Gophers Stomp North Dakota 5-2 in Regional Final to Advance to Frozen Four

By now you know what happened a few weeks ago when the Gophers took on the University of North Dakota for the right to travel to Tampa and play in the Frozen Four. Minnesota led the game from start to finish, never taking their foot off the gas and routing North Dakota to the tune of a 5-2 drubbing. Gopher goals were scored by Ben Marshall, Erik Haula, Taylor Matson, Travis Boyd and Nate Condon. I'll highlight the individuals that were the stars of the game below, but the more important point is this: the Gophers, a team picked to finish sixth in the league by the coaches, is one of the final four teams remaining with a chance to win the national championship. They will face Boston College, with the winner advancing to face the winner between Ferris State and Union College.

Regional Final: Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kent Patterson - 2 GA, 24 Sv on 26 shots, 0.923 Sv%

Patterson made the game look easy, allowing very few rebounds and making all the saves he was supposed to make. In fact, the only goals he allowed were one to Danny Kristo off of a funny bounce and another to Mario Lamoureux when the game was 5-1 Gophers with just a couple minutes left in the third. Patterson has been the Gophers' best player all year, and in the playoffs they'll need him to be their best player in the frozen four if they're going to win the national championship.

2. Travis Boyd - 1G-1A-2P

Boyd has worked hard all year and has had very little to show for it on the stat sheet. He's been one of my favorite players to watch due to his hustle and his knack to win the puck on the forecheck. The freshman from Hopkins by way of the National Development Program in Ann Arbor couldn't have picked a much better time to score his first career goal, as his tally gave the Gophers a three-goal lead in the game. Boyd was good all game, and the goal helped seal the game. He's well deserving of the #2 star.

1. Nate Condon - 1G-1A-2P

Condon is a dynamic player, and his goal, the Gophers' fifth of the game, was of a style that we've come to expect from the sophomore. He took the puck from the red line and his speed turned a probable one-on-one rush into a breakaway, which Condon put away to absolutely clinch the game for Minnesota. He was solid all game, connecting on passes and making good decisions with the puck, even assisting on the Boyd goal. Condon has added some stickhandling abilities to his repertoire that consists of blazing speed, and he utilized every trick in his arsenal against North Dakota. He was the number one star of the game.

Upcoming: Gophers vs. BC in the Frozen Four

The Gophers will travel to Tampa and take on Boston College, winners of 17 straight and the best team in the country, in the second Frozen Four game of the day. BC is actually a team very similar in style and makeup to the Gophers: they have deep scoring, great goaltending and solid team defense. Both teams like to play a fast-paced, high-flying offensive game. When Minnesota is playing their best, they are the best team in the nation. Boston College is used to playing at their best, but they're a team that is also very good when they play to their potential. It should be a great game! Go Gophers!

Epic Gopher Collapse as Sioux Score Five Goals in 3rd Period to Win

In case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to avoid writing this post. Well, here goes nothing.

The Gophers faced off against the Sioux in the semifinal game of the Final Five. As you probably know by now, the Gophers built a 3-0 lead through the late second period before the Sioux came storming back, scoring one late in the second and five in the third to swamp the Gophers and advance to the Final Five Championship game, which they would win a day later over Denver by a 4-0 score.

What you may not recognize at first blush is just how absurd this game was. I've watched a lot of Gopher Hockey in my life, and the Gophers may have played the best game I've EVER seen them play for 39 minutes. Unfortunately, they forgot that a hockey game is three periods long and absolutely tanked in the third. At one point late in the second period, the shots on goal were 19-4 Gophers, and the edge in play was about that wide. Minnesota controlled the puck for the entirety of the first two periods, but a series of goals scored on semi-fortunate bounces gave North Dakota new life, as a seeing-eye shot from the point by Derek Forbort beat Patterson to cut the Gopher lead to two. Then, early in the third, Michael Parks scored a goal on a deflection off the endboards, Brock Nelson scored on a botched clearing attempt by the Gophers in the slot, Mario Lamoureux got another one, Corban Knight scored on a weird deflection, and Lamoureux scored his second of the night on another one off the endboards.

This was really a tale of two games, and the Gophers did not do enough in their portion of the game to put North Dakota away. The Gophers only scored three goals despite putting a ton of grade "A" chances on Sioux goalie Aaron Dell, who was the player of the game in my book. Dell stopped several Nick Bjugstad point-blank chances and got some help from the post as Travis Boyd hit the crossbar on a two-on-one opportunity. When you're dominating the game, you've got to score and put it out of reach. The Gophers failed to do that in the first two periods, and the Sioux made them pay.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Nick Bjugstad - 0G-0A-0P

Bjugstad did not score in the game, but he had a ton of quality chances and his line dominated when it was out there. Bjugstad doesn't get held off the scoresheet that often, so I expect him to take advantage in the NCAA Tournament.

2. Nate Schmidt - 0G-2A-2P

Schmidt set up the Gophers' first two goals, and his 35 assists rank fourth nationally and first on this Minnesota squad. The Gophers will need his offense in the national tournament.

1. Kyle Rau - 1G-1A-2P

Rau scored the Gophers' first goal and added an assist on the third goal. He always hustles and moves his feet every shift. His 17 goals on the year and 38 points are the most by a Minnesota freshman since Jay Barriball and Kyle Okposo in 2006-2007 (20 and 19 goals respectively) and Jordan Schroeder in 2008-2009 (45 pts). Rau is a vital part of the Gopher attack, and he played a really good game on Friday, the result notwithstanding.

Haula’s Four Goals Lead Gophers to First Round Sweep of Alaska-Anchorage

By virtue of winning the WCHA’s regular season, Minnesota drew the worst team in the league for their opponent in the first round. Twelfth-place Alaska-Anchorage, winners of only five games in league play throughout the season, faced the tough task of winning two out of three on the road if they wanted to upset the Golden Gophers at Mariucci Arena for the second year in a row to advance to the WCHA Final Five. Although both games were tight throughout the majority of the contests, Minnesota prevailed on the strength of Erik Haula’s two goals each night to punch their ticket to St. Paul for the first time in three years.

Friday 3/9/12: 2-1 Gopher Win

Friday night’s game was very reminiscent of last season’s playoff games between the Seawolves and the Gophers. Minnesota likes to play a fast-paced, open ice style of hockey, whereas Anchorage can only compete if they force the Gophers to play their game: low scoring, not many chances, slow, and physical. The Seawolves were able to impose their style of play on the Gophers in both playoff games last season, and Friday night they had success doing so again. However, Minnesota opened the scoring in the second period as Erik Haula fired a wrist shot into the upper corner of the net. Haula would add another goal in the period when Nate Schmidt’s slapshot off the post bounded right to Haula in the slot, who fired the puck into the open net. The Seawolves closed to within one with a powerplay goal at 19:58 of the second, but Haula’s second marker would prove to be the game-winner. Kent Patterson did not have to be particularly sharp throughout the game, only facing 17 shots and stopping all but one of them, but when your team is not scoring in front of you every shot counts, and Patterson was up to the task, diverting several quality Seawolf chances and standing tall in the game’s waning moments to secure the victory.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kyle Rau – 0G-0A-0P

Rau is one of the rare players that makes his presence felt throughout games even when his name doesn’t appear on the scoresheet. Rau was certainly a presence in Friday night’s game, pestering opponents all night on the penalty kill (and the Gophers were on the PK an awful lot) and hitting much bigger than his 5’8” frame.

2. Nate Schmidt – 0G-1A-1P

Schmidt’s biggest tangible contribution to the game was his shot off the post that Erik Haula put away for the game-winning goal, but he brings much more to this team than his point production. Schmidt is a wonderful skater and frequently spins around defenders to lead the rush up ice. He has a cannon of a slapshot that must be respected on the powerplay or whenever he has the puck at the point, and he’s a good passer who can distribute the biscuit as well. Schmidt’s presence in the lineup is a big part of why this Gopher team is in position to make its’ first NCAA tournament appearance in four seasons, and his play on Friday earned him the number two star.

1. Erik Haula – 2G-0A-0P

Haula scored Minnesota’s only two goals on the night, and was the team's best player on the ice. It seems like Haula has found a new gear, scoring seemingly at will and providing Minnesota with a legitimate two-scoring-line punch that had been missing in the doldrums of the middle of the season. Haula's emergence is vital for this team if it wants to find itself playing in April, so his efforts earn the number one star.

Saturday 3/10/12: 7-3 Gopher Win

For all the trouble that the Gophers had scoring on Friday, they got off to an early start in the goal department on Saturday. Jake Hansen redirected a Ben Marshall shot early in the first to give Minnesota a lead, but Matt Bailey would tie it in the opening minute of the second period on the power play. Then, at 7:11 of the second, two Gophers took penalties at the same time, giving Anchorage a two-minute five on three opportunity that they did not miss. The Seawolves cashed in at 7:57, then again at 8:20 in the shortened five on four chance to give UAA a 3-1 lead. With the way Minnesota had been scoring recently, the two goal UAA lead with over half the game left to play had the fans worried. However, Minnesota would score the next six goals unanswered, getting tallies from Zach Budish, two from Haula, Seth Helgeson and Sam Warning to close the game at 7-3.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Jake Hansen - 1G-0A-1P

Hansen did have the game's opening goal, but I had honestly forgotten about it when I picked him for the number three star on the night. No player on the ice played with as much energy, or with as much effectiveness, as Jake Hansen did on Saturday. He hustled, hit players, and generally made good decisions with and without the puck in all three zones. A great game from him and a well-deserved #3 star.

2. Kyle Rau - 0G-2A-2P

Rau's picture-perfect pass to Zach Budish set up the goal that started the Gopher comeback and made the game 3-2, and his pass to Erik Haula resulted in the game-winner. Rau is everything as advertised from his storied career at Eden Prairie High School - gritty, tough, competitive, goal scorer - but what's impressed me about him is his passing. Rau passes with the finesse of a veteran, and his passes were what helped the Gophers win the game on Saturday.

1. Erik Haula - 2G-2A-4P

What else can be said about Haula? The kid assisted on the Gophers' third goal with a beautiful pass to Nick Bjugstad, then scored Minnesota's fourth and fifth goals (the game-winner and the nail-in-the-coffin goal), and added yet another assist on the seventh tally. The Gophers score enough to remain in games when the two line isn't effective - with Haula playing at a high-level, Minnesota is a team that can go as far as it wants to in the national tournament. Four goals on the weekend and four total points on Saturday give Haula the #1 star for the second straight night.

