Minnesota goalie gets leveled, a breakdown

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are on the power play against the Michigan State Spartans. Minnesota freshman forward Matt Koethe controls the puck as he enters the offensive zone down the left wing. Koethe tries to thread a cross-ice pass, but it's deflected by a Spartan defenseman. The puck bounces up the boards and Michigan State junior forward Jagger Joshua gives chase. Joshua reaches the puck first and takes a stride towards the Minnesota net, where sophomore goaltender Justen Close has come out to play the puck. Seeing the opportunity, Joshua lowers his shoulder and delivers a hard, legal hit on the goaltender, knocking Close to the ice. Close's helmet flies off on the impact, but he appears uninjured as he laughs it off on the ice. "That's a good, aggressive penalty," says Michigan State head coach Danton Cole. "I didn't mind it at all." The officials review the play, ultimately ruling a minor penalty for charging against Joshua. Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko disputes the call, but the officials stand by their decision. The score is tied 0-0 in this Big Ten Conference matchup, with the game still in the early stages. Both teams are hungry for the conference win, as the Gophers and Spartans have a long-standing rivalry in college hockey. "He wants to get the puck, he wants to push it right past the goalie," the television announcer explains. "The goalie came out, the net's open, bam - helmet flying off." Despite the collision, Close remains in the game for Minnesota. The Gophers go on to kill off the penalty, maintaining the deadlock as they push to break the tie in the third period. This physical, hard-nosed play encapsulates the intensity of the Big Ten rivalry between these two programs. Both teams are leaving it all on the ice, battling for every inch of the rink in their quest for a crucial conference victory.