Gophers score 4 straight to beat Bulldogs on Friday

The Minnesota Gophers early on in their contest struggled to keep up with the Bulldogs on offense, heading into the locker room after the first period down by a couple of goals that were each scored at the beginning and end of the period.

“Their first goal was off a deflection, and their second came off a missed assignment by us,” head coach Brad Frost said.

Early on in the second period, the Gophers managed to slice the Duluth lead in half with Abigail Boreen’s first goal of her junior campaign.

Going into the third period, the Gophers finally found their stride. A goal in the middle of the period by freshman Abbey Murphy tied the game 2-2.

Later in the final period, another first-year skater came in clutch. With two and a half minutes left in the game, freshman Anne Cherkowski fired in the game-winning score to put Minnesota up 3-2. Another goal came 30 seconds later from an empty netter by junior Catie Skaja, which sealed the comeback win for the Gophers at 4-2.

“We ended up making a switch in the third period and put Anne and Abbey on the same line with Oden, and it made a huge difference to take the lead and put the game away,” Frost said.

Emilys have a big Saturday on the ice for the Gophers

Unlike the first game, the Gophers got on the board early, and it was two skaters with the first name Emily who provided the early goals for the Gophers. Emily Brown scored in the first period to make the game 1-0, and Emily Oden scored on the power play later in the contest to take a 2-0 lead.

In the third period, the Bulldogs cut the lead in half but to no avail as they could not tie the game in the remaining time in regulation. The Gophers move to 3-1 on the season while the Bulldogs fall to 2-2 on the season. Gophers’ goaltender Lauren Bench stopped 31 Bulldogs’ shots-on-goal as both teams registered 32 shots apiece. Bench stopped 54 of 57 shots on net over the weekend.

“I thought in both periods we controlled the puck incredibly well and worked our butts off on defense,” Frost said. “And in the third period, our team bended but didn’t break, and much of this win goes to Lauren, who was really good down the stretch.”

Frost was also pleased in his skaters, who were more aggressive than last weekend. He loved to see them play with a little bit more speed.

The next games for the Gophers will come in the most anticipated series of the season versus top-ranked Wisconsin on Dec. 4-5. The puck drops are at 6:07 p.m. Friday and 4:07 p.m. Saturday.

Bench blanks Buckeyes in Minnesota debut Saturday

The Gophers got a fast and furious start to their 2020-21 season.

Grace Zumwinkle skated past the Ohio State forwards and scored with the first shot on goal of the season for Minnesota not even 30 seconds into the game. Aside from the early misstep, the Buckeyes pounced on the puck and kept it on their end of the ice for most of the first period. Ohio State outshot the Gophers that period 12-3.

The second period was similar to the first. Minnesota had an opportunity to extend its lead with an Ohio State penalty, but were only able to get one shot on goal against the bruising Buckeyes defense. Nonetheless, around the halfway mark of the second period, freshman Josey Dunne wrapped around the net and slid in a goal on the opposite side of Buckeyes goalie Andrea Braendli.

The Gophers held the 2-0 lead until the end of the period, but continued to be outpaced by Ohio State as they were outshot 24-11 through the first two periods.

The third period featured the completion of outstanding play by Minnesota goaltender Lauren Bench, making her first start between the pipes for the maroon and gold. The fifth-year graduate transfer was perfect with a 1.000 save percentage, stopping all 36 Ohio State shots.

Bench was elated after the game, thankful for her new Gophers teammates who contributed to the shutout victory.

“Who isn’t happy with a shutout in their first game? I’m really happy for my teammates in front of me blocking shots and clearing rebounds which was huge,” Bench said. “It’s nice that we have each other’s backs.”

Zumwinkle added her second goal of the night late in the contest and Taylor Wente hit an open net snipe from the other end of the ice as the Gophers cruised to a 4-0 win.

“Great way to start the season off with a win against a team with a relentless forecheck. Overall, we were solid defensively against the Buckeyes play style which is very offensive heavy,” head coach Brad Frost said. “We can get some two on one breakaways and really nice shot opportunities, even if they are limited due to Ohio State’s constant pressure on the attack.”

Buckeye shots find the back of the net Sunday

The Gophers and Buckeyes both got involved scoring early. Moments after Zumwinkle registered her third goal of the season from a nice setup pass from Taylor Heise, the Buckeyes quickly struck back with the team’s first goal of the season from senior forward Liz Schepers.