Coming up: WCHA Final Five

Up next for the Gophers is the WCHA Final Five tournament. Minnesota, the #1 overall seed, will face the winner of the game pitting North Dakota against St. Cloud State on Thursday night. The Gophers play Friday night. UMD awaits the winner of Denver-Michigan Tech. The greatest tournament in college hockey starts next weekend!

Go Gophers!

Gopher Split with Wisconsin Enough to Claim WCHA Title, MacNaughton Cup

So, this is a little late, but the Gopher Hockey team won the MacNaughton Cup this year. Congratulations on an amazing achievement for Don Lucia and his squad, which had not made the Final Five for two years and had not made the NCAA tournament for three.

I won't bore you with a hit-by-hit game recap of the Wisconsin series. Suffice it to say this: the Gophers sleepwalked their way to a brutal 4-1 defeat on Friday before coming back on Saturday and gutting out a 2-1 win with two third period goals, one of which is my nominee for play of the year. No words will do it justice, just check out the highlights below:



Pay close attention to the Schmidt goal, with the play starting around 1:35. Play of the year.

What the split meant was that, coupled with UMD's one point weekend at St. Cloud, the Gophers won the WCHA's regular season and, along with it, the MacNaughton Cup, an almost ridiculously ornate trophy presented to the winner of the league. Virtually nobody gave this team a chance to succeed at the beginning of the year - the coaches tabbed the Gophers to finish sixth prior to the start of the season, and I predicted that they would finish third in my preseason predictions post (found here) at the beginning of the year. However, even my rampant Gopher homerism could not have predicted that Minnesota would hang a banner by winning the league's regular season. So, a big and heartfelt congrats to the boys - they played well and deserved every bit of their tremendous accomplishment.

Below, check out the Three Gopher Stars of the Wisconsin weekend:

3. Kyle Rau - 0G-0A-0P

Rau did not register a point on the weekend, but he's one of those "motor always running" players that Minnesota desperately needs. He kills penalties well, he has some of the best innate hockey sense that I've ever seen in a player, he skates hard and he's not afraid to throw his body around. Rau is one of those kids that you hate unless he's on your team: ultra-competitive, trash talking every chance he can get and not afraid to back it up with his play on the puck or off of it. He made an impact in this weekend's action, and gets the third star because of it.

2. Erik Haula - 1G-0A-1P

Haula's short-handed goal to tie the game in the third period of Saturday's game was a thing of beauty. Streaking to the net with the puck on a two-on-one, Haula kept getting in close to the goalie until he was able to make a move to his backhand and beat Rumpel to light the lamp. Mariucci Arena erupted with the goal, louder than I've heard for a number of years. It's Haula's competitiveness that impressed me, though. I've been critical of Haula's level of compete in the past, as sometimes it seems like he's going through the motions a la Jordan Schroeder. The past couple weekends have sold me on the fact that this kid wants to win and has the will to make it happen. Haula's goal was one of the biggest of the weekend and he earns the number two star for it.

1. Nate Schmidt - 1G-0A-1P

Schmidt's goal to take the lead in the third period was the play of the year thus far. The only thing remarkable about it to me is that it was only Schmidt's third goal of the season. The kid isn't afraid to shoot the puck and has a cannon of a shot. It looks like he's also developed some moves with the puck, as his deke to get around the sliding Badger defender was reminiscent of some of the great Mike Vannelli moves of a few years ago. Schmidt has been one of the best players on Minnesota's team all year long, and it's great that he finally broke through to score the big goal when they needed it. For a play I will not forget for a long time, Nate Schmidt nabs the number one star of the weekend.

By virtue of their number one ranking in the conference, Minnesota hosts Alaska-Anchorage in first round play. If they can take care of business against the bottom-dwelling Seawolves, they'll punch their ticket to the Final Five for the first time in three years. A WCHA playoff primer is upcoming.

Go Gophers!

Gophers Win Overtime Thriller in Omaha to Maintain WCHA Lead

Coming into the weekend, Minnesota had a two point lead in the WCHA. Three Gopher wins in their final four games would clinch the MacNaughton Cup. Although Friday's game was in jeopardy from the second period on, Minnesota dug deep and outscored Nebraska-Omaha 2-0 in the third period and overtime to steal two big points and maintain their lead in the WCHA standings over Minnesota-Duluth.

Friday 2/24/12 - 3-2 Gopher Win

Minnesota struggled in the first five minutes of play. It looked like the Gophers were becoming accustomed to a new building and a new team - Minnesota and Nebraska-Omaha last played in October 2010.

Once the Gophers found their groove, though, they dominated the first period. Sam Warning put the Gophers on top with his fifth goal of the season at 5:53. Warning received an ice-length pass from Nate Schmidt, and the Gophers had a 2-on-1 with Warning and Jake Hansen. Warning, showing a confidence that he's been playing with for four or five straight weekends, elected to shoot, and from the left circle Warning's wrister beat Omaha goalie Ryan Massa high on the glove side.

Minnesota continued to control the first period, outshooting Nebraska-Omaha by an 11-6 margin in the opening frame. However, despite several scoring chances the Gophers were not able to add to their lead, and after one period Minnesota held a 1-0 lead.

Nebraska-Omaha controlled the second period as much as Minnesota had dominated the first. The Mavericks tied the game at one on a Brock Montpetit goal just as a UNO powerplay expired at 7:51. Minnesota received a powerplay of their own at 9:35, but it was the Mavericks that took advantage as freshman Jayson Menga scored his twelfth of the year on a shorthanded 2-on-1. Menga, streaking down the right wing and getting in close to Gopher goalie Kent Patterson before top-shelfing a shot high over Patterson's glove side at 11:06. The Gophers began to pick up their play after the Mavericks' second goal, but despite a large number of high-quality scoring chances Minnesota could not beat Ryan Massa and the Mavericks took their 2-1 lead into the second intermission.

Good teams, though, find a way to win. The Gophers could not get anything past Massa for the first few minutes of the game, but Minnesota's leading scorer put the team on his back and tied the game. Nick Bjugstad took the puck out of the right corner and slid a backhand shot along the ice that somehow got through a screened Massa's five-hole and tied the game at two goals each. Both teams received one powerplay opportunity each throughout the remainder of the third period, but neither the Gophers nor the Mavericks could take advantage of their chance, and by the end of regulation play the teams were knotted at two each and heading to the extra session.

The overtime would not last long. Jake Parenteau, perhaps the Gophers most outstanding defensive defenseman, snapped a wrist shot off from the left point that made its way through traffic and into the upper-left corner of the net. The goal came just 1:46 into the overtime period, and it was Parenteau's first of the season and the first of his Gopher career. The Gophers jumped off the bench and hogpiled on Parenteau in the middle of the ice.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Sam Warning - 1G-0A-1P

Warning scored the first goal of the game, and has been playing well since he was benched in the first game of the Colorado College series more than a month ago. Number eleven has noticeably picked up his game, and very well could have received a star in last week's games against Bemidji State. The play of the whole second line has been one of the big keys in the Gophers' improved performances of late, and Warning's success can only help the team going forward.

2. Nick Bjugstad - 1G-0A-1P

Bjugstad is Minnesota's best offensive player, and the sophomore's individual effort tied the game at two in the third period. Bjugstad's goal was his 23rd of the season, good for third in the nation. This team can go as far as Bjugstad can carry it - as I've been saying all season, Bjugstad needs to score for this team to win. He did, and the Gophers did win the game.

1. Jake Parenteau - 1G-0A-1P

Parenteau picked a good time to score the first goal of his career. His overtime tally won the game and gave the Gophers a crucial two points on the night. Parenteau is the team's best defensive defenseman and has been a stalwart on the blueline all year. He's been given accolades in the three stars segment before for being a lock-down defender, but scoring the game-winner in a huge game definitely deserves the number one star of the night.

Conclusion

With UMD winning their game against CC in overtime last night, the Gophers needed points to remain in the lead in the WCHA standings. The win was huge in the race for the MacNaughton Cup, and with it the Gophers' magic number to win the league is now four points over UMD (any combination of Gopher points won and UMD points lost). Minnesota controls its own destiny, as two wins in their next three games wins the cup, and they could win it tonight with a win and a UMD loss.

Gophers Complete Sweep of Beavers with 4-1 Victory

Coming into this weekend's action, nearly everyone was asking the same question: could a struggling Minnesota team summon the will necessary to beat a streaking Bemidji squad?

The short answer: Yes.

In another dominating performance, the Gophers took care of the visiting Beavers 4-1 to secure a weekend sweep and widen their lead in the race for the MacNaughton Cup.

Saturday 2/18/12: 4-1 Gopher Win

Friday night's game started out with a Zach Budish goal at the one minute mark of the game. On Saturday, Erik Haula was just a little late. Haula scored at 1:17 of the first to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead. Although Minnesota would carry the majority of the play throughout the rest of the first period, Bemidji struck for their first (and only) goal of the weekend, as Brad Hunt's slapshot from the point beat Gopher goalie Kent Patterson at 17:14 to tie the game at one goal each.

The Gophers would answer in the second period. Jake Hansen tipped a Justin Holl shot past Beaver netminder Dan Bakala at 2:05 to give the Gophers another lead at 2-1. Erik Haula would score his second goal of the game on the powerplay at 7:07 of the second. At that point, the Gophers put the game on cruise control.

Minnesota played sound defensive hockey in the latter half of the second and the entirety of the third, favoring dump-ins to rushes into the zone and forcing Bemidji to rush the puck the full length of the ice to create opportunities. This strategy worked, as Bemidji could not muster another tally in the third. A Seth Ambroz empty net goal at 18:27 was the final nail in the Beaver coffin.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Jake Hansen - 1G-0A-1P

Hansen scored the game-winning goal on a beautiful tip, but he took an ill advised penalty right after Bemidji had scored to tie the game in the first period. That is a microcosm of Hansen's season thus far. The senior has been nothing if not inconsistent, playing great at times and making bad decisions at others. His goal was important in the game, but I'd like to see more of the dynamic, offensive Hansen and less of the bad passing, bad decision-making one. Perhaps he's rounding into form, as his play of late has been much more of the former and less of the latter.

