7 p.m. Friday and Saturday vs. Harvard • Both games on FSN Plus; 1130-AM/103.5-FM
U is hoping to hold leads better
Preview: Harvard, ranked No. 13 in the USCHO.com poll, will play its first nonconference games of the season. The Crimson (2-3) lost twice last weekend (2-1 at Colgate and 3-2 at Cornell). The No. 7 Gophers (7-4-1) are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss and 6-6 tie at Michigan last weekend. The Gophers, who had a four-game winning streak going into the weekend, had a 3-0 lead on Friday and 4-0 lead on Saturday. Harvard defeated the Gophers 4-3 in overtime in the championship game of the Mariucci Classic on Jan. 2, 2016 — their last meeting.
Players to watch: Harvard G Merrick Madsen, who has two shutouts this season, is coming off a 28-victory season last season — the most by a Harvard goalie in a season. C Ryan Donato leads the team in scoring with three goals and four assists. Gophers F Rem Pitlick leads the Gophers in scoring with 14 points (five goals and nine assists). Pitlick has 46 points in 48 career games. F Tyler Sheehy had a career-high four points (one goal and three assists) in the 6-6 tie with Michigan on Saturday. Sheehy has 10 points (three goals and seven assists) this season.
Numbers: Harvard has four Minnesota natives on its roster: F Henry Bowlby (Edina), D Benjamin Foley (Edina), D Jacob Olson (Hill-Murray) and F Jake Horton (Tartan).
JOEL RIPPEL