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Photo by: Kristin Ostrowski
Top Moments: An Unexpected Ending
6/23/2020 12:05:00 PM | Men's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS – As Gopher Hockey prepares for a historic season in 2020-21, GopherSports.com takes one last look back at the 2019-20 campaign with our Top Moments of the Season.Â
We didn't know it at the time, but the final look at the 2019-20 Gopher Hockey season was an exciting Big Ten quarterfinal playoff series at 3M Arena at Mariucci as the Maroon & Gold won the best-of-three series with Notre Dame 2-1.Â
All three games in the series ended up being decided by a goal, but the weekend didn't start out on a high note for the Gophers with the Irish winning the opening game 1-0 on Friday, March 6.Â
Minnesota bounced back the following night to even the series with a 2-1 victory over Notre Dame. Senior defenseman Ryan Zuhlsdorf snapped a 43-game goal drought with his first goal of the year and fourth career tally while junior forward Cullen Munson notched the game winner with his second career goal.Â
In what turned out to be the final game of the season for both teams, Minnesota rallied to win the contest and the series with a 3-2 victory on Sunday, March 8. The Maroon & Gold scored three goals in the second period – a pair from Ben Meyers and and one from Sampo Ranta – and held on to punch the program's ticket to the Big Ten semifinals for the second year in a row.Â
Jack LaFontaine shined in goal for the Gophers, stopping 78 of 82 shots in the series while the junior ended the season by allowing two goals or less in each of his last five games.
Meyer's game winner for Minnesota turned out to be a bit of a bittersweet omen for the Maroon & Gold as the final tally of the season stood as the team's 100th goal of the year before Gopher Hockey celebrates its 100th season in 2020-21.Â
Four days later on March 12, the Big Ten and the NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns as Minnesota prepared for the Big Ten tournament semifinals, ending the 2019-20 campaign for the Gophers along with all other remaining teams.Â
Â
We didn't know it at the time, but the final look at the 2019-20 Gopher Hockey season was an exciting Big Ten quarterfinal playoff series at 3M Arena at Mariucci as the Maroon & Gold won the best-of-three series with Notre Dame 2-1.Â
All three games in the series ended up being decided by a goal, but the weekend didn't start out on a high note for the Gophers with the Irish winning the opening game 1-0 on Friday, March 6.Â
Minnesota bounced back the following night to even the series with a 2-1 victory over Notre Dame. Senior defenseman Ryan Zuhlsdorf snapped a 43-game goal drought with his first goal of the year and fourth career tally while junior forward Cullen Munson notched the game winner with his second career goal.Â
In what turned out to be the final game of the season for both teams, Minnesota rallied to win the contest and the series with a 3-2 victory on Sunday, March 8. The Maroon & Gold scored three goals in the second period – a pair from Ben Meyers and and one from Sampo Ranta – and held on to punch the program's ticket to the Big Ten semifinals for the second year in a row.Â
Jack LaFontaine shined in goal for the Gophers, stopping 78 of 82 shots in the series while the junior ended the season by allowing two goals or less in each of his last five games.
Meyer's game winner for Minnesota turned out to be a bit of a bittersweet omen for the Maroon & Gold as the final tally of the season stood as the team's 100th goal of the year before Gopher Hockey celebrates its 100th season in 2020-21.Â
Four days later on March 12, the Big Ten and the NCAA announced they were ceasing competitions and championships because of COVID-19 public health concerns as Minnesota prepared for the Big Ten tournament semifinals, ending the 2019-20 campaign for the Gophers along with all other remaining teams.Â
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