2. Seth Helgeson - 0G-1A-1P

Helgeson tallied an assist on the Ambroz empty net goal, but his contributions throughout the rest of the game earn him the second star tonight. Helgeson has been maligned by yours truly throughout the years for being slow on his skates and for seemingly always pinching in at the wrong times. Tonight (and for the past few weekends) he has been steady and solid on the back end for the Gophers. He likely won't win any fastest skater contests, but Helgeson seems to have grown into his role on the team - hard-nosed, tough, defensive defender. If he can continue playing within himself and playing to his strengths, he'll find his way into the three stars a lot more often.

1. Erik Haula - 2G-1A-3P

Another great night for the Fin. Haula scored the Gophers' first and third goals, sniping shots into the corners of the net. It's great to see Minnesota get secondary scoring when the Bjugstad line does not light the lamp. If they can do it more consistently going forward, they'll be a team to be reckoned with come tournament time.

Conclusion

The win gave the Gophers a much needed four points on the weekend, and coupled with a Duluth tie in Mankato and a Denver loss at Wisconsin, the Gophers are once again sitting pretty in the WCHA race. Minnesota sits at 34 points, two ahead of Minnesota-Duluth (32) and four ahead of Denver (30). Interestingly, Minnesota holds the tiebreaker against Duluth thanks to their two head-to-head wins at the beginning of the season, but loses the tiebreaker to Denver. So, in reality, Minnesota has a three point lead on both DU and UMD to win the MacNaughton. With just four games left to play, Minnesota can clinch the WCHA title with three wins. That may be a challenge, though, as they travel to Omaha to take on the UNO Mavericks next weekend. The Mavs are coming off a road split at Colorado College, and are in a three-way tie for fourth place in the league with Colorado College and North Dakota. They will be fighting for points and for home ice, so don't expect Nebraska-Omaha to lay down and surrender to Minnesota.

Minnesota Routs Bemidji State 3-0 to Keep Pace Atop WCHA

Minnesota finally may have exorcised its Friday demons.

Winning just three of their previous ten Friday contests, the Gophers (20-11-1 Overall, 16-7-0 WCHA) came out like gangbusters last night, thoroughly dominating the play and the scoresheet en route to a 3-0 drubbing of Bemidji State (15-13-3 Overall, 9-11-3 WCHA).

Friday 2/17/12: 3-0 Gopher Win

The Gopher domination of Friday night's game started early. Zach Budish tipped a Mark Alt slapshot past Beaver goalie Dan Bakala at 1:00 of the first period to give the Gophers a lead they would never vanquish. In fact, the game was never in doubt after that first minute. Minnesota did not allow a shot on goal until the 12-minute mark of the first period, and Beaver scoring chances were hard to come by all night. The Gophers extended their lead at 9:13 of the period, when Budish again found a loose puck in front of the crease and banged it home to make the score 2-0. That's the way it ended after the first period, and the shots on goal told the story: Minnesota outshot Bemidji State 14-2 in the opening frame.

The Gophers did not let up on the domination in the second or third, controlling the play what seemed like nine out of every ten seconds. The shots advantage continued to widen for Minnesota - by the end of the game they held a 36-13 lead. The Gophers would tack another goal on in the second period, a Nick Bjugstad tally from the weak side off of a nifty goalmouth pass from Kyle Rau.

The third period was all about protecting the shutout bid for Kent Patterson. Minnesota, maligned last weekend for taking unnecessary penalties that cost them a chance to win the game, did not commit a penalty throughout the sixty minutes of action. Patterson only had to make one or two quality saves all night - including a dandy on a partial two-on-one - to earn his seventh shutout of the season.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kent Patterson - 13 saves on 13 shots, 7th shutout of the season

Patterson did not allow a goal on a night when the opposing team did not have much chance of scoring. The senior netminder's conference-leading 2.04 GAA speaks both to his ability as a goaltender and his teammates' attitude towards backchecking, clogging lanes and blocking shots. The shutout was Patterson's seventh of the season, extending his team-record for shutouts in a single season.

2. Nick Bjugstad - 1G-1A-2P

Bjugstad got back on track against Bemidji after tallying only one total assist in his previous three games. The sophomore leads the team with 22 goals and 36 points on the year. Minnesota needs Bjugstad to be their best offensive player.

1. Zach Budish - 2G-0A-2P

Budish scored the first two goals of the game for Minnesota, and his goals set the tone for the game. It's nice to see Budish succeed on that top line after being oft overshadowed by linemates Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau. The redshirt sophomore's two goals got him to the ten-goal mark on the season, and the Gophers now have six players who have reached that level of production.

Conclusion

The victory gave the Gophers a much needed two points in the WCHA - they were needed because both UMD and Denver won their games on Friday. The race for the MacNaughton Cup has become a three-horse field, as Minnesota (32 points) narrowly leads Minnesota-Duluth (31 points) and Denver (30 points). Tonight's game is a big one for the Gophers, who could do no worse than maintain their position in the conference with a win. They'll need to put forth another quality effort tonight if they want to sweep this tough Beaver squad - Bemidji is now 11-5-2 in their last 18 games, and they will be doing everything they can to avoid the sweep.

Gophers Come Up With Splits @ North Dakota, versus Colorado College to Take Lead in WCHA

Let me start by saying this: the Minnesota Gopher Mens' Hockey team played two pairs of solid, high-effort games in their series' at North Dakota and against Colorado College. I thought Minnesota was the best team on the ice all four nights. However, only two of those nights resulted in Gopher victories. Minnesota (17-9-1 Overall, 13-5-0 WCHA) still has the most wins of any team in the nation (tied with Minnesota-Duluth), but doubts are starting to creep into the minds of the Gopher faithful as the team has dropped to the bubble of the NCAA tournament on their weak non-conference performances (losses to Notre Dame, Vermont, Northeastern and Michigan State). The Gophers are playing solid hockey of late, but cannot seem to get the puck in the net. A pair of 2-1 losses to North Dakota and Colorado College over the past two weekends tells the tale perfectly.

Friday, 1/13/12: 2-1 Gopher Loss

Two weekends ago, the Gophers traveled up to Grand Forks to take on the newly unchristened University of North Dakota. Tensions were running high on both sides of the rink, as North Dakota was looking to pay back the Gophers for their home sweep of the then-Sioux back in November at Mariucci Arena.

Minnesota looked like the better team right from the drop of the puck, controlling the puck in the offensive zone at a near two-to-one clip compared to North Dakota's zone time of possession. For North Dakota to stay in the game, they needed junior goaltender Aaron Dell to be their best player. Luckily for them, he was. Dell stopped all eight Gopher shots in the first period and led his team into the first intermission with a 0-0 tie. The second period was more of the same - all Gophers - and Minnesota actually capitalized on a Kyle Rau goal at 6:29 of the middle frame. Rau, skating down the left wing, banged home a rebound off a wide-angle shot from the right wing by Zach Budish. The Gophers made it to the final ten seconds of the period before allowing North Dakota to tie up the game. A botched North Dakota icing call with less than twenty seconds left allowed North Dakota to gain the Gopher offensive zone, and when Nick Bjugstad turned the puck over at the point Andrew MacWilliam was there to fire a seeing-eye slapshot past Patterson and into the net.

The goal gave North Dakota new life and the momentum heading into the third period, but it was Minnesota that dominated the final twenty minutes of the contest. Like earlier in the game, though, Aaron Dell stood on his head and kept his team in the game. With under four minutes left to play, North Dakota's leading scorer Brock Nelson took the puck out of the corner, skated through a weak Nick Bjugstad poke check attempt and slid the puck along the ice and through the five-hole of Patterson to give his team the lead. Minnesota put together a furious attack in the waning minutes of the game, but Dell once again stood tall and North Dakota eked out a 2-1 win.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kyle Rau - 1G-0A-1P

Rau scored the Gophers' only goal of the game and was his pesky self throughout, drawing penalties and making the smart play nearly every time he had the puck.

2. Kent Patterson - 23 saves on 25 shots, .920 Sv%

Although Minnesota dominated the puck-control battle on Friday night, North Dakota had the better of the chances, having plenty of odd-man rush looks. Patterson stopped them all and kept the Gophers in the game.

1. Jake Parenteau - 0G-0A-0P

Parenteau returned to the lineup against North Dakota after having missed a few games due to illness. His return proved just how important he is to the defense. Parenteau is the team's best stay-at-home defenseman. He makes good, quick puck decisions and is seemingly always in the right position. I was thoroughly impressed with his game on Friday night.

Saturday 1/14/12 - 6-2 Gopher Win

Saturday night was the Gophers' turn for revenge on North Dakota. Minnesota piled goals on early and often, coming away with a 4-2 rout of the hometown no-namers.

Nick Bjugstad was ready to make up for his blunders on Friday night (both goals could be attributed to bad plays by him), as he scored early and often to get the team off on the right foot. Bjugstad scored at 2:37 of the first on a partial breakaway set up by Kyle Rau, and again at 19:40 on a Rau / Parenteau rebound.

The Gophers would score twice more in the second period before North Dakota could get on the board, on a Seth Ambroz shot that somehow slunk under Dell and into the back of the net and a Nate Schmidt power play one-timer from the blue line. North Dakota would score the next two goals, however, as Michael Parks and Danny Kristo scored to pull them within two. However, Minnesota would score another back-breaking goal with less than one minute left, as Nate Condon took an Ambroz pass and beat goalie Dell to give the Gophers a three goal lead heading into the third.

The Gophers would only extend the lead in the third period, as Condon once again lit the lamp shorthanded on a Taylor Matson breakaway pass. The end of the game contained loads of excitement, as Ben Blood went after Kyle Rau in the handshake line and both teams left the ice without finishing shaking hands. However, after all that emotion and excitement, Minnesota walked away with an away split and thorough Saturday night drubbing of the University of North Dakota.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Seth Ambroz - 1G-1A-2P

Ambroz is starting to grow into his role as a big, bruising freshman on this Gopher team. Playing on what I consider to be the Gophers' second-best line this year with Taylor Matson and Nate Condon (technically the "third line"), Ambroz is starting to become more than just a big body on this team. He's showing some of the skill and grit that made him a highly sought after recruit, and if he can continue making positive offensive plays like he did against North Dakota he will make the Gophers that much better.

2. Nate Condon - 2G-1A-3P

Condon continues to get better and better in his sophomore season. The fastest player that I have seen so far this year for any team, Condon has honed his game to include tremendous play in the corners / along the walls, excellent face-off ability and a good hockey mind. He and Taylor Matson have already teamed up for something like six or seven shorthanded goals on the year, and the dynamic duo will continue to do it throughout the rest of the season. Condon's first goal at the end of the second period clinched this game for the Gophers.

