November 25th, 2022: Matthew Knies returns home and Logan Cooley pulls off the Michigan in Mullett Arena for the Gophers’ 3-2 win over ASU.
–> Follow @Dylanloucks4 on Twitter
Matthew Knies was born in Phoenix, Arizona, which is about 20 minutes from the newly built Mullett Arena. The Gophers got to Arizona before Thanksgiving and spent it in the backyard of the Knies’ household. But this series between ASU and Minnesota had many more ties to it.
Thanksgiving dinner with the fam 💛
A huge thank you to the Knies family for having us! pic.twitter.com/VisRuZ32qY
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) November 25, 2022
Mullett arena is a multipurpose facility that is home to both ASU and the Arizona Coyotes. This series features three Coyotes’ draft picks who will all have a chance to put on the Kachina logo in a couple of years, two of those being Gophers. Logan Cooley, who was drafted third overall by the Coyotes last year, and Cal Thomas who was a sixth-round pick by the Coyotes in 2021.
Josh Doan, son of former Coyote great Shane Doan, was drafted 37th overall by the Coyotes in the 2021 draft. Shane Doan was the last NHL player remaining from the original Winnipeg Jets one year before the team relocated to Arizona to become the Phoenix Coyotes. Doan was taken seventh overall in the 1995 draft.
Shane spent 20 seasons in Arizona playing for the Coyotes where he notched 402 career goals and 972 points in 1,540 career games. Doan re-joined Arizona as Chief Hockey Development Officer in January 2021 and played a part in the Coyotes’ drafting Josh in the 2021 draft.
The Gophers held Josh Doan off the scoresheet though as Justen Close stopped 29 out of 31 in the win and kept the Gophers in the game with under a minute left. They improve to 11-4-0 on the season as ASU falls to 7-7-0.
It wasn’t the greatest start for the Gophers, or even a great game but they found a way to hold off the Sun devils in the 3-2 win thanks to Close bailing them out time and time again, a power play chance, and Cooley’s impressive night.
“For two periods, that was as bad as we’ve played all season and it was almost through our entire lineup,” Gophers head coach Bob Motzko said. “We made a couple plays early in the game and we hung on. We’ll be better tomorrow, that’s one thing I do know.”
The Gophers opened the scoring with another goal by Jaxon Nelson. The senior forward recorded his third goal in his last two games. The Gophers’ power-play goal came from Nelson’s one-timer from the low slot. Cooley set him up after receiving a feed from Nelson. Jimmy Snuggerud added his team-leading 17th point of the year with the secondary assist.
1-0 @GopherHockey on the power play. Jaxon Nelson with the goal. pic.twitter.com/mSOvGQxAcn
— Erik List (@list_erik) November 26, 2022
Over eight minutes later Bryce Brodizinski continued his point streak with a rocket from the slot. Brock Faber received a pass from Mason Nevers and found Brodzinski high in the slot. Brodzinski, riding a six-game point streak now has six goals on the year and four in his last five games. Faber now has three assists in his last three games and ten points on the year.
The Sun Devils got on the board just under three minutes into the second. Dylan Jackson tipped in his third of the year after Tim Lovell threw a puck on net from the point. Tanner Hickey recorded his first point of the year and Lovell notched his ninth.
Whether you are a Sun Devils fan, a Gopher fan, or a Coyotes fan who decided to tune in and watch future Coyote forwards, Doan and Cooley play, everyone can appreciate what Cooley pulled off in the third period.
Cooley caught a pass from Mike Koster and skated around TJ Semptimphelter. Cooley quickly brushed off Ethan Szmagaj as he went back behind Semptimphelter and pulled off the Michigan. After Szmagaj got beat, the ASU defender went to the front of the net which let Cooley go back behind Semptimphelter and pull off, what might be the greatest goal scored at Mullet Arena so far.
He’s feeling right at home 😉#SCTop10 | @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/9aGU0xXXAu
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) November 26, 2022
That was Cooley’s fifth goal of the year and 14th point in 14 games for the Gophers. The future Coyote gave Arizona fans a glimpse of what their NHL team will get out of Cooley in the next coming years. The freshman has two goals and two assists in his last two games. He spent game two in the series against Michigan sidelined after being suspended for his hit in last Thursday’s tilt.
The Coyotes are in the middle of their 14-game road trip. They will return to the Mullett on December ninth. The Gophers are set for another battle against the Sun Devils tomorrow at 8:00 pm looking for their fourth sweep of the year.