Kloos Named Gophers Team Captain
MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) – Gopher Hockey and head coach Don Lucia have announced that Justin Kloos will serve as team captain for the 2015-16 season, making the junior forward the 161st player in school history to wear a letter for the Maroon & Gold.
“Justin has been a program-first player since he arrived on campus. He’s a terrific teammate, a hard worker and a great example of how we want our student-athletes to carry themselves on and off the ice” Lucia said. “He is a great representative of our program and the University of Minnesota, and we are excited to name him as our team captain for the upcoming season.”
A native of Lakeville, Minn., Kloos returns as Minnesota’s active leading scorer with 64 points (29 goals, 35 assists) in 80 career games while the junior has finished among the conference’s top-10 scorers in each of his two collegiate seasons. The Gophers have won back-to-back Big Ten regular-season titles with Kloos on roster and have also earned two-straight NCAA tournament berths including a national championship game appearance in 2014.
“Growing up in Minnesota and seeing the guys who have been a part of this school and this tradition, this is a huge honor for me and I’m incredibly thankful for the support of my teammates,” Kloos said.
An Academic All-Big Ten honoree last year, Kloos tallied 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 39 games during the 2014-15 season and scored the eventual game-winning goal to clinch the Big Ten tournament title for the Gophers. The forward also had 32 points (16 goals, 16 assists) in 2013-14 and was the first Minnesota freshman to lead the team in goals since Jay Barriball in 2006-07. The two-year letter winner would go on to be named the NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player that year after leading the Gophers to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Alternate captains for the 2015-15 Gopher Hockey season will be announced at a later date.
The 2015-16 Gopher Hockey season marks the 95th campaign in program history. Minnesota enters the season having won four-straight regular-season conference championships for the first time in modern history while the team swept the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles last year. The Maroon & Gold have also earned four-straight NCAA tournament berths including Frozen Four appearances in 2012 and 2014.
Season tickets and Pick Your Packs for the 2015-16 campaign are currently available for purchase by contacting the University of Minnesota Ticket Office in Mariucci Arena at 612-624-8080 or 1-800-U-Gopher. Learn more at MyGopherSports.com.
-Pride On Ice-