Another lackluster third period cost the Wisconsin men's hockey team a chance for a point Saturday night as the Badgers fell to Minnesota 3-1 at Mariucci Arena.
On this night, it was the Badgers who drew first blood. Ryan Little tallied a shorthanded goal for Wisconsin in the latter moments of the first period to give UW a 1-0 lead at the first intermission.
Nick Bjugstad knotted the game at one when he lit the lamp at the 7:14 mark of the second. That score would hold into the third period until Tom Serratore sniped a shot past Joel Rumpel to give the Golden Gophers a 2-1 edge that they would not relinquish.
An empty net goal in the final minute of the game sealed the deal for Minnesota.
Apart from the go-ahead goal, the story of the third period was Wisconsin's inability to stay out of the penalty box in the final 20 minutes of the contest. Though they did not surrender any power play goals, the Badgers greatly diminished their chances of a comeback by taking four penalties in the period, including a late call on Frank Simonelli that negated UW's lone power play of the stanza.
Wisconsin was, once again, out-shot by a healthy margin. The Gophers held a 28-17 advantage in shots on goal.
Rumpel recorded 25 saves in the loss.
With the loss, the Badgers fall to 1-5-2 overall, 1-3-2 in WCHA play. Wisconsin will return home to take on Minnesota State-Mankato next weekend in a two-game set. The series will get underway Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
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