The Gophers took on Union College and Ferris State last weekend, in their first games back after the University’s Christmas break. Gopher fans were hoping for more nice than naughty in the games launching the team into second half of the season, but the team left fans two big lumps of coal. Minnesota lost to Union and tied Ferris State in the annual Mariucci Classic, the traditional holiday tournament that marks the beginning of the second half of the season. For the first time in a long while, the team did not even contend for the championship of their own tournament, and as the losses pile up the road to the NCAA tournament gets tougher and tougher to make out.
Friday: 3-2 Gopher Loss
The Gophers took on Union College in Friday’s opening tilt without two of their top six forwards. Top line center Erik Haula and last year’s Minnesota Mr. Hockey Nick Bjugstad were out of the lineup. Both players were playing for their countries in the World Junior tournament being held in Buffalo this year, with Bjugstad donning the Red, White and Blue of the USA and Haula pulling on the Suomi sweater of Finland. Both players are excelling in the tournament, with Bjugstad scoring the game-winner against Haula’s Finnish squad in the preliminary rounds. The Gophers certainly would miss the two playmaking freshmen, as scoring had been the team’s strong suit throughout the first half and Union is known as a team that can stifle opposing offenses.
The Gophers were in action for the first time in three weeks, and from the look of their play it appeared that they had not been skating for a while longer than that. The team came out absolutely flat footed, with no life and no spark. Union, a top-15 team in the country playing with less than top-15 talent, looked comfortable letting the Gophers spin their wheels and played their solid defensive system, limiting the Gophers to shots from the perimeter of the zone.
The game was pretty listless throughout the first period, with Union getting the better of the chances and Gopher goalie Kent Patterson stopping everything he saw. However, a Union turnover deep in their own zone gave the Gophers a rare scoring chance, and Jacob Cepis deposited the chance from right in the slot through the legs of the Union goalie and into the back of the net. It looked as if Cepis actually fanned on the shot, but it was enough of a change-up to beat the goalie and give the Gophers a 1-0 lead late in the first period.
Cepis roared back just several minutes later, pushing the puck out of the Gopher defensive zone and beating the lone sluggish Union defensemen in the neutral zone to come flying in on the Union goalie all alone on a breakaway. Unfortunately for Cepis and the Gophers, the senior winger’s hard wrister clanged high off the post and stayed out of the net. However, the Gophers were (somewhat paradoxically) rewarded for a terrible period of hockey with a 1-0 lead going into the first intermission.
The teams played even-up for the first half of the second period, until Gopher forward Tom Serratore took a charging penalty at 8:48 of the period, which gave the nation's best power play (31.6% success rate) an opportunity that they didn't pass up. John Simpson absolutely sniped a wrist shot that beat Kent Patterson high on the glove side for his fourth goal of the season to tie the game up at one goal each. Not to be outdone, the Gophers took advantage of a power play opportunity of their own when Aaron Ness' great hands skills and quick thinking got the puck up to Jacob Cepis and Hoeffel on a 2-on-1 power play rush, which Hoeffel deposited into the back of the net to regain the lead. Right off the ensuing face off, though, Union attacked, and Josh Jooris poked the puck past Kent Patterson just 13 seconds after the Hoeffel goal to knot the game at two.
The rest of the second period concluded with little fanfare, and the teams were tied all throughout the third period as well. Both teams went into overtime with much to gain, but the Gophers had the most to lose. The Mariucci classic games were the last chance the Gophers had to beat non-conference opponents, crucial in the Pairwise rankings which ultimately determine the 16 team field for the NCAA tournament, which many view as the mark which coach Don Lucia must reach if he is to keep his job after the season. However, Union pressured early in the overtime, and scored on their second shot of the extra session, as Josh Jooris again scored to give Union the victory and force the Gophers into fighting for third place in their own tournament.
Gopher Player of the Game: Aaron Ness
Ness may not look like the best player on the ice whenever he's out there, but his decisions with the puck are as good as anyone's and he is the only defenseman on this Minnesota team that plays solid defense. He's a great passer and has terrific hand skills, and his breakout pass to Cepis and Hoeffel on the 2-on-1 to set up the Gophers' second goal showed off Ness' brain and his hands. Gopher goalie Kent Patterson also played well, but we've reached a point where he needs to play well every game if the Gophers are going to have a chance to win since the defense gives up so many point-blank opportunities. Ness gets the nod from me for his outstanding defensive play as well as his ability to start the breakout with snappy passes that are always tape to tape.
