October 8th, 2022: The Gophers’ first loss of the year comes on the road after a late comeback by the Minnesota State Mavericks splitting the series 1-1.
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Sometimes good isn’t good enough and tonight that was exactly the case. Jimmy Snuggerud opened the game with a goal, his fourth of the year and fourth of the series. Campbell Cichosz notched his first career goal in the second to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the third period, Josh Groll gave the Mavericks the lead but Mason Nevers tied it back up again 61 seconds later. That was before Ryan Sandelin scored to eventually end the game 3-2.
“We were okay tonight,” Gophers head coach Bob Motzko told the media after the Gophers 3-2 Saturday night loss. “Okay isn’t going to cut it in a game like this.”
With about four and a half minutes to go in a scoreless opening period, Jackson LaCombe, who now has assists in four straight games, sent an outstretched pass to Rhett Pitlick on the left boards, Pitlick sent it ahead for Snuggerud who walked in and ripped a shot over Keenan Rancier’s right shoulder. That was the fourth goal allowed by Rancier on eight of Snuggerud’s shots from Friday’s game to Saturday’s.
The freshman forward will likely earn Big-Ten player of the week honors after notching four goals over two games. This will be the second straight weekend a Gopher has won first-star honors and the second time it’s been a freshman, with Logan Cooley winning week one. Snuggerud’s shot looks to be one of the best in the conference if not the entire NCAA. More ooh’s and ahh’s from the fans and Gophers’ bench after Snuggerud’s first-period goal.
Jimmy LOVES playing the Mavericks pic.twitter.com/93DjwPn1Tj
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) October 8, 2022
In the later stages of the second period, Campbell Cichosz walked the line after Pavel Ondrej won the faceoff back, Cishosz’s shot beat Gophers’ goaltender Justen Close above the left pad and under the glove. With heavy traffic in front, Close just couldn’t track it and just like that, it was a tie game.
Cichosz’s game-tying goal came after a momentum-shifting penalty kill by the Mavericks. Tony Malinowski took a hooking penalty over a minute and a half into the second period. Just about a minute later, David Silye took a five-minute major and game misconduct for a checking from behind penalty.
Despite nine shots for the Gophers and one LaCombe post shot the Mavericks killed it off down a goal. They ran with the momentum and later cashed in tying the game before the second period ended.
“That penalty kill was the difference. It brought energy to our bench and energy into the building,” Mavericks’ head coach Mike Hastings said on the momentum-shifting penalty kill. “We got knocked down a couple of times but we kept fighting.”
Congrats to Campbell Cichosz on his first goal as a Maverick, seeing eye goal past Justen Close, 1-1 after 2 here In Mankato between @MinnStMHockey and @GopherHockey @MN_NCAA #HornsUp pic.twitter.com/agkrZeuYgY
— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) October 9, 2022
The Mavericks kept ridding the momentum and cashed in again, this time in the third period. Josh Groll slammed home a rebound off Pavel Ondrej’s initial shot. The Junior from Prague, Czech Republic, notched his second assist of the night and 28th career point in 57 career games. Groll’s goal gave the Mavericks a 2-1 lead in the middle stages of the third.
That was until 61 seconds later when Mason Nevers notched his first goal of the year and ninth of his career with the Maroon and Gold. Ryan Johnson, who had three assists in Friday’s 4-1 win over the Mavericks, caught Charlie Strobel rushing up the ice. Strobel, who had a fantastic first colligate game against Lindenwood last week, sauced one over a Maverick defender landing perfectly on the tape of Nevers. The undrafted Junior from Edina Minnesota, made no mistake tying the game 2-2.
At the six-minute mark in the third, Mike Koster passed one up to Bryce Brodzinski which was supposed to set up the breakout but two forechecking Mavericks caused Brodzinski to turn the puck over. Christian Fitzgerald picked up the puck and passed one over to Sam Morton, who later caught Sandelin streaking in. Sandelin’s shot beat Close, who stopped 30 on the 33 shots, on his glove side. Sandelin’s goal eventually capped off the Mavericks’ comeback earning them their first win of the season.
“Mankato put on a push tonight. A veteran team and our defensemen handled it. They were up for the challenge. Our forwards were okay but we have to be better than just okay.” Motzko said.
The Gophers will have two weeks to fine-tune some things before the North Dakota Fighting Hawks come to Minneapolis for a two-game set in what should be a packed crowd on both nights.