Minnesota Duluth’s Dylan Samberg Scores on Own Net

Minnesota Duluth defeated Omaha by a score of 6-3 last night in Omaha. The win kept the Bulldogs above .500 overall, and in second place in the NCHC league standings, keeping pace with first place North Dakota, so it was an important road win. But likely no one was more relieved that the Bulldogs ran off four third period goals to earn the win than junior defenseman Dylan Samberg.

With the Bulldogs leading 2-1 early in the third period and a face-off in the UMD end, UMD captain Justin Richards won a face-off to Samberg, who tried to play the puck around the end boards for a break out. But Samberg’s geometry was a bit off, and instead, this happened:

The Bulldogs would rally with another go-ahead goal just 2:03 later and as mentioned, score three more goals, two of them assisted by Samberg, to win the game. So Samberg’s gaffe is more comedy than tragedy.

If it’s any consolation, he’s not the only great UMD defensemen to make such a gaffe. Almost exactly 13 years earlier, future Stanley Cup champion Matt Niskanen made a similar mistake, shooting a centering pass into his own net for the Bulldogs: