The season ended for Minnesota’s men’s hockey team late Thursday on an overtime goal by UMass forward Aydar Suniev, a tough pill to swallow for the Gophers considering they were up 3-1 midway through the third period of the first-round NCAA tournament game.

Worse, the goal came seconds after Minutemen center Dans Locmelis clipped Minnesota’s Ryan Chesley in the neutral zone with a textbook trip, corralled the puck and set up Suniev’s game-winner in Fargo.

Gophers coach Bob Motzko was composed but clearly beside himself during his postgame interview. Asked by a reporter if he felt it was a trip, Motzko said, “How do you feel?”

But that no-call wasn’t the only issue Motzko had with on-ice officials. He was upset by what he considered a no-call on a cross-check to the face of forward John Mittelstadt just before Suniev scored to make it 3-2, the first of three third-period goals that ultimately sent the game to overtime.

“UMass had a hard push in the third period, but that got ’em started, that first one,” Motzko told reporters at Scheels Arena. “It was the first goal they scored (in the comeback).”

He was equally battled by officials’ decision to make goaltender Liam Souliere leave the game because of a broken skate lace. He was replaced by Nathan Airey, and the Minutemen knotted the game 3-3 with a tip off the ensuing faceoff.

Asked for his feelings on the officiating, Motzko told reporters, “I shouldn’t be the one up here.”

The decision to make Souliere leave the game had Motzko scratching his head. Asked what the officials’ explanation was, the coach said “We didn’t get one, but he said we had to change goalies — and we said we didn’t.

“(Was it) because he came to the bench? What if he had stayed on the ice and we would have went out?” Motzko added. “We couldn’t use our timeout because it took a lot longer than a minute to fix what happened. But he said we had to switch goalies. I don’t know, is that true? It’s the first time I’ve ever had that.”

NCAA ice hockey rules are just vague enough to make any officials’ decision controversial.

According to the official 2024-25 rules book, “Unnecessary delay shall not be permitted for the repair or adjustment of a goalkeeper’s equipment. If major adjustments are required, the goalkeeper shall retire from the ice and be replaced by the substitute goalkeeper immediately.”

But, the rule further states, “A referee may allow for minor delays.”

Airey was given no time to warm up. After the goal, Souliere returned to finish the game.

The Minutemen scored three unanswered goals to take a regulation lead before Jimmy Snuggerud scored to send the game into overtime tied 4-4. It was a brief reprieve. Suniev scored a little less than 5 minutes into OT.

“Two goals tonight. We all get the mandate from the NCAA on sportsmanship, and I’ve got to be up here,” Motzko said. “I shouldn’t be the one sitting here right now.”

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By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah became the first state to prohibit flying LGBTQ+ pride flags at schools and all government buildings after the Republican governor announced he was allowing a ban on unsanctioned flag displays to become law without his signature.

Gov. Spencer Cox, who made the announcement late Thursday night, said he continues to have serious concerns with the policy but chose not to reject it because his veto would likely be overridden by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Starting May 7, state or local government buildings will be fined $500 a day for flying any flag other than the United States flag, the Utah state flag, military flags or a short list of others approved by lawmakers. Political flags supporting a certain candidate or party, such as President Donald Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” flags, are not allowed.

The new law could stoke conflict between the state and its largest city. City buildings in liberal Salt Lake City typically honor Pride Month each June by displaying flags that celebrate its large LGBTQ+ population. Local leaders have illuminated the Salt Lake City and County Building in rainbow lights to protest the flag ban each night since the Legislature sent it to Cox’s desk.

Andrew Wittenberg, a spokesperson for Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s office, said their attorneys are evaluating the law and the capital city does not yet have information on what it will do once the law takes effect.

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The bill’s Republican sponsors, Rep. Trevor Lee and Sen. Dan McCay, said it’s meant to encourage “political neutrality” from teachers and other government employees. Opponents argued it aims to erase LGBTQ+ expression and take authority away from cities and towns that don’t align politically with the Republican Legislature.

