Author Archives | by Claire Duchesne

No. 4 Gophers women’s hockey undefeated as they prepare for their season home opener

University of Minnesota women’s hockey’s home opener took place Tuesday evening against St. Cloud State, which also marked women’s hockey’s 27th season as a Division I sport.

The Gophers ended last season second in the NCAA rankings, losing to Wisconsin in the semi-finals of the Frozen Four tournament. The Gophers lost 11 seniors and graduate students from last season.

At the start of this season, United States College Hockey Online ranked Minnesota third in the NCAA. The Gophers have since dropped to fourth despite their undefeated record thus far.

Going into the home opener, the Gophers are 4-0 overall but have yet to play their first conference game.

In the first four games, redshirt junior Abbey Murphy has made herself heard with seven goals and four assists. Murphy recorded her first collegiate hat trick against St. Thomas on Oct. 13 at the Xcel Energy Center. 

“She’s the motor that makes us go,” said head coach Brad Frost about Murphy. “She’s taking it upon herself to know that she’s got to be the catalyst for a group and she’s done that. It’s been pretty special to watch her habits continue to get better as well. It’s not just the scoring, it’s the other pieces of the puzzle.”

Murphy has been a consistent player since her freshman year. The newly named assistant captain was one of nine players to play in every game last season.

“I mean this whole team [is] full of relationships and friendships,” Murphy said. “So I’m pretty grateful for that … We’re lucky.”

Junior Skylar Vetter and graduate transfer Lucy Morgan have been in goal for two games each, letting in one goal between them. Vetter has started the season with two shutouts in both games played.

Making 44 saves in both games, Vetter has had a hot start to the season. The goaltender has an overall save percentage of .929 in 58 games as a Gopher. She credits the defenders for stepping up this season to fill in the gaps. 

“We lost a handful of D last year, too, and I think that our D are just so ready to learn,” Vetter said. “Frosty’s been saying since our first exhibition game that we’ve gotten so much better and I think our D is a big part of that. They’re just eager to learn and they want to get out there.”

The Gophers have two new additions to the coaching staff: Greg “Boom” May and Mitch Baker. May joined as the associate head coach while Baker joined as an assistant coach. 

“For the first time in my career, I’ve got somebody coaching the forwards and somebody coaching the D, so it’s new for me,” Frost said. “I’ve always coached one or the other … I’m still learning just how to manage and navigate that.”

With the addition of two new coaches, six freshmen and three transfers, the Gophers are young and hungry, looking to make the Frozen Four tournament for the second year in a row.

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Gophers football falls to No. 2 Michigan Wolverines

Minnesota falls to No. 2 Michigan at home, with a final score of 52-10. This marked the 105th matchup between Minnesota and Michigan, and is the first time the schools have met since the 2020 season opener.

Notably absent from the lineup was Michigan native, running back Darius Taylor. Also out in last week’s game against Louisiana, Taylor’s absence left Minnesota’s offense turning to redshirt-freshman Zach Evans to fill the gap.

Hosting a sold-out stadium with 52,179 in attendance, the action started right away. Only 12 seconds into the game, Gophers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis threw a 26-yard interception, returned for a touchdown.

After a second drive attempt, the Gophers only advanced seven yards and did not reach the first down.

Minnesota’s defense held back Michigan, forcing a fourth down. Michigan’s kicker, James Turner, was good for a 31-yard field goal, bringing the score to 10-0 in favor of Michigan. Michigan’s sole field goal occurred with 7:33 remaining in the first quarter.

With Minnesota in possession again, the Gophers started their drive at the 25-yard line. Evans stood out with three consecutive rushes, gaining a total of 34 yards. Evans ended the game with the most rushing yards with 12 carries for 45 yards. 

The drive ended with a 54-yard field goal from kicker Dragan Kesich. Fifty-four yards marked a career-high for Kesich as well as the longest Gopher field goal since 2007. Kesich’s one and only miss was an attempted 54-yard field goal during the season opener against Nebraska where he was wide left.

