MINNESOTA ELITE LEAGUE: The U17s travel to New Hope, Minn. to spend the weekend at New Hope Ice Arena. The U17s will face off against two Minnesota Elite League teams: Minnesota Elite North on Saturday (Oct. 13) and Minnesota Elite Southwest on Sunday (Oct. 14).

Minnesota Elite North will enter the matchup on Saturday with a 10-3-2-0 record. Blake Biondi leads the team with 22 points (18-4-22) in 15 games. Goalies Carter Clafton and Lukan Hanson have a combined 2.83 goals-against-average and a .899 save percentage in 15 games. Southwest holds a 10-3-3-0 season record, and will face off against Great Plains on Saturday prior to playing the Under 17 Team. Liam Malmquist (7-17-24) and Rhett Pitlick (10-14-24) lead the team with 24 points each in 16 games, while goalies Bailey Huber and Charlie Glockner have recorded a combined 3.16 goals-against-average and .909 save percentage so far this season.

2017-18 Results/Schedule vs. Minnesota Elite League: Oct. 14, 2017, U17s @ Minnesota Elite League Southwest (W, 5-1); Oct. 15, 2017, U17s @ Minnesota Elite League Select (W, 6-5)

NTDP All-Time Record vs. Minnesota Elite League: 2-2-0-0 (W-L-OTL-SOL)

WALLOPING THE WOLVERINES: The Under-18 Team travels to Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Friday (Oct. 12) for a 7:30 p.m. ET face-off against the University of Michigan for the 19th all-time matchup between the NTDP and the Wolverines. This will be the first rematch since the U18s hosted the University of Michigan for the first time last season at USA Hockey Arena.

The Wolverines were led in points by Cooper Marody, who recorded 51 points (16-35) in 40 games, averaging 1.275 points per game. Former Captain Tony Calderone tallied 45 points (25-20) in a total of 40 games in his final season with the University of Michigan. Goalie duo Hayden Lavigne and Jack LaFontaine combined for a 3.16 goals-against-average and an .899 save-percentage in 40 games. Lavigne returns for his third year in net for the Wolverines.

The University of Michigan suffered a 5-2 loss in its season opener against the University of Vermont on Saturday (Oct. 6). NTDP alumni contributed heavily to putting the Wolverines on the scoreboard as Lockwood and Nick Pastujov tallied goals, while Norris, Michael Pastujov and Boka recorded assists. The Wolverines enter the matchup against the Under-18 Team with a 0-1-0 (W-L-T) record.

2017-18 Results/Schedule vs. University of Michigan: Dec. 2, 2017, U18s vs. University of Michigan (L, 7-3)

NTDP All-Time Record vs. University of Michigan: 2-16-0 (W-L-T) Home: 0-1-0 Road: 2-15-0

GAUGING THE GOPHERS: The Under-18 Team will face its fourth NCAA opponent in the College Series with the University of Minnesota, on Saturday (Oct. 13). The 2 p.m. ET matchup will kick off the U18s home schedule for the 2018-19 season, and will mark the first time in NTDP history that the University of Minnesota visits USA Hockey Arena. The U18s look to improve their all-time record against the University of Minnesota after a season’s hiatus from playing the Gophers.

In the 2017-18 season, the Gophers were led in points by junior forward Rem Pitlick. Pitlick recorded 31 points (12-19) in 38 games, and has recorded two points (1G, 1A) in two games so far this season. Last year, freshman forward Casey Mittelstadt trailed Pitlick by one point, tallying 30 points (11-19) and playing 34 games of the season, before joining the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. Goalies Mat Robson and Eric Schierhorn combined to record a 2.4 goals-against-average and .917 save-percentage. Robson is returning for his junior year at the university.

The University of Minnesota will match up with the Under-18s after a 1-0-1 record in its first weekend of regular season games. Minnesota opened its season with back-to-back games against defending national champions, the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Gophers emerged from its first game with a 1-1 tie against the Bulldogs on Saturday (Oct. 6), and went on to record a 7-4 win in its home opener the following day.

2016-17 Results/Schedule vs. University of Minnesota: Oct. 14, 2016 @ University of Minnesota (L, 9-0)

NTDP All-Time Record vs. University of Minnesota: 1-5-1 (W-L-T)