1. Nick Bjugstad - 2G-0A-2P

This was a big bounceback game for Nick Bjugstad. Big Nick was the goat on Friday night, having two of his turnovers lead directly to the two North Dakota goals. It was clear that Bjugstad was motivated to make things right on Saturday, scoring Minnesota's first two goals on the game to give the Gophers a big early lead. Bjugstad is a one-man wrecking crew for this Gopher team, and he (along with Kent Patterson) is the most important player on the squad. Since it appears that the Haula-Hansen-Warning line is not planning on scoring ever again, it is up to Bjugstad to put the puck in the net if this Gopher team is going to win hockey games.

Colorado College Series

The Gophers came home after the emotional series against North Dakota to take on a good Colorado College team at Mariucci Arena the next weekend. Colorado College sat in third place in the WCHA, only four points behind Minnesota and breathing down their necks. The Gophers again played two solid games, but their lack of scoring punch limited them to just one win on the weekend.

Friday 1/20/12 - 2-1 Gopher Loss

I can sum this game up in just a couple sentences. The Gophers DOMINATED the game but could not score (a problem all too familiar to followers of the Maroon and Gold recently). Colorado College scored a goal on a Gopher defensive turnover in the second period. Minnesota pulled the goalie late in the third and tied up the game on a Nick Bjugstad goal. Thirty seconds later and immediately after a Grade-A scoring chance by the Gophers, Colorado College scored a goal to go up 2-1 and win the game. It was a frustrating experience, to say the least.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kyle Rau - 0G-0A-0P

Rau is one of those players who shows up to play no matter whether the rest of the team does or not. In Friday night's game, Kyle Rau was all over the ice - drawing penalties, throwing hits, creating scoring chances.

2. Nick Bjugstad - 1G-0A-1P

Bjugstad scored his 20th goal of the season with the goalie pulled, and this clutch performance reminded fans of how clutch Bjugstad has been throughout the season. No Gopher has scored 20 goals in a season since the 2008-2009 season when Ryan Stoa scored 24 goals and was named an All-American. I expect Bjugstad to score close to 30 goals this season and be named to the All-America team.

1. Kent Patterson - 25 saves on 27 shots, 0.926 Sv%

Patterson again kept the Gophers in the game when they could not score to save their lives. Kent Patterson could be the best goaltender in the country.

Saturday 1/21/12 - 2-1 Gopher Win

Minnesota played another solid game Saturday night, eking out a narrow 2-1 victory despite being the better team for most of the game. Colorado College scored first, with Jaden Schwartz putting the Tigers out front at 15:02 of the period. Minnesota came storming back, though, as Nate Condon scored yet another shorthanded goal (from Taylor Matson, of course) at 17:41 of the period. The Gophers scored two more goals in the second period, but one was disallowed. Nico Sacchetti scored what would be the game-winning goal at 5:16 of the period, putting his own rebound past Tiger goalie Thorimbert. Then, Nate Condon put another puck past Thorimbert for what could have been his second goal of the game, but the referees disallowed the play because there was a hand pass in order to get the puck to Condon's stick.

Although Colorado College pressed late in the third, Minnesota held on for a 2-1 win that put them ahead of the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs for sole possession of first place in the WCHA.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kent Patterson - 19 saves on 20 shots, 0.950 Sv%, 1 assist

Another good game for Patterson. This Gopher squad has only lost by more than one goal one time this season, which makes goaltending all the more of a premium. Patterson gives the Gophers a chance every night. Plus, Patterson added an assist on the Condon shorthanded goal.

2. Nico Sacchetti - 1G-0A-1P

Sacchetti, playing in only his eighth game of the season, had one of the biggest goals of his career to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead in the game. The eventual game-winning tally was Sacchetti's first of the year, and the senior has taken his limited ice time and made the most of it. Maybe he'll see more playing time now that Nick Larson, a staple of the Gopher fourth line, is out for a few weeks with a broken wrist.

1. Nate Condon - 1G-0A-1P

Condon seems to get a shorthanded chance every single night when paired with Taylor Matson on the kill, and he often delivers. Condon's ninth goal of the season was also his fourth shorthanded tally, and as mentioned above Condon has become much more than just the fastest guy on the team. He's matured into one of the more productive scorers on the Gophers, and at a time when Erik Haula, Jake Hansen, Sam Warning and Zach Budish are slumping scoring-wise, it's imperative that guys like Condon pick up the slack.

Gophers Spin Their Wheels in Games Leading Up to the Second Half of the WCHA Schedule

The Minnesota Gophers have gone 1-2-0 in their most recent three games, losing in the championship game of the Mariucci Classic for the second year in a row before falling in their one-game series against fifth-ranked Notre Dame.

Friday, 12/30/11: 5-1 Gopher Win

The first game of the Gophers' annual holiday tournament typically pits them against a not-so-stellar opponent. That was the case this season, as Minnesota took on a Niagara team that had only won five games all season prior to facing the Golden Gophers. The Gophers jumped on Niagara early, going up two goals in the first 186 seconds of the game. Nick Larson got Minnesota their first goal at 1:58 of the period, and Jake Hansen got the team's second goal (and eventual game-winner) at 3:06. Minnesota would tack on two more goals in the second period, as Erik Haula and Justin Holl lit the lamp. Niagara's Tyler Matthews would break the Kent Patterson shutout bid at 2:23 of the third, but a Zach Budish power play tally at 13:21 of the final frame would end the scoring and give the Gophers a big 5-1 victory.

Saturday, 12/31/11: 3-2 Gopher Loss

In a year seemingly defined by uncharacteristic Minnesota losses, the Gophers tacked on another one before ringing in 2012, as the hometown team lost in their own holiday tournament for the second season in a row, falling to the Northeastern Huskies 3-2. The game's first period went scoreless, and the Gophers got on the board first in the second period, getting a Nate Condon shorthanded goal to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Just over a minute later, after another Gopher penalty, Northeastern scored on a 5-on-3 power play to even the game. Just minutes later at 5:38 of the period, the Huskies took a 2-1 lead on a Steve Quailer goal. The Gophers just couldn't get any offense going, and this fact was made even more prevalent with the number of penalties Minnesota took. The Gophers took 13 total penalties in the game to Northeastern's five, and Northeastern had three separate 5-on-3 opportunities. They would score their third goal on such an opportunity at 14:23 of the third, and although Taylor Matson hit paydirt with 18 seconds left in the game, it was too little too late and Minnesota would end up falling by a 3-2 score.

Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend: Mariucci Classic

3. Nate Schmidt - 0G-2A-2P

Schmidt, now the nation's leading scorer as a defenseman, tallied another two assists this weekend. The sophomore isn't only a scoring machine, though - he also is one of the better defensive defensemen on the squad. His presence in the lineup is crucial for this Gopher team, and his solid weekend gives him the number three star.

2. Taylor Matson - 1G-0A-1P

I've gushed about Matson on this blog many times, so I'll spare some of the love here. Know this, dear readers: even if the rest of the Minnesota team is putting in a lackluster performance, Taylor Matson always is giving 100%. He does this night in and night out for the team, and his effort earned him the number two star of the weekend.

1. Nate Condon - 1G-1A-2P

Nate Condon is the fastest player on this Gopher team, and he is a huge asset on the penalty kill. Condon scored the first goal of the game on Saturday, on what else but a shorthanded breakaway. He was the Gophers' only effective offensive threat on Saturday. Condon also added an assist on the Taylor Matson goal, and his hustling performance means that he was the number one star of the weekend.

Saturday, 1/7/12: 4-3 Gopher Loss

2011 ended with a loss for the Gophers, and 2012 started with one. In the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, the Gophers struggled to show any signs of life until they absolutely needed to. Minnesota scored two goals in the last three minutes of the game, but had dug themselves too deep a hole in the first fifty-seven minutes and ultimately lost to the Fighting Irish by a 4-3 score.

The Gophers received an early five-minute power play, but Notre Dame had more scoring chances shorthanded during that five minute stretch than Minnesota had with the man advantage. When Notre Dame got a power play chance of their own late in the period, they capitalized, as sophomore forward T.J. Tynan snagged a rebound in the mid-slot and beat Kent Patterson glove-side to give his team a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. The second period was a little better for the Gophers, but Notre Dame would extend their lead by the end of the frame. Taylor Matson scored on the power play near the middle of the period, but Notre Dame would re-take the lead at 14:31 as Riley Sheahan fired a wrist shot from the right circle past Patterson. Sheahan would add another goal before the period expired, this time on a shorthanded breakaway gained when the puck bounced past Ben Marshall at the Gopher offensive point.

The Gophers played a very lackadasical third period, never really showing any desire or urgency despite being down two goals to begin the frame. It would be Notre Dame to score first in the period, on a Jeff Costello goal from the slot at 13:44. It was after the Costello goal that Minnesota finally started trying. Nick Bjugstad scored with the goalie pulled at 17:13, and Zach Budish tallied just 31 seconds later to draw the game within one. However, the Gophers would not get a chance after that juncture and would end up losing the game by a four to three score.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Chris Student - 0G-0A-0P

Student, the transfer from Northeastern who sat out the entirety of last year, got his first game action of the season on Saturday in a high-leverage game against a very good Notre Dame team. Student looked like he belonged in the lineup, playing very adequate defense for an undersized D-man. Student may not get much playing time in the near future with defensive stalwart Jake Parenteau destined to be back in the lineup for Minnesota soon, but Student's presence on the back-end gives the Gophers another option at defense if one of their regulars should get hurt. A solid debut for the newcomer gives Chris Student the third star.

2. Kyle Rau - 0G-0A-0P

Rau did not appear on the scoresheet against Notre Dame. His contributions to this Gopher team run far deeper than goals and assists, though. Rau drew the game-opening 5-minute major, and drew several more penalties throughout the game. The true freshman forward always moves his feet, and he finds a way to get himself in position to make plays. Rau definitely made a major impact on the game, and his play earned him the number two star.

1. Taylor Matson - 1G-0A-1P

Matson's Saturday goal was a vintage Taylor Matson tally - a second effort from down in the dirty areas of the crease, Matson got his own rebound and put it into the net to tie the game. As mentioned above, the senior captain is always hustling. His grit earned him the number one star against Notre Dame.

The Gophers travel to Grand Forks to take on the University of North Dakota hockey team formerly known as the Sioux this weekend. I'll have another WCHA Power Rankings post tomorrow recapping the first half of the WCHA season, followed by coverage of this weekend's games up in North Dakota (which I will be attending in person AND in my Gopher attire! Pray for my safety!)

