Gophers Blow Lead, Lose to UMass in Controversial OT Heartbreaker
The Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey team had their season cut short in dramatic and frustrating fashion Thursday night, losing 5-4 in overtime to UMass in the NCAA Regional semifinals.
A Painful Ending
Minnesota held a two-goal lead heading into the third period but couldn’t hold on. The game ended on a controversial overtime goal that had coach Bob Motzko fired up. UMass’ Aydar Suniev scored the game-winner 4:29 into overtime, but Motzko was furious about a no-call just moments before.
He believed Gophers defenseman Ryan Chesley was tripped in the neutral zone by UMass’ Dans Locmelis, leading directly to the game-winning play. Fans in Fargo’s Scheels Arena weren’t happy either, with some throwing cups and cans onto the ice in frustration.
“It’s a crying shame that we’re sitting here like this,” Motzko said postgame. “These guys deserved better.”
How It Unfolded
The Gophers seemed to be in control for most of the game. Jimmy Snuggerud had two goals, including the clutch game-tying goal with 3:36 left in regulation. Brody Lamb and Connor Kurth also found the net, and goalie Liam Souliere made 32 saves.
UMass got goals from Suniev (2), Larry Keenan, Daniel Jencko, and Francesco Dell’Elce, with goalie Daniel Hrabal stopping 25 shots.
The game took a wild turn in the third. UMass cut the lead to 3-2 early on, and things got even crazier when Souliere had to leave the game temporarily due to a broken strap on his pad. NCAA rules didn’t allow him extra time to fix it, so backup Nathan Airey was thrown into the action cold. UMass immediately capitalized, scoring just five seconds after he entered to tie it 3-3.
Souliere returned minutes later, but UMass kept the pressure up and took a 4-3 lead with five minutes left. Snuggerud responded quickly to force overtime, but the Gophers never got a chance to recover after the controversial no-call.
Looking Back
The loss stung, but Motzko had nothing but praise for his team.
“Our coaching staff and me personally loved coaching this team this year,” he said. “They gave us their heart.”
The offseason begins earlier than Minnesota hoped, while UMass moves on to face Western Michigan in the regional final.
Heartbreaker: Gophers Blow Lead, Lose to UMass on Controversial OT Goal