Around the 10th minute mark, the Buckeyes found the back of the net once again, this time from senior forward Tatum Skaggs. Skaggs’ goal put the Gophers behind on the scoreboard for the first time of the season.

At the end of the first, the Buckeyes’ speedy pace of play was working for them again as they continued to outshoot Minnesota 18-5 and took a 2-1 lead into the second.

In the second period, the Gophers had a powerplay opportunity early, but only got one shot off. Shorthanded, Ohio State controlled the puck for most of the two-minute penalty. Neither team changed the score and Ohio State continued its constant barrage at Bench, firing off nine more shots to increase its shot-on-goal advantage, 27-12.

The Gophers started the final period of the weekend shorthanded because of an Olivia Knowles penalty. Fortunately for Minnesota, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize. However, Minnesota was also unable to tie the game after a stronger offensive performance in the third where the team outshot the Buckeyes 14-8. The score didn’t change after the first and Ohio State walked out of Ridder Arena with its win of the season, a 2-1 victory.

“We came back in the last half of the second period and the third period in particular. The first period we got out to an early lead but they answered the next shift and really took it to us,” Frost said. “We were winning faceoffs but they were still getting possession of the puck and overloading the corners and we had a tough time handling it, particularly in the last five minutes. We had a lot of great scoring chances but it just didn’t happen today.”

The Gophers travel to Duluth on Thanksgiving weekend to play in-state rivals in the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on Nov. 27-28.

For the second straight season, the Gophers’ women’s hockey team will start a senior transfer in between the pipes.

Lauren Bench, an Eagan, Minnesota native, transferred to the University of Minnesota after four years at Bemidji State. Now, she will look to fill the void left by the graduation of 2019-20 WCHA Goaltender of the Year Sydney Scobee and aim to help the Gophers win their eighth national championship.

Bench was a member of the 2019 All-WCHA third team and holds a .912 career save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average. She will have big shoes to fill in replacing Scobee, but Bench said she is excited for another opportunity after graduating in the spring.

“During the end of the season last year, after graduating with my teammates at Bemidji, it hit me that I wasn’t really done with hockey and with me being able to continue school at the University of Minnesota to achieve my master’s, it seemed like a perfect location for me education- and hockey-wise,” she said.

Bench, a redshirt senior, is currently completing her master’s degree in Kinesiology. She won multiple academic awards while at Bemidji State and was named to the Dean’s list three times during her tenure.

Bench already has good relationships with some of the players at Minnesota, having grown up playing with and against them. Head coach Brad Frost is eager to work with Bench, who is no stranger to starting on WCHA hockey clubs having been a consistent starter for the Beavers.

“Goalies that transfer have good experience, and that is certainly the case for Lauren,” Frost said. “So far the transition has been seamless, and we, as a coaching staff, like what we are seeing out of her on the ice.”

Bench is looking forward to the upcoming season. The redshirt senior will be key to the Gophers’ success in 2020.

“My main goal for this season is to play my absolute best with every opportunity I’m given to give my team the best chance to win. Growing up in Minnesota, I always wanted to be a Gopher and play right in front of my family,” she said. “Being close to home was the biggest reason why I came here, and I’m excited to have another chance to lace up the skates.”

WEEK 1: vs. No. 18 Michigan

Arguably the toughest test on the Gophers’ schedule arrives first. Michigan has plenty of experience on both sides of the ball. Last season, the Wolverines defense finished 11th in the nation and allowed just 21 points per game to opposing offenses. They return defensive ends Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson who combined for 10 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss and also return star safeties Daxton Hill and Brad Hawkins.

Another reason why this game could prove troublesome for the Gophers is the Wolverines running back depth. As a freshman, Zach Charbonnet racked up 726 yards and 11 touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry. Alongside Charbonnet, proven rushers Hassan Haskins and Chris Evans will return to the fold for the Wolverines.

Yet a question mark for Michigan going into the season is the quarterback position. Michigan has had adept defenses and talent on the team, but the team’s quarterback play has been its Achilles’ heel since Jim Harbaugh took the head coaching job.

Junior Joe Milton is a dual-threat quarterback who has earned the trust of Harbaugh and has earned high praise in training camp, inadvertently making Dylan McCaffrey opt out and enter the transfer portal. Milton has a cannon of an arm and can scramble, but his accuracy needs work. Keeping Milton uncomfortable and stopping the Wolverines’ rushing attack will be key to a Gophers win against a formidable Michigan team.