In a letter to legislative leaders explaining his decision, Cox said he agreed with the “underlying intent” of the bill to make classrooms politically neutral but thought it went too far in regulating local governments. He also noted that by focusing narrowly on flags, the law does not prevent other political displays such as posters or lighting.

“To our LGBTQ community, I know that recent legislation has been difficult,” Cox said. “Politics can be a bit of a blood sport at times and I know we’ve had our disagreements. I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and I am grateful that you are part of our state. I know these words may ring hollow to many of you, but please know that I mean them sincerely.”

Cox’s decision came hours after the Sundance Film Festival announced it was leaving its home of four decades in Park City, Utah, for Boulder, Colorado. The flag bill created eleventh-hour tensions as some residents worried it would push the nation’s premiere independent film festival out of state. Festival leaders said state politics ultimately did not influence their move from conservative Utah to liberal Colorado. They did, however. make “ethos and equity values” one of their criteria in a nationwide search for a new home and referred to Boulder in their announcement as a “welcoming environment.”

Utah’s flag law goes further than one signed last week in Idaho that only applies to schools. But Idaho Republicans are also advancing a separate bill to ban government buildings from displaying certain flags.

Florida lawmakers have advanced a proposal to ban pride flags and others that represent political viewpoints in schools and public buildings after similar measures failed in the past two legislative sessions. Some federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, also have limited which flags can fly at their facilities.

A school bus driver fatally struck a man on a bike in St. Francis on Friday morning, authorities said.

The collision happened just before 7:30 a.m. when a woman who was driving the bus, which had no passengers, was turning south onto St. Francis Boulevard from eastbound Ambassador Boulevard, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said. The man died at the scene.

The identities of the victim and bus driver have not been released.

The crash remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office, Francis Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.

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High school girls flag football is coming to Minnesota this spring.

The Vikings announced Friday they’ll launch a league featuring 51 high schools that will culminate with a state championship game at June 9 at TCO Stadium in Eagan.

The NFL team piloted a smaller-scale program last year. This year, the Vikings said they will contribute $600,000 to support the league and participating schools. Last month, the Vikings announced the launch of a collegiate women’s league featuring local area colleges.

“This is an exciting time for women’s and girls’ flag football in Minnesota,” Vikings Vice President of Social Impact Brett Taber said in a release. “Since testing the pilot league in 2024, interest in girls flag football has increased dramatically at the high school level, and to see such a high number of schools participate this year is a tremendous sign for future growth.”

Teams will play double-headers on four consecutive Sundays from April 27 through May 18. Playoffs are set to begin on June 1 with the title bout slated for Monday, June 9.

The league will not be officially affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League. Girls flag football is not currently an MSHSL-sanctioned sport.

But that could eventually change.

MSHSL executive director Erich Martens said in a statement that as member schools consider and begin to offer the program, “we will continue discussing with MSHSL membership the sport’s popularity, growth and future in Minnesota and supporting the interests of our member schools and their students.”

The Associated Press reports there are 14 states that have sanctioned girls flag football as a high school varsity sport.  Nearly 500,000 girls ages 6 to 17 years old played flag football in 2023, per NFL FLAG.

The schools competing in the league’s first season are:

Anoka

Apple Valley

Benilde-St. Margaret’s

Big Lake

Bloomington Kennedy

Burnsville

Centennial

Champlin Park

DeLaSalle

Eagan

Eastview

Eden Prairie

Elk River

Fairmont

Farmington

Hopkins

La Crescent

Lakeville North

Lakeville South

Mahtomedi

Melrose

Minneapolis Camden

Minneapolis Edison

Minneapolis North

Minneapolis Roosevelt

Minneapolis South

Minneapolis Southwest

Minneapolis Washburn

Minnetonka

Monticello

Mounds View

North St. Paul

Park

Pine Island

Proctor

Richfield

Robbinsdale Cooper

Rochester Mayo

Rosemount

Roseville

Sartell

Simley

South St. Paul

Spring Lake Park

St. Cloud Tech

St. Louis Park

St. Michael-Albertville

Tartan

Two Rivers

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown

Woodbury

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