Mazzocco returns to Gophers broadcasts

Frank Mazzocco will be returning to the college hockey airwaves.

Mazzocco will be an analyst on Gophers men's hockey games on radio, with Wally Shaver serving as play-by-play voice again, the University announced today.

The broadcasts switched this season 1500 AM on the Gopher Radio Network. Former Gophers standout Pat Micheletti, the second-leading scorer in school history, will serve ice-level analyst for a select number of games.

Mazzocco had been the television voice of the Gophers on FSN North until last season, when Anthony LaPanta took over.

Glen Sonmor, who had been the radio analyst, has retired because of health issues.

The Star Tribune story is here.

Here's the University release:

The radio broadcast booth will feature Frank Mazzocco and Wally Shaver. Mazzocco will serve as an analyst, while Shaver will handle the play-by-play duties. Mazzocco and Shaver will call every game during the 2011-12 season on new flagship ESPN1500 and on the Gopher Radio Network. Former Gopher Pat Micheletti will also join the broadcast team for a select number of games this season and will give fans a unique perspective reporting from ice level.

Frank and Pat will both bring recognizable and knowledgeable voices to Gopher Hockey fans on the radio," said Director of Athletics Joel Maturi. "I am excited both of them are part of Gopher Hockey again."

"Today's announcement reunites Mazzocco and Shaver who previously called Gopher Hockey together in the 1980s. I am very excited," said Mazzocco. "Wally and I had a good run back in the 1980s when we were doing television together. We always had good chemistry on the air, but off the air as well in terms of planning and getting things ready. We always had similar ideas about what the story was. In talking to him about the upcoming season, I can already tell that we will be in sync again. It will be fun."

Shaver has been calling Gopher Hockey games since the 2001-02 season. Mazzocco replaces the now-retired hockey legend Glen Sonmor as the analyst. Mazzocco, who has more than 30 years of hockey broadcasting experience, was previously the play-by-play voice of Gopher Hockey on television for more than 20 years.

"Frank has broadcast more than 20 years of Gopher Hockey," said Shaver "I think we are going to have a blast and the nice thing is that we will both be able to contribute programming to the broadcast. Frank is used to the schedule and he knows what the Gopher Hockey program is all about and how the college hockey scene works. I cannot wait to get started."

"I look forward to working with Gopher Hockey this year and providing insight from a player's point of view," said Micheletti. "It should be a lot of fun and I cannot wait to get started and contribute to the broadcast."