Their response to the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday, the way that goaltender Shane Connelly sees it, was that it wasn't yet time for them to get their first victory.

Minnesota rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals off redirections in front of the net — the kind of plays that can be considered either highly skilled or highly lucky — and earned a 2-2 tie in front of 13,184 fans at the Kohl Center.

"The hockey gods aren't making it easy for us to get our first win," Connelly said. "At least a positive is a tie, but at the same time, we've got to hold onto these leads. It has to change pretty quickly."

If you choose not to buy into the higher-power argument, you could point to the second half of Connelly's analysis — the Badgers' failure to capitalize on another lead. Up 2-0 midway through the game, they didn't keep the pressure on Golden Gophers goaltender Alex Kangas and watched Minnesota take away a point.

Two Fridays ago, Boston College erased a one-goal Badgers advantage in the third period and won. Last Friday, the Badgers had Denver in a two-goal hole entering the final period but let the Pioneers off the hook.

The home opener produced a slightly better result than the four losses that the Badgers (0-4-1, 0-2-1 WCHA) carried in, but not the soul-cleansing Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory that could have been.

"Sometimes in a game, you don't get a right bounce here or there, and I think that's had a lot to do with it," Badgers forward Podge Turnbull said.

Somerset native Sam Lofquist, only the second Wisconsinite to play for the Gophers (2-0-1, 2-0-1), scored the tying goal with 3 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in regulation, then followed in the footsteps of the first player to cross the border in a westerly direction.

Lofquist popped the "M" on his jersey, then cupped his left ear to the crowd — virtually the same celebration Madison native Phil Kessel did when he scored against the Badgers at the Kohl Center in 2006.

Gophers coach Don Lucia said Lofquist also earned the same locker-room scolding that Kessel did for what Lucia called "not a classy move."

"That will be the last time anybody ever does that or I might punch him, and that wouldn't be good," Lucia said. "I shouldn't say that. Let's just say he heard from me first thing when I went into the locker room."

Said Lofquist: "I'm from Wisconsin, and I kind of idolized Phil growing up. It just came to my mind as soon as it happened.

"I guess I'm not supposed to do that," he added. "Learned my lesson."

Connelly was also in net when Kessel did his mocking gesture to the UW crowd during a 3-1 Gophers victory on Jan. 28, 2006.

"We've had to deal with that before with the Kessel situation," the senior goaltender said. "It's not an issue at all."

Ryan Stoa started the Gophers' comeback in the second period when he changed the direction of a Jay Barriball shot in front of the net.

Until then, the Badgers had the advantage on the scoreboard despite a disadvantage in shots on goal. Turnbull patiently wrapped the puck around Alex Kangas in the first period, and Brendan Smith fired home a power-play shot in the second.