GOPHERS MEN’S HOCKEY SERIES PREVIEW

Road series at North Dakota: 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday

TV, radio: FOX 9+, 1130-AM, 103.5-FM

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Rachel Blount’s preview:

Opening bell: This much-anticipated series got a little extra juice this week, when the Gophers (2-0) rose to No. 1 in the polls and North Dakota (2-0) moved up to No. 5. The Fighting Hawks debuted a roster with 14 new players, including all eight defensemen and two goaltenders, in last weekend’s Ice Breaker tournament. That defense played extremely well in a 2-0 shutout of Wisconsin and a 7-2 drubbing of Army. The Gophers’ young lineup showed its resilience in last weekend’s sweep of St. Thomas, overcoming mistakes in a 6-5 overtime win and following with a much cleaner performance in a 3-0 shutout Saturday.

Watch him: Look for an intriguing matchup in the nets between the Gophers’ Justen Close and the Fighting Hawks’ Ludvig Persson. Close earned his 10th career shutout last Saturday, sixth-most in program history. Persson, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), stopped 40 of 42 shots in North Dakota’s two victories and was named NCHC goaltender of the week.

Injuries: Gophers F Mason Nevers (unspecified) and D Mike Koster (knee) are out. The status of D Ryan Chesley (unspecified) and G Nathan Airey (leg) will be determined closer to game time.

Forecast: The Gophers and North Dakota split a pair of overtime games last year at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The teams also have split the past four series played in Grand Forks, and it seems like a safe bet to expect the same this weekend. The Gophers’ roster includes 17 players who have never skated in the loud, rowdy atmosphere of Ralph Engelstad Arena, so staying focused and calm will be critical. They’ll need good special-teams play, too; the Gophers are off to a good start in that department, going 3-for-6 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill last weekend.

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