Minnesota drops non-conference tilt
BEMIDJI, Minn. – The third-ranked Golden Gophers fell behind early and could not recover in a 3-1 loss at Bemidji State, a team receiving votes in the national polls, Saturday night inside Sanford Center, snapping their nine-game win streak.
Minnesota (10-2-0 overall, 4-0-0 B1G) gave up a pair of first-period tallies for the first time this season and the Beavers (5-6-0 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA) defended to hold off a late rally. Matthew Wood’s extra-attacker goal with 2:12 remaining in regulation gave the visitors a chance late as it pulled within one and piled on pressure looking for the equalizer, but BSU secured the win via an empty-net goal.
It was a disastrous opening 10 minutes for the Maroon and Gold as the home side scored twice for a 2-0 advantage. The Beavers jumped in front just 21 seconds into the contest, skating alone on goal following a neutral-zone giveaway. At the 9:44 mark, the Gophers got pinned inside their own zone and could not get a breakout as BSU found the back of the net for the second time. The home side moved to a power play less than a minute after the goal, looking to break the game wide open, but Minnesota erased the opportunity, and it remained a 2-0 deficit at intermission.
Coming out of the locker room in the second period, the Gophers started to fight back and earned their second man advantage of the night. The power play was unsuccessful as the visitors were unable to get its shots on target before netminder Liam Souliere stopped a 2-on-1 when the teams skated even strength. Minnesota went right back to the power play and put on a passing clinic only to be denied again by BSU. The ice stayed tilted in the Gophers’ favor throughout the rest of stanza as they created chances, but failed to put one past the Beavers’ goalie, including a point-blank glove save on a shot from Mason Nevers.
For just the second time this season, Minnesota entered the final frame trailing its opposition and started the period on its heels as Souliere was asked to hold off a surge from BSU. The Gophers forced a turnover leading to an odd-man rush where Leo Gruba got a shot through that was stopped by the netminder’s mask. The Beavers negated the Minnesota attack and nearly made it a three-goal contest, stretching play on a counter and were content to slow the game with whistles. With less than five minutes to play, Jimmy Snuggerud and Brodie Ziemer sped past the BSU players for another quality look at goal.
BRONCOS COLLECT 1-1 TIE IN SERIES FINALE AGAINST NO. 8 COLORADO COLLEGE
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Western Michigan battled No. 8 Colorado College to a 1-1 tie on Saturday night at Lawson Arena. The draw moved WMU’s record to 6-1-1 overall and 3-0-1 in NCHC play.
Matteo Costantini scored the lone goal of the night for the Broncos in the first period. In net, Hampton Slukynsky made 27 saves.
FIRST PERIOD
After not scoring in yesterday’s first period, the Broncos jumped out in front early in this one. Costantini took an errant CC pass down the ice and beat Tigers goaltender Kaidan Mbereko not even four minutes into the game.
A few minutes later, Colorado College would get the game’s first power play. WMU was sent off for boarding. CC got two shots on the man advantage, but Slukynsky and the Broncos were able to get back to full strength.
After some back-and-forth action in the middle portion of the first frame, Western Michigan got a power play with under five minutes to go. Zach Nehring had a shot saved by Mbereko, and the game moved back to 5-on-5. WMU carried a one-goal lead into the second 20 minutes.
SECOND PERIOD
In the opening two minutes of the second period, CC jumped on the attack getting a few looks on Slukynsky. He made a pair of saves, while the Broncos also got blocked shots from Samuel Sjolund and Brian Kramer.
WMU’s offense picked up in the middle part of the second period, as Tristan Lemyre, Liam Valente and Nehring each had strong chances on Mbereko. With under five minutes to play in the period, CC tied the game on an extra attacker goal. The Tigers had an extra skater due to a delayed penalty on WMU.
The two teams entered the third period tied at 1-1.
THIRD PERIOD
Alex Bump, Cam Knuble and Garrett Szydlowski had strong looks in opening three minutes of the third period. Mbereko and the Tigers defense were there to handle the chances. CC went on the power play around the 10-minute mark of the period, thanks to a tripping call on the Broncos.
Slukynsky made two saves and WMU blocked another shot to get back to full strength. However, just a few minutes later, the Broncos were called for too many men on the ice and went back on the penalty kill.
The Tigers and Broncos each had a shot during the CC power play. WMU would get back to full strength with under five minutes to play in regulation. Down the stretch, Bump had two shots and Joona Vaisanen had one to try and take the lead. Nothing would find the back of the net, and the game moved to overtime.
OVERTIME
WMU controlled much of the overtime period, outshooting CC 7-1 in the extra session. Tim Washe had two of the best looks on net, with both being saved by Mbereko. With under two minutes to play in overtime, Western Michigan was sent off for tripping.
The Broncos blocked two shots and sent the game to a shootout.
