U men’s hockey finds right combination to beat Penn State

With his Gophers men's hockey team looking out of sorts offensively and knotted at a goal apiece with Penn State on Friday night, coach Bob Motzko figured it was time to switch things up on a couple of lines.

Motzko swapped Jimmy Snuggerud, who usually plays on a line with center Oliver Moore and left winger Rhett Pitlick, with Bryce Brodzinski, who usually plays with center Jaxon Nelson and left winger Mason Nevers.

The move paid off quickly as Snuggerud scored the go-ahead goal off a beautiful pass from Nelson at 14:21 of the second period, jump-starting the Gophers to a 5-1 victory over the Nittany Lions in the opener of their Big Ten quarterfinal series at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Pitlick added two third-period goals, including a late empty-net tally.

Game 2 is 3:30 p.m. Saturday, and Game 3 (if necessary) is 6 p.m. Sunday.

Sam Rinzel and Aaron Huglen also scored for the Gophers (21-9-5). Goalie Justen Close made 29 saves.

Jacques Bouquot scored for Penn State (17-14-3). Goalie Liam Souliere stopped 22 shots.

Rinzel gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead at 7:21 of the first with a blistering slap shot from the top of the right circle after Penn State turned the puck over in its own zone.

Penn State appeared to tie it 1-1 at 10:28 of the first on Alex Servagno's shot from the point, but Motzko challenged the play for offsides. Officials waved off the goal after a quick video review.

The Nittany Lions got a goal that counted at 10:56 for a 1-1 tie when Dylan Lurgis fed Bouquot for a tap-in past Close to complete a rush. The goal was the first for Penn State in the past three games against Minnesota after the Gophers posted a 3-0, 3-0 sweep on Feb. 9-10.

Minnesota got the game's first power play at 15:21 of the first when Nittany Lions center Dave Dowiak was whistled for tripping. The Gophers had trouble keeping the puck in their zone and got only one shot on goal in the man advantage.

Souliere kept it a 1-1 game with a 46 seconds left in the first by denying Huglen on a rush to the net.

Neither team for a shot on goal for the first 9:41 of the second period as the teams battled for possession along the boards and in the neutral zone. Connor Kurth had a scoring chance on the Gophers' first shot of the period on strong move to the net, but Souliere made the save.

Motzko's line shuffling paid dividends at 14:21 of the second when Nelson sent a backhand pass from the left corner below the goal line to the right side of the net, where Snuggerud tapped the puck past Souliere for a 2-1 lead and his 20th goal of the season. Nevers got the second assist. Snuggerud, a sophomore, reached the 20-mark for the second consecutive season.

The Gophers allowed only one shot on goal in the second period.

Minnesota stretched the lead to 3-1 at 2:18 of the third when Brody Lamb sent a pass out to defenseman Carl Fish at the point. Fish fired a slap shot into traffic, and Huglen tipped it in for his 11th goal of the season.

Penn State, a team that likely needs to win the Big Ten tournament to earn an NCAA tournament bid, showed desperation in the third period, putting 10 shots on goal in the first 10 minutes.

The Gophers bumped the lead to 4-1 at 10:43 of the third when Pitlick backhanded the rebound of a Cal Thomas shot for his 18th goal of the season.

Minnesota put the exclamation point on the win with Pitlick's empty-net goal with 3:01 to play. Fish and Close got the assist.