Heartbreak: Gophers fall short in Frozen Four, losing 3-2 in OT to Quinnipiac
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TAMPA, FLA. – A Big Ten regular-season title for the second year in a row. The No. 1 ranking for most of the season. A second consecutive trip to the Frozen Four. The national coach of the year. Two of the three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists. And three first-team All-America selections. The Gophers’ accomplishments were long and distinguished in the 2022-23 season, but Saturday night they couldn’t tie it all together with a big golden bow.
Jacob Quillan scored on a two-on-one rush 10 seconds into overtime as No. 2 Quinnipiac defeated the top-ranked Gophers 3-2 for its first national championship on Saturday night at Amalie Arena. The Gophers were denied their sixth national championship.
On the winning play, Sam Lipkin hit Quillan with a pass, and Quillan slid the puck around Gophers goalie Justen Close and into the net, stunning the mostly pro-Minnesota crowd.
John Mittelstadt and Jaxon Nelson scored goals and Close made 27 saves for the Gophers (29-10-1), who led 2-0 in the second period.
Christophe Tellier and Skyler Brind’Amour scored, and goalie Yaniv Perets made 13 saves for the Bobcats (33-5-3), who were playing in their third national championship game since 2013.
The Gophers went on a power play only 21 seconds into the game when Brind’Amour hit defenseman Mike Koster in the head with an elbow. The play was reviewed, and Brind’Amour received a minor for indirect contact to the head rather than a major. Quinnipiac killed the penalty with Perets making two saves on Jimmy Snuggerud.
The Gophers controlled play early and took a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first when Conor Kurth intercepted an errant Bobcats pass at the blue line and skated in alone on Perets. When the goalie committed to the right side of the net, Kurth skated around the cage and fed fourth-line center John Mittelstadt in the crease for the goal.
Quinnipiac didn’t get its first shot on goal until 6:53 had expired. The Bobcats continually dumped the puck into the Minnesota zone, but the Gophers were there to beat them to the puck.
Quinnipiac started to possess the puck and forced Close to make a save on Collin Graf at 16:53. The first period ended with the Gophers leading 7-3 in shots on goal. The Bobcats won 11 of 19 faceoffs in the period.
The Bobcats started the second with more energy, getting three shots on Close in the first two minutes.
The Gophers, however, made it 2-0 at 4:24 of the second when Nelson poked home a rebound of a shot from the point by defenseman Brock Faber.
Quinnipiac responded at 7:41 of the second and cut the lead to 2-1 when defenseman Zach Metsa sent a pass from the right boards to Tellier at the front of the net. Tellier deflected the puck past Close.
Perets kept it a one-goal game at 9:54 of the second with a point-blank save on Aaron Huglen.
The Bobcats got their first power play at 12:12 of the second when Snuggerud was called for tripping. The Gophers killed the penalty with Close making one save.
At 15:32 of the second, the Bobcats had a flurry in front of the Minnesota net after a Gophers turnover, but Close gloved Desi Burgart’s shot to end the threat.
Quinnipiac had 12 shots on goal to the Gophers’ six in the second, building a 15-13 edge through 40 minutes.
The Bobcats pinned the Gophers in their end early in the third, and Close made three saves in the first 1:49 to keep the lead.
The Gophers went on a power play at 3:17 of the third when Brind’Amour was called for hooking, but Quinnipiac killed the penalty.
Quinnipiac’s pressure continued, and the Bobcat had the Gophers running around in their zone. A media timeout with 10:54 left gave Minnesota a chance to regroup.
With 8:30 left the Gophers had a two-on-one with Cooley and Snuggerud, but Snuggerud fired high.
After the tired Gophers iced the puck with 6:43 left in the third, Gophers coach Bob Motzko called his timeout to get the trapped players some rest.
The Bobcats went on the power play at 15:08 when Cooley was called for high sticking, drawing protests from the crowd. Cooley and Sam Lipkin were battling, and Lipkin was holding Cooley’s stick before the call was made.
With 36 seconds left in the power play, Bobcats coach Rand Pecknold pulled Perets for an extra attacker. They didn’t score on the power play, but Brind’Amour tied the score 2-2 on a rebound of a Metsa shot at 17:13.
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