The game-tying puck sat on the goal line in the second period after hitting off the post and sliding on the ice.
Luckily for the Gophers, defenseman Jack Sadek swept it away and now the team can go for a sweep in the series.
No. 10 Minnesota (19-13-1, 10-10-1 Big Ten) won game one versus No. 6 Ohio State (19-8-1, 12-8-1 Big Ten) in another one-goal contest. This time, the 2-1 score favored the Gophers for their sixth win in seven games.
“It bounced off of three or four guys,” Sadek said. “It ended up behind [Mat] Robson and I was lucky enough to be there and clear it.”
Sadek sent the puck, that was inches from being a goal, down the length of the ice, and his shot was nearly inches away from being an empty-net goal.
Minnesota kept the 16th-ranked offense to one power play goal and got past by the sixth-ranked defense in the nation for two goals. The second goal came from an unlikely contributor for the Gophers.
Defenseman Jack Glover, who had three goals in his career coming into his 100th game with the Gophers, scored the game-winner in the second period.
“I tried to shoot it on net and their guy got in front of it,” Glover said. “I had a little more time than usual, so I just tried to get a better angle and get it on the net.”
After Glover recovered his own blocked shot, he was ready to shoot as two defenders dropped to the ice to block another potential shot. He waited for them to slide out of the way and put the shot in for the Gophers’ second goal.
Glover was involved on the defensive side of the battle as he was in the penalty box for the Buckeyes’ lone goal. In the second period, an Ohio State player fell down as Glover was preparing to check him, but the referee called Glover for cross checking.
The arena’s 9,704 fans erupted into boos and head coach Don Lucia had an extended conversation with the referees following the call on Glover.
Besides the call, Minnesota had the advantage for much of the game.
“I think our whole team was dialed in,” forward Brent Gates Jr. said. “We knew we had to support each other and make good, hard passes.”
The Gophers got off to a fast start in the first 10 minutes. They scored the opening goal in the first half of the period and had a 9-2 shot advantage. By the end of the game, Minnesota led in shots 28-22.
Minnesota mostly kept Ohio State out of the offensive zone and limited the shots that got through to Robson. The goaltender was up to the task Friday. In one instance, on an odd man rush for the Buckeyes, the sprawled-out Robson reached his glove up to stop the open shooter from getting his team on the board.
Robson played in his sixth-consecutive game Friday. He has won five and has a 1.50 goals against average in those six games.
With the victory, Minnesota stayed at fourth in the Big Ten after third-place Michigan’s upset of Notre Dame.
“To hold them to one, it’s kind of like the games that were [at Ohio State],” Lucia said. “Essentially, they have all been one-goal games because they’re evenly matched teams.”
