Hockey sweeps Michigan State on opening weekend

Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

The Gophers scored a combined 12 goals in a weekend home series sweep of Michigan State to open the season.

Both contests were not close – Minnesota scored 3 goals in the first period during both games and went on to win 5-1 on Friday and 7-1 on Saturday.

Coming off a Frozen Four loss against eventual NCAA champions Boston College, the wins are enough to suggest that this team is just as good as last year’s squad.

With Nick Bjudstad staying to play another year and Kyle Rau with a year of experience under his belt, it is no wonder Minnesota is ranked No. 1 in the WCHA coaches’ poll.

Notables: 

• The hockey team scored a combined 12 goals in two games over the weekend, nearly matching the number of points scored by the football team Saturday morning in a loss against Northwestern 21-13.
• Freshman goalie Adam Wilcox played his first minutes for the Gophers on Saturday.
• Saturday’s win was coach Don Lucia’s 599th career win.