Disputed goal helps No. 16 R.I.T. over No. 1 Minnesota State 2-1

Rochester Institute of Technology pulled off the upset of the overall No. 1 seed Minnesota State behind a solid effort from senior goaltender Jordan Ruby and an overturned game-winning goal.

RIT beat MSU 2-1 in the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals Saturday at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind. It was a Division I-best eighth win in a row for RIT.

The game was tied 1-1 until late in the third period, a stretch where the Mavericks dominated and had multiple chances to take the lead. But with 5:51 on the clock and being outshot 13-2 in the third until that point, RIT broke the tie.

The game-winner didn’t come without controversy. Junior Josh Mitchell’s 16th goal of the season was quickly waved off on the ice but then overturned after an official review.

On the play, RIT’s Matt Garbowsky and MSU’s Zach Palmquist made contact with each other. As Garbowsky skated by the front of the net, Palmquist continued backward, falling into his own goaltender, Stephon Williams. As Palmquist and Williams were in a pile just to the side of the goal, Mitchell’s shot from the circle went into the goal. Senior Brad McGowan got the assist.

According to the NCAA official statement on the video replay, referees first made the no-goal call as a result of contact by the RIT forward and MSU defender, which they felt caused Williams to be interfered with on the play.

After video review, referees determined the Minnesota State player “initiated the contact with the RIT player” and overturned the call, according to the statement.

RIT had the 2-1 lead, plus a little momentum in the final minutes of the game.

The Mavericks pulled Williams with about two minutes remaining as they tried to get the equalizer. But they didn’t win a couple of key faceoffs in the RIT zone, including a final one with 13.3 seconds left, sealing their fate.

The loss snapped Minnesota State’s five-game winning streak and added to its winless NCAA tournament record, now at 0-4.

The Mavericks got off to a slow start in the first period, and the Tigers took advantage, jumping to a 1-0 lead just 4:30 into the game. RIT junior Alexander Kuqali worked to keep the puck in the offensive zone then drove to the net. He beat the goalie on the glove side with a backhand shot. Garbowsky and Mitchell had the assists.

Minnesota State’s game started to come around later in the first period, but it was held scoreless after 20 minutes, also going 0-for-3 on the power play during that stretch.

RIT came out with energy and seemed ready to play, while MSU struggled to get into the offensive zone and generate chances.

The game took on more of an even feel in the second period. Minnesota State shook off the early-game struggles and found its game.

The Mavericks finally cashed in on their fourth power play chance, tying the game at 1 halfway through the second period. It took just 13 seconds into the man advantage for MSU junior Teddy Blueger to fire a slapshot from the top of the circle into the back of the net for his 11th goal of the season. Jon Jutzi and Sean Flanagan got credit for the helpers.

That gave the Mavericks a surge of momentum. Not long after, they rang the puck off the crossbar.

In the loss, MSU outshot RIT 34-19 for the game, including a 16-5 margin in the final period.

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Gopher women roll into Frozen Four — again

Minneapolis — There might have been an exposed nerve or two among the University of Minnesota women’s hockey players heading into the NCAA tournament, senior defenseman Rachel Ramsey said, but with one game standing between the Gophers and the Frozen Four, a different emotion prevailed.

“I think everybody was more excited than anything,” Ramsey said after the Gophers dispatched the Rochester Institute of Technology 6-2 in front of 1,796 Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena. “The locker room was pretty loose, actually. I think everyone was ready to have some fun.”

For the fourth season of Ramsey’s four at Minnesota, the Gophers climbed back into the Frozen Four with a methodical thumping of a game-but-overmatched RIT squad.

Ramsey said she and fellow seniors Rachael Bona, Meghan Lorence and Shyler Sletta have been keenly aware that every game could be their last. Now they have at least one additional game, a semifinal against Wisconsin March 20 at Ridder in the first round of a tournament that has long been sold out.

“It’s always fun to play Wisconsin,” Ramsey said. “We play great against them; they play great against us. Personally, it’s my favorite rivalry. In my opinion usually it’s the best example of women’s college hockey that there is.”

To get there, the Gophers pelted RIT goalie Ali Binnington with 51 shots Saturday — 39 in the first two periods — scored on 3 of 5 power plays and added an empty-netter in the final minute. In addition, they skated off two major penalties including one to begin the second period when they led just 3-1.

That presented his team a glimmer of hope, Tigers coach Scott McDonald pointed out, but the Gophers said no.

“They just smothered us out there,” McDonald said.

Hannah Brandt and Kate Schipper each netted a goal and two assists while Ramsey, Milica McMillen and Maryanne Menefee chipped in one goal and one assist apiece to lead the Minnesota offense.

Although the Tigers could not overcome that, they turned in a credible performance in their first trip to the NCAA Division I tournament. Three seasons ago, RIT won the NCAA Division III title before moving up to DI.

“It’s a huge step for our program in a three-year period, to get to this level already,” McDonald said.

But McDonald knew that his team, which came to Minneapolis with a 15-18-5 record, had an unenviable assignment against the top-seeded Gophers.

“Minnesota’s a tough team; that’s the best team we’ve seen all year, no question about it,” he said. “They look like a veteran squad out there and they are a veteran squad, playing in the last three national championship games. They played like it today.”

The game became chippy at times, with Minnesota taking 36 minutes in penalties to 14 for RIT, but Gophers coach Brad Frost said his players avoided most of the rough stuff and simply did what was necessary.

“Just the magnitude of the game brought out the best in our players,” he said.

Frost’s team has been waiting for another shot at the Frozen Four since dropping a 5-4 decision to Clarkson in the national championship game more than 50 weeks ago, so Frost admitted that as the Frozen Four host team, the pressure was evident.

“Now that we’re there,” he said, “I know they’ll play very free and are really excited about the opportunity.”

The Gophers, now 32-3-4, won NCAA titles in 2012 and ’13 before tumbling a year ago. They will be shooting for their sixth national championship if they reach the final March 22.

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