Big Ten Teams Advance to League Semifinals

 

Minnesota, Michigan and Penn State have all advanced in the 2021 Big Ten championship, while the 2020-21 campaigns for Michigan State, Ohio State and possibly Notre Dame have come to an end.

Minnesota (21-6-0 overall) needed overtime to outlast MSU, 2-1, with Sampo Ranta scoring the game-winner midway through the extra session. Bryce Brodzinski had tied the game for the Golden Gophers with five minutes remaining in regulation, after MSU had held  a 1-0 lead since midway through the first period on a power-play goal by Dennis Cesana. Freshman netminder Pierce Charleson made 48 saves in defeat for the Spartans (7-18-2).

Penn State (10-11-0) overcame an early 2-0 deficit by scoring five unanswered goals against host Notre Dame (14-13-2) en route to a 6-3 victory. Connor McMenamin and Chase Mclane had two goals apiece for the Nittany Lions, who also got two assists from three different skaters. Oskar Autio made 33 saves for Penn State, while Dylan St. Cyr did likewise for the Fighting Irish, who had swept the Nittany Lions in a pair of games earlier this month.

In the nightcap, Michigan blanked Ohio State, 4-0, as Brendan Brisson scored the first and fourth goals for the Wolverines (15-9-1), the latter into an empty-net in the third period. Strauss Mann stopped 26 shots to earn the shutout over the Buckeyes (7-19-1).

Today's games feature Penn State against No. 1 seed Wisconsin, and Michigan versus Minnesota. Both games will be played at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind., where the entire tournament is being contested. The Big Ten championship contest will be held tomorrow, and the winner will also earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Also on Sunday, Boston College, UMass Lowell, Massachusetts and Providence all advanced in the Hockey East playoffs, while Niagara did the same in Atlantic Hockey, and Northern Michigan and Minnesota State did likewise in the WCHA.

ADDENDUM: Cole Caufield scored the tying and winning goals, his nation-leading 26th and 27th scores of the season, as Wisconsin rebounded to top Penn State, 4-3, in overtime. Later, Minnesota overcame a two-goal deficit to edge Michigan, 3-2, on Sammy Walker's goal six minutes into sudden death.