The first quarter concluded with the Gophers trailing the Wolverines by a score of 10-3.

Michigan scored back-to-back touchdowns, bringing the score to 24-3 and sandwiching a poor Minnesota offensive effort in which Kaliakmanis was sacked.

Minnesota responded with a 67-yard drive, with Evans contributing an additional six yards on the ground and 13 yards through the air, while Bryce Williams gained 21 rushing yards. 

Receiver Daniel Jackson scored Minnesota’s only touchdown of the night. Kaliakmanis’ 35-yard pass with just six seconds left in the second quarter marked Jackson’s 12th career touchdown as a Gopher.

“It was a one-on-one match-up,” Kaliakmanis said. “Give Daniel the ball … I was excited because I knew he was going to make the play, it was just up to me to put the ball in the right place, and it worked.”

Jackson scored two touchdowns last weekend against Louisiana and was the leader in targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches last season. 

With the addition of Jackson’s touchdown, the score sat at 24-10 at the end of the second quarter. This would be the last time the Gophers scored.

In the third quarter, the Wolverines scored back-to-back touchdowns yet again, followed by another pick-six, bringing the score to 45-10. 

Gophers defensive lineman Jalen Logan-Redding knew some areas needed to be worked on in the defensive zone.

“We just didn’t execute upfront. They took advantage of the holes that were there. Not only that, they got good backs,” Logan-Redding said. “We gotta do a better job of executing. They are one of the better O-lines that we play. So we’ve got to learn from that and grow.”

To round out the last quarter, Michigan scored one final touchdown, bringing the score to 52-10, a season-high for Michigan.

Kaliakmanis ended the night with 52 yards and a 31% pass completion rate.

After the blowout, the Gophers will look ahead to the second half of the season.

“Now we have to learn from those six games, draw a line in the sand and play way better in the second half,” said Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck. “But part of that is that we got to get healthy … It’s a player’s game. I’ve got to coach better … We’ve got to do everything in every department better.”

The players understand what they have to do for the second half of the year.

“When it comes to drawing a line in the sand, everybody has to make a decision that this is not gonna happen again,” Logan-Redding said. “As we continue to talk about rowing the boat, continue to move forward and just see what continues to press forward into the future, always live in the now but always be optimistic about the future.”

Fleck ended the night with a note to the fans.

​​”I want to say this, thanks to all of our fans. Thanks for the sellout,” Fleck said. “I know we didn’t do our part, but that wasn’t because of our fans … So thanks for creating that, thanks for showing what Minnesota could be, and we’ll do better.”

The Gophers look for a more positive outcome as they face Iowa in two weeks.

“We’re excited to learn,”  Kaliakmanis said. “We’re gonna be hard on ourselves, and we’re gonna be ready for Iowa.”

The Gophers enter a bye week and look to face the Hawkeyes in Iowa on Oct. 21.

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Homecoming traditions bring family and friends back to campus

Homecoming week has come to an end. From Sept. 24 to 30, Gophers fans participated in numerous homecoming traditions to celebrate future, current and past Gophers.

Throughout the week, the University of Minnesota Student Union and Activities hosted many events and brought families and friends together again.

The marching band has been preparing for this parade since Spat Camp, a 10-day training period just before the fall semester begins. Third-year mellophone player, Emma Hartman, recalled the practice leading up to the Homecoming Parade.

“We did the State Fair parade and mini-parade before all the football games,” Hartman said. “I think that’s been helping us prepare.”

Hartman loves homecoming because of the people she gets to see.

“[My favorite part is] probably just seems like all the families around,” Hartman said. “I love the alumni coming back for sure,”

The highlight of homecoming week for many students and alumni is the football game. Some alumni have been coming back since the stadium opened for the 2009 season.

Madison, Wisconsin. native James King went to the University of Wisconsin – Madison for his undergraduate degree before coming to the University for his graduate degree. He was proudly wearing a Wisconsin shirt. 

King went to the game because his friends invited him. Though the loyalty lies with Wisconsin, King still attends the Gopher games.

