Getting in the Olympic spirit, the University of Minnesota honored past Olympian and former Golden Gopher John Mayasich tonight at Mariucci Arena prior to the game vs Michigan. Mayasich, a native of Eveleth, MN, won a silver medal at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and a Gold Medal at the 1960 Winter Games held at Squaw Valley.
Minnesota responded on the ice by beating the Wolverines 5-3. Listening to the latter half of the internet broadcast, one can already tell that Minnesota vs Michigan in the new Big 10 Hockey Conference is going to turn into a major rivalry. Only the current seniors on the two teams had ever played against the other, and now they will meet four times every year. The series continues at Mariucci tomorrow night, and then conference play ends for both teams with two games at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor.
John Mayasich during his University of Minnesota days. The only Golden Gopher to have his number retired.