Gophers men's hockey wins season-opening thriller over St. Thomas 6-5 in overtime

When St. Thomas took a two-goal lead over the Gophers on Friday, Brody Lamb immediately thought of an old hockey maxim. A two-goal margin, the puckheads say, is the worst lead in hockey.

"We just stayed composed," the Gophers forward said. "Talking to everyone on the bench, we were staying positive, never letting our hope down that our offense would kick in and play the right way."

That timeworn saying proved true again, when a spirited rally lifted the No. 2 Gophers to a 6-5 overtime victory at Xcel Energy Center. In a wild, back-and-forth game, Lamb did his best to make his wish come true, scoring a pair of third-period goals to give the Gophers a brief lead before the Tommies forced overtime.

The Tommies (1-2) took a 4-2 lead 27 seconds into the third period, when Lucas Wahlin scored from the slot. Jimmy Snuggerud started the Gophers' rally with a power-play goal only 20 seconds later. The sophomore winger ended the game with the overtime winner, skating through the left circle and shooting over Tommies goaltender Aaron Trotter 1:24 into the extra frame.

Snuggerud finished with two goals and an assist in the season-opening victory, while Oliver Moore added three assists. Goaltender Justen Close recorded 31 saves, a number equaled by Trotter.

Wahlin, of Woodbury, delivered two goals for the Tommies, connecting again at 13:17 of the third to tie it at 5-5.

"We were right there with the No. 1 team in the nation," said Wahlin, noting the Gophers' ranking in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll. "They got the last bounce, but that's the way it goes. We'll bounce back tomorrow."

The home-and-home series concludes Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

The Tommies entered Friday's game with a big dose of confidence after earning their first-ever victory against a top-10 team. They split with then-No. 8 St. Cloud State last weekend, beating the Huskies 5-4 in overtime on the road and dropping a close 1-0 decision at home. St. Thomas, which had never received votes in a national poll before this season, collected 15 votes in this week's U.S. College Hockey Online rankings.

For much of the night, they gave the Gophers all they could handle. Aaron Huglen and Jaxon Nelson staked the Gophers to a 2-0 lead at the first intermission, scoring at even strength and on the Gophers' first power play. The Tommies took charge with three second-period goals, starting with a shorthanded goal by Mack Byers on a two-on-one.

Liam Malmquist and Luke Manning followed up with goals at 9:38 and 17:25 of the second, putting St. Thomas up 3-2.

"We just got off script," Motzko said. "St. Thomas has a good group of forwards, and they get up and down the rink, but we gave them a free pass. Then we showed some offense in the third period."

After Wahlin's goal made it 4-2, Motzko said it was imperative that the Gophers score quickly on a power play that came shortly after. Snuggerud delivered, sparking his team's rally. Lamb followed with goals at 2:08 and 6:05 of the third, giving the Gophers a 5-4 lead before Wahlin tied it.

Friday's game was the first in modern times between the Gophers and St. Thomas. After Saturday, more could be on the horizon, as Motzko plans to continue scheduling games against crosstown rivals.

"We're going to try to keep fitting them in," he said. "We're going to make that commitment."