The No. 3 Gopher Hockey program continues the 2014-15 campaign this weekend with a Thanksgiving trip to Boston for a two-game nonconference schedule against No. 11/12 Boston College on Friday, Nov. 28 at Conte Forum and Northeastern on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Matthews Arena.
Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge
Minnesota’s two games this weekend against Hockey East opponents mark the final two games in this year’s Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge -- a series of 20 games between the two conferences from Oct. 10-Nov. 29. With just two games left in the contest, the Big Ten holds a 22-20 advantage over Hockey East. Teams will earn two points for a win, one point for a tie and a bonus point will be awarded for a road win. The Gophers have already contributed four points to the Big Ten’s totals with the Maroon & Gold’s two-game home sweep over Notre Dame earlier this year.
Hockey East Notes
Already 2-0-0 this season against Hockey East teams, the Gophers’ next three nonconference games will come against schools from Hockey East (Boston College, Northeastern, Merrimack) and a fourth is possible depending on results at the Mariucci Classic (UMass-Lowell). Since the start of the 2012-13 season, the Maroon & Gold are 8-1-1 against Hockey East schools.
Against Boston College/Northeastern
Minnesota is making its first road trip to Boston College since Jan. 2-3, 1999 (16-12-3 all-time against the Eagles, 5-9-2 at Boston College) and its first road trip to Northeastern since Nov. 13, 1987 (8-5-0 all-time against the Huskies, 0-3-0 at Northeastern). Only four active Gophers (Marshall, Warning, Boyd, Ambroz) have played Northeastern -- a 2-3 loss in the Mariucci Classic title game on Dec. 31, 2011. Meanwhile, the senior class has played a total of four games against Boston College while Kyle Rau (2-4--6) and Sam Warning (1-5--6) are the team’s active leading scorers against the Eagles.
Two of the Best Behind the Bench
Friday’s battle between Minnesota and Boston College will feature two of the top coaches in college hockey history in Don Lucia and Jerry York. York holds the all-time college hockey coaching victories record with 970 while Lucia ranks ninth with 658 (only York and Red Berenson with 793 wins rank ahead of Lucia among active Division I coaches).