By: Meghan Lange
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A tightly contested game two of the Big Ten Playoff Quarterfinals went to the home team Saturday as the Irish hockey team fell to the third-ranked Golden Gophers, 4-2, Saturday night. The best-of-three series will be determined Sunday night as the two teams are set to clash once more.
The contest got off to a fast start when Justin Janicke rang a shot off the crossbar just over a minute into the first period. Shortly after Janicke’s near-goal, the Gophers peppered the Irish net with five shots on goal in a short sequence but Owen Say stood tall between the pipes, casting aside each shot faced to keep it scoreless five minutes in.
Following a physical start to the game, the Irish were called for a hook at 12:55 of the first and headed to the box. With Zach Plucinski jumping in front of a puck late in the special teams opportunity, the graduate defenseman helped hold the Gophers without a single shot on the two-minute man-advantage as the game remained scoreless.
The game would remain knotted, 0-0, through the first 20 minutes of play as both teams headed to their respective locker rooms in search of the elusive opening goal.
Notre Dame struck first with a goal off the stick of Hunter Strand just under three minutes into the second stanza.
After the first goal momentum shifted in Notre Dame’s favor as the Irish pressured the Golden Gophers’ net with a series of shots, including a second crossbar for Janicke. Despite the effort, the Irish were unable to break the netminder Nathan Airey and play continued with the 1-0 score.
Just over the halfway mark of the contest, Owen Say made the save of the game as he covered a loose puck behind him right on the goal line. The initial shot by the Minnesota skater bounced off and over his left pad before Michael Mastrodomenico fought off the rebound attempt as Say dove to cover the puck and keep the Gophers off the scoreboard.
The Irish were called for a trip shortly after the defensive output by the Irish and the Gophers would convert, finding the equalizer at 12:29 of the second to make it a 1-1 contest.
Minnesota garnered their first lead of the series at 4:16 of the third period after a failed clear attempt by the Irish wound up in the back of the net to make it a 2-1 contest. The Gophers extended their lead shortly after as a rebound ended up beating the toe save attempt of Say at 7:18 of the third.
The Golden Gophers were called for a hook moments after…