The University of
Minnesota Twin Cities is a highly regarded academic institution and a legendary
sports hot spot. The University’s sports teams go by the moniker of the Golden
Gophers. The Gopher name can be traced back to the 1850’s when Minnesota was nicknamed the
“Gopher State.” The University, originally built in 1851, appropriately adopted
the animal as its mascot. The “golden” adjective was later added in the 1930’s
when legendary KSTP-AM radio announcer Halsey Hall used the term “Golden
Gophers” in reference to the team’s all-gold attire on the field. The term
stuck and the University amended their moniker to the Golden Gophers. Despite the
golden term, the University
of Minnesota Gophers teams’
colors include maroon, white and
gold.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Mens Hockey
team started around 1922. The team has long been known as a hockey dynasty in
college athletics. Currently, the team is a proud member of the Western
Collegiate Hockey Association in the NCAA. The Mens hockey team plays in beautiful
Mariucci arena which is located on the East Bank of the University’s Minneapolis campus.
The arena
is named after Hall of Famer and legendary Golden Gophers hockey player, John
Mariucci. Mariucci was a native of Minnesota
and a star defenseman on the University
of Minnesota Mens hockey
team. His many accomplishments include helping the Golden Gophers hockey team
go undefeated in the 1939-40 season. He also played in the NHL and spent time coaching
at the University
of Minnesota. John
Mariucci is a Minnesota
hockey legend and the home ice of the Golden Gophers is appropriately named in
his honor.
Another
Golden Gopher great is another Minnesota
native, John Mayasich. While attending the University
of Minnesota, Mayasich set the NCAA
tournament record for most points scored in a game with seven against Boston College
in 1954. John Mayasich won the Western Collegiate Hockey Association scoring
title in 1954 and 1955 and was an All-American three years in a row at the
university.
In
addition to the Johns, Mariucci and Mayasich, the Gophers have had many other great
players skating on the University pond. The University
of Minnesota is proud to be the home
team of legends like Herb
Brooks and Neal Broten. The
University has had many other players go on to play in the NHL including Mike
Antonovich, Bill Baker, Brian Bonin, Aaron Broten, Paul Broten, Darby
Hendrickson, Jordan Leopold, Lou Nanne, John Pohl, Dave Snuggerud, Jeff Taffe,
Dean Talafous and Erik Westrum just to name a few.
The University of Minnesota gained further recognition as
a hockey stronghold when the team sent numerous hockey players to the winter
Olympics in 1980. The 1980 Olympic team was truly a miracle on ice when they
defeated the Soviet Union to win the coveted gold
medal. The miracle team included great University of Minnesota
players like Steve Janaszak, Bill Baker, Mike Ramsey, Neal Broten, Rob
McClanahan, Buzz Schneider, Eric Strobel and Phil Verchota.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Mens Hockey
team won the national division one championship in 1974, 1976, 1979 and most
recently in 2002 and 2003. The gridiron team has been the runner up seven other
times since 1950. The University
of Minnesota mens hockey team
has a great history of success and will continue to be a top contender for many
years to come.
Selling
out the legendary Mariucci ice arena is a regular occurrence for the Mens
Golden Gopher Hockey team. The University
of Minnesota is a big
school in a huge hockey market, making Golden Gophers hockey tickets extremely
hot. Witnessing the University
of Minnesota Golden Gophers Mens Hockey
team take the ice is an experience to remember and one no hockey fan will want
to miss!
Don Lucia will attempt to guide the Golden Gophers Hockey team to another national championship in 2007. The Gophers are always in contention for the title as they attract all of the biggest prep stars out of high school. In many ways, Minnesota hockey is like Duke University or North Carolina in basketball. The Gophers championship prospects have brightened recently thanks to star defenseman Kyle Okposo’s decision to return to the Gophers to play his sophomore season. Okposo was drafted by the New York Islanders of the NHL and was almost lured away from college by the New York bright lights. Okposo returning means more Gopher hockey tickets will be sold, so get your tickets now before they’re too hot to find.
|
