University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Drop Playoff Opener in Double Overtime
3/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
After battling scoreless for nearly 100 minutes, Minnesota State finally outlasted Minnesota with a double overtime goal to take the opening game of the teams’ Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff series on Friday in Mankato.
Trevor Bruess scored the winning goal shorthanded with 2:24 left in the second 20-minute overtime period as the teams played a total of 97 minutes and 36 seconds. The game lasted three hours and 40 minutes, ending at 10:47 p.m. The rivals play again on Saturday with the Gophers needing to win to force a possible third game on Sunday. The winner of the series advances to the WCHA Final Five next weekend in St. Paul.
The entire game featured end-to-end action and numerous scoring chances from both teams, but goaltenders Alex Kangas from Minnesota and Mike Zacharias from Minnesota State shut down both offenses.
It was the first time the Gophers played multiple overtime games since 32 years to the day when they beat Michigan State 7-6 in triple overtime. It was only the fourth time in school history they’ve played more than one overtime and the game also was the Gophers’ school-record tying 13th overtime game of the season. Minnesota is now 0-4-9 in the extra sessions. It was just the fourth time the Gophers have played a scoreless regulation game.
“This was playoff hockey,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. “You could see from the beginning that both goalies were sharp. Both of them were outstanding tonight.”
Kangas was bidding for his first career shutout, while the Gophers’ failure to score was their first shutout of the year and snapped a string of 54 straight games without being shutout. Kangas made a career-high 44 saves, while Zacharias stopped all 34 shots faced. The Mavericks snapped a 20-game winless streak against the Gophers with their third win in the series and first since 2002.
Minnesota State scored the game-winner shortly after being whistled for too many men on the ice with 3:20 left in the second overtime. It was the first penalty on either team since the second regulation period. Minnesota turned the puck over at the blueline, setting up the Mavericks for a two-on-one. Jon Kalinski made a perfect pass to Bruess, who finally beat Kangas for the exhaustive finish.
“Our power play struggled in the first period, so maybe it was fitting that it came down to a shorthanded goal,” Lucia said. “I think they had better chances on our power plays than we did.”
The Gophers had four power play chances in the opening period, but only managed two shots on goal. Minnesota State did not commit another penalty until the overtime infraction. The Mavericks had two power plays in the second period and dominated the entire period with a 16-4 advantage in shots. They outshot the Gophers 21-9 in the first two periods before Minnesota finally came to life midway through the third period. Minnesota’s awakening came shortly after Minnesota State had an apparent goal disallowed. It appeared the Mavericks may have scored with about 11 minutes left in the third period, but video replay showed the puck actually never crossed the line.
Saturday’s game begins at 7:07 p.m.
