Gophers start fast, hold on for men’s hockey win over Bemidji State

The Gophers men’s hockey team scored three goals in the first period and got an empty-net goal from Brody Lamb with 66 seconds remaining to outlast Bemidji State 5-3 on Thursday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Lamb’s goal was his second of the game.

The Gophers (10-1) won their ninth consecutive game.

“We did a lot of good things tonight, but then we self-inflicted with turnovers and let Bemidji back into it, and we haven’t seen that,” Gophers coach Bob Motzko said. “We were our worst enemy and our best friend in the same game tonight, but we gutted through it.”

Oliver Moore had a goal and assist and Jimmy Snuggerud assisted on two goals in the first period as the Gophers built a 3-1 lead.

BOXSCORE: Minnesota 5, Bemidji State 3

Brodie Ziemer and Lamb scored less than two minutes apart to give the Gophers a 2-0 lead after six minutes of play. Moore assisted on Ziemer’s goal while Snuggerud assisted on both.

Ziemer scored with 16 minutes, 5 seconds remaining in the first period. Lamb scored on the power play 1:47 later. Lamb’s goal came just nine seconds into a power play.

Eric Martin’s power-play goal with 3:54 left in the first period got the Beavers (4-6) within 2-1, but Moore restored the Gophers’ two-goal lead 45 seconds later.

Reilly Funk’s goal six minutes into the second period got the Beavers within 3-2. Less than four minutes later, John Mittelstadt scored to restore the Gophers’ two-goal lead.

The Gophers outshot the Beavers 33-9 in the first two periods, but the Beavers outshot the Gophers 16-6 in the third period.

Nathan Airey had 22 saves for the Gophers.

The two-point game gave Snuggerud 99 points (47 goals, 52 assists) for his Gophers career.

The teams will conclude the home-and-home nonconference series at Bemidji on Saturday.