University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Michigan State
Gophers Tie in Overtime, Fall in Shootout
12/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
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EAST LANSING, Mich. (GopherSports.com) –Connor Reilly tallied three points for a new career high including his first two-goal game and Adam Wilcox set a new career high for saves as the No. 3/6 Gopher Hockey program tied Michigan State 3-3 in overtime to close out the first half of the season.
The Spartans earned the bonus Big Ten Conference point with a 2-1 shootout win in six rounds – the longest shootout the Gophers have seen so far since joining the league last year.
Minnesota (9-4-1 overall, 1-0-1-0 Big Ten) twice rallied from deficits including a third period comeback that was capped by Connor Reilly’s second goal of the game while the Maroon & Gold’s power play continued to shine with a 2-for-2 performance on the night.
Meanwhile, Wilcox bested his previous career high with 42 saves on the night including seven in the overtime session after picking up his 60th career win and 10th career shutout on Friday night.
After a three-goal first period on Friday, Minnesota and Michigan State split four goals evenly in the opening stanza on Saturday. Brent Darnell snapped the Gophers’ streak of 14-straight penalties without giving up a power-play goal at 2:22 of the first to give Michigan State its first goal of the weekend followed by Connor Reilly’s sixth of the year at 15:39, which was set up by Seth Ambroz and Travis Boyd.
Kyle Rau claimed the Gophers’ only lead of the night at 17:37 with his sixth of the year on Minnesota’s first power-play of the night when Connor and Mike Reilly set up the senior captain, but MacKenzie MacEachern found the equalizer with 24 seconds left in the period to send the teams into the second intermission knotted at 2-2.
More than 20 minutes after giving up the lead in the first period, Michigan State claimed it once again at 10:18 of the third period when Darnell found the net for his second of the game, but the Connor Reilly show continued with his second goal of the night and third point on a 4-on-3 power play to knot things back up at 3-3 with assists coming from Justin Kloos and Mike Reilly.
After no winner was decided in the final minutes of regulation or a five-minute overtime session, the Gophers went to their first shootout of the year. Michael Ferrantino scored the Spartans’ first try, followed by a must-score goal from Seth Ambroz five turns later. But it was Matt DeBlouw in the sixth round who picked up the deciding goal and gave Michigan State the bonus point.
Minnesota returns to action in 2015 with the 24th Annual Mariucci Classic on Jan. 2-3. Joining the Gophers in the holiday tournament will be Merrimack, UMass-Lowell and RIT.
-Pride On Ice-
