The Minnesota Gophers learned on Sunday that, as expected, they are among 16 men’s hockey teams trying to earn a trip to the Twin Cities a few weeks from now, for the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four in St. Paul. But in the meantime, Bob Motzko just wants to get out of town.
“We’ve been home for a month and a half,” Motzko noted, after the Gophers’ first-round matchup versus Omaha in the Sioux Falls Regional was announced on Sunday afternoon. “When you do a three-week (Big Ten) playoff, it’s two years in a row that we haven’t left home. We had a bye and then we were at home to end the regular season. That’s a long time.”
Indeed, the Gophers last played a game anywhere other than 3M Arena at Mariucci on Feb. 17, when they won in overtime at Notre Dame.
So their low-key trip to a northern Minnesota resort last weekend served as some team bonding time and some important time away from campus for Motzko’s team. The Gophers (22-10-5) will try to earn a third consecutive Frozen Four trip starting on Thursday evening when they face Omaha, which is coming off a runner-up finish in the NCHC tournament, played last weekend in St. Paul.
The Mavericks are 23-12-4 overall and are making their first NCAA tournament appearance since a lopsided loss to the Gophers in the 2021 first round, at the Loveland (Colo.) Regional. Omaha is the host school in Sioux Falls, which is less than three hours drive from its campus and a good contingent in black and red is expected.
Motzko has some history in Sioux Falls, where he coached the USHL team two decades ago, and where he coached his final game at St. Cloud State in 2018, when the Huskies were upset by Air Force in round one of the NCAA tournament. For a coach whose only focus is winning two games and getting to St. Paul, the venue and the history are of little importance.
“We love the fact that we’re one of 16 teams. There are a whole bunch of folks who would like to switch with us. So just to be in the tournament is great,” Motzko said. “I learned a long time ago I don’t care where it’s at or who we’re playing, we’ve just got to be playing our best hockey. Going to Sioux Falls is great, and I think we can get some fans there.”
The Gophers and Omaha are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. CT faceoff on Thursday, March 28. Boston University and RIT will clash in the opener at 4 p.m. CT Thursday. Both games will be televised by ESPNU.
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