{"id":146686,"date":"2024-03-28T23:59:40","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T04:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/?p=146686"},"modified":"2024-03-29T09:10:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T14:10:13","slug":"minnesota-rallies-with-two-goals-in-third-period-stuns-omaha-to-advance-to-sioux-falls-regional-championship-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2024\/03\/28\/minnesota-rallies-with-two-goals-in-third-period-stuns-omaha-to-advance-to-sioux-falls-regional-championship-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Nelson posts two goals as Minnesota utilizes ‘lot of momentum,’ rallies in third period, stuns Omaha 3-2 to play for Sioux Falls regional championship"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Minnesota is moving on to play for a regional title Saturday night (photo: Tim Brule).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. \u2013<\/strong> Minnesota forward Jaxon Nelson had himself a night to remember near his old hometown.<\/p>\n

Nelson scored twice in the third period, which included the late game-winner as Minnesota rallied to beat Omaha 3-2 on Thursday night at Denny Sanford Premier Center, advancing to Saturday night\u2019s regional final.<\/p>\n

Nelson, a native of Magnolia, Minn., about 40 miles from the arena, had many friends and family in attendance and gave his peers a finish to remember.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great to get the win. It was a great atmosphere,\u201d said Nelson. \u201cIt means a lot, the support from the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joaquim Lemay and Ty Mueller had goals for Omaha, which came into the NCAA tournament red-hot but fell to Minnesota for the second straight time, both in the tournament\u2019s first round in the last four years \u2013 the Gophers won their 2021 NCAA meeting 7-2. But Mavericks coach Mike Gabinet has seen so much growth with his players and the program in-between those meetings, and he felt that was a big part of going into this year\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a big stage, but I felt we were battle tested,\u201d Gabinet said.<\/p>\n

For most of the first period, it seemed like the Gophers were chasing the game. They didn\u2019t spend a lot of time in the offensive zone, and they ended up taking two penalties, one of which was a head contact major on Ryan Chesley, who stayed in the game. Most of the major carried to the second period, and the Mavericks were able to convert it into a goal from Lemay for a 1-0 lead. Those seven minutes of penalty killing really had the Gophers on their heels \u2013 they were being outshot 18-4 by the time the major expired.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeven minutes of killing penalties can really put us in a hole,\u201d said Minnesota coach Bob Motzko. \u201cRight after the penalty kill, we started playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minnesota did indeed seem to wake up after the kill and spent most of the next 10 minutes pushing relentlessly for the tying goal, finally getting it after Connor Kurth made a great play to keep the puck in the offensive zone, feeding Jimmy Clark and going in 2-on-1 with Clark before the latter aimed a perfect laser over Simon Latkoczy\u2019s right shoulder at 18:01 and sending the teams into the second intermission in a 1-1 deadlock. The Gophers were badly outshot when the major expired but finished the final 15 minutes of the frame with a 21-7 SOG advantage to put them ahead 26-25 in that department.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a lot of momentum,\u201d said Kurth.<\/p>\n

However, the Mavericks went back ahead within the first five minutes of the third period as a Jack Randl shot found Mueller on the other end of the net, and he buried it for a 2-1 lead. The Gophers answered a few minutes later when Bryce Brodzinski won a battle behind the UNO net and fed Nelson out front to equalize the game for the second time.<\/p>\n

Then that very same combo in that very same order struck again with just over four minutes left after Omaha\u2019s Tanner Ludtke lost his balance and fell in his own zone along the far wall, turning the puck over to Brodzinski whose shot tipped off the stick of Nelson and in for the winning goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cBryce made a nice play to get the tip,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n

\n

CAPTAIN. CLUTCH.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa: ESPNU pic.twitter.com\/rgesV5GT5e<\/a><\/p>\n

— Minnesota Men\u2019s Hockey (@GopherHockey) March 29, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n