Minnesota defeated Penn State 5-1 in Game 1 of the Big Ten Tournament first round series. The Gophers scored 4 straight over the final two frames to win its third straight game against the Nittany Lions.
First Period
The Gophers struck first on a bad turnover by Penn State, with Sam Rinzel opening the scoring 7 minutes into the game. Penn State answered almost immediately, as Jacques Bouquot scored on a tap-in with Justin Klose out of position just 28 seconds after the Minnesota goal.
Second Period
Jimmy Snuggerud scored off a great feed from Jaxon Nelson to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead entering the final 20 minutes.