University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, February 15
Ann Arbor, MI
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
21-7-4, 12-5-3
2
at
2
Michigan
17-12-3, 11-9-2
1
2
3
OT 1
OT 2
F
Minnesota
1
0
1
0
0
2
Michigan
0
1
1
0
0
2
Team Stats
UMN
U-M
Shots
35
34
PPG
1
0
SHG
0
0
Penalties
4
4
Penalty Mins
8
8
Faceoffs Won
31
37
Game Leaders
Skaters
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
5
A
1
+/-
0
Goals
1
Sh
3
A
0
+/-
1
Goals
0
Sh
6
A
1
+/-
-1
Goals
0
Sh
3
A
1
Players Mentioned
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Defense
/ Men's Hockey
Forward
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Goaltender
/ Men's HockeyForward
/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Matt Krohn
'U' Closes Series with Draw at No. 12 Michigan
2/15/2025 8:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Wood, Moore score for Gophers
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 4/3 Golden Gophers men's hockey team scored 13 seconds into the third period for a one-goal lead on the road versus No. 12 Michigan before closing the weekend series with a 2-2 tie inside Yost Ice Arena Saturday night.
Minnesota (21-7-4 overall, 12-5-3 B1G) got goals from Matthew Wood and Oliver Moore to build a pair of one-goal advantages. The Wolverines (17-12-3 overall, 11-9-2 B1G) answered the goal each time before claiming the extra point in the Big Ten Standings by winning the shootout 1-0.
It was all Maroon and Gold to begin the series finale, firing the first six shots on target, including point-blank chances from both Moore and Wood in the opening five minutes. The offensive pressure forced the Wolverines into a penalty at the 5:41 mark. After being held without a power-play goal Friday, the Gophers would not be denied on their first opportunity Saturday. Mike Koster put a pass across the blue line to Wood where the junior wired home a shot from the point off the crossbar and in, giving the visitors a 1-0 edge 6:46 into the contest.
Netminder Liam Souliere turned away chances from Michigan as it was able to sustain limited offense, while the Gophers' defense blocked shots and interrupted passes. In the final six minutes of the frame, Minnesota earned its second man advantage and tested the home goalie from distance but could not extend their one-goal cushion. The visitors held the Wolverines to just two shots in the period before a late power play allowed their shots to increase during the unsuccessful bid behind Souliere's strong effort and the Gophers took the 1-0 advantage into intermission.
It took only 14 seconds into the middle frame for Michigan to pull even thanks to a fortuitous bounce at the blue line and a breakaway. Momentum shifted in favor of the home team with the tying goal but after Minnesota weathered the attack, it went on the offensive again and dominated possession for more than three minutes, leading to a shot off the post from Connor Kurth. Despite controlling the action, a penalty on the Gophers with 7:19 to play in the period gave the Wolverines a chance to take the lead. It was a total team effort from the visitors to shut down the man advantage and more impressive play from Souliere that kept the score tied. With time winding down, Erik Påhlsson grabbed a rebound along the crease but his backhand ricocheted off the right post and the game remained even, 1-1, after 40 completed minutes.
After winning the faceoff to begin the final stanza, Wood pushed the puck up ice and dropped a pass to the point for Ryan Chesley. The junior captain's shot was tipped past the goaltender by Moore and the Maroon and Gold pounced for the go-ahead tally just 13 seconds into the period. The Gophers continued to hold off Michigan and kept the home side from taking a shot on goal for more than seven minutes, but the first attempt snuck through the pads and made it a 2-2 contest at the 7:13 mark. The Wolverines thought they took their first lead of the night with 9:14 remaining in regulation following a turnover, but the puck was kicked in and successfully challenged by Minnesota to maintain the tie.
With renewed life after the overturned goal, the visitors pushed right back, and Wood fired a backhand off the far post. The Gophers were called for a penalty late in the period and were at their best during the kill, getting timely stops from Souliere and clearances from their lineup. As the clock ticked to under five minutes to play, Minnesota went to a power-play of its own. Wood hit the post for the second time in the period and the visitors could not break the tie during its man advantage, sending the action to overtime for the second-straight night.
In the extra session, each side generated offense with the Gophers putting the only three official shots on target. Neither team could find the winning tally and the contest finished in a 2-2 draw. The Wolverines scored once in the shootout, while Minnesota failed to convert any of its three shots.
Noteworthy
Souliere starred in goal for Minnesota again, finishing the night with 32 saves ... One night after playing in his 100th career college hockey game, Wood recorded his 11th goal of the year, first on the man advantage, and became the third Gopher player to reach the 30-point mark ... The junior scored his fifth goal in 12 games since the calendar flipped to 2025 and put together his 10th multi-point effort ... Moore was finally rewarded for his strong performance all weekend and tallied his eighth goal and 24th total point this season, scoring his third goal in the last six games ... Koster picked up an assist for the fourth time over his last five outings and has eight points in his last nine games ... The two-year captain pushed his point total to 15 on a night where he moved to 10th in Minnesota history for career games played, skating in the 172nd of his tenure ... After being held off the scoresheet in a season-long, two-straight games, Jimmy Snuggerud tallied a power-play assist Saturday, stretching his team-leading point total to 42 ... Chesley increased his points for the year to 18 behind his 11th helper ... Minnesota converted on the power play for the 23rd time this season, but just the second over its past eight contests ... The Gophers are now 4-23 all-time in shootouts and have lost 11-consecutive shootouts dating back to 2020.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"Outside of about two minutes this weekend, we played a great weekend. I loved how hard our compete was, we played good hockey," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "Our guys left it all at the rink all weekend long. They played their tails off. It was great hockey."
