University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, December 29
3:00 PM
University of Minnesota
3
vs
2
U.S. National Under-18 Team
Players Mentioned
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: TJ Edminson
Pitlick Scores Twice in Win over USA
12/29/2022 6:45:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Gophers Take Down USNTDP in Exhibition Victory
MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 1/3 Golden Gophers men's hockey team picked up an exhibition win against the USA Hockey National Team Development Program U18 Team, 3-2, Thursday afternoon inside 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Rhett Pitlick scored twice in the first period around a Matthew Knies tally in the final home game of the 2022 calendar year for Minnesota. Justen Close and Owen Bartoszkiewicz combined to make 27 saves in net to limit USA to two goals, one of which came after pulling its goalie in the closing minutes.
It barely took a minute for the Gophers to open the scoring as Jackson LaCombe found a streaking Pitlick up the middle of the ice. The sophomore buried the breakaway chance just 64 seconds into the contest and the first shot of the afternoon following a defensive stop by LaCombe, where he broke up a Team USA pass in the slot. The home side carried the offensive play recording nine of the first 10 shots on goal.
USA answered back to even the score at the mid-point of the first frame taking advantage of extended zone time during a delayed penalty call. Future Gopher Oliver Moore was the one to find the back of the net and make it a 1-1 game. Knies gave the Maroon and Gold a 2-1 lead thanks to a wicked shot from the top of the circle and Pitlick added his second of the night, from nearly the same spot as Knies, with a shorthanded tally with less than four minutes to play in the period.
The second stanza did not carry the same pace as the opener and both teams were unable to generate many quality chances until Pitlick made a bid for his hat trick from the slot. Aaron Huglen nearly scored on a between-the-legs shot along the right post, but neither side put one away as the Gophers carried their two-goal edge into the final frame.
A strong backcheck by Cal Thomas negated a Team USA breakaway in the middle of the third period to maintain the 3-1 lead. The visitors pulled within a goal with 1:52 remaining in the contest, scoring after pulling its goalie, but Minnesota held on for the 3-2 victory.
Close played the first 31 minutes and stopped 10-of-11 shots faced before Bartoszkiewicz took over in goal and finished off the victory. The Alton, Ill, native made 17 saves for the Gophers.
Noteworthy
Thursday's action was an exhibition game meaning it does not count in the official standings/records ... The Gophers were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill ... Minnesota captain Brock Faber spent two seasons with the USNTDP from 2018-20 ... Two players on the current Team USA roster, Beckett Hendrickson and Oliver Moore, have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Gophers for the 2023-24 campaign and the pair of Minnesotans earned a spot in the starting lineup.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"All the action came in the first period, but you know what, I liked how we played," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "I liked how we played in the third until the turnover right at the end. Our guys stuck with it and I liked that."
Next Up: Away at Bemidji State (Dec. 31)
Minnesota plays for the final time in 2022 with an exhibition contest at (RV) Bemidji State Saturday evening in a New Year's Eve clash. Watch the game live on FOX9+ starting at 5 p.m.
Rhett Pitlick scored twice in the first period around a Matthew Knies tally in the final home game of the 2022 calendar year for Minnesota. Justen Close and Owen Bartoszkiewicz combined to make 27 saves in net to limit USA to two goals, one of which came after pulling its goalie in the closing minutes.
It barely took a minute for the Gophers to open the scoring as Jackson LaCombe found a streaking Pitlick up the middle of the ice. The sophomore buried the breakaway chance just 64 seconds into the contest and the first shot of the afternoon following a defensive stop by LaCombe, where he broke up a Team USA pass in the slot. The home side carried the offensive play recording nine of the first 10 shots on goal.
USA answered back to even the score at the mid-point of the first frame taking advantage of extended zone time during a delayed penalty call. Future Gopher Oliver Moore was the one to find the back of the net and make it a 1-1 game. Knies gave the Maroon and Gold a 2-1 lead thanks to a wicked shot from the top of the circle and Pitlick added his second of the night, from nearly the same spot as Knies, with a shorthanded tally with less than four minutes to play in the period.
The second stanza did not carry the same pace as the opener and both teams were unable to generate many quality chances until Pitlick made a bid for his hat trick from the slot. Aaron Huglen nearly scored on a between-the-legs shot along the right post, but neither side put one away as the Gophers carried their two-goal edge into the final frame.
A strong backcheck by Cal Thomas negated a Team USA breakaway in the middle of the third period to maintain the 3-1 lead. The visitors pulled within a goal with 1:52 remaining in the contest, scoring after pulling its goalie, but Minnesota held on for the 3-2 victory.
Close played the first 31 minutes and stopped 10-of-11 shots faced before Bartoszkiewicz took over in goal and finished off the victory. The Alton, Ill, native made 17 saves for the Gophers.
Noteworthy
Thursday's action was an exhibition game meaning it does not count in the official standings/records ... The Gophers were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill ... Minnesota captain Brock Faber spent two seasons with the USNTDP from 2018-20 ... Two players on the current Team USA roster, Beckett Hendrickson and Oliver Moore, have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Gophers for the 2023-24 campaign and the pair of Minnesotans earned a spot in the starting lineup.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"All the action came in the first period, but you know what, I liked how we played," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "I liked how we played in the third until the turnover right at the end. Our guys stuck with it and I liked that."
Next Up: Away at Bemidji State (Dec. 31)
Minnesota plays for the final time in 2022 with an exhibition contest at (RV) Bemidji State Saturday evening in a New Year's Eve clash. Watch the game live on FOX9+ starting at 5 p.m.
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