“I am a Badger fan at heart, but I tell these guys, ‘Every time I wear a Wisconsin shirt to a Gopher game, the Gophers win,’” King said.

Though King has been to Gopher football games before, this was his first time tailgating.

“It’s a great environment, right? You know, seeing the tailgating that’s going on.” King said. “When I went to school here, the [Metro] dome had none of this. So, it’s just a fun environment.”

Over at another tailgate, Ben Millard and Kristy Spratt sat with their spouses and daughters. Millard and Spratt met in 2007 during their freshman year in Territorial Hall and have been best friends ever since.

“We’re now neighbors and we both have baby girls that are one and ten months old. So, we figured we’d start young and get them out at the tailgate,” Millard said. “Hopefully, in 18 years, she’ll be here too.”

Spratt is equally as enthusiastic about her family coming back to tailgate. 

“Tailgating is one of my favorite pastimes, and so we hope that [my daughter] gets a great experience out of feeling this team camaraderie and fun,” Spratt said. “And just having a great time and making memories throughout her life doing this.”

Rick Dunn and his family and friends have also been tailgating since Huntington Bank Stadium opened. He is now the caretaker of a Gopher-themed ambulance, owned by Jerry Hurley. Hurley resides in Illinois, so he leaves the ambulance with Dunn’s family.

“We tailgated normally for a number of years, and then about 6 years ago, Jerry called us and said, ‘Look in your email, I have a surprise for you,’” Dunn said. “And, lo and behold, he had bought an old, decommissioned ambulance in Illinois and got paint and graphics done on it and we got to run it during the season for him.”

Not only is it “the perfect tailgating vehicle,” but it is also used to help out the community.

“It’s not just seven tailgates a year, it’s something more,” Dunn said. “We belong to a Kiwanis club in St. Anthony and last year we auctioned off a ride in the ambulance. We’ve used it as a fundraiser for community service.”

While family and friends gathered in the parking lots around Huntington Bank Stadium, homecoming royalty were being crowned in the McNamara Alumni Center. Apurva Balaji and Alex Robinson are this year’s homecoming royals.

The journey to be on the court included a nomination from someone else or an individual application, which led to an intensive interview process. The interviews involved around four students and three panelists with about ten questions in five different categories answered in rotation.

Robinson decided to apply because he knew people on the court last year and has been involved in many activities here. He has participated in Greek life, athletics and acapella.

“I felt that just made me a good representative of what it means to be a Gopher student,” Robinson said. “I just wanted to be able to represent the university and be involved in a grander way.”

The ten students on the court had volunteer requirements during homecoming week, including checking in students at the Student Union and Activities events.

“I spent so much time with them this week. I didn’t know any of them beforehand,” Robinson said. “I’m best friends with them all now.”

Robinson recalled that his favorite moment happened during the football game.

“A highlight was walking on the football field,” Robinson said. “The marching man did their thing, and then they split down the middle while they were still playing music, and then, we just walked in pairs down the 50-yard line.”

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The history of Gophers football trophy games

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have one of the oldest programs in college football. Founded in 1882, the Gophers were an original member of the Big Ten conference in 1896. Minnesota has won three national championships thus far, in 1934, 1935 and 1936.

The Gophers have a well-known rivalry with Wisconsin, but Paul Bunyan’s Axe was not the first trophy the Gophers fought for. Minnesota has four official and one unofficial trophy game.

With these four official trophies, Minnesota football has more trophy games within the Big Ten than any other program.

Minnesota vs. Michigan: Little Brown Jug

The story of the Little Brown Jug takes us to 1903, when Michigan’s Wolverines were heading to Minneapolis with 29 straight wins under their belts. The Gophers were also undefeated in the season thus far, so the match was highly anticipated. 

Fielding Yost, the Michigan head coach, feared their rivals would tamper with their water during the game. He sent Tommy Roberts, a student manager, to go purchase a water jug for his team. The five-gallon jug was 30 cents at the local store.

