notched two goals during the process. The first score came from Jaxon Nelson flipping the puck into the top left shelf of Ryan Bischel’s net and the second came from Knies tapping in his seventh goal of the season. At the end of 40 minutes, Minnesota led Notre Dame 2-0 and 26-10 in shots on goal, outshooting the Irish 17-7.

Nelson finished with a relentless offensive effort, firing seven shots on goal and winning 8/17 faceoffs.

“Jaxon Nelson right now is stepping up in a huge way for us,” Motzko said. “There were three or four names that we wrote on the board last year that were going to take big steps this year. He was one of them.”

The third period was rather quiet with not much action around each team’s nets. Cooley finished the game’s scoring off with a breakaway empty netter with five seconds left to lift the Gophers to a 3-0 win over the Fighting Irish and their first two-game sweep since their first series of the season versus Lindenwood. They led in shots on goal 31-21 at the conclusion, and Close completed his second shutout of the year and his fifth of his collegiate career.

“It felt good,” said Close after nearly shutting out the Fighting Irish the night before. “They had a few chances, there was one that dribbled by the short side that could’ve spoiled it, but yeah it felt pretty good.”

Minnesota will stay at Mariucci next week as they play the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday (televised on Bally Sports North) and Friday (televised on Bally Sports North Extra). Both games will commence at 7 p.m.