Oh, Florida. Land of sunburns, bizarre headlines, and… heartbreaking hockey moments? Yeah, that’s right, Florida has done it again, but this time it’s snatched the NCAA men’s hockey title away from the Minnesota Gophers and crushed their dreams.

Let’s rewind for a second. It was looking like a dream season for the Gophers. Everything seemed to be going their way until the final minutes of the national title game against Quinnipiac. Up by 2-0 in the second period and with a roaring crowd on their side, it seemed like the Gophers were set to take home the title. But, as fate would have it, things took a devastating turn.

Quinnipiac fought back, shutting down the Gophers’ offense and coming out on top with a 3-2 victory after Jacob Quillan scored just 10 seconds into overtime. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Minnesota, who had held a lead in the third period 22 times this season and won all of those games. Until Saturday.

Gophers coach Bob Motzko admitted that his team was “crushed” after the game. You can’t blame him for feeling the pain, especially when the Gophers were just a hair’s breadth away from achieving their ultimate goal.

Looking forward, it’s unclear how this loss will impact next year’s roster or what decisions players will make. But what’s certain is that the excitement for next year’s Frozen Four in St. Paul will likely only grow as the sting of this loss fades over time. For now, though, the Gophers will have to shake off the heartbreak, try to regroup, and start planning for next season.

One thing’s for sure – if Coach Motzko ever decides to retire, he might want to reconsider Tampa Bay as a sunny retirement spot. After this crushing defeat, Florida might not hold the same appeal it once did.