(The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Gophers hockey recruit Brannon McManus celebrates USHL Clark Cup championship
Brannon McManus is expected to be part of the Gophers' 2017-2018 highly touted freshman class that includes star forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Scott Reedy.
By jason.gonzalez
May 24, 2017 at 8:30PM
Gophers hockey recruit Brannon McManus hoisted the Clark Cup Tuesday night celebrating the Chicago Steel franchise's first USHL championship.
The Steel scored 11:30 into overtime against the Sioux City Musketeers to win the decisive Game 5 of the Clark Cup Finals, 2-1.
McManus, the Shattuck-St. Mary's product from Newport Beach, Calif., finished the postseason with six goals, four assists and three game-winning goals. The forward was scoreless Tuesday, but had two assists in Game 4 and two goals in Game 2 of the Clark Cup Finals.
"We dream of this game, especially Game 5, and it went into overtime," McManus said, "and that's something you always want, to be the hero. … Now we're just 4-year-olds out there [celebrating]. It's awesome."
McManus is expected to be part of the Gophers' 2017-2018 highly touted freshman class. The group also includes star forwards Casey Mittelstadt (Green Bay Gamblers/Eden Prairie) and Scott Reedy (U.S. national developmental team/Prior Lake), and defensemen Nate Knoepke (U.S. national developmental team/Farmington) and Sam Rossini (Penticton Vees/Inver Grove Heights).
McManus will be only the second Californian to play for the Gophers hockey program. The first was 1988 Olympic goalie John Blue.
More from McManus' championship celebration:
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A 16-0 run and Annika Stewart’s three-pointer cut the lead to three with 20 seconds remaining, but the No. 8 Terrapins held off the No. 24 Gophers at the free-throw line from there for a 99-92 victory.