Until next time, Go Gophers!

Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend: Minnesota vs. Minnesota State

In a weekend where the Gophers struggled to pick up two wins against Minnesota State, which Minnesota players shined the brightest? Find out below in my Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend:

3. Kent Patterson: 52 saves on 56 shots, 0.929 Sv. %

Kent Patterson usually shows up in this segment for doing the things he does best: making the saves he's supposed to due to his rock-solid positioning. He usually doesn't give up soft goals and the Gophers have done a pretty good job of limiting the grade-A chances in front of him. This weekend was a different story for the Minnesota netminder. Patterson gave up a "soft" goal on Friday night, but the reason he earned the third star of the weekend was his ability to stop the breakaway. Minnesota State had a combined five breakaways in the weekend series, and Patterson stopped them all. In fact, the "soft" Evan Mosey goal was the only five-on-five goal Patterson gave up all weekend. Kent Patterson continues to give the Gophers the type of goalie play necessary for them to compete on the national stage, and Patterson's prowess at stopping the breakaway this weekend earned him the number three star.

2. Justin Holl: 0G-0A-0P

As you can see above, Holl had zero points on the weekend. This star isn't awarded on points alone, however. Holl has been steadily improving his game for the past month and a half, and he's starting to learn to do the things he's best at in order to help the Gophers out. Holl excels when skating with the puck - he's the best puck-handling defenseman on Minnesota's roster besides Ben Marshall - and he's found that he can use that aspect of his game to open up windows of opportunity for himself and his team. Holl has begun skating his way around and past defenders to open up better passing lanes or to get the puck past the red line and dump it in so that the forwards can gain control of the zone. At the beginning of the season, Holl would remain sedentary while deciding what to do with the puck, and as he lost time and space he'd often make a mistake. Now, Holl is becoming more proactive with the puck, and he is never afraid to let a shot go. His emergence has been one of the more exciting things to watch as far as player development goes from this Gopher team, and his continued improvement certainly helped Minnesota win two games this weekend. For that, Holl earns the number two star.

1. Taylor Matson: 2G-1A-3P

The captain once again tops the list of Gopher stars this week with a balanced performance in both games of the series. Matson scored the first goal of the game on Friday night and scored the second goal on Saturday. He also added an assist to the first Saturday goal. Matson's scoring on the weekend was nowhere near his biggest contribution, however. The senior forward wins every single one-on-one puck battle he engages in when he's out on the ice. This lead-by-example mentality has permeated through the team - his encouragement to get in shape over the offseason is perhaps the driving force behind the Gophers' conditioning edge and third-period dominance this season. The next time you're watching the game, though, watch Matson race to a puck that has been dumped in. If it's a 50/50 shot that he'll win the battle, chances are more like 80/20 that he'll come out with the puck. He creates so many offensive chances and limits the opposing team's puck possession time simply by hustling the way he does all the time. His contributions are often found off the score sheet, but with three points on the weekend Gopher captain Taylor Matson deserves the number one star.

Total Star Count

This section is sort of like the helmet stickers given to football players when they make a big play. Here's how it works: individual game star points will be awarded to first star (x3), second star (x2) and third star (x1), while weekend star points will be given to the first (x6), second (x4) and third (x2) stars. Please see below for your top Gopher stars of the season so far:

Patterson - 29 Points
Matson - 15
Rau - 14
Serratore - 10
Bjugstad - 9
Schmidt - 7
Condon - 6
Warning - 4
Budish - 4
Holl - 4
Haula - 3
Marshall - 2
Boyd - 1

Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend: Minnesota vs. Michigan State

In a strange confluence of events, Kent Patterson did not make the Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend for his unusually lackluster performance last weekend. Read on to find out who DID make the coveted podium!

Third Star: Nick Bjugstad - 2G-2A-4P

Another weekend at the office for the nation's top goal scorer. Bjugstad racked up two goals in Friday night's game before piling on another two assists in the Saturday contest. Bjugstad is tied with Wisconsin's Justin Schultz and Mark Zengerle for first place in total points in the country, but the sophomore's emergence as a goal scorer is the truly remarkable thing here: in his last 22 games played dating back to last season, Bjugstad has scored 20 goals.

Second Star: Zach Budish - 1G-2A-3P

The "unheralded" star on the Gopher first line, Zach Budish broke out of a slump this weekend, breaking a seven-game goal scoring drought by notching his fourth goal of the season. Although Budish plays on the first line, the Gophers count on him for "secondary scoring" - anyone not named Bjugstad, Rau or Haula should be considered secondary scoring on this team - and a good offensive weekend for the redshirt sophomore could point towards an increase in production going forward.

First Star: Tom Serratore - 0G-0A-0P

I would be hard pressed to look at anyone that played on this Minnesota roster last weekend and come up with a player that made more of an impact on his team than did Tom Serratore. He did not factor in the scoring whatsoever, but the guy is a menace when he's out on the ice. Serratore is perhaps the perfect fourth line player - he's gritty, his motor is always going, he's a sound defensive forward, and he has a little bit of pop in his offensive game, too. The man is always noticeable in a positive way on the ice, pressuring the puck with hard forechecking or simply laying a big, clean hit on an opponent to knock him off balance. In fact, I think other than the Gopher first line, the fourth line is the one that dominates the most when on the ice. Due credit must also go to Serratore's typical linemates Nick Larson and Travis Boyd. The three of them together are a hard-working and effective dynamo. Serratore, though, was the best and brightest last weekend, and he deserves the number one star because of it.

St. Cloud Bests Minnesota Friday, but Gophers Dominate Saturday to Earn Split

Although Minnesota and St. Cloud State have not been playing each other for as long as some of the Gophers' other rivals, the two teams nonetheless have one of the more interesting histories in all of college hockey. The Huskies' first coach was none other than legendary Gopher and Miracle On Ice coach Herb Brooks. Brooks was instrumental in getting the Husky program off the ground, and in the years since he's left the program St. Cloud has certainly turned into one of the better college hockey schools in the country. SCSU has produced multiple NHL players and although they haven't had much success thus far in the NCAA tournament it seems like only a matter of time before the Huskies under current head coach (and former Gopher assistant) Bob Motzko make a run in the big dance.

This weekend, though, the teams looked much more like equals and less like older and younger brother, as both the Gophers and the Huskies won in their home arenas to come away with a weekend split.

Friday 11/18/11: 4-3 Gopher Loss

Minnesota traveled up I-94 to battle the Huskies in their barn on Friday night. The nearly 6,000 fans at the National Hockey Center were rabid (as always), and wanted nothing more than to see their squad take down the number-one ranked Gophers. Minnesota, however, came out of the gates firing and quickly built a lead in the shots on goal statistic. It was St. Cloud that would get on the board first, though, as Ben Hanowski pounced on a Gopher turnover and slid a puck past Gopher goalie Kent Patterson. Later in the period, the Huskies would take two penalties 1:34 apart, giving Minnesota an abbreviated two-man advantage. Although the Gophers did not convert on the 26 seconds of 5-on-3, Minnesota's Nick Bjugstad scored on the power play at 11:13, with assists coming from Jake Hansen and Nate Schmidt. The goal tied up the game, but the Huskies would re-take the lead before the period expired as Cam Reid scored on a St. Cloud power play. Although the shots (17-7) and the play favored Minnesota in the period, St. Cloud took advantage of their scoring chances and held the lead as the teams headed into the locker room.

St. Cloud taking advantage of their scoring chances would be a theme in the second period. Although Minnesota again outshot the Huskies (11-6 in the second) it was St. Cloud that scored twice in the middle frame to increase their lead to 4-1. The goals came early, from Nic Dowd on a rebound chance at 4:35 and Jared Festler on a backdoor play on the man advantage at 7:12. The Gophers attempted to respond, but Husky goalie Ryan Faragher was outstanding, limiting rebounds and keeping the Gophers bottled up.

A frustrated Minnesota team left the ice after the second period, and a determined one took the ice to start the third. Faragher, however, was up to the task - for the first fifteen minutes of the last stanza, anyways. At 14:59, fourth-line sparkplug Tom Serratore tipped a Ben Marshall shot from the point past Faragher and gave the Gophers new life. Less than two minutes later at 16:52, Kyle Rau tapped a loose puck past Faragher to get the Gophers within one goal at 4-3. Although the team fought valiantly down to the final seconds, Minnesota could not squeak another one past Faragher. As the horn sounded the Huskies embraced their goaltender for leading the team to a 4-3 victory.

Saturday 11/19/11: 5-0 Gopher Victory

Minnesota's coaching staff must have had some good messages for the team following Friday night's game, because the Gophers looked like a team that would not lose on Saturday. The Gophers played a complete game Saturday, and although Nick Bjugstad was the offensive star of the game it was Kent Patterson that would steal the show.

The Gophers started the game playing a cagey style, not entirely sure what to expect from St. Cloud. The Huskies were awarded an early power play, but good penalty killing and a penalty of their own late into the power play got the Gophers off the hook. Sophomore Nick Bjugstad put the first goal on the board for Minnesota, as he roofed a Zach Budish pass at 8:13 of the period. Jake Hansen made it a 2-0 lead for the Gophers just 44 seconds later at 8:57, beating Faragher five-hole on an Erik Haula pass.

2-0 is how the period would finish, and Minnesota would not look back the rest of the game. Kyle Rau and Erik Haula hit the post in the second period, and early in the third the Gophers put the final nails in the Husky coffin with two nearly-identical power play goals from Nick Bjugstad sandwiching a Mark Alt goal from the point. The three goals came between 3:11 and 5:42 of the period, and from that point on it was all about Kent Patterson. The Gopher netminder has been having one of the most storied seasons in team history, and as the final horn sounded on his sixth shutout of the season players mobbed the senior and fans gave Patterson a standing ovation. Patterson's six shutouts on the year are a new Gopher record, breaking Hobey Baker winner Robb Stauber's team record of five set in the 1987-1988 season. What makes Patterson's feat all the more remarkable is that he's recorded six shutouts in just fourteen games! If he continues playing at anywhere near his current production, All-American and Hobey Baker honors are not out of the question.

Congratulations to Kent and the Gophers, who are still atop the WCHA with 16 points in just 10 WCHA games. One thing for fans to remember about this Gopher run is that seven of their first ten league games came on the road. Definitely an impressive start to the season.

Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend

Since I'm a little late to the party on this week's Three Gopher Stars, I'm going to keep it short and simple.

