Gophers top Tommies 7-1 in home opener
Connor Kurth and Sam Rinzel each posted three points, and the No. 5 Minnesota men’s hockey team hung seven goals on St. Thomas Friday night in a 7-1 victory in its home opener at 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Despite allowing the game’s first goal for the first time this season, the Golden Gophers (4-1-0 overall) responded in a big way with the final seven tucks to take down the Tommies (1-2-1 overall). Ten different skaters recorded a point, while six had multi-point performances to pace the Maroon and Gold to its seventh-straight home-opening win.
A pair of defensive-zone turnovers in the early stages of the contest nearly proved costly for the Gophers. The Tommies got free looks at the goal where netminder Nathan Airey was up to the task and shut down the visitors. That did not hold for long as UST struck for the opening tally seven minutes into the frame, marking the first time the Maroon and Gold have trailed in a game this season.
The lead was short lived as Minnesota answered right back, scoring three times over a span of 6:19 to jump in front, 3-1. Ryan Chesley got the offense going, ripping a shot from the right circle for the tying goal at the 11:13 mark. The home team took the lead 76 seconds later when August Falloon held his ground at the right post and finished off a rebound in the crease for his first collegiate goal. The Maroon and Gold continued to show off the quick-strike ability and Connor Kurth added the third goal of the frame thanks to a slick pass from behind the goal line by Mike Koster with 2:28 remaining in the stanza.
Less than eight minutes into the second period, newcomer Matthew Wood made it a memorable 3M Arena at Mariucci debut. After Koster forced a turnover, the junior corralled the puck and skated right past the UST defense before lifting a shot into a tight, short-side window as Minnesota stretched the margin to 4-1. Holding the three-goal cushion, the Gophers needed to erase a penalty to prevent the Tommies from building any momentum and held the 4-1 edge through 40 minutes of action.
Minnesota drew its first power play of the evening 1:17 into the final frame but were unable to convert the chance. After holding off a UST attack, the home side struck again, this time with Rinzel joining the rush and buried the fifth goal of the night for the Gophers. The offense did not stop there as Brody Lamb tipped home a Chesley shot from the point four minutes later. Rinzel capped his three-point effort scoring with less than five minutes to play, using a backhand in tight to the Tommies’ net that put the finishing touches on a 7-1 win.
Airey continued to be solid between the pipes for Minnesota and won his fourth-consecutive start to begin his career. The sophomore closed the contest with 20 saves, allowing just one goal, and is 3-0-0 this year.