#7 Notre Dame Stuns #2 Minnesota in Winner-Takes-All Game Three; Advances to Big Ten Semifinal

After finishing at the bottom of the regular season standings, the Fighting Irish defied the odds this weekend and officially eliminated the Golden Gophers from the Big Ten Tournament with a 4-1 victory on Sunday.

Photo via Notre Dame Athletics

Prior to Sunday’s game three, the Irish won game one 3-2 and Minnesota won game two 4-2. We recap the decisive game three below:

The first period was fairly quiet with Irish goaltender Owen Say standing on his head, totaling 15 saves in the frame. Notre Dame successfully killed a Brennan Ali slashing penalty nearly four minutes into the game. The quietness was broken with 2:35 on the clock when Jayden Davis finished off a rebound opportunity to put the Irish up 1-0. Davis rebounded Jack Larrigan’s shot; giving Larrigan an assist, as well as Zach Plucinski. 

Notre Dame added their second goal of the night nearly four minutes into the second period when Grant Silianoff put in a rebound off of a Blake Biondi wrap-around. Biondi and Axel Kumlin were credited with assists on the score that extended the Irish lead to 2-0 early in the second.

The rest of the period was back-and-forth as each side tallied ten shots in the frame. The Irish killed another penalty about halfway through the period following a cross-checking call against Kumlin.

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The beginning of the third period was more of the same with both squads continuing to go back-and-forth. This was until the Irish were called for their third penalty of the game 12:01 into the frame after Ryan Helliwell was assessed a holding minor. It took all of eight seconds for Minnesota to respond as Matthew Wood broke Say’s clean sheet and cut the Gophers deficit to 2-1 with 11:53 to play.

Notre Dame found the answer they needed with 7:51 to play when Cole Knuble’s backhander put the Irish up 3-1. A Minnesota turnover in their zone created a 2-on-1 opportunity with Knuble and Justin Janicke and the duo did not leave any doubt. Janicke and Michael Mastrodomenico were credited with assists on the dagger.

With four minutes remaining and desperation setting in, Minnesota pulled their netminder for the extra attacker. The Irish locked in defensively and with 2:20 remaining, Hunter Strand, playing in his 150th career game, put the icing on the cake with an empty-netter from the opposite blue-line to put the visitors up 4-1. Carter Slaggert received an assist on the goal.

The Golden Gophers continued with their empty net to no avail as the Irish secured their date with Michigan State for Saturday’s Big Ten Semifinal. 

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