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Photo by: Joseph Weiser/Big Ten Network
Gophers Rally for Overtime, Earn Tie at Notre Dame
1/13/2023 9:30:00 PM | Men's Hockey
'U' drops shootout to Irish
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - No. 2 Minnesota men's hockey scored in the final minute at Notre Dame to force overtime tied 2-2 before falling in a shootout Friday night from Compton Family Ice Arena. The game is recorded as a tie in the official standings.
Jackson LaCombe pulled the Golden Gophers (16-6-1 overall, 10-2-1 B1G) even with the goalie pulled and just 24 seconds on the regulation clock. The Fighting Irish (10-10-3 overall, 5-6-2 B1G) scored once in the shootout and stopped all three visitor shots to earn two points in the first game of a Big Ten Conference series.
Both sides were uncharacteristically careless with the puck in the early stages of the matchup, but the Maroon and Gold got pucks to the net, holding the early edge in shots, 10-4. That total did not count a rip off the right goalpost for Logan Cooley as the freshman forced a turnover along the defensive blueline at the midpoint of the frame. ND got a power-play chance with seven minutes remaining in the period and the Gophers were four seconds away from erasing the man advantage before the Irish struck for the opening tally.
The deficit was short lived for Minnesota as Mason Nevers found a bouncing puck in front of the net and slid it past the goaltender off a Luke Mittelstadt shot from the point with 3:42 to play in the first. The visitors were forced into killing off a penalty that carried over into the second stanza as the game remained in a 1-1 tie. Momentum stayed with ND as it kept the Gophers on their heels in front of a sellout crowd and the home side regained the lead on a low-angle shot at the 9:34 mark.
The first penalty called against the Irish came as time expired in the second period giving the Gophers a power play on the fresh ice surface beginning the final frame, but were unable to convert the opportunity. Minnesota continued to generate chances in the offensive end only to see its shots miss the target. In the final minute, the visitors turned up the pressure and with an empty net, got the tying goal as LaCombe blasted a one timer from Mike Koster at the top of the right circle.
Overtime belonged to the Gophers as they controlled the action and thought they had the game winner in the closing seconds as Jimmy Snuggerud's rebound rang off the crossbar. The only goal during the shootout made the difference for the Irish as they picked up the extra point in the B1G standings.
Minnesota held a 38-22 edge in shots on goal and goaltender Justen Close stopped 20-of-22 shots faced on the road.
Noteworthy
It was Minnesota's first shootout since Feb. 28, 2020, at home versus Michigan ... Nevers added to his career-best goal total scoring his eighth of the year, which doubles his career output between his first two seasons ... LaCombe's goal was his fifth this season and set a new career best for the senior ... Luke Mittelstadt and Jaxon Nelson both have points in four-straight league outings, while they have recorded 12 and 14 points in 13 B1G contests, respectively ... Cal Thomas assisted on the Gophers' opening goal and has points in three of his last five games ... The first-place Gophers entered the series having won their last seven B1G games and five of the last six meetings with Notre Dame away from home ... The announced attendance of 4,984 was the ninth-consecutive sellout crowd for a Minnesota road game and eighth different venue to be at full capacity with the Gophers, including the exhibition.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"We were OK tonight," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "There's the good thing, but there's also the bad thing. We've got to be better than OK. I thought we had a good first period, but I thought Notre Dame responded and had a very good second period."
Next Up: Away at Notre Dame (Jan. 14)
Minnesota closes its weekend trip to Notre Dame Saturday night at 5 p.m. (CT) streaming live on Peacock and the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
Jackson LaCombe pulled the Golden Gophers (16-6-1 overall, 10-2-1 B1G) even with the goalie pulled and just 24 seconds on the regulation clock. The Fighting Irish (10-10-3 overall, 5-6-2 B1G) scored once in the shootout and stopped all three visitor shots to earn two points in the first game of a Big Ten Conference series.
Both sides were uncharacteristically careless with the puck in the early stages of the matchup, but the Maroon and Gold got pucks to the net, holding the early edge in shots, 10-4. That total did not count a rip off the right goalpost for Logan Cooley as the freshman forced a turnover along the defensive blueline at the midpoint of the frame. ND got a power-play chance with seven minutes remaining in the period and the Gophers were four seconds away from erasing the man advantage before the Irish struck for the opening tally.
The deficit was short lived for Minnesota as Mason Nevers found a bouncing puck in front of the net and slid it past the goaltender off a Luke Mittelstadt shot from the point with 3:42 to play in the first. The visitors were forced into killing off a penalty that carried over into the second stanza as the game remained in a 1-1 tie. Momentum stayed with ND as it kept the Gophers on their heels in front of a sellout crowd and the home side regained the lead on a low-angle shot at the 9:34 mark.
The first penalty called against the Irish came as time expired in the second period giving the Gophers a power play on the fresh ice surface beginning the final frame, but were unable to convert the opportunity. Minnesota continued to generate chances in the offensive end only to see its shots miss the target. In the final minute, the visitors turned up the pressure and with an empty net, got the tying goal as LaCombe blasted a one timer from Mike Koster at the top of the right circle.
Overtime belonged to the Gophers as they controlled the action and thought they had the game winner in the closing seconds as Jimmy Snuggerud's rebound rang off the crossbar. The only goal during the shootout made the difference for the Irish as they picked up the extra point in the B1G standings.
Minnesota held a 38-22 edge in shots on goal and goaltender Justen Close stopped 20-of-22 shots faced on the road.
Noteworthy
It was Minnesota's first shootout since Feb. 28, 2020, at home versus Michigan ... Nevers added to his career-best goal total scoring his eighth of the year, which doubles his career output between his first two seasons ... LaCombe's goal was his fifth this season and set a new career best for the senior ... Luke Mittelstadt and Jaxon Nelson both have points in four-straight league outings, while they have recorded 12 and 14 points in 13 B1G contests, respectively ... Cal Thomas assisted on the Gophers' opening goal and has points in three of his last five games ... The first-place Gophers entered the series having won their last seven B1G games and five of the last six meetings with Notre Dame away from home ... The announced attendance of 4,984 was the ninth-consecutive sellout crowd for a Minnesota road game and eighth different venue to be at full capacity with the Gophers, including the exhibition.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"We were OK tonight," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "There's the good thing, but there's also the bad thing. We've got to be better than OK. I thought we had a good first period, but I thought Notre Dame responded and had a very good second period."
Next Up: Away at Notre Dame (Jan. 14)
Minnesota closes its weekend trip to Notre Dame Saturday night at 5 p.m. (CT) streaming live on Peacock and the Gopher Radio Network 103.5 FM/AM-1130 KTLK.
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