Michigan
Gophers go missing in third period, fall hard against Spartans in men’s hockey
When Gophers forward Brody Lamb pounced on a rebound in front of Trey Augustine and swatted the puck past the Michigan State goalie 3 minutes, 21 seconds into the third period Saturday, the roar of the 9,922 at 3M Arena at Mariucci was full throat. Lamb’s goal gave top-ranked Minnesota a two-goal lead over the No. 3 Spartans, and the crowd was prepared to celebrate a win in the series finale between Big Ten powers.
Turns out, Michigan State had other plans.
Trailing by two goals with less than nine minutes to play, the Spartans got goals from Isaac Howard, Maxim Štrbák and Charlie Stramel in a span of 2:51 to stun the Gophers 5-3 and silence the crowd. Red Savage set the final score with an empty-net goal with 35 seconds to play.
“We ran out of gas,” Gophers coach Bob Motzko said. “Momentum flipped on us, and that’s what we were afraid of. We were running on fumes.”
Instead of entering their three-week break on a winning note, the Gophers (15-3-2, 8-1-1 Big Ten, 24 points) took only one of a possible six points over the weekend. The teams tied 3-3 Friday, with MSU winning a shootout for the extra point.
On Saturday, Brodie Ziemer and Aaron Huglen scored second-period goals for Minnesota, and goalie Liam Souliere made 25 saves.
Howard also scored in the second period for Michigan State (13-2-1, 6-1-1, 19 points), which got 24 saves from Augustine.
“Getting the lead in the third, we’ve got to figure out a way to hold that, especially in big games like this,” Lamb said. “So, that’s going to sting for two weeks going into the break, but we’ll be back.”
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Dusty May is leaving Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks. What now?
Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia breaks down the “shocking” news of Michigan basketball coach Dusty May leaving for the NBA.
At the University of Michigan’s board of regents meeting on Thursday, June 25, interim president Domenico Grasso addressed the departure of former Michigan basketball coach Dusty May, calling the move a “bellwether” for college athletics.
May, who had reportedly agreed in principle to a contract extension with the Wolverines but had yet to sign it, left the program on Monday, June 22. One day later, he was in Brooklyn for the NBA Draft where his Dallas Mavericks selected his former player, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr., with the No. 9 overall pick.
“Our current system is in dire need of clarity and equitable reform,” Grasso said at the regents meeting. “Coach May told me that among his reasons for leaving were uncertainties and pressures involving the transfer portal and NIL support for student-athletes.
“He and I agree that the future of college sports is headed in the wrong direction.”
While Grasso did say the new “Protect College Sports Act” could provide “greater stability, clearer national standards and more consistent rules” to college athletics, he also said it has “deeply concerning provisions.”
“Rather than looking to conferences such as the Big Ten as models of athletic and academic excellence, it imposes restrictions that disproportionately affect the institution,” he said. “Among the most troubling provisions are targeted limits on conference expansion and realignment, as well as harmful restrictions on student athletes’ ability to benefit from additional NIL opportunities. These measures will reduce universities and conferences’ flexibility to adapt to changing conditions for student innovative opportunities.
“We want what’s best for the Big Ten and for Michigan. We are not going to sacrifice competitive advantage that we built for more than a century. We stand ready to work with legislators on a bill that will establish a system in which every university can compete and thrive for generations to come.”
May spent just two years in Ann Arbor but made a lasting mark on the program. He went 64-13 during his time, won the 2024-25 Big Ten Tournament championship, the 2025-26 Big Ten championship and finished his time in Ann Arbor defeating UConn, 69-63, to win the national championship on Monday, April 6.
“When my family and I came to Ann Arbor two years ago, we hoped we could help bring Michigan basketball back to where it belongs,” May said in a goodbye statement to U-M. “This wasn’t an easy decision. An opportunity came along that was right for my family and something I felt I needed to pursue, but that doesn’t change how much these last two years have meant to us.
“Thank you for trusting us, believing in us and making these last two years so much fun. It was an honor to coach at Michigan and wear the Block M.”
On Tuesday, June 23, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel officially announced assistant basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr. would be appointed as interim head coach.
That set a clock for the transfer portal to open for U-M players on Friday, July 24, 31 days after Boynton’s appointment as interim.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
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