Gophers complete sweep of Badgers with 3-2 win in overtime

Brodie Ziemer batted the puck out of midair for the overtime game winner Saturday as the third-ranked Golden Gophers finished off a Big Ten Conference sweep at Wisconsin in men’s hockey action from Kohl Center.

Ziemer skated alone at the net and finished off a backhand saucer pass from Jimmy Snuggerud as Minnesota (9-1-0 overall, 4-0-0 B1G) erased a one-goal deficit in the third period to sweep the Badgers (2-8-0 overall, 1-5-0 B1G). Connor Kurth scored the second power-play goal of the night for the Gophers that pulled the visitors even with 6:04 to play in regulation, leading to the overtime heroics from the freshman that earned the team’s eighth-consecutive victory.

It was a better start to the night for the Maroon and Gold as it had early pressure on the Wisconsin net before its goaltender Liam Souliere needed to produce a pair of saves at the other end of the ice. The visitors continued to attack and had chances in the crease before a breakaway by Oliver Moore was denied in the middle of the opening period. The Badgers generated an offensive chance following a faceoff win only to see the shot ring off the right post as the teams skated even for the first 20 minutes of action, tied 0-0.

Three minutes into the second period, the home side went to a man advantage, but it was Souliere that stood calm and delivered a flurry of saves to keep the game scoreless. After killing off the penalty, Minnesota immediately moved to a power play of its own and jumped to a 1-0 advantage at the 7:42 mark. The Gophers spent extended time of the 5-on-4 in Wisconsin’s end where Brody Lamb was on the doorstep to pounce on a rebound off a Jimmy Snuggerud shot, a play kept alive in the blue paint by Erik Påhlsson.

The visitors were assessed another minor penalty late in the stanza and seconds after it was erased, the Badgers snuck a puck through for the equalizer with 4:12 to play in the period. The tie was short lived as Wisconsin struck again in the final 33 seconds for a 2-1 edge at the second intermission.

Souliere stopped an odd-man rush in the first minute of the final frame to preserve the one-goal deficit. The graduate transfer was asked to keep the Gophers in the game as the ice tilted in favor of the home side with heavy hits and a consistent forecheck. Minnesota was finally able to break the pressure, but a shot from the right circle by Kurth was snatched out of the air by the goalie’s glove before he made another save on a rush from Moore. On the next shift, Ryan Chesley’s bid to pull even beat the netminder only to clang off the right post.

With less than eight minutes to play in regulation, Matthew Wood drew an offensive-zone penalty, and the Gophers had their second chance at a man advantage. The Maroon and Gold made the Badgers pay again as Kurth collected a rebound with his skate and moved to his forehand for the tying tally at the 13:56 mark of the third period. Neither time could break the tie and forced the five-minute overtime session.

Minnesota capitalized on a slow line change by the Badgers as Luke Mittelstadt fired the puck off the boards to a waiting Snuggerud, creating a 2-on-1. The junior flipped a backhand pass towards the crease where Ziemer swatted home the game winner 3:21 into the extra session.