University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 2
Madison, Wis.
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
16-7-4, 9-5-3
2
at
1
Wisconsin
20-6-1, 11-4-0
1st period1
2nd period2
3rd period3
OT 1 periodOT 1
FinalF
Minnesota
1
0
0
1
2
Wisconsin
0
0
1
0
1
Team Stats
MIN
WIS
Shots
29
41
PPG
0
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
1
0
Penalty Mins
2
0
Faceoffs Won
24
33
Game Leaders
+/-
2
Goals
1
Sh
4
A
1
+/-
1
Goals
1
Sh
2
A
0
+/-
1
Goals
0
Sh
5
A
1
+/-
2
Goals
0
Sh
1
A
1
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's HockeyDefense
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Lamb Buries Border Battle Overtime Winner Friday
2/2/2024 10:30:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Moore extends point streak in two-point night
MADISON, Wis. - Brody Lamb buried the overtime game winner and the No. 9 Minnesota men's hockey team won the Big Ten Conference series opener at No. 4 Wisconsin, 2-1, Friday night in a Border Battle inside Kohl Center.
The Golden Gophers (16-7-4 overall, 9-5-3 B1G) beat the Badgers (20-6-1 overall, 11-4-0 B1G), the nation's top scoring defense, at their own game and used a staunch defense to skate to the road victory. Goaltender Justen Close turned away 40 shots, while Oliver Moore had a goal and an assist to pace the offense and extended his point streak to eight games.
The home side generated the first chances of the night in a physical start to the rivalry before Connor Kurth forced a turnover in the Gophers' offensive zone. The sophomore had his bid erased from inside the slot. Moore broke the ice at the 7:28 mark, taking an outlet pass from Jimmy Snuggerud at center ice that created a 2-on-1. The freshman ripped home the opening tally from his off wing and Minnesota scored first for the sixth-consecutive time. Close helped the visitors retain the advantage with a point-blank save off a turnover in the late stages of the first period and the Maroon and Gold carried the 1-0 edge into intermission.
The Gophers had to fend off an early attack from Wisconsin beginning the second period and Close again stopped multiple chances, including one from the seat of his pants. Minnesota regained control and pushed up the ice where Bryce Brodzinski took a Mason Nevers pass and rang a shot off the crossbar in the middle of the frame. Moore followed up the chance with another great look at goal thanks to a cross-ice feed by Snuggerud. The Badgers turned momentum and forced the Gophers to defend inside their zone, leading to the game's first penalty with 4:07 remaining in the stanza. Close was the star of the penalty kill, thwarting all five chances, and the margin remained 1-0 in favor of Minnesota.
A rebound chance in front of the goal allowed the home side to pull even, 1-1, just 1:35 after the puck was dropped to start the final frame. With the capacity crowd into the game for the first time, neither side gave an inch to the opposition in what became a battle through the rest of the third period and the game headed into an extra session.
In overtime, Sam Rinzel made a clutch play in his defensive zone where the freshman blocked a shot in the slot. He collected the puck from his knees before pushing it ahead to a streaking Moore, who slid a pass across the slot to the waiting stick of Lamb. The Byron, Minn., product lifted a shot over the goalie's glove for the winner 62 seconds into overtime.
Close finished the night by making 40 saves, including 21 in the second period alone, and the fifth-year senior made 40 or more saves for the second time this season.
Noteworthy
Moore stretched his point streak to eight games, the longest by a Gopher this season, scoring his seventh goal of the year to go with assist No. 20 ... The Mounds View, Minn., native now has 15 points during the point streak, totaling 27 in 2023-24, with a goal in three-consecutive contests ... Snuggerud picked up his fourth assist in his past three outings and tied for the team lead with his 29th point ... Lamb put away his 11th goal and fourth game winner this year, while scoring for the fifth time in an 11-game span ... Rinzel tallied his team-best 23rd assist of the season and has 13 points in his last eight outings ... Junior forward Aaron Huglen skated in his 100th career game for the Maroon and Gold Friday as the fifth current player to reach the century mark ... The Gophers now hold a 12-4-1 record when scoring first and are 13-1-1 when entering the third period with a lead ... Wisconsin was not called for a penalty during the game Friday, while Minnesota was called for one ... The Maroon and Gold won for the first time this season when scoring fewer than three goals.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"I love how hard we fought," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "The compete level was extremely high. We got a win, but I'm critical of how we did. Our turnovers in the second period; we have to clean that up."
