The No. 5 Minnesota Men’s hockey program got their 2024-25 season started this weekend in Las Vegas, taking part in the 2024 Ice Breaker Tournament alongside Air Force, Omaha, and UMass.
After defeating Air Force 7-1 on Friday evening, the Gophers suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 campaign on Saturday evening with a 2-1 loss to No. 15/16 Omaha.
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In their season opener on Friday night against Air Force, the Gophers' high-powered offense was led by junior forward and Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick Connor Kurth, who started his season with a hat trick as part of a four-point night. The Lindstrom, Minnesota native is coming off a 2023-24 season in which he scored seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 37 games.
Junior defenseman Ryan Chesley also had a multi-goal scoring effort in the 7-1 win, scoring a goal midway through the second period and one late in the third period. The two goals matched Chesley’s previous career high, as he scored two goals in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Also getting involved in the action on Friday night were sophomore defenseman Sam Rinzel and freshman forward Beckett Hendrickson. The late second-period goal for Hendrickson was the first of his career. For Rinzel, it was the third of his career after scoring two goals last season as a freshman.
In the net for the Gophers on Friday night was Nathan Airey, who allowed just one goal on 21 shots in the game.
On Saturday, the Gophers looked to pick up win No. 2 of the season in as many tries and took an early lead in the contest as graduate senior forward Mason Nevers cleaned up a Sam Rinzel rebound to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Also receiving an assist on the goal was August Falloon, a talented true freshman forward out of St. Cloud, Minnesota, who makes his way to the Gophers via Tri-City of the USHL.
Omaha found an answer for the Gophers' first-period goal just past the midway point of the second period as Sam Strange beat Penn State graduate transfer Liam Souliere to score a shorthanded goal for the Mavericks.
Despite the lone goal in the loss, the Gophers' attack in the offensive zone was relentless throughout the game, outshooting the Mavericks 54-18 in the defeat. Unfortunately for the Gophers, Omaha goalie Simon Latkoczy was tremendous as he faced the barrage of Minnesota shots.
In overtime, the Gophers nearly got the game-winner off the stick of Oliver Moore, but after the narrow miss, the Mavericks quickly worked their way onto the Gophers' side of the ice before Jacob Guevin scored the game-winner for Omaha.
Overall, it was a good first weekend of hockey for the Gophers, despite the narrow defeat to Omaha. Minnesota will be back in action next Friday against Minnesota Duluth at Amsoil Arena.
The power play should be a focus of the Gophers this week in practice, as through their first two games of the season, the Gophers are 0-5 on the power play, totaling just eight shots while also allowing a shorthanded goal in the process.
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