GOPHERS VS. SACRED HEART
When: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Mariucci Arena; 1500-AM; FSN (Friday only)
About the Gophers: The early part of the nonconference schedule takes on a new look this season, with first-time opponents Sacred Heart and Vermont coming to Mariucci Arena. The 19th-ranked Gophers will spend much of the rest of October and November away from home. Next weekend's WCHA opener at defending national champion Minnesota Duluth begins a stretch in which they play nine of 14 games on the road -- including seven of their first nine league games. Coach Don Lucia said he will continue evaluating players and refining line combinations this weekend. All the Gophers are healthy, and Lucia wants to get a good look at what he has to work with.
About the Pioneers: A member of Atlantic Hockey, the small Fairfield, Conn., school -- with only 3,500 undergraduates -- returns most of its roster from a team that went 6-25-6 last season. F Matt Gingera led the Pioneers with 21 goals last season, the third-highest single-season total in school history.
