Gophers Defeat Bemidji State 5-3

The two teams now head to Bemidji for Saturday’s series finale

In a unusual Thursday night game, the Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s hockey team knocked off Bemidji State 5-3 in the first game of a home and home series with the Beavers. The two teams will now head back up to Bemidji for Saturday’s series finale. Minnesota has now won nine games in a row, tying their longest stream since 2022.

Minnesota got things going right out of the gate—something that hey have struggled to do this season. The Gophers scored twice in a span of 1:47 less than six minutes into the game that set the tone for the period. Minnesota scored on thier first shot on goal of the game when Brodie Ziemer took a feed from Jimmy Snuggerud and deked the goalie to give Minnesota the early lead.

Just 90 seconds later the Gophers went on the power play fir the first time of the night. They would win the initial draw in the Beaver zone and Brody Lamb would tap in a loose puck in the crease nine seconds later to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead.

Bemidji would get one goal back on a gorgeous tip on a power play of their own with just under four minutes left in the period, but Minnesota would push the lead back to two goals again just 45 seconds later when Oliver Moore tipped a John Whipple shot and put Minnesota up 3-1 headed into intermission.

The Beavers cut the lead to 3-2 after a Mike Koster shot was blocked and spurred a Bemidji breakaway. Nathan Airey couldn’t make the save and Bemidji was back within one. That lasted just a few minutes as John Middelstadt became the 15th Gopher to score a goal this season as his seeing eye shot found its way into the back of the net. Fifth year senior Nick Michel playing his first game with the Gophers due to the injuries earned his first point with an assist on the goal to put Minnesota back up 4-2, and that’s how the period would end.

Minnesota fell into their familiar trap of being complacent with a lead in the third period and had to hang on for dear life. Bemidji again cut the lead to one with a goal with just under nine minutes to play, and had multiple chances to tie the game. Airey made a couple saves, and the Gophers got lucky with a pipe or two saving them, but Lamb would put the game away with an empty net goal with 1:06 to play, and Minnesota hung on for the 5-3 win. Airey would make 25 saves to move to 6-0 on the season.

The two teams will finish off the series in Bemidji on Saturday night. faceoff is set for 6 PM and the game will air on Fox9+ in Minnesota.