Gophers respond, but MSU picks up another point in shootout win

Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice, and Minnesota rebounded from a lopsided loss on Friday by finishing regulation tied with Big Ten-leading Michigan State on Saturday, 3-3, at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, Mich.

Luke Mittlestadt scored a power-play goal to make it 3-3 with 15 seconds left in the second period, but the second-ranked Spartans won in a shootout to increase their conference lead over the third-ranked Gophers to five points with no more head-to-head, regular-season meetings.

Matt Basgall, Joey Larson and Tanner Kelly each scored an even-strength goal for Michigan State, which improved to 20-3-3 overall, 11-2-3 in the Big Ten. Daniel Larson and Isaac Howard scored in the shootout for the Spartans, while goaltender Trey Augustine stopped both the Gophers’ attempts.

The Gophers (19-6-3, 10-4-2) went 0-2-2 against the Spartans in the regular season. They fell 9-3 in Friday night’s series opener.

“Unfortunately, we had to respond from last night, but fortunately, we did,” Gophers head coach Bob Motzko said. “In all that, that was an excellent hockey game. Those are two of the better teams in the country going at it, and it was a battle out there.

“We have to make that standard for us right now and I think games like this are going to put us back into that frame, that mentality we have to be in.”

Snuggerud scored twice in the second period as the times combined for five goals. He now has goals in five straight games, and 11 over his past 12, for 37 points — two goals and two points behind NCAA leader Howard.