Minnesota United’s slow start Monday cost them Game 2 of the MLS Cup Playoff series.

The Sounders rode three first-half goals and an insurance goal late in the second half to produce a 4-2 in at Limen Field in Seattle.

A make-or-break Game 3 will be Saturday afternoon at Allianz Field.

The Sounders dominated possession early and staked a 3-0 lead through the opening 41 minutes.

Obed Vargas scored off a corner kick in the seventh minute. Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year on Monday, got a touch on the shot but couldn’t’ keep it out of the back of the net.

MNUFC was exposed down the left side for the last two goals, with Cristian Roldan sending in crosses, Jesus Ferreira assisting and Jordan Morris and Danny Musovski scoring on tap ins.

The Loons looked dead in the water, but snatched two goals back on counter attacks in first-half stoppage time after pouncing on Seattle giveaways.

Goals from Nectar Triantis and Robin Lod sliced Seattle’s lead to 3-2. The wild first half nearly had a sixth goal, but Vargas’ shot went off the left post just before the whistle.

Vargas’ second goal of the night sealed the win in the 86th minute.

St. Thomas has proven to be a pesky out in recent years, even in the occasional matchup where the Tommies may be overmatched physically.

But that can only be true if the Tommies are executing at a high level within their abilities. And that didn’t happen in Monday’s season opener at Saint Mary’s.

St. Thomas shot a woeful 3 for 10 from the free-throw line and 5 for 21 from beyond the arc in an 84-58 loss to the Gaels.

St. Thomas was out-rebounded 41-28, but that was to be expected against a team featuring St. Mary’s size. But the Tommies didn’t excel in their expected areas of strength.

The offense looked hesitant for much of the evening against Saint Mary’s lengthy defenders.

One bright spot was Nolan Minessale, who finished with a team-high 24 points. Nick Janowski had 14 points on 7 for 9 shooting, while Austin Herro added eight off the bench.

St. Thomas trailed by only two in the final minute of the first half, only to have Saint Mary’s close the stanza on an 8-0 run, aided by a missed front-end of a one-and-one at the free-throw line and a turnover near mid court.

The Gaels never relinquished momentum from there.

In the Tommies’ first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility, it wasn’t too early to start thinking about resume ahead of Monday’s season opener.

Sure, St. Thomas’ path to the dance is likely a one-way route through the Summit League tournament. But any nonconference success along the way could only help the Tommies’ cause. And opportunities to play high-quality opponents for mid-majors are few and far between given the current scheduling conundrum in men’s college basketball.

Saint Mary’s is the best team on the Tommies’ regular season schedule. Now coach Johnny Tauer and co. see the bar they must attempt to approach by year’s end.

Against a vastly overmatched opponent, the Gophers men’s basketball team showed Monday night what could be.

Cade Tyson scored 30 points, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson dominated inside with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Minnesota rolled Gardner-Webb 87-60 in its season opener at Williams Arena.

Langston Reynolds had 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench for aggressive, athletic Minnesota.

The Gophers led 20-1 less than six minutes into the game, 37-10 just over 10 minutes later, and 53-20 at the half. Minnesota’s largest lead was 35 twice in the second half.

“Playing with poise, playing physical, take care of the ball coach emphasizes every day. If we continue to do that throughout the season, we’ll be good,” Crocker-Johnson said.

Minnesota shot 54.5%, including 62.5% in the first half, had a 46-24 points advantage in the paint, and 45-31 in rebounds. The consistently moving, cutting-heavy and unselfish offense finished with 25 assists on 30 baskets.

“A day one thing for us is the unselfishness. For as many new faces that’s really shown up right away,” said coach Niko Medved, whose team has 13 players that did not wear maroon and gold last season. “Shots still have to go in the basket, but the ball movement has been terrific, and it’s been that way at places that we’ve been.”

It was the first regular-season game for Medved, the Roseville native and former Gophers assistant hired March 24 after seven seasons at Colorado State, including NCAA tournament berths in three of the past four seasons. He previously coached at Furman for four years and one year at Drake.

“It’s real, no turning back now,” he said with a big smile. “It was great. I’m just proud of the guys’ approach and how they played tonight.”

Tyson, who had 28 and 26 points in exhibition wins over North Dakota State and North Dakota, could very well be one of the fan favorites this season with a combination of outside shooting (4-8 from deep Monday and 14-23 in three games) and getting to the hoop (10-12 on free throws Monday).

The 6-foot-7 senior starred for two years at Belmont before transferring to North Carolina last season. But he averaged just eight minutes per game with the perennial power.

“I don’t think it’s one particular thing, just the work we put in over the summer, and up until now we’re gonna continue to put in and just get me a little more confidence,” he said.

He had eight straight points for a 10-0 Minnesota lead: a driving layup after Chansey Willis Jr. dove near midcourt to grab a loose ball and feed Tyson, a layup from Isaac Asuma and free throw for a 3-point play, then a triple off an Asuma feed.

“I don’t know if Chansey’s ever gone a game without scoring a basket, but I thought the play when he dove on the floor early just kind of set the tone for how this game was gonna go,” said Medved.

Missing its first 10 shots, Gardner-Webb was just 6 for 26 in the opening 20 minutes, including coming up empty on all seven 3-point tries. Its first assist came with 31 seconds left in the half.

Julius Clark led the Runnin’ Bulldogs with 13 points. Minus their top six scorers from last year’s 11-20 team, Gardner-Webb was picked to finish eighth in the 2025-26 Big South preseason poll.

Gophers forward B.J. Omot missed the game with a leg injury. The redshirt junior from Mankato, and top scorer for North Dakota in 2022-23 and 2023-24, missed all but four games at California last season with a wrist injury.

Gardner Webb guard Ace Talbert (25) loses control of the ball while defended by Minnesota guard Chansey Willis Jr. (0), middle, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Related Articles

Frustrated by stagnation, Mark Coyle puts more money into Gophers men’s basketball

North Carolina transfer Cade Tyson can have ‘really good year’ for Gophers

Cretin-Derham Hall guard Ty Schlagel commits to Nebraska

Gophers men’s basketball tops NDSU in exhibition in Medved’s debut

Gophers men basketball welcomes North Dakota schools for exhibitions

Wisconsin high school offensive lineman Beckett Schreiber flipped his pledge from Washington State to the Gophers on Monday.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior from Madison (Wis.) Memorial High School was a part of the Cougars’ recruiting class since June, but Minnesota and Indiana offered scholarships in October. Wisconsin also was in the picture.

Schreiber is the 27th commit in Minnesota’s class for 2026 and he reinforces the offensive line after two lineman recommitted from the U this fall — Daniel McMorris of Norman, Okla.,  to Cal and and Mataalii Benjamin of Lehi, Utah, to the Utes.

Related Articles

Gophers flip big running back Jett Walker from West Virginia

Gophers add speedy Missouri receiver Braiden Stevens to recruiting class

Controversy? Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith responds to late calls

Gophers escape with 23-20 overtime win over Michigan State

Gophers to be without running back Darius Taylor vs. Michigan State