The rematch is Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center, where the two teams played a spirited game last season the Gophers won 6-5 in overtime. They won 3-0 at Mariucci the next day.
Friday’s three first-period goals came from three different players: Junior defenseman Ryan Chesley, freshman August Falloon and junior winger Connor Kurth, who continued his torrid scoring with his fifth goal in the first five games.
Chesley scored his third goal this season, tying the game with 11:13 gone with a blast from inside the top of the right circle after St. Thomas stopped a Jimmy Snuggerud shot but couldn’t clear it out of danger.
Falloon scored his first collegiate goal just 1:16 later, after Rinzel’s wraparound shot from behind the Tommies net was stopped. But Falloon was there on the other side at 12:29.
Gophers coach Bob Motzko calls Kurth a “rat” of a scorer around the net and he scored again for the 3-1 lead after delivering a three-goal game in the season-opening 7-1 win over Air Force in Las Vegas two weeks ago.
Kurth scored again assisted by graduate defenseman Mike Koster and linemate Matthew Wood at 17:32 in the first.
