Minnesota men’s hockey has secured Michigan State transfer goaltender Luca Di Pasquo, who announced the move on his Instagram on Friday.
Di Pasquo is expected to compete with rising junior Nathan Airey for the starting goalie position for Bob Motzko and the Gophers next season. Last year, Di Pasquo started seven games for a strong Spartans team, finishing with a perfect 7-0 record, a 1.70 GAA, and a .933 save percentage (though only a few of his starts came against Big Ten opponents). He also started three games during his freshman year.
With standout Michigan State goalie and Detroit Red Wings draft pick Trey Augustine returning for another season, Di Pasquo chose to transfer for more playing time. At Minnesota, he will have a clearer path to a larger role, joining Airey, who started 17 of the Gophers’ 40 games last season as the 1B option behind grad transfer Liam Souliere (Penn State). Airey finished the season with a 12-3-2 record, a 2.47 GAA, and a .900 save percentage.
Before his time at Michigan State, Di Pasquo played in the NAHL and BCHL. During the 2022-23 season with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, he posted an impressive 36-3-1 record with a 1.70 GAA and a .922 save percentage. The previous year, with the NAHL’s Maryland Black Bears, he recorded a 16-11-5 record, a 2.31 GAA, and a .924 save percentage.
While he didn’t see extensive playing time at MSU, his junior hockey experience has provided him with plenty of starting opportunities.
A Livonia, MI native, Di Pasquo will turn 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, although he has yet to make an appearance in his three years with the program.
Bob Motzko’s Gophers finished the 2023-24 season with a 25-11-4 record, but their campaign ended in controversial fashion when they were eliminated by UMass in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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