It will be an historic night at TCF Bank Stadium on Friday night!
It’s already been a season full of first’s for the University of Minnesota Gopher hockey team. They joined the newly formed Big Ten Hockey Conference this season, where they currently sit in first place, and rank first nationally in Division I Men’s Hockey.
The first’s continue on January 17th, with the first outdoor game to be hosted by the Gophers in 80 years, and the first outdoor hockey game ever at TCF Bank Stadium. Minnesota welcomes Big Ten rival Ohio State to “The Bank”, for the 2014 Hockey City Classic, with game time set for 8:00 PM (Central). Golden Gopher hockey tickets are in high demand, as Minneapolis-based Ticket King reports premium seats are available for about $114, and fans who want to stay warm, Club Seats are available for $144.
Minnesota is hoping for a better result playing outdoors this year, than they experienced in last years Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field in Chicago, where they spotted the Wisconsin Badgers a 3-0 lead, and then came up just short in a 3-2 loss on a shoddy ice surface.
The Gophers have surpassed even their own expectations this season after losing four of their top players to the NHL. They’ve found success with balanced scoring, solid defense, and contributions from a very talented freshman class. Sam Warning currently leads the Gophers in scoring with 21 points on 5 goals and 16 assists for 21 points in 18 games. That’s good for second overall in scoring for the Big Ten conference.
Whereas Ohio State might be a powerhouse on the gridiron, and the game is technically being played on a football field, Minnesota will be favored to beat the Buckeyes. Ohio State, under first year head coach and Minnesota native Steve Rohlik, currently sit in fifth place in the conference, sporting a 0-2-0 Big Ten record, and a 10-6-0 overall record.
The Buckeyes have built a winning record by playing a somewhat weak schedule, but have played some top end teams in tight contests, including dropping their only Big Ten series of the season to a tough Michigan Wolverine squad, 4-3 in overtime, and 5-4 in their second meeting. Junior Ryan Dzingel currently leads the Big Ten in scoring, with 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 16 games.
The Gophers and Buckeyes met to play hockey for the first time in December 1968, with the Gophers coming out on top 10-1. Since then, Minnesota has dominated the series with a 12-1-0 record, the last game being played in October 2007, a 2-1 win for the Gophers.
The Minnesota/Ohio State game will be preceded by the #1 Gopher Women’s hockey team, as they take on in-state rival Minnesota State at 4:30. The Gopher Women are currently ranked #1 in the country, and sit in a first place tie with Wisconsin atop the WCHA, boasting a 13-1-0 record. Minnesota State currently finds itself in sixth place in the WCHA with a 4-12-0 conference record (9-13-0 Overall). For the best and latest deals on Gopher hockey tickets, Ticket King has fans covered.