The University of Minnesota men's hockey team overcame a three-point night by Bulldog senior Marco Peluso to gain a 4-3 triumph over the University of Minnesota Duluth on Friday night in Minneapolis, Minn.

Five Golden Gopher defensemen registered points in the victory including Nate Hagemo, who scored what became the game-winning goal while on the power play in the third period. The win snapped Minnesota's four-game home losing streak and extended the Golden Gophers' lead over UMD in the WCHA standings to five points.

Turnovers and defensive zone breakdowns spelled doom for the Bulldogs (10-12-5; 8-10-3 WCHA), who trailed the Gophers by two goals entering the final stanza. Hagemo's goal appeared to put the game out of reach until a furious Bulldog comeback began with just three minutes left. Sophomore Bryan McGregor scored first, pulling the Bulldogs within two, then Peluso scored his second goal of the game less than one minute later to set up a frenzied finish. But Golden Gopher goaltender Kellen Briggs was equal to UMD's challenge, maintaining the one-goal margin through the game's final two minutes despite a flurry of Bulldog shots coming with Josh Johnson pulled in favor of the extra attacker.

The Golden Gophers and Bulldogs will meet again tomorrow night in Game Two of the series with the puck slated to drop at 7:05 p.m. For Minnesota, it will mark an opportunity to notch its first back-to-back wins over UMD since 2001.