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Gophers hockey lands goalie transfer Luca Di Pasquo from Michigan State

Di Pasquo could compete with Nathan Airey to be Minnesota's primary goaltender next season.
Will Ragatz|
MSU goalie Luca Di Pasquo protects the net against Wisconsin, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024, at Munn Ice Arena.
MSU goalie Luca Di Pasquo protects the net against Wisconsin, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024, at Munn Ice Arena. | Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Minnesota men's hockey has landed Michigan State transfer goaltender Luca Di Pasquo, he announced on his Instagram on Friday.

Di Pasquo figures to compete with rising junior Nathan Airey to be the primary goalie for Bob Motzko and the Gophers next season. He started seven games last year for a very good Spartans team, going 7-0 with a 1.70 GAA and a .933 save percentage (though only a few of his starts came against Big Ten teams). He started three games as a freshman the previous year.

With standout Michigan State starter and Detroit Red Wings draft pick Trey Augustine returning for another season, Di Pasquo understandably elected to transfer. He'll have a clearer path to a significant share of the starts in Minnesota alongside Airey, who started 17 of the Gophers' 40 games last season as the 1B behind grad transfer Liam Souliere (Penn State). Airey was 12-3-2 with a 2.47 GAA and .900 save percentage.

Prior to his time at Michigan State, Di Pasquo played in the NAHL and the BCHL. In the 2022-23 with the BCHL's Penticton Vees, he was 36-3-1 with a 1.70 GAA and .922 save percentage. The prior season, he went 16-11-5 with a .231 GAA and .924 save percentage for the NAHL's Maryland Black Bears. So despite not playing a ton at MSU over the last two seasons, he's not lacking in starting experience at the junior hockey level.

A native of Livonia, MI, Di Pasquo turns 22 in September and has two years of eligibility remaining.

The Gophers also have rising senior Zach Wiese on their roster as the third goaltender. He hasn't made any appearances in his three years with the program.

Motzko's Gophers went 25-11-4 this past season, falling in controversial fashion against UMass in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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