Men's Hockey | 12/23/2020 5:34:00 PM
MINNEAPOLIS – In the program's 100th season, the Gopher men's hockey team is off to one of the best starts ever with an undefeated record and a No. 1 ranking. GopherSports.com looks back at the hot start as the Maroon & Gold prepare to start the second half next month.*Minnesota has started the season 8-0-0 for the first time since the 1987-88 campaign and have actually won 10-straight games dating back to the end of last season – the program's longest winning streak since claiming 11-straight victories during the 1995-96 season.
*The Gophers have now earned a No. 1 ranking in both the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine 2020-21 Men's College Hockey poll for the second-straight week – Minnesota's first No. 1 ranking by either poll since Nov. 10, 2014. Barring an unusual setback, Minnesota will enter 2021 as college hockey's top-ranked team. By contrast, the Maroon & Gold did not receive a single vote in either poll in the final poll of 2019 or the first poll of 2020.
*Minnesota currently leads the Big Ten with 24 points followed by Wisconsin (16), Notre Dame (12), Ohio State (10), Michigan (eight), Michigan State (five) and Penn State (three). All teams have played eight conference games other than Michigan State and Penn State, which have each played six league games. The Gophers have won four Big Ten regular-season championships in the conference's seven-year history.
*The 'U' has not yet trailed an opponent this season through 480 minutes of play and has outscored its foes 27-8 on the year. Furthermore, Minnesota has held a lead in 78.9 percent of those 480 minutes of play. The Gophers are tied for the best defense in the nation – allowing 1.00 goals per game (eight goals in eight games).
*Jack LaFontaine (8-0-0) has started every game in net for the Gophers this season and leads the nation in save percentage (.965), goals against average (1.00) and wins (eight) among goalies with more than one start. The Carolina Hurricanes prospect, who has also earned his first two career shutouts this season, has won 10-straight games for Minnesota dating back to last season and has allowed two goals or fewer in each of his last 13 starts. An alternate captain for the Gophers, the senior was named the national goaltender of the month by the HCA in November and will be a candidate for the honor again in December.
*Scott Reedy leads Minnesota and ranks tied for the Big Ten lead with six goals this year while he sits one goal shy of the national lead despite playing in at least two fewer games than anyone with more. The San Jose Sharks prospect leads the nation with four game-winning goals this year while he has contributed to the deciding goal in five of Minnesota's eight wins this year. The senior is also tied for the team lead with nine points this year and has found the net in six of eight games.
*Ben Meyers is tied for the team scoring lead with Reedy, having tallied nine points (four goals, five assists) this season. The sophomore alternate captain is currently riding a six-game point streak (tied for his career long) and has points in seven of Minnesota's eight games this year.
*Minnesota's penalty kill remains unblemished this year with a perfect 17-for-17 record and ranks first in the nation among teams that have played more than one game. Additionally, the Maroon & Gold are one of the least penalized teams in the nation with an average of five penalty minutes a game – ranking tied for 47th out of 49 teams that have seen action this year.
*Three Gophers are still presently in action as Jackson LaCombe, Ryan Johnson and Brock Faber are representing the United States at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship on the U.S. National Junior Team. The three University of Minnesota products are tied for the most representatives of any school in the NCAA while the Gophers make up a third of the team's nine-man defensive corps. Gopher Hockey has a proud history at the IIHF World Junior Championship with the University of Minnesota set to be represented at 42 of the 45 events dating back to the inaugural tournament in 1977.
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