Gophers men’s hockey team ready for series at Penn State

This weekend is Minnesota’s final regular-season road trip as the No. 5 Gophers heading to Penn State.

Pegula Ice Arena hosts the two-game series with action opening up on Friday 5:30 p.m. CT before the series finale on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT.

We were at practice Tuesday and spoke with coach Bob Motzko and forward Bryce Brodzinski.

***Click the video box above to watch Motzko and Brodzinski meet the media***

Ben Meyers, Matthew Knies and Brock Faber won’t be back in time from playing for Team USA in Beijing. They will return for next weekend’s home series vs. Wisconsin.

Michigan sits atop the Big Ten standings with 45 points, with four games remaining. The Gophers sit at 43 points, with four games remaining.

Since taking over as Minnesota’s starting goalie last month, Justen Close has led the Gophers to a 7-3-0 record with four wins over top-12 teams. His 1.91 goals against average ranks seventh in the NCAA this season, while his .924 save percentage ranks tied for 11th in the nation.