The fifth-ranked University of Minnesota men’s hockey team saw its season come to a close in a 5-4, overtime setback to No. 13/11 Massachusetts during the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Fargo Regional Semifinals inside Scheels Arena Thursday night.
The No. 2 seed Golden Gophers (25-11-4 overall) saw a 3-1 edge disappear in a matter of 95 seconds in the third period as the No. 3 seed Minutemen (20-13-5 overall) battled back before taking a brief, 4-3 lead. Jimmy Snuggerud’s second goal of the contest pulled Minnesota even with less than four minutes in regulation to force overtime, but UMass net the game winner 4:49 into the extra session to advance.
After not playing a game for 18 days before entering the national stage, the Maroon and Gold had to weather early pressure from UMass following back-to-back icing calls in the opening minutes. The Gophers held firm and were able to go on the attack where Leo Gruba found a streaking Snuggerud with a stretch pass, but the junior’s bid from the slot was denied. Minnesota netminder Liam Souliere had to be sharp through the middle of the first period, stopping a pair of tipped chances in front of his goal to keep it a scoreless contest.
With 6:59 remaining in the first frame, the Gophers went to the game’s first man advantage and just 43 seconds later, moved to a 5-on-3 power play. It became a 4-on-3 edge in skaters three seconds after the puck was dropped as the Maroon and Gold were whistled for an infraction. Once the action settled, Minnesota was able to sustain offensive-zone pressure with the extra skater when Sam Rinzel pushed a pass across to the wheelhouse of Snuggerud, who blasted a one-timer past the sliding goalie for a 1-0 margin at the 14:14 mark. The lead was short-lived as UMass responded on the very next shift to tie the score 20 seconds later. As the clock wound down, the Gophers regained their lead as Brody Lamb won a faceoff, controlled the puck, and immediately fired a wrister over the netminder’s glove that knocked off the water bottle on top of the net for a 2-1 edge with 1:11 to play in the period.
Minnesota rang a shot off the crossbar 90 seconds into the second stanza as it looked to extend the advantage. It was an even-strength battle for both sides and the physicality ramped up until Connor Kurth gave the Gophers a 3-1 advantage at the 14:07 mark of the period. At nearly the exact time stamp as the opening tally, Kurth collected a perfect pass from Jimmy Clark at the top of the crease and showed off his slick hands to pull the puck around the goalie before depositing the third goal of the night for the Maroon and Gold. After a late penalty on Minnesota, the designated home team sacrificed the body to block shots, while Souliere made two saves, preserving the 3-1 lead at the second intermission.
In the early stages of the final frame, Souliere and his defense cleaned up a Minutemen chance near the crease, giving the Maroon and Gold faithful that made the trip to Fargo another reason to cheer. UMass was able to work a give-and-go from behind the net at the 12:46 mark to pull within a goal and brought renewed life to its bench. Following an icing on the Gophers, the team was forced to switch goalies due to an equipment malfunction, and the Minutemen scored immediately after the faceoff to pull even, 3-3, with 11:11 remaining in regulation.
Souliere returned to the action and came up with a flurry of saves as UMass had momentum in its favor, eventually taking a 4-3 advantage, its first of the night, as the clock showed 4:53. With the potential end of the season looming close, it was the captain Snuggerud that delivered yet again, this time ripping home a shot from the high slot to tie the game, 4-4, with 3:37 to play. Oliver Moore won the initial faceoff back to Snuggerud and the junior walked to the middle of the ice uncontested to deliver the equalizer that forced an extra session.
Kurth had a quality chance early in overtime as he skated to the net and had a shot hit the top of the crossbar. After a Minnesota skater was tripped at center ice, the Minutemen converted immediately via a back-door pass and claimed a 5-4 victory.
Noteworthy
Snuggerud put away his 23rd and 24th goals this season, first on the man advantage since Jan. 11 at Ohio State, and has recorded nine points over his past seven outings … It was the junior’s 50th and 51st points of the year, breaking his career best single-season total of 50 set as a freshman in 2022-23, and his 66th career goal … Lamb ended a five-game goal drought with the 17th tally of his year and pushed his point total to 27, matching his career-best output set last season … The Byron, Minn., native secured his second unassisted tally this season and the second NCAA Tournament goal of his career … For the 18th time this year, Kurth found the back of the net and now has 39 points overall; while scoring his second goal on the national stage during his tenure … Recently named Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Rinzel registered his 10th power-play assist this season and stretched his point total to 32 … Mike Koster continues to pile on points via the man advantage, collecting his eighth point while on the power play and his 20th point overall, becoming the 10th Gopher to reach the 20-point mark this season … Behind an assist Thursday, Clark registered a point for the second-straight NCAA Tournament, following a goal versus Omaha in the opening game a season ago, and now has 22 points for the Gophers, including eight over the last 10 appearances … Playing in his first NCAA Tournament, junior Matthew Wood extended his point streak to five games, matching his longest streak of the season for the third time, and increased his point production to 39 … Moore recorded his 33rd point of the campaign, tying his freshman total from a year ago, and has 13 points in the past 11 contests with at least one point in nine of those outings … Souliere closed the night by making 32 saves in the final game of his five-year collegiate career … Minnesota dropped its first game of the season when scoring four or more goals after winning the first 20 … The Gophers are now 7-8 all-time record in overtime games at the NCAA Tournament.
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
