Michigan
13-9-1, 5-8-0
Minnesota
18-6-1, 12-2-1
Maize and Blue Drops OT Heartbreaker at No. 2 Minnesota
1/20/2023 11:58:00 PM | Ice Hockey
» Top center Adam Fantill put seven shots on goal, while scoring once and adding an assist.
» Gavin Brindley made the most of a new line, scoring and adding an assist to notch two points.
» Erik Portillo turned in a strong performance, as he made 44 saves on 48 shots that he faced.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- A late push for the Golden Gophers turned the tables on the eighth-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team on Friday night (Jan. 20), as the Wolverines fell to No. 2 Minnesota by a 4-3 score with just eight seconds left in overtime after the home team tied the game with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.
Junior netminder Erik Portillo was outstanding between the pipes for the Wolverines, making 44 saves on 48 shots that he faced while shouldering the heartbreaking loss.
The first penalty was called on Michigan just 6:28 into the contest, but Maize and Blue-clad penalty killers dismissed the first opportunity of the night and returned to even strength.
The second infraction of the night was also called on the Wolverines, coming with 48 seconds left in the first frame. After an official review, a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct was assessed to Mark Estapa. Twelve seconds later, Minnesota scored the first goal with 36 seconds left in the period to kick off the extended power-play chance and carry a 1-0 lead into the locker room for the first intermission.
Four shots would be allowed in the long Golden Gopher power play, but Michigan's penalty kill did a fantastic job of stymying four minutes of pressure to start the middle period and return to even strength with the deficit still at one goal.
Portillo made a series of massive saves to set up a strong shift for the Wolverines at the other end of the ice. After earning his territory in front of the Minnesota net, Adam Fantilli was taken down by a Gopher defenseman to earn a power play for the visitors.
Despite failing to convert with the extra skater, the team developed momentum on the power play that they used to tie the game 14 seconds after returning to 5x5 play. The Gophers tried to bang the puck up the wall and out of the zone, but blue liner Ethan Edwards was positioned at the left point to keep the play alive by tossing a smart shot toward the net. After Minnesota's goalie kicked the initial chance out into the slot, Eric Ciccolini was in perfect position to bang home the rebound while crashing the net for his third goal of the season.
A transition goal for Matthew Knies gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead at 16:14 of the second period.
With the home crowd invigorated, the Wolverines roared back shortly thereafter with a pair of goals in 15 seconds to take a 3-2 lead.
Forechecking below the Minnesota goal line, Gavin Brindley stole the puck from a Gopher defenseman and stickhandled out into the left circle. Across the slot, Fantilli settled into open real estate in the bottom of the right circle, awaiting Brindley's feed. With 3:03 left in the period, Fantilli ripped a one-timer to tie the game at two.
Fresh off the critical game-tying goal, Fantilli returned the favor after finding a puck deep in the Minnesota zone behind the Gopher net. After creating a lane, the freshman zipped a feed out into the slot onto the tape of his classmate, Brindley, who leaned into his stick and unleashed a rocket that found a corner to give U-M its first lead of the night with just 2:48 left before the second intermission.
Minnesota was assessed its second penalty with 1:33 left in the period of the long change.
After two periods, Michigan carried a 3-2 lead into the visitor's dressing room despite trailing in shots on goal (28-24) and faceoffs (21-16).
The remaining 27 seconds of power-play time for the Wolverines elapsed without further damage to kick off the third stanza.
Just 1:03 into the final period, a minor penalty on U-M gave the Gophers another power play, but the Michigan penalty killers were up to the task once again.
Minnesota's power-play unit was reactivated for the fifth time with 13:43 left when Edwards was called for boarding. On the penalty kill, senior Jay Keranen threw himself into a shooting lane for a critical shot block as Michigan moved to 4-for-5 on the PK.
With 4:20 remaining in regulation, Minnesota tied the game at three with a bomb from the point after an extended shift of applying pressure in the Wolverines' end.
Following 60 minutes of intense play, an overtime period was needed with the teams tied, 3-3.
Michigan appeared to score the game-winning goal just over halfway through the 3x3 session, but a quick whistle had blown the play dead. Then, with 1:37 left in overtime, Hallum was penalized for hooking while attempting to tame a Golden Gopher rush in transition. Minnesota would end the game on a power play.
With eight seconds left, Minnesota scored to earn the OT win and an extra point in the standings.
The college hockey Blue Bloods will reconvene in Minneapolis on Saturday night (Jan. 21) to finish off the regular-season series. The match-up will air on Big Ten Network, with puck drop set for 8 p.m.
