LaFontaine earns 4th shutout in Gophers’ 2-0 win at Notre Dame

The No. 5 Gopher men’s hockey team opened the weekend with a 3-0 win over Notre Dame on Friday night as Hobey Baker Award and Mike Richter Award candidate Jack LaFontaine earned his fourth shutout of the season.

LaFontaine (14-5-0) made 24 saves on 24 shots for the Gophers to earn the win while also adding his second assist of the season on the eventual game winner. Already one of the nation’s leaders in most traditional goaltending statistics (including an NCAA-best 14 wins this year), the alternate captain is now also tied for the national scoring lead among goaltenders. Dylan St. Cyr (7-7-0) suffered the loss for Notre Dame with 30 saves on 32 shots.

Minnesota (16-5-0 overall, 12-5-0-0-0-0 Big Ten) opened the game with a power-play goal from junior captain Sammy Walker at 11:10 of the opening period when the forward deposited his 11th goal of the year. Walker has now matched his single-season career high for goals from last year while the junior has recorded 10 goals or more in each of his three seasons with the Gophers. Jackson LaCombe and LaFontaine picked up assists on the goal with LaCombe reclaiming sole possession of the scoring lead among Big Ten defensemen with his 14th point of the season (the sophomore also set new single-season career highs for points and assists with the helper).

The one-goal lead held solid for the second period before Sampo Ranta tallied his 13th goal of the season at 15:35 of the third period when the junior tipped a shot from Brannon McManus to extend the lead. Ben Brinkman also picked up a secondary assist on the goal. Ranta, who ranks second in the nation in goal scoring this year, has now set a new single-season high for goals while matching his single-season high for points with 20.

The Maroon & Gold made it a three-goal lead when Walker fed Blake McLaughlin for an empty-net goal in the final second of regulation. McLaughlin’s ninth goal of the year marked a new single-season career high for the junior while the forward has now tallied a goal in all five regular-season games he has played at Compton Family Ice Arena.

Minnesota held a 33-24 advantage in shots on goal while going 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill including a five-minute major.

Minnesota reclaims first place in the Big Ten standings for at least one night as Wisconsin and Michigan play a Saturday-Sunday series this weekend.

Quotes from Coach
“We’re obviously very pleased with our effort tonight and our commitment to how we were going to come in here and play tonight,” Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko said. “Every guy…all three periods…there was never a letdown. Maybe one of our more complete games of the year, and it came at a great time.”

Noteworthy
Minnesota reclaims first place in the Big Ten standings for at least one night as Wisconsin and Michigan play a Saturday-Sunday series this weekend…tonight’s 3-0 win marked just the second time in the last 15 meetings between Minnesota and Notre Dame that did not end in a tie, a one-goal game or an empty-net goal (both instances were wins for the Gophers).

Up Next: Series Finale with the Irish
Minnesota concludes this weekend’s series at Notre Dame on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 4:30 p.m. CT (TV: SNY, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Washington; Stream: NBC Sports Digital Platforms; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM/103.5 FM).

Courtesy: University of Minnesota Sports Information