The teams fought hard, holding each other to a stalemate going into the second half. Michigan was the first to score, taking a 6-0 lead. With two minutes left in the game, Minnesota found their way into the endzone to tie up the game.

The 20,000 or so fans who crowded the stadium jumped off their seats and stormed the field. The action forced refs to call the game early and deemed the result as a tie.

The morning after the game, Minnesota custodian Oscar Munson found Yost’s jug. Excited about the tie, the head of the athletics department, L. J. Cooke, wrote on the jug: “Michigan Jug — Captured by Oscar, October 31, 1903, Minnesota 6, Michigan 6.”

Cooke painted Minnesota’s six larger than Michigan’s.

The rematch was set a few years later in 1909. Before this game, Yost asked for the jug back, to which Cooke suggested the teams play for the jug. Thus, the oldest college rivalry trophy was born.

Since that game in 1903, Minnesota holds a losing record of 25-76-3 against Michigan.

Minnesota vs. Iowa: Floyd of Rosedale

Each year since 1935, the University of Minnesota has played for the Floyd of Rosedale, a trophy of a bronze pig.

A year prior, in 1934, the Gophers faced the Hawkeyes in Minneapolis. There was much racial tension heading into the game, as Iowa rostered one Black player: Ozzie Simmons. Simmons was knocked unconscious three times and had to leave the game before halftime. None of these hits were penalized.

The next year, tensions continued to rise as the match was set to be played in Iowa. Then-Iowa Gov. Clyde Herring famously said before the match, “If the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I’m sure the crowd won’t.”

Then-Minnesota Gov. Floyd B. Olson decided to de-escalate the situation by placing a bet with Herring. Olson bet Herring one hog on the football game. The game was clean and Minnesota won 13-6. 

Herring brought the hog donated from Rosedale Farms in Iowa. A bronze trophy was created to honor this bet and is fought for as a reminder sports can help ease tensions in the community. 

Since 1935, Iowa has led the Floyd of Rosedale series with a record of 44-42-2.

Minnesota vs. Wisconsin: Paul Bunyan’s Axe

The rivalry between Minnesota and Wisconsin is the longest and most played in Division I football, and both schools decided they needed a trophy to compare to the Little Brown Jug. 

In 1930, the two teams played for the Slab of Bacon, a wooden trophy with a W or M inscribed in the center that changed depending on the way you held it. The winning team would bring home the bacon.

By 1943, the trophy went missing in Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium.

To replace the Slab of Bacon, Paul Bunyan’s Axe was created. In 1948, the Gophers were awarded the Axe as the first winners. The Axe has gone back and forth since then.

In 1994, the Slab of Bacon was found in a storage room in Camp Randall Stadium. On the trophy, the scores had been mysteriously updated up until 1970. The Slab of Bacon currently lives in the Wisconsin Football Office and is not passed to the winner. 

The prestigious Border Battle with Minnesota’s rival to the east has not been favorable for the Gophers, who hold a record of 27-45-3 throughout the trophy series. However, including the matchups predating the Axe, the series is even at 62 wins and losses and paired with 8 draws.

Minnesota vs. Penn State: Governor’s Victory Bell

The year was 1993 and Penn State had just moved to the Big Ten conference. Penn State was set to play Minnesota in their first game in their new conference.

Also created from a bet from the then-Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson and Pennsylvania’s then-acting Gov. Mark Singel, the Governor’s Victory Bell was created to commemorate Penn State’s entry to the Big Ten.

The Nittany Lions went on to win the first four games, then followed by the Gophers winning the next four. Since the trophy’s inception, Penn State has rung the bell ten times compared to Minnesota’s six.

The bell will sit quietly for another year in State College as the two programs are not set to play each other in 2023.

Minnesota vs. Nebraska: $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy

In more recent years, Minnesota and Nebraska have unofficially established the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy to share between the winner of each matchup.

Starting in 2014, Goldy Gopher’s Twitter account (@GoldytheGopher) exchanged a few words with a parody account of then-Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini (@FauxPelini). FauxPelini made a bet for the upcoming game.