Saturday: 2-2 Tie
The Gophers needed a win against Ferris State on Saturday to bounce back from the gut-wrenching 3-2 defeat at the hands of Union College the night before. However, whether the team isn't putting in the high-level effort necessary to win college hockey games or whether the team just isn't that good, they were forced to settle for a tie that makes it very difficult for Minnesota to get back into the NCAA tournament picture.
Once again the Gophers gave up an early goal, on the power play no less, as Matthew Kirzinger scored his third goal of the season against the nation's fourth-worst penalty kill (74.4%) at 4:09 of the period. Minnesota got it back towards the end of the period when Jake Hansen tucked a rebound into the net off of a Seth Helgeson slapshot from the point, and the Gophers entered the first intermission tied at one goal each.
The second period was dominated by Ferris State, who held an 11-4 advantage in shots on goal during the middle frame. The Bulldogs also won the battle on the scoreboard, as Brett Wysopal scored five seconds after a Jay Barriball roughing minor expired to lead Ferris State back to a one goal advantage. The goal came at 16:28 of the period, and Ferris State would take their lead and the momentum into the visitor's locker room following the period.
Minnesota picked up their play in the third period, creating chances and drawing penalties and generally looking like the better team. However, they were down a goal and in need of some offense. They received it on the power play, as Jay Barriball scored his 11th goal of the year at 7:38 of the period on a deft tip off a Jake Hansen shot. While the goal leveled the game at two goals each, it seemed to solidify the defenses of both sides, and despite another Gopher power play no more goals were scored and the game went into overtime.
Both teams played decently in the extra session, with Minnesota again getting the better of the chances and having a four-to-one shots on goal lead, but the Gophers could not get the puck past Bulldog goalkeeper Pat Nagle and the game ended in a draw. The two teams were scheduled to have a shootout, with Mariucci's PA announcer broadcasting as such to the fans still in attendance, but coach Lucia canceled the event, later saying that there was "no point" to the exhibition. While many have speculated that Lucia was avoiding the shootout because he did not want the team to endure another loss, I don't see it as a big issue. The shootout was for third place in the tournament, and with shootouts not counting in the NCAA anyways (all games that are tied after a five minute overtime are counted as ties by the NCAA) there really was no point to the shootout. However, coach Lucia probably could have handled the situation more tactfully than he did, and once the shootout had been announced over the PA system the event should have continued.
Gopher Player of the Game: Kent Patterson
Patterson continues to be the MVP of this Gopher team, keeping Minnesota in nearly every game that he starts. Patterson made 27 saves on 29 shots Saturday, and with the porous Gopher defense ahead of him he needed to make plenty of high-leverage saves, too. Without Patterson's efforts the game surely would have been a loss for the Maroon and Gold, and that effort deserves the player of the game nod.
Conclusion
As mentioned several times above, the road to the NCAA tournament (and likely the road to Don Lucia saving his job) is getting murkier and murkier. The Gophers need to go on a tear in the second half a la Dave Hakstol's North Dakota ______'s in order to jump enough teams in the Pairwise to earn their way into the NCAA field. Now that the Mariucci Classic is behind them, that road HAS to start in Grand Forks, as the Gophers take on an always tough North Dakota squad that is ranked #2 in the nation following a blistering 16-5-2 start. The Gophers, perrenial hot starters and slow finishers, are due for a change of fortune, and I am on record believing that if this team can learn to play some team defense it can make some noise in the second half. The road begins in Grand Forks. The second half of the season starts now. If the Gophers come out hard and take 2+ points on the weekend we could be in good shape. However, 1 point or a UND sweep spells big trouble for Minnesota and head coach Lucia as they look to right the ship come playoff time. The puck drops at Ralph Engelstad Arena at 7:30 PM Friday night and 7:00 Saturday. Go Gophers!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Missed Opportunities for Gophers and Bulldogs Result in 2-2 Tie
Coming off a surprising 3-2 victory over the #2 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, the Minnesota Golden Gophers had a rare chance to sweep the 12-3-2 Bulldogs, who had not been swept all year. Friday's Gopher victory stemmed from a 60-minute effort... could they give another solid effort and steal yet another win from the Bulldogs?
