Johnnies Win 35th MIAC Title, Vikings Head to Sunny California

The St. John's University football team scored a last-second touchdown to beat Bethel and win the MIAC Championship in Arden Hills. The Gopher men's hockey and basketball teams, Granite City Lumberjacks, Minnesota Wild, and NDSU football team also came out of their Saturday matchups on top.

The SCSU men's hockey team, Golden Gopher football team, St. Cloud Norsemen, and Minnesota Timberwolves were not so lucky. Meanwhile the Gopher men's and women's basketball teams are looking to build on their momentum heading into Sunday's games, and the Minnesota Vikings will travel to Los Angeles to face the Chargers in what might just be a do or die matchup.

RECAPS:

- The Gopher men's hockey team shut out Ohio State 2-0 to earn the weekend series split. Johnny Sorenson and Matthew Knies each netted one for Minnesota, while Jack LaFontaine made a perfect 13 saves. The Gophers improve to 7-5 and will host Penn State on Friday at 7:00 p.m.

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- The SCSU men's hockey team dropped game two of the weekend series to Omaha 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. Jack Peart and Kevin Fitzgerald both scored a single goal for St. Cloud. The Huskies fall to 9-3 and will travel to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan (6-4) on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

- The SCSU men's basketball team kept their momentum going with a blowout 102-72 win over Harding University at Hallenbeck Hall. Stetson Smithson led all scorers with 19 points for the Bison. Matthew Willert led St. Cloud with 18 points and seven rebounds. The Huskies improve to 2-0 and will host Clarke University on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

- The Lumberjacks shut out Wilmar 4-0 at home Saturday night. Granite City shared the puck, with four players scoring goals in the win. Goalie Matthew Smith made a perfect 20 saves. The Lumberjacks improve to 16-1 and will travel to St. Louis to face the Jr. Blues at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

- The Norsemen were shut out 6-0 in game two against the Minotauros. Minot goaltender Zach Sanday made a perfect 42 saves, while St. Cloud goalies Tomas Bolo and Ethan Dahlmeir combined for 21 saves and six goals allowed. The Norsemen fall to 9-6 and will look to rebound when they host North Iowa on Saturday. Puck-drop is set for 7:00 p.m.

- The Golden Gopher football team dropped their second straight 27-22 at Iowa. Tanner Morgan completed 14 of 30 for 183 yards and one touchdown for Minnesota. Cole Kramer added one 37-yard touchdown pass. The Gophers fall to 6-4 and will travel to Indiana on Saturday. Kick-off is set for 2:30 p.m.

- The Bison rallied from their first loss of the season by putting up an impressive 49-17 win over Youngstown State. Cam Miller completed 10 of 14 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. TaMerik Williams had 18 carries for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The Bison improve to 9-1 and will host the University of South Dakota to close out the regular season on Saturday. Pre-game coverage kicks off at 1:30 p.m. on AM 1390 and 93.9 FM Granite City Sports.

- The Johnnies remained undefeated, won the MIAC title, and punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament thanks to a last second touchdown. Tight end Alex Larson caught the game-tying three-yard touchdown pass from Chris Backes with one second remaining on the clock. Conor Pavelko made the extra point and SJU topped Bethel 29-28. The win marked the 35th MIAC championship title and 24th 10 win season in program history. The Johnnies now await their matchup in round one of the NCAA Division III Tournament which begins on Saturday.

- The Timberwolves fell to the L.A. Clippers for the third time this season 129-102 on the road Saturday night. PAul George led all scorers with 23 points for Los Angeles. Anthony Edwards put up 21 points and snagged nine rebounds for Minnesota. The Wolves fall to 4-8 and will return home to host the 8-3 Suns on Monday. Pre-game starts at 6:30 p.m. on AM 1390 and 93.9 FM Granite City Sports.

- The Wild held off the Kraken to earn a 4-2 win on the road. Rem Pitlick scored his first NHL goal on his way to a hat trick for Minnesota. Cam Talbot made 28 saves and allowed two goals. The Wild improve to 10-4 and will return to St. Paul to host the Sharks on Tuesday. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on AM 1390 and 93.9 FM Granite City Sports.

PREVIEWS:

- The Vikings are currently 3-5 overall after coming up short in many close games this season. They face the 5-3 Chargers in Los Angeles on Sunday. L.A. has won three of their last five. The game could be make or break for Minnesota who could get significantly closer to .500 with a win. The Vikings will be without several key players due to both injuries and COVID. Pre-game coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. on AM 1240 and 95.3 FM WJON.

- The Gopher men's basketball team will face off against Princeton University on Sunday in the Asheville Championship title game. The Gophers and the Tigers have only met three times, most recently in 2004. Minnesota owns the overall record 3-0. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.

- The Gopher women's basketball team will return to Williams Arena to host George Washington University on Sunday. Both teams are currently 1-1. This game marks just the second contest between the two programs. In 2019, the Gophers traveled to Washington D.C. and beat the Colonials 83-50. Tip-off for Sunday's game is set for 2:00 p.m.