Gophers Blow 3 Goal Lead, Fall 6-5 in OT

MINNEAPOLIS (GopherSports.com) - A third period rally by No. 14 St. Cloud State spoiled the 2016-17 home opener for the No. 7 Gopher Hockey program as the Huskies notched a 6-5 overtime victory on Friday night at Mariucci Arena.

Tyler Sheehy notched his third multi-point game in three contests this season with a goal and two assists in the loss. Half of Sheehy's six career multi-point games have now come in the opening three games of the season while the sophomore leads the Gophers with eight points (three goals, five assists).

The Gophers also combined for six points from the line of Vinni Lettieri, Rem Pitlick and Leon Bristedt - each with a goal and an assist - while Rem Pitlick notched a pair of assists for his first career multi-point game.

Minnesota (2-1-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten) built a 5-2 lead after Lettieri's opening goal in the first period, a three-goal second period that included Mike Szmatula's first goal with the program and Tommy Novak's early goal in the third. But the Huskies (1-2-0, 0-0-0 NCHC) rallied off four goals to end the game including Jake Wahlin's deciding goal at 2:53 of overtime.

The Gophers were outshot 40-35 in the loss, went 2-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-6 on the penalty kill.Eric Schierhorn took the loss for Minnesota, moving to 2-1-0 on the year with 34 saves in Friday's contest.

Minnesota returns to action in St. Cloud on Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT.