Di Pasquo’s 41 Saves Help Minnesota Battle No. 1 Wisconsin to Draw

Goaltender Luca Di Pasquo stopped 41 shots as No. 18/17 Minnesota battled top-ranked Wisconsin to a 1-1 tie Thursday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Big Ten Conference play.

The Gophers (3-3-3, 1-0-2 Big Ten) extended their unbeaten streak to six games, though the Badgers (6-0-1, 2-0-1) claimed the extra conference point by winning the shootout after a scoreless overtime.

Minnesota grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period when Mason Moe scored on a power play at 9:43. Tarin Smith set up the goal with a cross-ice pass that found Moe streaking into the offensive zone.

Wisconsin equalized at 6:52 of the second period and controlled much of the play, outshooting Minnesota 17-5 in the frame. Di Pasquo and the Gophers’ defense held firm the rest of the way, with the senior netminder repeatedly turning away quality chances from the nation’s No. 1 team.

Minnesota nearly reclaimed the lead in th...