The Minnesota Golden Gophers are off to one of their best season starts in program history. The top-ranked team in the country has yet to trail in a game and owns an 8-0 record.
The 8-0 mark is the best start to the season for the Gophers since the 1987-88 campaign.
Dating back to last season, the Gophers have won 10 straight games, the longest winning streak since 1995-96.
A big reason for the team’s fast start is the growth and development of the players within the program, according to Gophers’ assistant coach Ben Gordon.
“The biggest thing is the culture of our group coming together,” he said. “We got guys getting older and getting more acclimated.”
One of those young players is former Luverne Cardinal Jaxon Nelson.
As a Gophers freshman, Nelson played in 33 games and recorded six points. Now as a sophomore he’s finding his footing.
“A year can make a huge difference in a young man’s life,” Gordon said.
“He’s not the loudest, most outspoken guy, but you can tell he’s grown up. He’s comfortable right now. He feels comfortable and it’s showing in his play that he’s more confident.”
Nelson is on a three-game point streak for the Gophers. In the last three games the sophomore has scored two goals and recorded one assist.
“He’s playing with a group that we’ve dubbed the fourth line,” Gordon said.
“I wouldn’t really call it that. We have all four lines that can be dangerous. He’s been the driving factor on that line. He’s playing with Cullen Munson, who is a senior. He’s an older player. Nelson is doing a great job of setting the spark for the team.”
The success that Nelson is enjoying should come as no surprise. He’s enjoyed success at every level he’s played.
In high school Nelson helped the Cardinals reach the state tournament in 2014. He finished his prep career with 290 career points, which ranks fifth all-time in Minnesota State High School League history. His 155 career goals is sixth most in MSHSL history.
In 2016 he scored a state record 78 goals.
During his time in the USHL Nelson played for the Sioux Falls Stampede and the Omaha Lancers. During the 2018-2019 season with the Lancers, Nelson scored 19 goals.
All that success is a credit to the work that Nelson puts into honing his craft. He said he spent this past offseason focused on developing into a player that can impact the game in a variety of ways.
“I just wanted to get better in all aspects of my game,” Nelson said. “I was going to Sioux Falls three or four times a week and working out every day. I was putting in a lot of work. Hard work pays off.”
That hard work did not go unnoticed by the Gophers coaching staff.
“He's growing up and he’s becoming more mature,” Gordon said. “He’s playing on power play, the penalty kill. I’m not sure he was ready to play that many minutes last season. Now he’s handling those responsibilities and he’s been a driving force for us.”
The 2020-2021 season marks the 100th season of Gophers hockey, and Nelson said every player has bought into what their role is on the team.
“I think we’re just playing well as a team,” Nelson said.
“I think everyone bought in. We all are playing for each other. Everyone’s blocking shots and taking a hit. Everybody is making plays. We’re just playing unselfish right now.”
The Gophers recently wrapped up the first half of their season by sweeping Michigan State and the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines.
During the first game against Michigan State, Nelson won seven out of 10 faceoffs.
In the second game against the Spartans, Nelson scored his first goal of the season. Nelson’s goal was in the first period and put the Gophers up 2-0 en route to their 4-2 victory.
In the series opener against the Wolverines, Nelson tallied an assist as the Gophers defeated Michigan 3-1.
Nelson scored his second goal of the season during Minnesota’s 4-0 series finale victory over Michigan.
Nelson credits his linemates for his recent success.
“My line is just playing well right now,” Nelson said. “We were out in Michigan for those four games and we just played really well. We just grinded down on teams and made it really hard to play against us.”
Amid a season with so many unknowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gophers remain focused.
“We are taking one game at a time and one day at a time,” Nelson said. “We don’t even know our schedule for when we get back after Christmas.”
The Gophers may not know which team they play in their next game. For Nelson, he’s focused on controlling what he can control.
My goal is to keep playing at a high level,” Nelson said. “I just want to continue to make an impact on the game each time I’m on the ice.”