By: Gwyneth Passinault
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The University of Notre Dame Hockey team will take on Minnesota in their first conference road series of the season this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 7-8). Both games are set for 7pm CT start times.
The weekend series will mark the two programs’ 84th overall time meeting all-time. The Irish enter the matchup with 30 program wins over the Golden Gophers, including 19 victories on the road, three of which came at 3M Arena at Mariucci just last season.
The teams last clashed in a memorable 2025 Big Ten Quarterfinal series, where the Irish stunned top-seeded Minnesota in three games to advance to the Big Ten Playoff Semifinals. Notre Dame opened the series with a 3-2 victory before dominating in the thrilling Game 3, walking away with the 4-1 victory, to put down the top contender of the 2024-25 season. In the win, Brennan Ali delivered the series clinching goal, while Jayden Davis ignited the offense early in the finale with his first goal of the season.
A year ago, the Irish found key contributions up and down the lineup in their first meeting with the Gophers earlier in the regular season. Jack Larrigan and Jimmy Jurcev each netted their first career goals against Minnesota, with Jurcev’s coming in front of a sold out Mariucci crowd on the road in January.
Ten current Irish skaters recorded multiple points against the Gophers last season. Leading the way was defenseman Axel Kumlin, whose team best seven points included a career high three point performance in the series opener tallying a goal and two assists that displayed Kumlin’s two way impact.
As Notre Dame returns to Minneapolis, the Irish look to build on last season’s success in hostile territory and continue adding to their young season. With both programs hoping to make another postseason run, this weekend’s series looks to add momentum to the months ahead.
SERIES OVERVIEW
Opponent: Minnesota Golden Gophers (Nov. 7-8)
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota | 3M Arena at Mariucci
Schedule: Fri. 8pm ET | Sat. 8pm ET
TV: Fox9+ (Local) | B1G+ (National)
Live Stats: FightingIrish.com