Bob Motzko

Logan Cooley waiting for the puck
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Opportunity to Improve Against In-State Rivals Ahead

October 7, 2022 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on Opportunity to Improve Against In-State Rivals Ahead

Minneapolis, Minn. — When the University of Minnesota men’s hockey program decided it was time to make a change in leadership behind the bench, it wasn’t necessarily because the team was losing the majority of their games, it was because they were losing the wrong ones. The Gophers seemed to struggle on the biggest stages and the losses during the postseason and the losses to the other in-state programs were adding up. Now as Gophers […]

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COVID Cools Crowds Until Gophers Heat Up

April 15, 2022 Eric Vegoe 4

Minneapolis, Minn. — The Gophers men’s hockey program welcomed a venue record crowd of 10,744 fans for their final home game of the season as the host of the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. Boosted by five full sections of students in 3M Arena at Mariucci, the venue also featured a record number of 10,252 tickets scanned.  Gopher Puck Live has been tracking data since 2014 and the previous high for the metric was 9,050 […]

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We Have What We Need, We Need What We Have

February 11, 2022 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on We Have What We Need, We Need What We Have

Gophers have games in hand with Buckeyes, but key upcoming series will have huge implications for conference race and best chance to make an impact to their PairWise Ranking during rest of regular season Minneapolis, Minn. — Players coming into the locker room to start a crucial February stretch of Gopher Hockey noticed a new message on the team’s white board last week, ‘We Have What We Need.’ Storylines throughout January focused on goaltender Jack […]

Bob Motzko
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Minnesota Seeks Consistency with Michigan Coming to Mariucci

January 20, 2022 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on Minnesota Seeks Consistency with Michigan Coming to Mariucci

Mistakes During Alaska Loss Drops Minnesota to No. 12 in PWR Minneapolis, Minn. — Bob Motzko’s crew seemed ready to stay the course this past weekend despite dealing with a tidal wave of unexpected news. The Minnesota men’s hockey team played a solid game against Alaska Friday night in a 4-1 win. However, undercurrents that frustratingly have yet to disappear grabbed ahold of them Saturday when a crucial early mistake forced them to chase the […]

LaFontaine Cele
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Gophers LaFontaine Signs Pro Contract with Canes

January 10, 2022 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on Gophers LaFontaine Signs Pro Contract with Canes

Fifth-year goalie will immediately join Carolina taxi squad Minneapolis, Minn. — Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko was watching the Minnesota Vikings wrap up their season Sunday when his phone rang and it brought the type of news that usually doesn’t come until after his own team wraps up their season — fifth year player Jack LaFontaine informed him that he was signing a professional contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. “According to him, he got […]

Gophers Sweep Mercyhurst
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Minnesota Sweeps Mercyhurst as College Hockey Season Routine Returns for Motzko

October 12, 2021 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on Minnesota Sweeps Mercyhurst as College Hockey Season Routine Returns for Motzko

Motzko knows he has some work to do with his team to prepare and surely knows he’ll be leaning on them as an emotional series comes up in St. Cloud next weekend. Minneapolis, Minn. — The first weekend of the college hockey season meant the return of a few familiar routines to 3M Arena at Mariucci. The rouser rang out through the rafters following each of their 12 goals. The student section got to practice […]

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Gopher Men’s Hockey Scanned Attendance Numbers Increased in 2018-19 Season — Will it Continue?

October 6, 2021 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on Gopher Men’s Hockey Scanned Attendance Numbers Increased in 2018-19 Season — Will it Continue?

The number of season ticket holders continues its decline, the actual number of fans coming to the rink reversed its trend in 2019-20. The numbers of tickets scanned grew from the 5,284 attending in 2018-19 to 5,799 in 2019-20, a ten percent increase. […]

Bob Motzko
Features

NCAA Tournament Details — Well Sort Of…

February 18, 2021 Eric Vegoe Comments Off on NCAA Tournament Details — Well Sort Of…

Minneapolis, Minn. — Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko has joked this season anytime when questions about the NCAA Tournament come up that the media should let him know when they hear something, because no one is asking him for his opinion or telling him what’s going to happen. This week NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee Chairman Mike Kemp, also Omaha’s associate athletic director, made the rounds of the college hockey media landscape […]