Minnesota Scene: Gophers' Boyd honored by Big Ten

Senior forward Travis Boyd was named the Big Ten's third star of the week on Tuesday after a four-point weekend against Wisconsin.

Boyd matched a career-high with three points (two goals, one assist) in the Gophers' 5-2 win on Saturday night and had an assist in Friday's 2-2 tie. He also matched his career-high goal total (nine) after the big weekend.

Michigan freshman forward Dylan Larkin was named the first star and Penn State's sophomore forward David Goodwin the second star.

• The North Star College Cup champion won't be decided by a shootout this year. The tournament announced that Saturday's championship game will follow standard NCAA tournament overtime protocol with 20-minute periods occurring until a winner is decided. The semifinal and consolation games will stick to the Big Ten's five-minute overtime/shootout routine if the game is tied after three periods.

The Gophers won last year's championship game with a 2-0 shootout victory over Minnesota Duluth that officially ended in a 4-4 tie.

JASON GONZALEZ

The Gophers softball team is No. 15 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason poll. That's the highest Minnesota has even been ranked in the preseason poll — it was No. 16 in 1996.

• The Gophers baseball team has signed seven players: infielder Eddie Estrada of Litchfield High School, pitcher Ben Humbert of International Falls, pitcher Nick Lackney of Whitefish Bay, Wis., catcher Cole McDevitt of Eastview, pitcher Ben Mezzenga of Totino-Grace, infielder Jordan Kozicky of Minneapolis Southwest, and pitcher Jake Stevenson of Waconia.

• USA Track and Field named Medtronic TC's 1 Mile and 10 Mile as the USA Track and Field Championships for men and women in 2015. The 1 Mile will be held May 14 in downtown Minneapolis, the 10 Mile will be the same weekend as the Twin Cities Marathon.