WEEK 2: @ Maryland

Of any Big Ten team, Maryland has more question marks on the team than answers currently.

Maryland’s leading rushers from last season Javon Leake and Anthony McFarland are gone, and the Terrapins still haven’t decided which former four-star recruit will lead its offense: Taulia Tagovailoa — the brother of former Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa — or redshirt freshman Lance LeGendre.

Another big issue for Maryland is on the defensive front where the team was abysmal in 2019; the Terrapins’ defense was ranked second to last in the Big Ten last season. Expect the Gophers to pounce on this leaky defense and shut down the Terrapins offense, playing against a team without a clear identity.

WEEK 3: @ Illinois

Expect Josh Imatorbhebhe, a senior wide receiver and a 2019 All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2019, to give Gophers’ cornerback Coney Durr a challenge in this game. In his standout 2019 season, Imatorbhebhe finished the year with 634 yards and nine touchdowns. Without him, Illinois would not have upset Wisconsin last year, as Imatorbhebhe hauled in a key touchdown late in the contest.

If the Gophers can stop Illinois’ passing attack, Minnesota should have no problem in Champagne. Alongside Durr in the secondary, the Gophers return safety Jordan Howden and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste, all key defenders who had plenty of experience in 2019. In 2019, Illinois had one of the worst rush defenses in the country and gave up 211 yards to Gophers’ running back Rodney Smith in a 40-17 blowout last season. Despite returning a star receiver in Imatorbhebhe, Minnesota is the clear favorite in this matchup.

WEEK 4: vs. Iowa

The Gophers will play for Floyd of Rosedale in a favorable location at TCF Bank Stadium, as opposed to last season’s matchup in Iowa City. The Gophers are 3-3 playing the Hawkeyes in Minneapolis compared to 0-4 on the road since 2010.

Iowa’s defensive front from last year that bottled up the Gophers’ rushing attack has lost key pieces to the NFL Draft, only returning defensive end Chauncey Golston. Without those pieces on the defensive line, expect Gophers’ running back Mohamed Ibrahim to have a better day running behind an experienced offensive line, even if Golston is the best returning edge rusher in the Big Ten West Division.

Iowa also lost three starters in its secondary and will be starting sophomore quarterback Spencer Petras who could rise or fold in his first career start in this heated rivalry.

WEEK 5: vs. Purdue

Trap game? Purdue has a powerful passing attack that could surprise Minnesota if its secondary isn’t fully awake. The Boilermakers led the Big Ten last year in passing offense and was No. 12 in the nation, averaging 310 passing yards per game.

Slot wide receiver Rondale Moore will be a pesky player in this game — the only receiver that will catch as many headlines as Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman is Moore, who’s shifty and has tremendous speed. Another player difficult to handle in pass coverage will be sophomore receiver David Bell who was the 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

If the Gophers’ secondary can prevent Moore and Bell from wreaking havoc, Minnesota should be able to handle a Boilermakers team that allowed a whopping 30.6 points per game last year. If the Gophers cannot contain Purdue’s elite pass catchers, it will be in a shootout, which could go either way. But with more offensive weapons — particularly in the run game – the Gophers would be favored.

WEEK 6: @ No. 15 Wisconsin

While Zach Baun and Chris Orr, who shut down the Gophers’ run in last year’s Border Battle, are gone, 18 of Wisconsin’s 20 leading tacklers return. True freshman Jalen Berger has a chance to become the next Badger great at running back, running behind an always stout offensive line.

Minnesota’s front seven will need to play tough to stop the Badgers’ run. Stopping Berger and veteran running back Garrett Groshek from running over the team like Jonathan Taylor did in 2019 is paramount for the Gophers. If Minnesota cannot stop the run — like in 2018 — turnovers could be another key to victory.

The Badgers’ starting quarterback Jack Coan is out for the season with a foot injury, putting redshirt freshman Graham Mertz into a starting role. A turnover could be the difference in an evenly matched contest, so look for the Gophers to try and force younger Wisconsin players to make mistakes.

WEEK 7: vs. Northwestern

Coming off a 3-9 season, Northwestern hired Mike Bajakian as its new offensive coordinator who was previously in the same position at Boston College, leading the Eagles to the best running game in the ACC behind running back AJ Dillon. With Bajakian leading the offense and the Wildcats adding a dual-threat transfer quarterback in Peyton Ramsey, Northwestern’s offense could be much improved in 2020.

