Gophers-Massachusetts preview: U takes on reigning NCAA hockey champion

Massachusetts beat St. Cloud State 5-0 in last year's men's final.

March 24, 2022 at 10:24PM
Ben Meyers and his Gophers teammates are playing in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year. First up: reigning NCAA champion Massachusetts. (Aaron Lavinsky, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

NCAA Worcester (Mass.) Regional

No. 2 seed Gophers vs. No. 3 Massachusetts

5 p.m. Friday, DCU Center, ESPNU, 103.5-FM, 1130-AM

Gophers at a glance: Minnesota (24-12) is playing in the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive year after beating Nebraska Omaha 7-2 and losing to Minnesota State Mankato 4-0 in the Loveland (Colo.) Regional final in 2021. C Ben Meyers leads the Gophers with 16 goals and 27 points, while LW Blake McLaughlin (12-20-32) and LW Matthew Knies (12-17-29) are close behind. D Jackson LaCombe has a team-high 26 assists. G Justen Close (12-4, 1.89 goals-against average, .928 save percentage) has been solid since taking over as starter in mid-January. The Gophers are 7-8 against teams in the NCAA tournament.

Minutemen at a glance: Massachusetts (22-12-2) is the reigning NCAA champion, beating St. Cloud State 5-0 in last year's final, and was national runner-up to Minnesota Duluth in 2019. F Bobby Trivigno leads the Minutemen with 46 points on 19 goals and 27 assists. F Garrett Wait, a former Gopher from Edina, has 12 goals and 12 assists. The Minutemen won the Hockey East tournament as G Matt Murray limited UMass-Lowell and Connecticut to one goal each. UMass is 7-4-1 vs. teams in the NCAA tournament.

Friday's other semifinal: No. 1 Western Michigan vs. No. 4 Northeastern, 11 a.m., ESPNU

Sunday's championship: Semifinal winners, 3 or 5:30 p.m., ESPN2

Randy Johnson

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Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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