Next Up: Home vs. No. 8 Ohio State (Feb. 21-22)
Minnesota returns to 3M Arena at Mariucci for its final home series of the regular season when it hosts the Buckeyes of Ohio State Feb. 21-22 in a critical B1G weekend. Fans can watch both games live on FOX9 or streaming on B1G+, while audio coverage will be available on the Gopher Radio Network.
Minnesota (21-7-4 overall, 12-5-3 B1G) got goals from Matthew Wood and Oliver Moore to build a pair of one-goal advantages. The Wolverines (17-12-3 overall, 11-9-2 B1G) answered the goal each time before claiming the extra point in the Big Ten Standings by winning the shootout 1-0.
It was all Maroon and Gold to begin the series finale, firing the first six shots on target, including point-blank chances from both Moore and Wood in the opening five minutes. The offensive pressure forced the Wolverines into a penalty at the 5:41 mark. After being held without a power-play goal Friday, the Gophers would not be denied on their first opportunity Saturday. Mike Koster put a pass across the blue line to Wood where the junior wired home a shot from the point off the crossbar and in, giving the visitors a 1-0 edge 6:46 into the contest.
Netminder Liam Souliere turned away chances from Michigan as it was able to sustain limited offense, while the Gophers' defense blocked shots and interrupted passes. In the final six minutes of the frame, Minnesota earned its second man advantage and tested the home goalie from distance but could not extend their one-goal cushion. The visitors held the Wolverines to just two shots in the period before a late power play allowed their shots to increase during the unsuccessful bid behind Souliere's strong effort and the Gophers took the 1-0 advantage into intermission.
It took only 14 seconds into the middle frame for Michigan to pull even thanks to a fortuitous bounce at the blue line and a breakaway. Momentum shifted in favor of the home team with the tying goal but after Minnesota weathered the attack, it went on the offensive again and dominated possession for more than three minutes, leading to a shot off the post from Connor Kurth. Despite controlling the action, a penalty on the Gophers with 7:19 to play in the period gave the Wolverines a chance to take the lead. It was a total team effort from the visitors to shut down the man advantage and more impressive play from Souliere that kept the score tied. With time winding down, Erik Påhlsson grabbed a rebound along the crease but his backhand ricocheted off the right post and the game remained even, 1-1, after 40 completed minutes.
After winning the faceoff to begin the final stanza, Wood pushed the puck up ice and dropped a pass to the point for Ryan Chesley. The junior captain's shot was tipped past the goaltender by Moore and the Maroon and Gold pounced for the go-ahead tally just 13 seconds into the period. The Gophers continued to hold off Michigan and kept the home side from taking a shot on goal for more than seven minutes, but the first attempt snuck through the pads and made it a 2-2 contest at the 7:13 mark. The Wolverines thought they took their first lead of the night with 9:14 remaining in regulation following a turnover, but the puck was kicked in and successfully challenged by Minnesota to maintain the tie.
With renewed life after the overturned goal, the visitors pushed right back, and Wood fired a backhand off the far post. The Gophers were called for a penalty late in the period and were at their best during the kill, getting timely stops from Souliere and clearances from their lineup. As the clock ticked to under five minutes to play, Minnesota went to a power-play of its own. Wood hit the post for the second time in the period and the visitors could not break the tie during its man advantage, sending the action to overtime for the second-straight night.
In the extra session, each side generated offense with the Gophers putting the only three official shots on target. Neither team could find the winning tally and the contest finished in a 2-2 draw. The Wolverines scored once in the shootout, while Minnesota failed to convert any of its three shots.
Noteworthy
Souliere starred in goal for Minnesota again, finishing the night with 32 saves ... One night after playing in his 100th career college hockey game, Wood recorded his 11th goal of the year, first on the man advantage, and became the third Gopher player to reach the 30-point mark ... The junior scored his fifth goal in 12 games since the calendar flipped to 2025 and put together his 10th multi-point effort ... Moore was finally rewarded for his strong performance all weekend and tallied his eighth goal and 24th total point this season, scoring his third goal in the last six games ... Koster picked up an assist for the fourth time over his last five outings and has eight points in his last nine games ... The two-year captain pushed his point total to 15 on a night where he moved to 10th in Minnesota history for career games played, skating in the 172nd of his tenure ... After being held off the scoresheet in a season-long, two-straight games, Jimmy Snuggerud tallied a power-play assist Saturday, stretching his team-leading point total to 42 ... Chesley increased his points for the year to 18 behind his 11th helper ... Minnesota converted on the power play for the 23rd time this season, but just the second over its past eight contests ... The Gophers are now 4-23 all-time in shootouts and have lost 11-consecutive shootouts dating back to 2020.
Coach Motzko's Comments
"Outside of about two minutes this weekend, we played a great weekend. I loved how hard our compete was, we played good hockey," Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. "Our guys left it all at the rink all weekend long. They played their tails off. It was great hockey."
Next Up: Home vs. No. 8 Ohio State (Feb. 21-22)
Minnesota returns to 3M Arena at Mariucci for its final home series of the regular season when it hosts the Buckeyes of Ohio State Feb. 21-22 in a critical B1G weekend. Fans can watch both games live on FOX9 or streaming on B1G+, while audio coverage will be available on the Gopher Radio Network.
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