The parody account asked Goldy, “How about if we win you give me $5, if you win I get to smash a wooden chair over your back.” A trophy was designed and created. 

The Gophers won in 2014, proudly displaying their win. In 2015, the Huskers won the $5 Bits of Broken Chair Trophy. In 2016, the trophy went missing.

Today, there is no official trophy that gets passed between the teams and the universities do not participate in this tradition. Instead, Gophers and Huskers fans have turned the competition into a fundraising race.

Gophers fans donate to the University of Minnesota M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital while Huskers fans donate to the Team Jack Foundation, which focuses on research for childhood cancers.

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The Janzig sisters are skiing royalty on Minnesota’s lakes

The Janzig sisters grew up riding in the wake of their father’s passion for water skiing, accumulating state championship records and Sophie serves as the University of Minnesota’s Water Ski Team president.

Sophie, a sophomore at the University, continues to compete collegiately at the Division II level in the Midwest Collegiate Water Ski Association and independently through the American Water Ski Association (AWSA). In previous years, she has placed in national competitions through performances in both leagues, performances that earned her two spots in the state championship record book for the slalom and trick events.

Sophie’s older sister, Hannah Janzig, graduated from the University in 2022. Before her enrollment, she earned two spots in the record book, both in the trick event. Since then she has continued to compete and help in the transition to get the ski team organized.

The reason for their successes can be traced to University alumni and the pair’s father, Darren Janzig.

His love for water skiing began through learning how to ski at his family’s cabin and reading books from his local bookstore. Through AWSA, he learned what competitive water skiing looked like and has been hooked ever since.

Darren is a highly accomplished water skier, holding multiple championship records in slalom and trick, with his most recent record coming in 2020.

He took his passion for water skiing and started to teach his kids when they were about two years old, learning to ski alongside their father. 

During the summer, the family would pack lunches and spend all day on the lake, skiing until sunset. On weekends, they often went to competitions the whole family participated in.

The family later moved to a property to ensure their ability to train at a higher level. This site has two man-made lakes designed specifically for competitive water skiing. Hannah recalled growing up on the lake “loving being able to grow and excel together through competitions.”

Today, Darren remains Hannah and Sophie’s head coach.

“Not a lot of people get to spend every day with their teenage kids,” Darren said. “I am so fortunate and grateful to spend every day having fun with my kids.”

The University’s Water Ski Club focuses on teaching people with limited water skiing experience who want to be on a team. They train on Janzig’s family lake under Sophie and occasionally Darren’s guidance. Sophie loves the team and encourages all skill levels to join.

The training looks different on the team than it does for Sophie. Usually, training involves building a foundation encompassing all aspects of skiing. When she is training individually, Sophie focuses on repetition and mastering the skill she is working on before moving on to another skill.

“I try as hard as I can during practice. Some people like a little bit of fun and a little bit of seriousness in their practice. I feel like I like a little bit of both,” Sophie said.

Since the Minnesota Water Ski Team has such an extensive range of skiers, Sophie continues to compete on her own in addition to being on the team. The style and formatting of competitions are the same at the collegiate level and with AWSA. 

Sophie continues to train with her father most days and wants to continue water skiing in Minnesota for as long as possible.

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Softball recruit Jessa Snippes looks ahead to joining UMN

Pitcher Jessa Snippes stands out amongst Gophers softball’s talented recruiting class. The Minnesota native was named 2023 Ms. Softball and 2022-23 Minnesota Softball’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

During her senior year at Rosemount High School, she finished 17-0 with a 1.29 ERA in the regular season. She averaged nearly 10 strikeouts a game and totaled 200 strikeouts throughout the season.

At the plate, she was equally impressive, hitting .621 with 68 total RBIs. Her performance on both ends helped Rosemount win two state championships within three years (2021 and 2023).

Rosemount head coach Tiffany Rose saw how much Snippes’ personality and game matured throughout high school.