Next Up: Away at Wisconsin (Feb. 3)
Minnesota closes its four-game road stretch Feb. 3 as it faces the Badgers in the series finale streaming on B1G+ at 7 p.m. Fans can listen to Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco with an audio broadcast on the Gopher Radio Network 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM.
The Golden Gophers (16-7-4 overall, 9-5-3 B1G) beat the Badgers (20-6-1 overall, 11-4-0 B1G), the nation's top scoring defense, at their own game and used a staunch defense to skate to the road victory. Goaltender Justen Close turned away 40 shots, while Oliver Moore had a goal and an assist to pace the offense and extended his point streak to eight games.
The home side generated the first chances of the night in a physical start to the rivalry before Connor Kurth forced a turnover in the Gophers' offensive zone. The sophomore had his bid erased from inside the slot. Moore broke the ice at the 7:28 mark, taking an outlet pass from Jimmy Snuggerud at center ice that created a 2-on-1. The freshman ripped home the opening tally from his off wing and Minnesota scored first for the sixth-consecutive time. Close helped the visitors retain the advantage with a point-blank save off a turnover in the late stages of the first period and the Maroon and Gold carried the 1-0 edge into intermission.
The Gophers had to fend off an early attack from Wisconsin beginning the second period and Close again stopped multiple chances, including one from the seat of his pants. Minnesota regained control and pushed up the ice where Bryce Brodzinski took a Mason Nevers pass and rang a shot off the crossbar in the middle of the frame. Moore followed up the chance with another great look at goal thanks to a cross-ice feed by Snuggerud. The Badgers turned momentum and forced the Gophers to defend inside their zone, leading to the game's first penalty with 4:07 remaining in the stanza. Close was the star of the penalty kill, thwarting all five chances, and the margin remained 1-0 in favor of Minnesota.
A rebound chance in front of the goal allowed the home side to pull even, 1-1, just 1:35 after the puck was dropped to start the final frame. With the capacity crowd into the game for the first time, neither side gave an inch to the opposition in what became a battle through the rest of the third period and the game headed into an extra session.
In overtime, Sam Rinzel made a clutch play in his defensive zone where the freshman blocked a shot in the slot. He collected the puck from his knees before pushing it ahead to a streaking Moore, who slid a pass across the slot to the waiting stick of Lamb. The Byron, Minn., product lifted a shot over the goalie's glove for the winner 62 seconds into overtime.
Close finished the night by making 40 saves, including 21 in the second period alone, and the fifth-year senior made 40 or more saves for the second time this season.
Noteworthy
Moore stretched his point streak to eight games, the longest by a Gopher this season, scoring his seventh goal of the year to go with assist No. 20 ... The Mounds View, Minn., native now has 15 points during the point streak, totaling 27 in 2023-24, with a goal in three-consecutive contests ... Snuggerud picked up his fourth assist in his past three outings and tied for the team lead with his 29th point ... Lamb put away his 11th goal and fourth game winner this year, while scoring for the fifth time in an 11-game span ... Rinzel tallied his team-best 23rd assist of the season and has 13 points in his last eight outings ... Junior forward Aaron Huglen skated in his 100th career game for the Maroon and Gold Friday as the fifth current player to reach the century mark ... The Gophers now hold a 12-4-1 record when scoring first and are 13-1-1 when entering the third period with a lead ... Wisconsin was not called for a penalty during the game Friday, while Minnesota was called for one ... The Maroon and Gold won for the first time this season when scoring fewer than three goals.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"I love how hard we fought," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "The compete level was extremely high. We got a win, but I'm critical of how we did. Our turnovers in the second period; we have to clean that up."
Next Up: Away at Wisconsin (Feb. 3)
Minnesota closes its four-game road stretch Feb. 3 as it faces the Badgers in the series finale streaming on B1G+ at 7 p.m. Fans can listen to Wally Shaver and Frank Mazzocco with an audio broadcast on the Gopher Radio Network 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM.
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