Still, the Wildcats’ revamped offense might not be enough to walk into TCF Bank Stadium and upset Minnesota. Minnesota’s offense had success against a similar looking Northwestern secondary last season and should have success again. Northwestern also has an inexperienced defensive line, which could open up the run game.

WEEK 8: @ Nebraska

The Cornhuskers boast raw talent but have yet to show for it. This is especially true at the quarterback position in former four-star standout recruit Adrian Martinez who had an up-and-down 2019. He had an inconsistent 2019, completing 59% of his passes with 10 TD and 9 INT. Without Martinez, the Gophers rolled past the Huskers last season in a 34-7 victory.

Don’t expect as easy a win for the Gophers this season, particularly if Martinez stays healthy. He’ll have a strong receiver duo in four-star incoming freshman Zavier Betts and sophomore Wan’Dale Robinson who set program records for receptions and receiving yards by a true-freshman. While Nebraska should be an improved team from last season, if the Gophers can avoid mistakes on offense, it should be smooth sailing for Minnesota in Lincoln.

On Wednesday, student-athletes, family, fans and alumni gathered to march from Athletes Village, where athletics director Mark Coyle’s office resides, to Morrill Hall where president Joan Gabel’s office is located to protest the athletics department’s decision to cut three men’s sports.

This protest followed the surprising announcement by Coyle that the University will discontinue three men’s varsity sports: indoor and outdoor track and field, gymnastics and tennis. The athletics department cited financial hardships and Title IX compliance as reasons for making cuts. The decision is pending Board of Regents approval. The Board is expected to vote on the proposal in October.

The department estimates $75 million in lost revenue this year due to COVID-19. Cutting these programs saves the department $2 million in the fiscal year 2022 and $2.7 million annually once all student-athletes on athletics-based aid have graduated.

Mike Burns, the head coach of the men’s gymnastics team, has been an active participant in the fight against this decision. He has been active on Twitter, asking fans of the program to voice their disapproval of the decision with the Board of Regents.

I urge anyone and everyone to contact the Board of Regents to express your disapproval of this proposal. This link will take you to a direct line of communication to the Regents. Please engage today!! Thanks. https://t.co/3AOgTmRfVz

— Mike Burns (@Mikeburns265) September 11, 2020

Being at the march and seeing all of the support was really special to him, the gymnastics coach said.

“Bringing awareness is really important and this protest is being executed in a very respectful way. This shows the kind of class of the people that we have affiliated with the University,” Burns said.

Burns has had support from people in the gymnastics world locally, around the country and even internationally, to get his program back up and running. Now, it’s in the hand of the Board of Regents.

“These cancellations have a far, far more outreaching impact than an agenda item. There’s a lot of humanity to this decision and I hope they come to realize that from this protest and much more support we have gotten,” he said.

A number of student-athletes not affected by the U’s decision were also in attendance at Wednesday’s demonstration. Even without being directly affected, they came out to show support to their fellow student-athletes.

“As an athlete with our program still intact, you can’t imagine what it’s like for teams going through this struggle,” redshirt senior infielder Jack Wassel said.

Other student-athletes voiced their displeasure with the athletics department and said the financial impacts cited by the U are overstated.

“I think it’s good to get awareness out on what’s actually going on and [athletics director] Coyle has hidden behind a lot of lies,” said Owen Hoeft, a redshirt senior on the men’s cross country team, adding that he believes the department can find the money to revive the sports.

Burns was in favor of delaying the decision. All sports teams affected will likely have a spring season in 2021, and Burns said the University doesn’t have to rush a decision to handle this financial crisis.

“We’re going to have our season. Football just got voted in so that changes the landscape of the financial picture quite a bit,” Burns said, referring to the Big 10 Conference’s recent decision to bring back football in October. “So, I think some jets need to be cooled down. We need to have a chance to sit down, and take time to put a lot of brilliant minds to this issue. The result will be a solution to create a better output.”

Senior golfer Kate Lillie said it’s powerful how everyone, regardless of sport, joined together in unity to support everyone affected by the athletics department’s decision.

“If they don’t know that athletes outside of these programs are disagreeing with their decision and are empathetic towards the cause of bringing these sports back, then they will never listen,” she said.