Gophers score early, often in 7-4 win over UMD

Published Oct. 7, 2018 11:59 p.m. ET

After skating to a 1-1 tie in the season opener, No. 13 Minnesota and No. 1 Minnesota Duluth put on a show Sunday night in the second game of their home-and-home series.

The Gophers scored early and often, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, before dealing the defending national champions a 7-4 loss in Minneapolis.

Sophomore forward Brannon McManus kicked things off with a pair of goals mid-way through the first period, scoring at 7:13 and 10:45 to give the Gophers an early lead.

Senior forward Tyler Sheehy added a power play tally at 16:34 to give Minnesota a 3-0 lead heading into the second period.

The Bulldogs finally broke through at 9:46, when freshman forward Noah Cates scored on the power play, before sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson cut the deficit to one goal a few minutes later, at 14:41.

It didn't take Minnesota long to respond.

Freshman forward Sammy Walker answered less than a minute later, scoring at 15:26, before junior forward Rem Pitlick scored on shorthanded at 16:31 to restore the Gophers' three-goal lead.

Freshman forward Garrett Wait made it 6-2 Gophers at 3:08 of the third period, but the Bulldogs fought back, getting a pair of goals from freshman forward Jackson Cates 10 minutes apart in the final frame.

Freshman forward Sampo Ranta tacked on a seventh Gophers goal with six minutes to play.

The Bulldogs out-shot the Gophers 46-22 despite the final score.

Bulldogs junior goalie Hunter Shepard exited early in the third period after allowing six goals on just 11 shots, while junior Nick Deery finished out the game, allowing a goal on four shots.

Junior Mat Robson got the start in net for the Gophers, allowing four goals on 42 shots.

The Gophers return to action Saturday, Oct. 13 for an exhibition tilt with the U.S. under-18 team, with the Bulldogs hit the road for a two-game series with Michigan Tech Oct. 13-14.