NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Hobey Baker Award and Mike Richter Award nominee Jack LaFontaine posted Minnesota’s first consecutive defeats in just a decade this weekend, ending a sweep of two Big Ten games at Notre Dame with another 3-0 win on Saturday night.
Minnesota (17-5-0 overall, 13-5-0-0-0-0 Big Ten) defeated his opponent in consecutive games for the first time since Kent Patterson closed the Sacred Heart twice in Minneapolis in October. 7-8, 2011, while this weekend’s road sweep marked only the second time in the modern era of the program (after 1950) that the team had two consecutive defeats in a series of road (LaFontaine is the first goalkeeper in the era program to make the road as the only registered goalkeeper).
The alternate captain made 28 saves in 28 shots to secure his 15th win of the year in the NCAA, with LaFontaine (15-5-0) ending the weekend with 52 saves in 52 shots and now has five shutouts in the season. Ryan Bischel lost to Notre Dame (10-11-1, 8-9-1-1-2-1), making 25 saves in 28 shots.
On the other side of the ice, the Gophers overcame a slow first period for another three-goal attacking performance as teammates Sampo Ranta, Brannon McManus and Scott Reedy connected twice while Nathan Burke added an unattended count.
McManus pointed out the eventual winner of the game with his seventh goal of the year, after an incredible pass from Ranta at 4:09 of the second period (Reedy also helped in the decisive goal). Then Burke increased the lead just over two minutes later, when he forced a turn and scored the third of the year at 6:16.
The trio of Ranta, Reedy and McManus got together again in the third period, when Ranta doubled in his 14th place of the year at 15:11, with junior ending the game in second place in the country in terms of goals. Ranta, who is now tied for leading the team with Sammy Walker, has already set new career records for goals (14) and points (22) this year.
Both teams recorded 28 shots in the game.
Coach Quotes
“We’ve seen Jack at the top of his game for almost a year and a half now,” Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said. “He also looks so calm … nothing has been shaken. That’s when you know a goalkeeper called – nothing seems difficult, everything seemed easy for him.”
Noteworthy
Minnesota will finish the weekend in first place in the Big Ten with 39 points, ahead of Wisconsin with 34 currently (the Badgers will end their series in Michigan on Sunday after falling in the series opening) …Blake McLaughlin it almost continued an unbelievable streak at the Compton Family Ice Arena, as the junior failed to score a goal for the first time in six regular season games there. Junior reached the goal on Saturday with a prominent goal just for the referees to analyze the game and consider the Gophers impeded … Maroon & Gold has already won eight sweeps this season.
Next: Hosting the Spartans
Minnesota returns to action next weekend, hosting Michigan State for a series of two Big Ten games at 3M Arena in Mariucci. The weekend starts on Friday, February 19 at 7 pm CT (TV: FOX Sports North Plus; Stream: BTN + / FOX Sports Go; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM / 103.5 FM) before concluding on Saturday , February 20 at 5:00 pm CT (CT (TV: FOX Sports North / FOX Sports Detroit; Stream: BTN + / FOX Sports Go; Radio: 1130 KTLK-AM / 103.5 FM).