Gopher finish series against North Dakota with 4-4 overtime tie

Credit: Gopher Sports

As Minnesota plays its final stretch of WCHA games before leaving the conference for the newly formed Big Ten hockey conference next season, the Gophers faced old rivals in North Dakota for the final time in the regular season.

Down two goals to North Dakota, Nick Bjugstad scored the third goal for Minnesota mid-way through the final period and Nate Condon added the game tying goal with under three minutes in regulation to send the game into overtime and an eventual four-all tie.

The Fighting Sioux got out to an early lead thanks to a goal by Danny Kristo in the first period.

Minnesota would answer with a Jake Parenteau goal, his first of the year, a little more than a minute after Kristo’s score, but that tie was broken when UND scored two unanswered goals in the second period.

Sam Warning responded by notching Minnesota’s second goal to bring the deficit to within one entering the third, but the Fighting Sioux did not make the comeback easy as Drake Caggiula scored to stretch the UND lead to two again before the Gophers answered with two game tying goals.

A win would have obviously been preferable for the Gophers on home ice and on Hockey Day Minnesota, but a tie was all that was in store.

Minnesota’s unbeaten streak, following the tie, is at 10 games — the Gophers haven’t lost a game since the last day of November.

Next week, the Gophers will play a home-and-home series against Minnesota State Mankato.