Gophers Upset #2 Michigan 4-2 in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI – In a season of clouds, the Minnesota Gophers continue to show glimpses of potential.
Thursday night at Yost Ice Arena was a major silver lining.
Behind timely special teams, committed team defense, and another steady Luca Di Pasquo performance in net, Minnesota (11-19-2 Overall, 7-13-1 B1G, 25 Pts) knocked off the No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines (25-7-1, 16-6-1, 46) 4-2 at Yost Ice Arena. The win marked one of the Gophers’ most complete road efforts of the season and likely put the nail in the coffin of Michigan’s hopes of winning its first Big Ten regular season crown.
Head coach Bob Motzko didn’t hesitate when asked what stood out.
“What’s the one thing we did tonight that we have failed to do about 15 times this year?” Motzko said. “Get the next goal.”
Michigan opened the scoring in the first period on a power-play opportunity, as a point shot found its way through traffic and was deflected past Minnesota goaltender Luca Di Pasquo. The Wolverines carried the 1-0 lead into the first intermission after outshooting the Gophers 9-2 in the first and controlling much of the early tempo.
The second period, however, began to tilt in Minnesota’s favor.
The Gophers established more consistent puck possession, winning 70 percent of the faceoffs in the period and limiting Michigan’s transition opportunities. “That’s when the tide started to turn,” Motzko said.
Minnesota broke through midway through the second when Brodie Ziemer finished a play set up by Luke Mittelstadt to tie the game at 1-1. Mittelstadt’s long stretch pass up the left-wing boards counted as his first assist of two on the night, and the equalizer sent the teams into the third period even despite a flurry of Wolverine chances in the final minutes of the middle stanza.
The decisive stretch came early in the final frame.
On a Gopher power-play sequence that quickly turned into a 2-on-0 breakaway, LJ Mooney converted a feed from Mittelstadt to give Minnesota its first lead of the night at 2-1. The goal shifted the pressure squarely onto Michigan.
“The game changes so much when you have a lead,” Motzko said.
Just a few minutes later, Tanner Ludtke extended the advantage to 3-1, capitalizing during a sustained offensive-zone shift. With the two-goal cushion, Minnesota was able to settle into a more structured defensive posture.
Michigan responded midway through the third when TJ Hughes scored to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Wolverines pushed over the final minutes, generating traffic around the crease and increasing their shot volume.
Minnesota’s defensive commitment proved critical. The Gophers blocked 30 shots on the night, repeatedly disrupting Michigan’s attempts from the point and along the half walls. Di Pasquo handled the remaining chances, stopping 37 of 39 shots on the night and controlling rebounds in key moments to preserve the lead.
With Michigan’s net empty in the closing minutes, Ziemer added his second goal of the night to seal the 4-2 final. The two goals vaulted Ziemer into a tie with Michigan’s Will Horcoff for first place in goals in Big Ten Conference play at 22.
“Just a hard-fought win for us tonight, and we needed it desperately,” Motzko said.
Michigan still sits atop the Big Ten standings with 46 points, but with only tomorrow’s game remaining in their regular-season schedule and three games in hand over rivals Michigan State, it’s looking increasingly likely that Sparty will be taking home the regular season conference title this year. Minnesota, on the other hand, has jumped into fifth place in the conference, two points ahead of Ohio State but eight points behind fourth-place Wisconsin. It seems like Minnesota will face either Penn State or Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten playoffs.
Minnesota will go for the rare road sweep at Michigan tomorrow. The two teams will meet again Friday evening in Ann Arbor, with puck drop scheduled for 5 p.m. Central time.