Marshall, Gophers both looking for on-ice redemption

It happened so quickly few people saw it.

The Gophers won the draw to start overtime of a 2013 West Regional first-round game, and nine seconds later the No. 2 seed's season was over.

Ben Marshall's reaction in front of the Gophers' goal was telling. He slammed his stick into the ice. His second blow was loud enough that it could be heard through the roaring horn and Yale's celebration.

Marshall, then a sophomore defenseman, had his pass along the boards intercepted by Kenny Agostino, who found Jesse Root in front of the net for the game-winner in the opening seconds of the extra period. Replays show Marshall heaving himself and his stick toward the goal, hoping he might deflect the shot and redeem the turnover.

The weeks that followed were a rough time for Marshall, Gophers senior Tom Serratore said. A year later, Marshall will get his chance at redemption. The Gophers return to the first round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday as the favorite and Marshall as a core piece of the nation's third-best defense.

The No. 1 seed Gophers face No. 16 seed Robert Morris at 4:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center. St. Cloud State and Notre Dame play at 8 p.m.

"I mentioned to [Marshall], he's waited a year for this and here's your chance, and a chance for everyone," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. "You feel bad for [Marshall], and that can happen to anybody. Ben had a great year last year, and he continues to mature on the ice as a player and a person. It's just one of those unfortunate deals."

Marshall this week respectfully declined interview requests. Gophers sports information staff said he didn't want to talk about the past and wanted to focus on moving forward.

No one in the Gophers locker room blames Marshall for the abrupt end to their season a year ago. Instead the group accepts the blame as a unit and rallies around their teammate.

"If it wasn't Ben, it was going to be someone else," Serratore said. "We helped him get through that. It's sad it had to be Ben, but … it happens.

"That's what hockey is all about. You just kind of live and learn and realize mistakes are maximized at this point of the season and just gotta kind of move on."

It might have been sad at the time, but the incident appears to have fueled Marshall's development. Defenseman Mike Reilly said that last season Marshall was good and now he's great, adding he doesn't get the attention he deserves for the defensive strength of his game.

Marshall leads the Gophers with 56 blocks, is a big part of their penalty kill, and has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists).

He also leads the team in penalties (16), in large part because he has taken a leading role in establishing the Gophers' physical presence throughout the season.

The aftermath and details of the way last season came to an end aren't often brought up, but Reilly knows Marshall is hungry to redeem himself, as is the team.

"It's a team loss. Going into the summer we were bitter about that loss," Reilly said. "We're definitely not going to overlook [Robert Morris], especially with what happened last year.

"We're just really hungry for a championship and to prove we're not just great in the regular season and that we can play in March and hopefully in April."

If the Gophers find themselves in another situation with the game on the line this postseason, they want Marshall on the ice. Senior defenseman Justin Holl said he can count on Marshall to come through.

The coaching staff has given Marshall the responsibility of skating with rotating freshmen defensemen each night. That speaks highly of his experience, Holl added.

It's been easy to recognize Marshall's motivation this season.

He was scratched from the lineup for the series opener against Michigan State in December, but returned the next night with something to prove and refocused himself over the Christmas break, associate head coach Mike Guentzel said.

"I think he came back more determined in the second half. He takes care of the puck better, he's less risky. … I trust him in all situations," said Guentzel, who primarily works with Gophers defensemen.

"Everybody has to deal with adversity. … I think most competitive players are going to say, 'I'll work, I'll grind, and I'll battle and make sure I make adjustments and move forward.' "