SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Jaxon Nelson and Bryce Brodzinski are cooking at the perfect time for Minnesota.

Nelson and Brodzinski connected on two goals in the third period, and the Gophers rallied for a 3-2 victory over Nebraska Omaha on Thursday night in the semifinals of the Sioux Falls Regional at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

The victory sends Minnesota (23-10-5) into the regional championship against Boston University at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The winner will secure its spot in the Frozen Four.

With 4:13 to play in the game, Brodzinski corralled a turnover and skated to the middle of the right circle, firing a shot toward the high slot that Nelson redirected past Mavericks goalie Simon Latkoczy.

It stood as the eventual game-winner, as Gophers goaltender Justen Close stood tall in the final seconds to close things out as Omaha played with an extra attacker.

Close stopped 34 shots to pick up his 22nd win of the season, while Latkoczy notched 36 saves in the loss.

After neither team scored in the first period, the pace of the game picked up considerably in the second.

A penalty on Ryan Chesley for making contact to the head gave the Mavericks (23-13-4) five minutes on the man advantage near the end of the first frame, and at 1:51 of the second period, Omaha capitalized.

Joaquim Lemay skated toward the top of the left circle and fired a shot past Close into the top-right corner of the net. Close’s goal, which was set up by Jacob Guevin and Brock Bremer, was the only power-play tally of the game, and it gave the Mavericks an early 1-0 advantage.

The Gophers then regrouped and had an onslaught of offense to close the period. They were finally rewarded with 1:59 left when Jimmy Clark lifted a rising shot from the left circle after teammate Connor Kurth forced a turnover inside the blue line.

In total, Minnesota outshot Omaha 22-16 in the second.

In the third, UNO took the lead again, 2-1, at the 15:32 mark on a goal from Ty Mueller. Jack Randl picked up the primary assist on Mueller’s tally, while Lemay was credited with a secondary helper.

However, near the midway point of the period, Nelson knifed to the net and buried a pass from Brodzinski past Latkoczy, who had no time to react to the shot, tying the game at 2-2.

The Gophers outshot the Mavericks 39-36. Jimmy Snuggerud led Minnesota with eight shots on goal, while Nelson added six.

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