Golden Gophers: Unleashing the Spirit of Minnesota Athletics

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The third-seeded Golden Gophers men’s hockey squad executed a formidable showcase on the road against No. 11 Ohio State, securing a 6-1 triumph within Value City Arena on Saturday night.

Mike Koster netted a pair of power-play goals, and Minnesota (18-4-2 overall, 9-2-1 B1G) found the back of the net three times within the first nine minutes of the Big Ten Conference confrontation against the Buckeyes (15-6-1 overall, 8-4-0 B1G). The three seasoned students made a significant impact as Koster, Mason Nevers, and goaltender Liam Souliere collectively contributed three goals and 32 saves to split the series.

 

Early in the match, the visitors seized a power-play opportunity as OSU was penalized for having too many skaters on the ice just 86 seconds into the game. The Maroon and Gold bombarded the Buckeyes’ goaltender with four attempts before Koster slipped one through at the 2:48 mark to initiate the score. After winning a faceoff, the captain unleashed a slapshot through a maze of players for the early lead. This momentum allowed the Gophers to maintain pressure in the offensive zone, and Jimmy Clark nearly added to the lead, but his shot was thwarted by a pad stop.

 

Minnesota dominated the next two shifts, scoring twice within just 15 seconds, prompting the Buckeyes to call a timeout after eight minutes had passed. Beckett Hendrickson initiated a turnover at center ice, leading to Mason Nevers making it 2-0 by maneuvering through a stick check and flicking a shot over the goalie’s glove at 7:49. Even a line change couldn’t halt the Gophers’ onslaught, as Oliver Moore outpaced the defense to win the puck behind the net, passing it to Connor Kurth on the left side of the crease. Kurth swiftly capitalized on the opportunity, scoring before the OSU goalie could regain his stance, giving the Maroon and Gold a 3-0 cushion with 11:56 remaining in the first period. This lead held steady through to the first intermission.

 

Less than two minutes into the second period, Minnesota transitioned to its second man advantage, where Koster struck again. This time, he scored with a one-timer from the blue line received from Luke Mittelstadt 3:36 into the frame. The Buckeyes made a push to test Souliere, but he denied every opportunity, allowing his team to regroup for another power-play chance.

 

The Gophers capitalized on their third consecutive man advantage as Jimmy Snuggerud completed a stunning passing sequence with Sam Rinzel and Matthew Wood with a one-timer from the left faceoff circle, widening the gap to 5-0 with six minutes left in the period. This goal also led to the exit of the OSU goalie after the NCAA’s top goaltender allowed a season-high five goals. As the second period approached its conclusion, Minnesota was assessed two penalties 14 seconds apart but successfully withstood the Buckeyes’ lengthy 5-on-3 to retain the five-goal advantage after two periods completed.

 

The visitors opted to concentrate on getting pucks deep into the attacking zone to limit OSU’s possession at the start of the third period. The Maroon and Gold continued to create opportunities, culminating in their sixth goal at the 8:24 mark. A shot from Snuggerud rebounded sharply off the back boards to a waiting Ryan Chesley at the near post. The junior quickly capitalized on the loose puck, extending the Gophers’ lead.

 

A power-play for the Buckeyes midway through the period was quickly nullified, but another penalty on the Gophers late in the match proved detrimental. Souliere’s bid for a shutout was interrupted with 2:15 remaining on the clock as OSU netted a cross-ice one-timer. The native of Montreal, Quebec, concluded the evening with a season-high 32 saves during the 6-1 road triumph.

 

Noteworthy

Koster recorded the second multi-goal game of his career, securing both against the Buckeyes, and he now holds 10 points in 17 matchups with OSU … The Chaska, Minn. native increased his point tally to nine, including four points over the last six contests … After missing seven games due to injury, Nevers rejoined the lineup this weekend, scoring his second goal of the year, the first since October 12 against Omaha, and logged his first point since the final game in October … Kurth notched at least three points for a team-leading fifth occasion this season, contributing a goal and two assists, and now has 11 points in the last eight games … Snuggerud’s six-game point streak ended Friday before he scored his 12th goal of the season, raising his point total to 30 with his 18th career power-play goal and an assist … Already enjoying a career year in goal production, Chesley added his seventh, bringing his total points to 16 … In his 100th game for Minnesota, Mittelstadt earned his third point of the weekend with his fourth multi-point effort of his last 11 games … The junior has recorded seven assists over his past six road appearances, with more than half of his 13 points accumulated away from home … Hendrickson garnered his third assist and sixth point of the season, four of which have come in his last 10 games … After missing the last series while claiming a gold medal with Team USA at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, both Moore and Brodie Ziemer collected their first points since their return, currently tallying 18 and 13 for the season, respectively … Ziemer achieved his fourth multi-point performance in college, recording two assists … Wood equaled his longest point streak of the season at five games due to an assist, elevating his total points to 26 … Rinzel added another point to his impressive record this season, totaling 24 from his position along the blue line, the highest among any NCAA defender … Souliere decreased his goals-against average in league play to 1.32, boasting a 4-1-0 record with two shutouts against B1G rivals … The Gophers scored five or more goals for the 13th time this season and the fourth in B1G play … The three power-play goals on Saturday matched a season record and occurred for the third time in the 2024-25 season … The 15 seconds between goals in the first period represented the fastest two-goal span this season, marking the third time Minnesota scored twice in under 30 seconds … This season, the Gophers have outscored their opponents by a 20-6 margin in the opening period of games.

 

Coach Motzko’s Comments

“It was not a favorable view for us last night. Tonight, it was completely the opposite from the first shift,” stated Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko. “Every line, all defensemen, and Liam was excellent in net—credit to our players; we responded well. I hope this serves as a lesson for us, and I wish for this to be the game that propels us forward now.”

 

Next Up: Home vs. Notre Dame (Jan. 17-18)

The Gophers are set to return home for a B1G series against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on January 17-18. Both matches will be televised on FOX9 and streamed through B1G+.