3. Nate Schmidt: 0G-3A-3P

Schmidt set up Bjugstad on nearly identical power play goals on Saturday night. The Schmidt-to-Bjugstad combination is one we might be seeing a lot on the power play in the future.

2. Tom Serratore: 1G-0A-1P

If this was just a Friday night contest, Serratore would get the number one star. In fact, even if he hadn't scored on Friday he was still the Gophers' best player that night. Serratore brings a unique blend of hard play, hard hits and a little offensive mojo to the team. It's no wonder the Gopher fourth line keeps up with the first lines of good teams.

1. Nick Bjugstad: 4G-1A-5P

Bjugstad recorded his first hat-trick on Saturday night, racking up three goals (two on one-time power play shots) to power the Gophers to a 5-0 victory. The nation's leading scorer is on an unbelievable pace, and Hobey Baker rumblings are not out of the question for this young man if he keeps it up. Expect him to be wearing a Florida Panthers uniform at this time next season - there's virtually zero chance he'll return to the Gophers next year.

Next Weekend: @ Michigan State

The Gophers travel to East Lansing to take on the 7-5-0 Michigan State Spartans. Sparty cracked the polls this week, edging to number 20. Michigan State is no pushover, holding victories over good Ohio State, Western Michigan and Northern Michigan squads. This should be another good barometer series for the Gophers - can they sustain their success on the road against a good opponent? We'll find out - the puck drops at 7:05 ET (6:05 CT) on both Friday and Saturday evening.

Until then, have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for this edition of the Gophers - finally something to be excited about! Go Gophers!

Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

See below for the three Gopher stars of last weekend's games versus the Wisconsin Badgers.

3. Ben Marshall: 0G-1A-0P

Marshall recorded a single assist in Minnesota's loss on Friday, and was a minus-three on the weekend. However, the freshman defenseman is a big part of the Gopher attack and can skate and control the puck like a young version of some great Gophers past (comparisons to Jordan Leopold or Paul Martin are not entirely inaccurate at this stage of their careers). Marshall is smooth on his skates and brings an element of offense to Minnesota's blueline that the Gophers have been lacking the past several seasons. He took over the play at several stages in Saturday's game. Marshall needs to get a little more unadventurous in the defensive zone, but his skating and offensive abilities are encouraging, and his encouraging play this weekend earned him the number three star.

2. Kent Patterson: 4 Goals Against, 31 saves on 35 shots, .886 Sv %

Don't let Patterson's seemingly pedestrian save percentage numbers fool you - the senior netminder had a solid weekend between the pipes for the Maroon and Gold. Patterson allowed four goals on the weekend - a two-on-one, a goofy deflection and a breakaway beat him on Friday, whereas the only puck to cross the Minnesota goal line on Saturday was a backdoor play. None of these goals are the fault of the goalkeeper, which is something that Patterson gives this Gopher team a lot - he makes all the saves that he's supposed to make and quite a few that he shouldn't. Wisconsin had numerous chances in Saturday's game that Patterson stopped before the Gophers were able to take over the game. He gave Minnesota a chance to win both nights, and his solid performances give him the number two star.

1. Taylor Matson: 1G-1A-2P

Matson is the captain of this Gopher team for a reason. When the team laid an egg in Friday's game, it was Matson's constant hustle and consistent play that helped Minnesota rally to a victory on Saturday night. Matson assisted on the Gophers' first goal of the game and scored the game winner in the third period. His presence on the team is an energizing one, and it is often Matson who picks the team up after a lull in energy by winning a one-on-one battle or by creating a chance by himself or for a teammate. Matson's leadership qualities are what this young Gopher team needs to keep itself on track, and the way he led the team to victory on Saturday gets him the number one star of the weekend.

Minnesota Comes from Behind Late in 3rd Period to Stun the Sioux 3-2, Sweep the Weekend Series

As Don Lucia said earlier in the week: "If you want to be the man, you have to beat the man."

A weekend sweep for the Gophers should go a long way towards confirming Minnesota's status as "the man" in the WCHA.

A furious third period comeback sparked by the Gophers' often-impressive fourth line erased a one-goal deficit and a late Kyle Rau goal led Minnesota (9-1-0 Overall, 6-0-0 WCHA) to a Saturday win and a weekend sweep over the hated North Dakota Fighting Sioux (3-6-1 Overall, 1-5-0 WCHA).

Saturday 10/5/11 - 3-2 Gopher Win

Minnesota's Friday night opening period was tentative and nervous. Saturday was a completely different story. The Gophers came out guns blazing and took it to the Sioux throughout the frame. The Maroon and Gold outshot North Dakota 19-5 in the period, and it appeared that they'd continue their dominance on the scoreboard as well. Nick Bjugstad scored a great hustle goal at 7:09 of the period, as he forechecked hard to pop the puck loose from the North Dakota defense before parking himself in front of the net and jamming a Zach Budish pass home. The goal gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead which they would relinquish before the period expired. Brock Nelson scored on a laser wrist shot that beat Kent Patterson high to the glove side. The power play goal came at 9:46 and evened the game up at one goal a piece, which is where the score would stay as the players entered the locker rooms for the first intermission.

The North Dakota coaches must have made some adjustments between periods, because it was the Fighting Sioux that would have the better of the play in the second period. Minnesota let their game lapse a little bit in the middle frame of the contest, failing to connect tape-to-tape on passes and not battling to win the one-on-one puck battles that so often define outcomes in games. The Sioux on the other hand were hustling to pucks and overall elevated their game. Although Minnesota outshot North Dakota 12-6 in the period, most of the Gopher shots were from the perimeter. The Gophers did not connect in the period, but North Dakota's freshman phenom Rocco Grimaldi put the Sioux ahead 2-1 with yet another laser wrister that beat Kent Patterson high to the glove side at 8:39 of the middle frame. No more scoring would occur in the period, and Minnesota would need to regroup before the third if they wanted to make some noise and grab another point or two in the standings.

Thankfully, the Gophers responded in the third. The first ten minutes of the period were filled with mostly futile Gopher attempts to get the puck to the front of the net. Minnesota was pressing, which led to a few big Sioux chances - most notably a 3-on-1 in which Ben Blood fed Brock Nelson in front of the Gopher goal. Netminder Patterson sprawled his right pad out to make the save and keep the game alive for the Gophers. Minnesota needed just one shot to sneak past Sioux goalie Aaron Dell to tie the game. A tall order, but the Gophers got just what they were looking for when a great hustle play by Minnesota's fourth line created a turnover behind the net. Travis Boyd, the freshman fourth line center out of Hopkins, streaked behind the net to intercept a D-to-D pass and fed the puck into the slot for senior Nick Larson. Larson's shot at 13:56 slithered through Dell's five hole and somehow made its way into the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.

With just six minutes left to play, the Gophers had stolen all of the momentum and it appeared that the game would head into overtime. However, with less than a minute to go Nick Bjugstad gained control of the puck behind the Sioux net and threw it out into the crease. Zach Budish and Kyle Rau were in front of the net, and although Dell turned aside Budish's first attempt it was Rau that grabbed the rebound and stuffed it into the corner of the net. Rau's goal at 19:14 gave the Gophers the lead at 3-2, and that is how the game would finish.

Minnesota's sweep of North Dakota was the first since 1996, and it gave them a perfect 6-0 WCHA record heading into their series next weekend at Wisconsin. The Gophers are now 9-1-0 on the young season and are perhaps the hottest team in the country. They've shown they can win big, they can come from behind and they can gut out a close victory. Jump on the bandwagon, ladies and gentlemen, because these guys are for real.

Game Highlights courtesy of Gopher Sports

Here are the Gopher goals in the third period:



Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Travis Boyd: 0G-1A-1P

The entirety of the fourth line deserves some recognition here. The best Gopher teams have always had a fourth line they could rely on to hustle and play good minutes. The championship years of the early 2000's saw the gold standard of Gopher fourth lines with Jake Flemming, Jon Waibel and Garret Smaagaard. Well, don't look now but Minnesota has a pretty good group playing on the fourth line this year, with Travis Boyd centering Nick Larson and Tom Serratore. Serratore scored a goal in last night's game, and Nick Larson got the game-tying goal in the, but it was Travis Boyd that stood out to me in Saturday's matchup. Boyd does a lot of little things right. He's a good two-way forward with a little bit of offensive pizzaz and plenty of hockey knowledge. Boyd did the bulk of the work on the Gophers' second goal, and we see a lot of Travis Boyd on the excellent Gopher penalty kill. Great game by him and a very deserving number three star.

2. Kyle Rau: 1G-0A-1P

Rau is always in the right place at the right time. This kid has a higher hockey IQ than any player I've ever seen. He was right next to the net at the end of the game and it seems like the puck just squirts onto his stick in big situations. Rau had plenty of chances on the backdoor tonight, but he put in the one that mattered with only 45 seconds left to seal the Gopher victory. Rau's gutty goal earned him the number two star of the game.

1. Kent Patterson: 17 Saves on 19 Shots, .895 Sv %

Patterson did not have his best game tonight, but he made the big saves in the third period when the Gophers needed him to keep them in the game. A good positional goaltender, Patterson always makes the solid saves and avoids giving up too many rebounds. His saves in the third allowed the goal by Nick Larson to matter. Patterson's key presence in net earns him my number one star.

Next Week: AT Wisconsin

The Gophers travel to Madison next weekend to take on the Badgers. Wisconsin is an enigma of a team this season, sporting some good wins (vs. Nebraska-Omaha, sweep vs. North Dakota) and some rough losses (vs. UNO after being up 3-0 early, at St. Cloud 7-2, swept at Michigan Tech). The team is still trying to find its identity after a dearth of early departures from last year's squad, including both senior goalkeepers. Freshman Landon Peterson appears to have taken the reins in goal for the Badgers, but the start has been shaky at best. Winning on the road is always difficult so a road split for the Gophers would not be a bad result, but I'm hoping that the Gophers' depth and talent advantages over Bucky will net at least three points for Minnesota in the WCHA standings. Both games next weekend start at 7:05 central time.

Go Gophers!

Gophers Edge Sioux 2-0 on Friday to Continue Unbeaten WCHA Start

If you're looking to see a clean hockey game, the North Dakota-Minnesota tilt probably isn't the one for you to view.

