Gophers men's hockey suffers biggest loss of the season at Ohio State

Minnesota struggled on Friday night in Columbus.

Apr 6, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Minnesota defenseman Mike Koster (4) is congratulated by forward Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud (81) after scoring a goal against Boston University in the first period in the semifinals of the 2023 Frozen Four college ice hockey tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Despite having its deepest roster in weeks, the third-ranked Gophers men's hockey team struggled on Friday night in Columbus, Ohio, falling 5-1 to No. 11 Ohio State. The four-goal loss was the team's biggest defeat of the season.

The IIHF World Junior Championship wrapped up last week, so Minnesota finally got Oliver Moore, Brodie Ziemer and Matthew Wood all back in the lineup. It was apparent that they needed more time to regain chemistry with the rest of the Gophers team.

Ohio State jumped out to a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. The lead doubled after the second period, and the Gophers couldn't even get on the board until midway through the third period. Sam Rinzel scored his ninth goal of the season, but it was too little too late, as the Buckeyes led 4-1.

Rinzel's 9th of the year pic.twitter.com/a4dY7T1TDt
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) January 10, 2025

Ohio State added an empty-net goal, making the final score 5-1. The Gophers hadn't even lost a game by three goals this season, but the four-goal loss tops their previous two-goal losses at Bemidji State in November and at home against Michigan State in December.

The Buckeyes came into the weekend ranked 11th in this country and they proved to be a formidable opponent on the road. Minnesota now falls to 17-4-2 overall and 8-2-1 in Big Ten play. The final game of the series is set for 5:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, and it will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

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