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NCAAM: Minnesota Roundup (Dec. 13-14)

By Kyle McLaughlin , 12/17/24, 4:30PM CST

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Catch up on how all six of Minnesota's Division I men's hockey programs did over the weekend.

Bemidji State (8-8-3) vs. Michigan Tech (9-5-2)

A notoriously tough opponent for the Beavers (winning only three of their last 10 matchups against Michigan Tech), Bemidji State trailed 1-0 after one but tied the game 5:45 into period two. The goal was scored by freshman Jaksen Panzer, marking the first collegiate goal for the Grand Forks native.

Early in period three, Bemidji State’s Mitch Wolfe scored a go-ahead goal. However, with their goaltender pulled late in the game, Michigan Tech tied it up at 2-2 with 39 seconds left on the clock, and the game headed to overtime. Adam Flammang (St. Michael) notched the lone goal in the shootout to claim the additional conference point. 

After a tight, low-scoring game one, game two would be just the opposite and a night to forget for the goaltenders, as there were 14 total goals scored. The game was scoreless through most of period one before two goals in quick succession from Patrik Satosaari and Eric Martin put the Beavers up 2-0 at the break. Back-to-back Michigan Tech goals tied it at 2-2 in the second before Jackson Jutting made it 3-2 Bemidji State, but the game would head to the third all square at 3-3.

A goal from Satosaari put the Beavers back in front, but then the wheels fell off, and Michigan Tech scored four unanswered goals to lead 7-4. Jackson Jutting added his second of the night to make it a two-goal game, but there would be no comeback, with the Huskies adding two additional goals late to win 9-5.

The Beavers will have two full weeks off before playing Minnesota Duluth at home on Tuesday, 12/31, with puck drop at 7:07 PM. The team’s next full series will be on the road against Bowling Green on 1/10 and 1/11. 


Jackson Jutting, Bemidji State

No. 1 Minnesota (15-3-2) vs. No. 3 Michigan State (13-2-1)

In their Iron Range alternate jerseys Friday night, it took the Gophers only 23 short seconds to open the scoring off a rebound goal from Brodie Ziemer. Michigan State leveled the scoring early into period two, but shortly after, Brody Lamb lit the lamp for his eleventh goal of the season to make it 2-1.

The Gophers squandered their lead by taking four penalties in the rest of the period, with the Spartans capitalizing on two of them to carry a 3-2 lead into period three. With 8:54 remaining and Minnesota on a power play, Brodie Ziemer buried his second goal of the night to tie the game, which eventually went to overtime and ended in a tie. The Gophers failed to score in the shootout, resulting in the extra point going to Michigan State, with Minnesota’s last shootout victory dating all the way back to 2/14/20. 

Game two opened with a scoreless first period before a three-goal second, with Isaac Howard putting the Spartans on the board first before beautiful finishes from Brodie Ziemer and Aaron Huglen made it 2-1 Minnesota. Early in period three, Brody Lamb added a power play goal to bring it to 3-1, and it appeared to be smooth sailing toward a Minnesota victory.

However, midway through the period, it all unraveled for the Gophers, leading to a three-goal Michigan State spree in less than three minutes to flip the score to 4-3. The Spartans added insult to injury with a late empty netter to come away with a 5-3 win and take the Gophers No. 1 spot in the updated 12/16 rankings. 

Minnesota will look to rest and recuperate over the next three weeks of their holiday break before returning to play Mercyhurst on 1/3 and 1/4. 


Brody Lamb, Minnesota

No. 12 Minnesota State (14-4-2) vs. Lake Superior State (8-9-1)

Going 7-2-1 in the previous 10 games against the Lakers, Minnesota State looked to continue that success in their final series of 2024. Minnesota State’s Luc Wilson opened the series scoring 12:12 into the first, but Lake Superior State erased their goal deficit late in the period to make it 1-1 after one.

That scoreline held until the third period when Luc Wilson notched his second goal of the game to put the Mavericks back in front, and Minnesota State held on to win game one 2-1. 

Minnesota State scored first for the second night in a row off a nice low finish from Rhett Pitlick, but this time theMavericks quickly added a second and led 2-0 after one. After a 13-save first period for goaltender Alex Tracy, he made an additional 16 saves in the second before the Lakers found a way past him to make it 2-1 heading into the final frame.

With 4:16 left in regulation, Lake Superior State lit the lamp once more, and the game eventually headed to overtime, where with one minute remaining, Josh Groll scored his second goal of the night and seventh on the season to secure the home sweep for the Mavericks. Alex Tracy ended the night with 34 saves in the victory, improving his season record to 14-4-2 with a 1.39 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. 

Minnesota State will now play two exhibition games, the first on 12/30 versus Manitoba and the second on 1/7 at St. Norbert College (WI), before returning to conference play against Northern Michigan on 1/10 and 1/11. 


Alex Tracy, Minnesota State

No. 9 St. Cloud State (10-7-0) at No. 16 North Dakota (11-7-1)

Entering the series with a 49-80-18 all-time record against the Fighting Hawks, game one opened with an even first period that ended scoreless. Midway through the second, the home team broke the deadlock and led 1-0 at the end of two, with St. Cloud State’s Gavin Enright keeping the Huskies in it with a 12-save second period. Just over seven minutes into period three, defenseman Jake Livanavage doubled North Dakota’s lead, and that ended up being the final, with T.J. Semptimphelter recording a 24-save shutout. 

The Huskies finally found the scoresheet 11:42 into game two off a shorthanded breakaway goal from Grant Ahcan. In the second, Jayden Perron tied the game for the Fighting Hawks before each squad added a late-period power play goal to head into the third period tied 2-2. Gentry Academy product Barrett Hall scored a go-ahead goal only 1:38 into the period for the Huskies, but the team could not hold onto that lead, allowing Sacha Boisvert to retie the game and eventually head to overtime.

The Huskies had multiple odd-man rush opportunities to win it in overtime but were unable to convert and fell 4-3 to North Dakota. Austin Burnevik tallied a goal and an assist in the game to remain the team’s leading scorer with 16 points in 17 games. 

St. Cloud State will next suit up for a rare Sunday game against St. Thomas on 12/29 at 4:00 PM, with their next series coming against Minnesota Duluth on 1/10 and 1/11. 


Grant Ahcan, St. Cloud State

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