In a rivalry that continues to be one of the most fiercely contested in all of college hockey, Minnesota boosted its record to 8-1-0 overall (5-0-0 WCHA) with a 2-0 victory over the Fighting Sioux. Minnesota and North Dakota combined for 69 penalty minutes in the game, and although North Dakota had a longer time on the power play it was the Gophers' defensive special teams that won the day for the Maroon and Gold.

Friday 11/4/11: 2-0 Gopher Win

Minnesota started the game very tentatively. Both teams played a sloppy first ten minutes, with a lot of passes uncharacteristically in skates instead of tape-to-tape, perhaps a sign that the teams were filled with nervous energy heading into such an important matchup. North Dakota had the better of the chances in the first half of the first period. However, Minnesota would turn it on as the game progressed. The Gophers would eventually take a lead in the shots department 10-7 at the end of the period, but no pucks made it past either Sioux goaltender Aaron Dell or Gopher netminder Kent Patterson as the squads headed into the locker rooms. Each team committed three penalties in the first.

The second period opened with a Gopher penalty. Seth Ambroz, the big Minnesota freshman playing on the team's third line, took an ill-advised contact to the head penalty at thirty seconds of the period and received a five-minute major and game misconduct. This gave the Sioux a great chance to take control of the game. However, Minnesota's tremendous penalty kill came up huge once again. The kill was punctuated by Minnesota's Kyle Rau, who ragged the puck one-on-four in the North Dakota zone for upwards of thirty seconds before passing it back to his teammates, who continued to control the puck before firing it down the ice.

The capacity crowd of 10,176 erupted as the Gophers killed off the penalty and returned to full strength - Mariucci Arena had not been that loud for at least five years, and it would get even louder. The fans roared when a big scrum erupted at 11:47 of the period. The Gophers second line reacted to North Dakota's fourth line making a run at Kent Patterson. All five Gophers squared off against the five Sioux players, and in the end the Gophers wound up with a power play. Here, Nate Schmidt's slapper from the point hit and injured Mario Lamoureux, and with a player down on the ice Kyle Rau found Nick Bjugstad wide open in the mid-slot. Bjugstad fired a wrister into the corner to score the first goal of the game and give the Gophers a 1-0 lead which they would hold into the second intermission. Minnesota won the shot battle in the second period as well, holding a 14 to 11 advantage in the period for a 24-18 lead in the game overall.

The third began with a couple of Gopher penalties, as Seth Helgeson and Nick Bjugstad took minors that gave North Dakota nearly four straight minutes on the man advantage. Kent Patterson stood tall once again and made the key saves. The Gopher team defense also was solid all night, blocking shots and clearing what few rebounds that Patterson left on the doorstep. Midway through the final frame, the Gopher fourth line was the nail in the Sioux coffin as Travis Boyd won a defensive zone faceoff right to Nick Larson, who fed a streaking Tom Serratore on a breakaway. Serratore's shot beat Dell and gave the Gophers the separation goal they needed. There were several more scuffles the rest of the way, but Minnesota again remained strong on defense and as the final horn sounded the Gophers had won a tight 2-0 victory.

Game Highlights

Check out the game highlights courtesy of Gopher Sports



Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Kyle Rau: 0G-1A-1P

Rau was all over the ice all night, providing great spark in the crucial, momentum-shifting five minute penalty kill that jump-started the Gophers to victory. Rau's assist on the Bjugstad goal was a thing of beauty as well as a testament to Rau's hustle. The freshman forward was hit from behind by North Dakota's Ben Blood on what looked like a clear checking from behind call. However, the referees swallowed their whistles and play continued. In the midst of all this, Rau just got up and fired a quick pass across the ice to a wide-open Bjugstad. Rau's tenacity and hustle earned him the number three star of the night.

2. Kent Patterson: 24 Saves on 24 Shots, 1.000 Sv %, 5th Shutout of the Season

This shutout, Patterson's fifth on the season, ties him with Gopher great and Hobey Baker winner Robb Stauber for first all-time in single season shutouts. What makes this feat even more impressive is that Patterson has accomplished it in only nine games. If you can pick one player to be the best on your team, you'd like for it to be the goalkeeper. Patterson provides senior leadership and a calming presence between the pipes. He covers for the young defensemen when they make mistakes and gives Minnesota a chance to win every single night. Likely any other night Mr. Patterson would earn the number one star for his efforts, but tonight one other player shined for this Minnesota team, so Patterson will have to settle with a shutout against arch-rival North Dakota and the number two star.

1. Taylor Matson: 0G-0A-0P

Matson did not record a point in Friday's contest, but he was the best player on the ice for either team. The senior captain willed his Gopher squad to a victory by doing the things that do not appear on the stat sheet. Matson routinely won one-on-one puck battles, negated icing calls by beating the defender to the faceoff dot, and was not hesitant to go into the corners and scrum for the puck. Matson always leads by example for this Minnesota team, and in the season's biggest game against the team's biggest rival the captain did not back down. Matson's grit, heart, and willingness to outwork and outlast the Sioux were key reasons that the Gophers won the game. Taylor Matson does not have the skill of a Nick Bjugstad, the speed of a Nate Condon or the skating ability of a Ben Marshall. What he does have, though, is the ability to work harder than anyone on the ice, and his hard work is rubbing off on the rest of his teammates. He is a big reason that the attitude around this Minnesota team has shifted, and it was his will more than anyone else's that pushed the Gophers to victory. Matson played an outstanding game on Friday night, and although he was kept off the score sheet he earned the well-deserved number one star of the game.

Gophers vs. Sioux, Saturday Night at 7:30

The Gophers take on the Sioux again tonight at 7:30. Can Minnesota avoid the costly penalties that racked up in Friday's matchup, or will they continue their winning ways and use their offensive depth to down North Dakota once again? My prediction: 4-3 Gopher victory. Drop the puck!

Gophers Depart Alaska With Two Key WCHA Wins, Sit Atop League Standings

The Minnesota Gophers took their longest road trip of the season last weekend as they flew up to Alaska to take on the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. In a locale that has been surprisingly kind to the Minnesota over the past ten years, the Gophers did not disappoint, winning both games of the weekend series to jump into first place alone in the WCHA standings.

Friday 10/28/11: 5-0 Gopher Win

The Gophers opened their first period in Alaska rather slowly. Although Minnesota (7-1-0 Overall, 4-0-0 WCHA) took many more shots in the period and throughout the game than their Seawolf counterparts, Alaska-Anchorage, a team known for blocking shots and clogging up the passing and shooting lanes, kept the Gophers relatively at bay. The shots on goal for the period ended up 10-6 in favor of Minnesota, and only one of those shots - an Erik Haula attempt at 18:01 - made it into the net before the first 20 minutes of the game expired.

Minnesota took that slender 1-0 lead into the second period, and they were able to add to it just after the midway ponit of the game as Nick Bjugstad beat Anchorage goalie Chris Kamal at 11:46 of the period. The two goal lead was extended to three just a minute later as Mark Alt's shot from the point beat Kamal at 12:49. The period would end at 3-0 Minnesota, with Alt's goal serving as the all-important separation tally that the Gophers had been lacking for the past several years.

The third period was more of the same, as Minnesota would add early tallies from Justin Holl and Erik Haula (his second of the game) to put the game out of reach at 5-0. The Gophers got sloppy after that, allowing three consecutive Seawolf power plays, but the penalty killers and goalie Kent Patterson stood strong, and the Gophers finished off Friday's game with a 5-0 shutout.

Saturday 10/29/11: 3-1 Gopher Win

The Gophers came out on Saturday evening and dominated the Seawolves for the first 20 minutes of action. Minnesota outshot Alaska-Anchorage 20-4 in the first, but like Friday night the Maroon and Gold only was able to put one shot past Seawolf goalie Rob Gunderson. The Gopher goal came at 10:54 of the period on a nice tic-tac-toe passing play from freshman Kyle Rau to Nick Bjugstad behind the net, who one-timed it to Zac Budish camped out in front of the crease. Budish's shot snuck past Gunderson to get Minnesota on the board.

Minnesota started off the second period and quickly went down a man as Ben Marshall took an interference call at 3:02. However, Nate Condon (who is perhaps the fastest player on the Gophers' squad) broke away shorthanded when he split the Alaska defensemen. Condon finished his chance, roofing the puck past Gunderson to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead.

However, after the Condon goal the Seawolves started to gain the momentum back. UAA got back within one goal at 11:40 of the second period when Sam Mellor scored on the power play. The Seawolves continued to pour shots on Gopher backstop Kent Patterson, but the senior netminder turned the rest of them away to get Minnesota into the locker room with a slim 2-1 lead. The shots in the second period favored Alaska-Anchorage 14-6 for a 26-20 overall Gopher lead.

The Seawolves came out firing in the third period as well, getting several quality chances against Patterson. However, Patterson once again stood on his head throughout the period and shut down Anchorage. Minnesota's Kyle Rau scored a gritty shorthanded empty-net goal in the last minute of the game to seal the victory for the Gophers. Shots on goal in the period were 9-5 Alaska-Anchorage for a 31-27 Minnesota lead after three frames.

Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend

3. Erik Haula - 2G-1A-3P

Haula maintained his lead in the national scoring race, tallying two goals and one assist (all in Friday's game) for three total points. Haula now has 17 points (7G, 10A) in just eight games, tops in the country. The importance of his production on the Gophers' second line cannot be understated. In previous years you would have needed to look a long way down the national scoring statistics to find a Gopher. This year, Minnesota has five players in the top 11 scorers in the country, and two of them are on the Gophers' second line: Erik Haula and Jake Hansen. The fact that Minnesota has three lines that can legitimately be considered a scoring threat is a big reason that the Gophers are currently in fifth place nationally in the USCHO.com poll. Haula's big performance in Friday's contest earns him this weekend's third star.

2. Nate Condon - 1G-0A-1P

Condon only had one point this weekend. However, his goal was the flashiest as well as the biggest goal of the series. The Gophers had dominated the first period but only had a one goal lead. Anchorage was coming on strong and had just gotten on the power play in the second period when Condon made a great individual effort and scored on a shorthanded breakaway to get the Gophers some breathing room. Condon's well timed goal earns him this weekend's second star.

1. Kent Patterson - 1 Goal Against, 48 Saves on 49 Total Shots .980 SV%

Patterson is this team's best player. He's as rock solid as it comes between the pipes, and his shutout on Friday brought him to four already on the season. The Gopher single season record for shutouts is five, set by Hobey Baker award winner Robb Stauber. Patterson could be off to an historic season between the pipes for Minnesota. His play gives Minnesota a chance to win every single night, and his stellar performances this weekend are the reason that he again is the number one star of the weekend.