SHOOTOUT
The shootout went seven rounds, with CC’s Tyler Coffey netting the only goal. The game officially ends in a tie.
Wisconsin SWEEPS No. 18 Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Four goals in the first period and two power-play goals in the third lifted the Wisconsin men’s hockey team past the No. 18 Penn State Nittany Lions, 6-3, on Saturday night at Pegula Ice Arena.
With tonight’s win, the Badgers earn their first series sweep of the season and are tied with Minnesota for first place in the Big Ten conference with 11 points.
Wisconsin (4-8-0, 3-5-0 Big Ten) got off to a hot start, scoring four goals in the first eight minutes and 20 seconds of the contest after Kyle Kukkonen, Quinn Finley, Christian Fitzgerald, and Tyson Dyck each found the back of the net. Penn State (4-5-0, 0-4-0 Big Ten) gained momentum in the second period, scoring one goal 48 seconds into the period and one with 6:22 remaining in the frame to cut the Badgers’ lead in half. PSU added a third goal with 9:26 into the third period to make it a 4-3 game.
With 8:26 remaining in regulation, the Nittany Lions took a major penalty for boarding, giving Wisconsin a five-minute power-play. The Badgers capitalized on the man advantage twice, with Ryland Mosley and Cody Laskosky each scoring their second goal of the weekend to help UW to a 6-3 victory.
How it Happened
Junior forward Kukkonen broke the ice 40 seconds into the contest. Penn State goaltender Arsenii Sergeev tried to play the puck from behind his own net, but Kyle Kukkonen intercepted the past and shot it into a wide-open net to tally his second goal of the year.
Sophomore forward Finley doubled the Badgers’ lead 3:02 into the game. Graduate student forward Ryland Mosley passed up the right boards to freshman defenseman Logan Hensler at the blue line. Hensler took a shot, which was blocked by a PSU player in front of the net, but Finley picked up the loose puck and shoveled it home to notch his roster-leading eighth goal of the season.
Wisconsin made it a 3-0 game with 12:22 left in the first period. Junior forward Jack Horbach passed from the right side boards across the zone to graduate student defenseman Anthony Kehrer at the blue line. Kehrer took a shot, which missed wide, and junior forward Fitzgerald picked up the puck deep in Nittany Lion territory. Fitzgerald skated around the zone before using a drag move to beat goaltender Noah Grannan – who replaced Sergeev after the second Badger goal – and put home his first goal of the season.
Forty-two seconds later, junior forward Dyck scored his first goal in a Badgers jersey. In UW territory, Hensler defensively poked the puck away from a Nittany Lion toward Dyck in the neutral zone. He, along with graduate student forward Cody Laskosky, started a two-on-one rush into the PSU zone before Dyck let a hard shot fly to light the lamp and make it 4-0, Wisconsin.
Penn State found the back of the net 48 seconds into the second period on a goal from Jarod Crespo.
The Nittany Lions added another tally with 6:22 left in the second on Charlie Cerrato’s second goal of the weekend.
PSU made it a one-goal game with 11:34 left in the third after Aiden Fink shot a wrister past UW goaltender Tommy Scarfone.
With 8:36 remaining in regulation, Penn State’s Matt DiMarsico took a major penalty for boarding, giving Wisconsin a five-minute power play.
Thirty-four seconds into the power play with 8:12 left in the third, Ryland Mosley scored his second goal of the weekend. Freshman forward Gavin Morrissey rushed into the neutral zone and passed to Finley on his left who skated the puck into PSU territory. Near the bottom of the left faceoff circle, Finley passed up to Mosley in the slot, who fired home his fifth goal of the season.
Laskosky scored the Badgers’ second goal of the five-minute power-play with 4:32 left in the game. Morrissey made a pass from the middle of the left circle to Finley at the right faceoff dot. Finley then passed to Laskosky in front of the net, and he redirected the puck past the Penn State netminder to tally his second goal of the season.
Wisconsin went 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. UW finished the contest with a 33-31 deficit in shots on goal.
Notes to know:
– Tyson Dyck, who transferred to UW from UMass before the 2023-24 season, scored his first goal in a Badger sweater in his 68th game for Wisconsin
– The last time UW scored four goals in a period was on Jan. 6, 2024, in the first period at Notre Dame
– The Badgers scored 11 goals in their two-game series at Penn State after scoring eight goals total in its last four games
– UW owns wins in seven consecutive games against Penn State, which is the longest win streak for the Badgers over the Nittany Lions
– Wisconsin has won five consecutive games in the series at Penn State, extending its longest road win streak in series history
Up Next: The Badgers have a week off before hosting Alaska Anchorage at the Kohl Center on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28-29. Friday’s game starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s begins at 8 p.m. Both games stream on B1G+. Audio play-by-play is available on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. Follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram @BadgerMHockey.