Gophers, Spartans close regular season with a tie

Published Mar. 12, 2017 12:17 a.m. ET

The Minnesota Gophers men’s hockey team closed out the regular season with a 1-1 tie at Mariucci Arena.

Michigan State went on to win 2-1 in the shootout, but the game didn’t have any implications in the Big Ten standings as the Gophers already wrapped up the conference’s top spot with their win last night.

The Gophers finish the regular season 14-5-1-0 in the Big Ten and 23-10-3 overall. Michigan State landed in the conference’s cellar with a 3-14-3-1 record and 7-23-4 overall.

Minnesota goaltender Eric Schierhorn played solid all night and recorded a couple of highlight-reel saves:

@GopherHockey Schierhorn makes a great save on a deflection from the point. Watch live @fsnorth PLUS & #FSGO https://t.co/jCwvz0uyE5 pic.twitter.com/MjHTq9TLlu

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) March 12, 2017

Eric Schierhorn absolutely robs Joe Cox on a breakaway to keep it a one goal game. Watch live @fsnorth Plus & #FSGO https://t.co/jCwvz0uyE5 pic.twitter.com/9JAB8wP6st

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) March 12, 2017

After Michigan State opened up a lead, Minnesota senior Jake Bischoff extended his point streak to 10 games with a third-period goal.

Sheehy gets hit, gets up, sets up tic-tac-toe goal for Bischoff. All tied up. Watch live @fsnorth Plus & #FSGO https://t.co/jCwvz0uyE5 pic.twitter.com/DYxRACKtjD

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) March 12, 2017

The Spartans went on to win the shootout after Minnesota’s Connor Reilly missed and Zach Osburn sent one past Schierhorn:

Zach Osburn rips one past Schierhorn and wins it for @MSU_Hockey 2-1 in a shootout. Watch live @fsnorth Plus & #FSGO https://t.co/jCwvz0uyE5 pic.twitter.com/o7dXIgxhhO

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) March 12, 2017

With its first-place finish, Minnesota earned a bye in the conference tournament. The Gophers will play the winner of fourth-seeded Penn State and No. 5 Michigan on March 17.