“Over the years, Jessa also developed an understanding of the mechanics of both pitching and hitting,” Rose said in an email to the Minnesota Daily. “She knows how to identify and correct the small parts of her mechanics if something is off.” 

Rose said it will help Snippes at the next level.

“This will play a role in her college success because, at the D1 level, it is all about the small details of the game,” she said.

On the topic of what made Snippes an appealing prospect, Gophers head coach Piper Ritter said “her ability to want to compete at the high level and be the best that she can be” stood out.

“I want the best players in Minnesota to play in Minnesota,” Ritter said. “When recruiting Jessa, she was the best player in her class.”

In her time coaching at Minnesota, Ritter has produced five of the best pitchers in the school’s history. Given her awarded talents, Snippes has an opportunity to add her name to the list of Gopher greats under Ritter’s dynasty.

In the meantime, Snippes has been playing for the Illinois Chill in preparation for the upcoming season.

“I’m really looking forward to [the season], developing as a player, learning from my coaches and being the best version of myself,” Snippes said.

Rose witnessed Snippes step up to the plate and the mound on the biggest stage. She believes this experience will translate well into college.

“Jessa is fun to watch; she gets better over the course of the season and plays her best at playoff time. She plays big in big moments,” Rose said.

Snippes describes herself as a strategic leader on the field. As for her playstyle, she attacks her opponent with aggression but her decision-making is more conserved. The two elements will continue to meld as one cohesive instinct as her career progresses, according to Snippes.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of improvements in different areas; it’s not always going to look the way a senior looks, you know, exiting their college career,” Ritter said. “But I do think that Jessa has a lot to gain. And I think, probably in our first two years, you’re going to see her work through some things and get a lot better at some stuff.”

When asked about what Gophers fans should look forward to seeing from her, Snippes said “ just from a pitching standpoint, discipline, hard work and knowing that I’ll always give one hundred percent.”

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Trio of Gophers selected in 2023 NHL Draft

Three Gophers were selected at the 61st NHL Draft on June 28 and 29, drafting Oliver Moore, Beckett Hendrickson and Luke Mittelstadt, joining 15 present and future Gopher players in NHL development camps this past month. 

Moore was drafted 19th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Mounds View native is regarded by scouts as one of the fastest centers in this year’s draft class. He played for the U.S. U18 National Team last season and collected 31 goals and 44 assists in 61 games. 

Moore has since been training this off-season, working on getting stronger and faster.

“I’m just trying to get better in all areas of my game to hopefully take that into the Gophers next year,” Moore said. “I’m most looking forward to playing at Mariucci in front of the passionate fans … I was a Minnesota fan growing up, so getting to wear the Gopher logo is really exciting.”

Beckett Hendrickson was drafted 124th overall by the Boston Bruins. The winger from Minnetonka played alongside Moore for the U.S. National U18 Team last season, tallying 13 goals and 21 assists in 52 games. 

According to The Hockey Writers, “Hendrickson is noted for being an intelligent, two-way player” and “has shown a knack for reading offenses, leading opponents to turn the puck over.” Hendrickson will be playing with the USHL Sioux Falls Stampede next season and plans on joining the Gophers in 2024.

Lastly, Defenseman Luke Mittelstadt was drafted 197th overall by the Montréal Canadiens. From Eden Prairie, Mittelstadt is entering his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota. In his first season of collegiate play, he totaled 5 goals and 15 assists in 38 games.

“It was a huge honor and I’m excited to be picked by the Canadiens,” Mittelstadt said.

Mittelstadt describes himself as a “two-way defenseman that can play the power play and penalty kill” with the confidence of a player that coaches “can throw out at really any time of the game in any situation.”

“I’ve been relaxing and golfing during my off-season. You know, just trying to stay away from the game a little bit,” Mittelstadt said. “But at the same time, improving my game and getting ready [for the season]. I’m excited to see all the guys again and get back to practicing.”

His older brother, Casey Mittelstadt, went to the University for one season in 2017-18 and is now a forward in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres. Their middle brother, John Mittelstadt, is also a forward and started at the University the same year as Luke.

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