MINNEAPOLIS — Ripping shots with ease, the No. 1 Michigan hockey team outpowered and outshot Minnesota. As the Wolverines trampled over the Golden Gophers, Minnesota goaltender Luca Di Pasquo held his best defense, but eventually fell to the overwhelming pressure of Michigan’s offensive production.
While Di Pasquo tied his record with 47 saves on the night, the Wolverines offered very little room to breathe, and Minnesota’s defensive gaps cost it too much in the 5-1 loss.
“It’s just so cliche, but sticking to the process,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “When you’re playing the right way and you wear them down by us playing in the offensive zone. It’s just field position and then you grind them down. Later on in the game, you get rewarded.”
In the first period, the Wolverines more than doubled the Gophers’ shots 16-7, as Minnesota didn’t manage to record one until halfway through the starting period. The majority of Michigan’s forwards had a chance to let pucks fly and test Di Pasquo early on before the Gophers could create a response of their own.
And as Wolverines continuously peppered shots at Di Pasquo, his quick responses and rebound control limited Michigan to only one goal in the first period as Minnesota produced one of its own.
Heading into the second period, the Gophers attempted to catch up on the offensive front, but the Wolverines used their time to break open the period with a two-goal performance. Sophomore forward Michael Hage brought the puck down from the neutral zone and split two Minnesota defensemen as Di Pasquo got beat through the five-hole. Twenty seconds later, junior forward Jayden Perron followed suit with the third goal of the night through a wide-open gap left by the Gophers’ defense.
From there, even as Di Pasquo continued to have a career night and hold the net, Michigan simply had too much force to be contained.
“It started with our defending,” freshman defenseman Drew Schock said. “Being quick to close and killing plays early so we can go play offense and go have fun in the (offensive) zone.”
Aligning to Naurato’s gameplan, each shot thrown at the Gophers’ net cracked their falling defense an inch more. During the final period of the night, Minnesota’s tank was empty, and it faltered to hold down its defensive zone the way it had early in the game. As the Wolverines scored twice more in the third period and pulled apart the Gophers defense even further, their domination of offensive-zone time limited Minnesota’s few scoring chances. After recording just two shots to Michigan’s 22 in the final 20 minutes, the Gophers were no longer a working machine but scattered parts across the ice.
“When you have 50 shots, usually four or five are bound to go in,” Hage said. “That should be enough. He was good, but we played and shot really well.”
Di Pasquo earned his 47 of 52 saves on the night, and despite allowing five goals in, he posted a .903 SV% from the game. His performance didn’t earn first star of the night, but he kept Minnesota from facing a larger loss to the Wolverines.
Michigan’s offense suffocated the Gophers’ while delivering shot after shot. And though Di Pasquo performed to his best ability, it simply became too much as the crease crumbled under him.
