Badgers men's hockey lets two-goal lead slip away in loss to No. 3 Minnesota

Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice for the Gophers, including the go-ahead goal in the third period.

Wisconsin Badgers Men s Hockey Head Coach Mike Hastings seen Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off against Air Force at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Ebony Cox / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Badgers men's hockey team saw a two-goal lead slip away in a 3-2 loss to third-ranked Minnesota Friday night in the first of their two-game weekend series at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice for the Gophers (8-1-0), including the go-ahead goal 12 minutes, 45 seconds into the third period. Minnesota first got on the board with Ryan Chesley's short-handed goal 9:46 into the second period.

The Badgers (2-7-0) got off to a great start, getting on the board first when Quinn Finley scored a power-play goal 13 minutes, 44 seconds into the first period. Kyle Kukkonen scored 1:21 into the second period for a two-goal lead.

But then Wisconsin gave up three unanswered goals.

William Gramme stopped 28 of 31 Minnesota shots, while Gophers goalie Nathan Airey had 28 saves on 30 shots.

The Badgers meet their border rivals for the series finale at 6 p.m. Saturday back at the Kohl Center.