Next Weekend: Gophers vs. Sioux!

The Gophers host the North Dakota Fighting Sioux (3-4-1 Overall, 1-3-0 WCHA) this weekend, in what is acknowledged by many as the best and most intense rivalry in college hockey. These two teams genuinely dislike each other, and I expect two close games riddled with penalties and probably containing a few fights. Expect the Gophers' outstanding power play to capitalize on any chances the Sioux give them should they get chippy and start taking penalties. Because of the nature of these games, I'll attempt to do a full preview of the series later this week.

Up Next: WCHA Power Rankings and Tiers Week 4

Who moved up? Who moved down? Stay tuned for the next installment of the WCHA Power Rankings and Tiers!

Minnesota Blows Two-Goal Lead, Loses 5-4 to Vermont Catamounts

Prior to Sunday, the Minnesota Gophers had not given up a goal at home and had not lost a game anywhere. The Vermont Catamounts had only played one regular season game, a 6-0 drubbing on Friday at the hands of the aforementioned Gophers.

A day off must have done the Catamounts good.

After a full day to rest up on Saturday, Vermont (aided by a four-goal second period) stunned the Gophers by coming back from an early 3-1 deficit to hand Minnesota their first loss of the season.

Sunday 10/23/11: 5-4 Gopher Loss

Minnesota (5-1-0 Overall, 2-0-0 WCHA) came into Sunday's contest riding high - as mentioned above, the Gophers had won five games to begin the season, having scored 31 goals and having allowed only eight in those contests. The Gophers got off to a good start in the first period of Sunday's game, scoring the first goal of the match at 12:18 on a long shot by Justin Holl from the blue line. Minnesota dominated the period, outshooting Vermont 15-7 in the period despite being shorthanded for six of the frame's 20 minutes.

Although the penalties did not end up hurting the Gophers in the first period, they would become a refrain that would eventually take its toll on the Maroon and Gold. The Gophers' home shutout streak ended at 204:07 (4:07 of the second) as Vermont's Connor Brickley tied the game at one goal each. However, just 12 seconds later Jake Hansen tipped Erik Haula's pass into the top corner of the Vermont net to give the Gophers back their lead at 2-1. Just over a minute later, Nate Schmidt's slapshot from the blue line found its way through traffic and past Vermont goalie Rob Madore to get the Gophers a two goal lead. From there, though, the wheels fell off for Minnesota. Seth Ambroz took two penalties on the same play at 6:05 of the period, giving Vermont four minutes of power play time. The Gophers killed those penalties without allowing so much as one Vermont shot on goal, but somehow Vermont kept the momentum. Justin Holl took a holding penalty at 13:14, and just before their power play expired Connor Brickley scored his second goal of the game and second of the season to bring Vermont within one. Chris McCarthy scored from the low slot at 15:39, and on another power play Sebastian Stalberg scored at 18:07. All of a sudden, a two-goal second period lead had turned into a one-goal deficit for the Gophers as they headed into the locker room after the period expired.

The third period opened with a Gopher power play at 4:27. Despite a ton of quality scoring chances, Catamount goalie Rob Madore shut the door on Minnesota and prevented a tying goal from being scored. Just 40 seconds after the Gopher power play expired at 7:07, Sebastian Stalberg fired a rocket one-time wrist shot from the middle of the slot to beat the Gophers' Kent Patterson and give Vermont a 5-3 lead. Minnesota's Kyle Rau would score on the power play at 10:07 to get the Gophers back within one goal at 5-4, but Rob Madore would continue to stone the Gophers down the stretch as Vermont found a way to steal a victory from Minnesota on the wekeend.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Erik Haula: 0-2-2

Haula assisted on two goals on Sunday, and is now tied for the lead in the national points race with 5-9-14 in just six games. Haula centers the Gophers' second line, and his ability to be a puck-distributing pivot will be vital in getting his linemates (Jake Hansen and Sam Warning) involved in Minnesota's potent scoring attack.

2. Kyle Rau: 1-1-2

Rau scored the Gophers' fourth goal of the game at 10:07 of the third period. It got the Minnesota back in contention by narrowing the Catamount lead to one. Although the Gophers could not quite complete the comeback, Rau has often been the spark plug that jump starts this offense. I'm excited to see what he can do once the games start to get a little more intense.

1. Nate Schmidt: 1-2-3

Schmidt has been the Gophers' only consistently good defenseman the entire season, and he's racked up one goal and eight assists for nine total points in just six games to lead the nation's defensemen in scoring. Schmidt has a cannon of a shot and is great at running the power play. His presence in the Gopher lineup is a key to the season for Minnesota, and his first goal of the year earned him the Gophers' number one star on Sunday.

Coming Up Next: Gophers @ UAA

The Gophers travel up to Anchorage to face the Seawolves (3-2-1 Overall, 0-2-0 WCHA). The Seawolves opened up their WCHA season last weekend by being swept at Nebraska-Omaha. This series should be one of revenge for the Gophers, as Anchorage beat Minnesota twice to end their season last year in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Anchorage is much improved over the last several seasons, and any team traveling to Alaska has a tough battle from the get go, but I would expect three Gopher points out of next weekend.

Next Blog Post: Week 3 WCHA Power Rankings and Tiers

The next time you see this blog, I'll have an updated WCHA Power Rankings and Tiers for you! North Dakota swept at Wisconsin, St. Cloud State with a win and a tie against New Hampshire and Bemidji State sweeping Michigan Tech are sure to shake up the rankings! Stay tuned.

Patterson Pitches Another Shutout as Gophers Crush Catamounts 6-0

Kent Patterson did not have a shutout entering the season as the Gopher netminder. The senior goalie appears to be quickly making up for lost time.

Patterson made 17 saves to record his third shutout of the young season as the Gophers provided all the offense they needed to beat the Vermont Catamounts 6-0 on Friday night.

Friday 10/21/11: 6-0 Gopher Win

The first ever meeting between the Minnesota Gophers (5-0-0 Overall, 2-0-0 WCHA) and the Vermont Catamounts (0-1-0 Overall, 0-0-0 Hockey East) did not start or end well for the visitors. Vermont, predicted to be a lower division team in powerful Hockey East, needed their senior goalkeeper Rob Madore to be the best player on the ice to stand a chance against the high powered Gopher attack. Madore was beaten on the very first shot of the game, though, as Kyle Rau put the puck past the Catamount keeper at 44 seconds of the period to give the Gophers the early 1-0 lead. Rau scored the goal in his own typical fashion - with Minnesota controlling the puck in the offensive zone and forward Sam Warning heading off the ice for a change, Rau hustled from the bench and straight to the net where he received a pass from Jake Hansen and tucked the puck underneath Madore.

From there, the Gophers simply dominated play for the next 40 minutes of action. Minnesota got goals from Sam Warning (on a pretty pass by Erik Haula) at 3:37 of the first period, Nick Bjugstad on a shot that snuck through the five-hole of Madore at 15:26 of the first, Taylor Matson on a tip play set up by Nate Condon and Seth Helgeson at 7:20 of the second frame, Nick Bjugstad again on a beautiful two-on-one pass from Kyle Rau at 9:52 of the period, and Zach Budish on a pinpoint power play wrist shot (aided by nice work to keep the puck in by Seth Ambroz) at 13:53 of the second.

The third period saw a disinterested Gopher hockey team playing against an undermanned and frustrated Vermont squad. The period was chippy - a total of eight penalties were called in the frame and a number of skirmishes broke out. Neither team would score in the period, though, and Minnesota would skate away with an important early non-conference victory.

Three Gopher Stars of the Game

3. Nick Bjugstad - 2-0-2

Bjugstad scored two goals in Friday's tilt versus the Catamounts. Minnesota is going to need him to be their go-to goal scorer this season if they are going to continue to nurse aspirations of greatness at the end of the year. A well-deserved number three star for Nick Bjugstad.

2. Kent Patterson - 17 Saves, 0 GA

Patterson wasn't tested greatly by Vermont in the game, but he saved all 17 shots he faced. Patterson is another key cog in this Gopher team, as one of the only weaknesses displayed thus far by Minnesota is its young D-corps. They will make mistakes this year as player like Ben Marshall, Justin Holl and Mark Alt continue to adjust to the WCHA's steep learning curve. Patterson's calming, solid presence between the pipes will be the difference between winning and losing a lot of games this season. Even though the game was not in doubt, a shutout is a shutout and Kent Patterson's third shutout of the year nets him the second star of the game.

1. Kyle Rau - 1-1-2

Everyone around Minnesota Gopher hockey was excited for Kyle Rau to put on the "M". I think it would be difficult to argue that ANYONE believed he'd make this big of an impact this soon. Rau is playing like he's a seasoned WCHA veteran, already tallying five goals and two assists in just five games. Rau has a nose for the net and has that "it" factor that cannot be taught: he is a goal scorer. Some players may not have the best skills, but they've got that intangible ability to put the puck in the net - Johnny Pohl immediately comes to mind as a guy that didn't look all that great on the ice but could flat out score. Kyle Rau already appears to be one of those players. He's a smart player with an innate ability to know where to be on the ice, and good things seem to happen when he's around.

Enough gushing, though - Rau scored the all-important first goal of the game and added a pretty assist on one of Bjugstad's tallies. He was the most noticeable Gopher on the ice and his goal scoring is a huge reason why I am so optimistic about Minnesota's chances this season. A great performance all around earns Kyle Rau my number one star.

Minnesota's Next Action: versus Vermont Sunday, 1PM

The Gophers take on Vermont again on Sunday the 23rd of October. The puck drops at 1:00 PM. Although many prognosticators would view this game as unimportant, when looking ahead to the national tournament Sunday's game could be the most important game Minnesota plays for the rest of the regular season. Non-conference games are vital in the Pairwise rankings (the system the NCAA uses to pick the NCAA tournament field), and with the Vermont game being potentially the last game Minnesota plays against Hockey East, winning on Sunday would be a huge step in winning a lot of comparisons against good Hockey East teams like Boston College and Boston University later on in the season. Of course the Gophers can still make the NCAA tournament if they lose on Sunday, but a win would make Minnesota's road to the tournament that much clearer. I see a 5-1 Gopher victory, but I would not be surprised if Minnesota dents the twine more often than that. The Gophers have goal scorers this season, and they seem to have the drive to keep scoring goals until the game is definitely out of reach.

Believe in this team. Pride on Ice is BACK.