First-timers set the tone as Gophers dominate Robert Morris to sweep series

MINNEAPOLIS — It is one thing to be back in the lineup after an injury. It is another thing to have your groove back after missing time. On Saturday, two previously injured Minnesota Gophers got their groove back, scoring their first goals of the season in a 4-1 win over Robert Morris to sweep their final nonconference series of the season.

Mike Koster and Mason Nevers, who both missed significant time early in the season with various ailments, got Minnesota’s first two goals, setting the tone for one of their more dominant wins. Goalie Justen Close had 16 saves and Aaron Huglen and Jimmy Snuggerud added goals for the Gophers, who improved to 12-6-4 overall. They will play only Big Ten foes from here until a possible invite to the NCAA playoffs.

“You could just feel the weight leaving, even on our bench. Our bench was like we won the Stanley Cup when those two scored, because our players know what those guys went through with their injuries,” Gophers coach Bob Motzko said of Nevers and Koster scoring. “Those were monster goals for those two young men to get, and they’re going to have a little swagger.

It’s a great time of year for that to happen, to get those guys back on board. ” Huglen throws a changeup! ⚾ pic. twitter.

com/mXZb1QSK5B — Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) January 14, 2024 The Colonials (6-15-3) got a 40-save night from goalie Chad Veltri, and a second period goal from Walter Zacher, but were overmatched for much of the night. “They’ve got 13 (NHL) draft picks and we’ve got none, so it was a classic David vs. Goliath.

And Goliath won, but David put up a little bit of a fight,” Colonials coach Derek Schooley said. “We pushed, and. .

. they had to earn it. That’s what our goal was.

” ADVERTISEMENT Nevers was injured in an exhibition game with Bemidji State in October and missed the first four regular season games. Once back in the lineup, he started slowly. Saturday’s goal was not only his first of the season, it snapped a string of six consecutive games that he had been held without a point.

“Having the break kind of gets you up to speed and now I’m not playing this season behind the 8-ball,” Nevers said. “I’ve felt a lot better in the second half just getting up to conditioning and not having to play catch-up. I’m looking forward to a big second half.

Usually when the second half magic begins, people forget about the first half. ” READ MORE MINNESOTA GOPHERS COVERAGE: College Women’s hockey: No. 1 Buckeyes make it a dominant sweep of No.

2 Gophers Ohio State scores 5 goals in second period, cruises to 6-1 victory at Ridder Arena 26m ago · By Dean Spiros / St. Paul Pioneer Press College Men’s hockey: Gophers turn back upset-minded Robert Morris 4-2 Freshman goalie Nathan Airey gets win in first collegiate start 23h ago · By Jess Myers / Forum News Service College Gophers overcome early deficit quickly, hold off Robert Morris in Nathan Airey’s first start The freshman goalie who was not healthy enough to play until early December got the nod in the Minnesota crease and backstopped his first collegiate win over the upset-minded Colonials. 23h ago · By Jess Myers College Women’s hockey: No.

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Paul Pioneer Press College Tigers open 2024 with a roar in rally win at Minnesota Colorado College erased a second-period deficit and had an answer for everything Minnesota threw its way, winning a game in Minneapolis in the Tigers’ first trip there since 2012. 6d ago · By Jess Myers College On winning streak, Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson asks, ‘Where can we take it?’ Minnesota has won six straight games going into Sunday’s 4:30 p. m.

matinee Jan 6 · By Andy Greder / St. Paul Pioneer Press College Men’s basketball: Gophers earn first road win at Michigan Minnesota (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) has won six straight, while Michigan (6-8, 1-2) has lost three straight Jan 4 · By Andy Greder / St. Paul Pioneer Press College Gophers football: Quindario Lee backs off pledge to the U Lee was an official member of the Minnesota class before Thursday Jan 4 · By Andy Greder / St.

Paul Pioneer Press College What is AD Mark Coyle looking for with Gophers men’s basketball in Big Ten play? After two last-place finishes, Ben Johnson needs to keep building the program Jan 3 · By Andy Greder / St. Paul Pioneer Press Koster, the Gophers’ co-captain, missed the season’s first six games after suffering an injury during a September practice. Huglen’s goal came after a review.

His slow-moving shot fooled Veltri, but officials initially ruled no goal due to a Gopher in the crease. Video showed that the crease was clear by the time the puck arrived and no Gophers had made contact with the goalie, so the goal was allowed to stand. Snuggerud’s goal was his Big Ten-leading 17th of the season, and sixth of the past week, after he scored five times in a split with Colorado College played last Sunday and Monday.

It was the Gophers’ first sweep of a weekend series since they beat St. Thomas twice to open the season. Minnesota forward Brody Lamb blasted a slap shot in the Gophers’ win over Robert Morris on Saturday, Jan.

13, 2024 at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. Bjorn Franke / Gopher Sports Extra Pucks Gophers coach Bob Motzko got a nice ovation prior to the game in recognition of his 400th career win, recorded in the series opener on Friday. He had 276 wins in his 13 seasons at St.

Cloud State, and Friday’s win was his 124th win in five-plus seasons at Minnesota. “I’ve been pretty lucky that a couple pretty good universities have given me a job with a lot of good hockey players,” Motzko said. “I’ve surrounded myself with pretty good hockey coaches.

I’m pretty fortunate. Been pretty lucky. And I know it.

” ADVERTISEMENT Minnesota fired 28 shots on goal in the opening period of the series on Friday. That was just three shy of the program record for most shots in a period, which was set in 1980 versus Providence and tied in 2006 versus Niagara. The Gophers return to Big Ten play next weekend with a home series versus Ohio State.

Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud dropped a between the legs pass to a teammate in Gophers’ win over Robert Morris on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. Bjorn Franke / Gopher Sports Share Share this article News reporting News reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS THE RINK LIVE By Jess Myers Jess Myers covers college hockey, as well as outdoors, general sports and travel, for The Rink Live and the Forum Communications family of publications. He came to FCC in 2018 after three decades of covering sports as a freelancer for a variety of publications, while working full time in politics and media relations. A native of Warroad, Minn.

(the real Hockeytown USA), Myers has a degree in journalism/communications from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He lives in the Twin Cities. Contact Jess via email at jrmyers@forumcomm.

com, or find him on Twitter via @JessRMyers. English speaker. Twitter Instagram.