Gophers men’s hockey scores first five goals in Michigan rout

ANN ARBOR, Mich .– The number 3 Michigan, a loaded seven picks in the NHL’s first-round draft, could never have seen it coming.

The Gophers scored the first, second… and fifth goals of the game to rout the Wolverines 5-1 on Friday night at Yost Ice Arena. First-year forward Chaz Lucius scored two goals, his fourth and fifth of the season.

With the win, No.11 Minnesota (10-7, 6-3 Big Ten) dominated Michigan (12-5, 5-4), who had a one-point lead based on another loss. in extension, for the first place in the classification of the conference.

The Gophers took a 3-0 lead in the first period, thanks to goals just under two minutes apart by Brock Faber and Lucius midway through the period and Lucius’ second goal with 19 seconds left.

Faber, a second-year defenseman, scored at 8:33 during a two-man break against Jaxon Nelson. Then Lucius got a pass from Matthew Knies, who had two defenders sandwiching him in the left circle. Lucius, however, was discovered in the lunge and scored with a quick wrist movement at 10:28. Lucius’ second point blank goal came with Wolverines goalie Erik Portillo possibly being partially thrown.

Michigan’s Dylan Duke appeared to score at 11:34 of the second to make it 3-1, but Minnesota contested the goal. And, after a review, officials ruled him out for offside.

If that wasn’t disheartening enough for the Wolverines, just 59 seconds later Blake McLaughlin made it 4-0, sticking the puck in a scrum in front. Jonny Sorenson scored in a rush to the enclave to bring the score to 5-0 with 1:29 remaining in the middle of the period. Sammy Walker had assists on those two goals. Ben Meyers collected two assists in the first period.

The Wolverines ended Jack LaFontaine’s offer for a shutout on Thomas Bordeleau’s goal 1:33 of the third.

LaFontaine finished with 31 saves, 13 in the final period. Portillo and Noah West combined for 27 stops.