Gophers men’s hockey’s nine-game win streak ended after an upset loss against the unranked Bemidji State Beavers on Saturday. 

Two first-period goals from Bemidji State forward Kirklan Irey were all the Beavers needed in their 3-1 win over the Gophers. Minnesota got on the board late in the third period with a goal from junior Matthew Wood, but Bemidji State held off the Gophers and sealed the game with an empty net goal.

The loss against Bemidji State marked the second time the Gophers outshot their opponents and lost, with the first being a 2-1 overtime loss on Oct. 12 against then-ranked No. 15 Omaha. 

Minnesota’s win streak started with a 7-5 win over Minnesota-Duluth in October and featured 40 goals in nine games. During the Gophers’ last win, a 5-3 victory over the Beavers, they led throughout but staved off a last-minute comeback attempt. 

Heading into the Gophers’ first Big Ten matchup against Penn State, head coach Bob Motzko said Minnesota needed to get “punched in the mouth and fight back,” referring to the team’s unfamiliarity of playing without a lead. 

While Minnesota overcame deficits in wins over Wisconsin, they did not replicate the comeback against Bemidji State.

“We did everything but score a goal,” Motzko said after the loss to Bemidji State. “If we could have got one, we would have had two and three, but we couldn’t get one until the very end.”

Motzko said Bemidji State goaltender Mattias Sholl and his team’s defense were key in the loss. He added the Gophers worked on creating traffic in front of goalies at practice on Monday to drive more scoring opportunities.

“We had many opportunities where we could have done that and it’s a refocus in our game now,” Motzko said.

Freshman Brodie Ziemer had six points during the Gophers’ win streak, including an overtime game-winner against Wisconsin to complete the sweep. Ziemer’s overtime goal was a product of driving the goalie crease as he batted in the puck mid-air.

Minnesota’s attention now shifts back to Big Ten play as they travel to South Bend, Indiana, to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ziemer said his confidence grows from playing Big Ten matchups each weekend.

“It’s a lot of fun, honestly,” Ziemer said. “Going back to away rinks is awesome, and I’m continuing to adjust.”

Ziemer has four points in his last four games and is tied for second in conference points among his teammates. Motzko said he loves Ziemer’s play style and the direction of his development.

“He’s got a tougher-than-nails ability to score,” Motzko said. “He’s getting better and better every day and he’s only scratching the surface of how good he’s going to be.”

Minnesota will head into its third Big Ten series as one of three undefeated teams in conference play. Notre Dame is 1-5-0 in the Big Ten this season with its only win being a 3-2 overtime victory over Wisconsin at the beginning of November.

The Gophers’ first game against the Fighting Irish at Compton Family Ice Arena is Friday night.