Gophers Gut Out Defensive 4-1 Win over Ohio State

Minneapolis, MN – Behind two Brody Lamb goals and 25 saves from newly-minted #1 goalie Liam Souliere, the #3 Minnesota Gophers (22-7-4 Overall (1-3 OT), 12-3-1-5 B1G) beat the #6 Ohio State Buckeyes (20-9-2 (2-2), 11-5-2-3) in a defensive struggle that ultimately resulted in a 4-1 Minnesota win.

Although the Gophers never trailed against the visiting Buckeyes, the game was never really secure until the final minutes of play, as the teams didn’t give much to each other throughout.

Minnesota’s Brody Lamb got the Gophers on the board first 12:14 into the opening period, when he crashed the net and put an around-the-net pass from Aaron Huglen into the Buckeye net. The Gophers looked more-or-less in control until a bad turnover late in the first quickly resulted in Ohio State’s lone goal of the game, as Davis Burnside scored at 19:00 of the period to tie it 1-1.

The second period was just a dogfight, with Ohio State selling out in the neutral zone to limit Minnesota’s attack. Chances and clean zone entries are few and far between, but the Gophers finally made a play that resulted in a goal. Beckett Hendrickson gained the offensive zone and fired a long, perfect pass all the way across the top of the offensive zone to a pinching Ryan Chesley. Because Ohio State had overloaded the puck side of the ice, Chesley had a direct line to the goal. The junior defenseman glided down to the crease, where he outwaited OSU goalie Logan Terness and pushed the puck past Terness’ outstretched glove hand and into the net to put Minnesota up 2-1 at 7:25 of the second.

The game was tight throughout the rest of the second and most of the third, with both teams playing with a tense energy. Minnesota finally got a separation goal when Brody Lamb scored his second of the game on a beautiful wraparound move with 2:26 left in the final frame to give Minnesota a two-goal lead at 3-1.

Oliver Moore tacked on an empty netter at 18:39 to close out the game at a 4-1 final score.

Coupled with a Michigan State shootout loss, the Gophers 43 conference points is just one behind the Spartans for the Big Ten title chase. Michigan State has another game with the Nittany Lions Saturday before closing out the season at Notre Dame, while Minnesota battles OSU Saturday and finishes their 24-25 regular season campaign at Penn State.

Tomorrow’s senior night affair starts at 5PM, with Aaron Huglen being honored. Huglen and his wife had a baby just a couple weeks ago.