Sunday: 2-2 Tie
Alex Kangas did not dress for Sunday's game, so Kent Patterson got another start in net. Rightfully so, as well, since Patterson was the player of the game in Friday's contest. Patterson didn't have much to do in the first period, though, as the Gophers dominated the action.
Outshooting the Bulldogs 15-6 in the first period, the Gophers had tons and tons of scoring chances but could not convert. Perhaps the best of these chances was a Taylor Matson breakaway, but Bulldog goaltender Aaron Crandall made a big save to keep the game at a 0-0 tie. Minnesota finally did cash in on a powerplay opportunity late in the period, when Jake Hansen tipped a Justin Holl slapshot from the point, giving the Gophers another 1-0 lead. The goal came at 17:26 of the period and gave the Gophers a well-deserved lead. However, just like Friday night's game, the Bulldogs scored a last-minute goal to even the game. Duluth's high-powered scoring line struck again, as Jack Connelly sniped a shot into the upper corner of the net at 19:23 of the period to tie the game.
Friday night's game saw the Gophers come out strong in the second period despite giving up a late game-tying goal. Sunday was a different story, however. The Bulldogs absolutely and thoroughly controlled the second period from beginning to end. Duluth outshot the Gophers 22-5 in the middle frame, but Minnesota limited the damage nicely, giving up only one goal on Mike Seidel's near-perfect shot from below the circle on a strung out two-on-one attempt. Kent Patterson and the defense could do nothing to stop that shot, but other than that the Gopher defense stood tall, with lots of help from Patterson.
The Gophers kept the game within reach heading into the third, and capitalized on a great individual play from Jacob Cepis when the gritty senior forward stole the puck from a Bulldog defender and slid the puck through Crandall's five-hole to tie the game at two goals to two. After the Gopher goal at 5:24 of the period, both teams settled into their game-plans, for the first time matching each other up and down the ice. The game was very much in the balance until about the ten-minute mark of the period.
At that point, the Gophers drew a penalty when Jacob Cepis once again hustled and got tripped. Just ten seconds later, the Bulldogs cleared the puck down the ice, and Kyle Schmidt stole the puck from the Gopher defender and beat Kent Patterson. However, Schmidt's steal was ruled a hooking penalty by the referees, and the call gave the Gophers a 5-on-3 powerplay for nearly two whole minutes. Although the Gophers had a plethora of quality scoring chances, Aaron Crandall and the Bulldog defenders stiffened and turned back the Gopher attack.
Less than a minute after the Bulldog penalties expired, Max Gardiner checked a Bulldog player hard in the back, and was whistled for a five-minute major for checking-from-behind. The Bulldog powerplay now had five whole minutes to try and score against one of the worst penalty kills in the country. However, the Gophers came up with a big penalty kill and shut down the Bulldog attack. The third period finished 2-2, and the teams headed into overtime.
The overtime was fairly evenly played, and there were not too many big chances until Jacob Cepis again drew another big penalty which gave the Gophers just under two minutes of powerplay with a chance to win the game. Again, though, the Bulldog defense stopped the Gopher attackers, and both teams skated away with a hard-fought tie.
Gopher Player of the Game: Kent Patterson
Kent Patterson is again the Gopher player of the game, surrendering only two goals (on two impossible-to-save shots) on 43 Minnesota-Duluth shots. Patterson was the most important cog in keeping the game within reach once again, stopping numerous quality Bulldog chances, including all six of Minnesota-Duluth's powerplays opportunities. Without Patterson's consistent goaltending the Gophers would have been in trouble from the get-go, and Patterson was instrumental in the Gophers stealing one point tonight and three points on the weekend.
Conclusion
The Gophers go into the winter break at 9-7-2 overall and 6-6-2 in the WCHA. Minnesota is in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference at 14 points, tied with Wisconsin and Colorado College. The Gophers are behind only Nebraska-Omaha (17 pts), UMD and Denver (20 pts) and North Dakota (22 pts).
I think that Minnesota has a great chance to make up some points in the standings in the second half. This team has won in the first half on talent alone. Goal scoring cannot be coached, and the Gophers have it. One would think that the defense will tighten up as the season moves along and the players learn more from their coaches as well as the very young defensive corps gains valuable WCHA experience. I can see this team pulling off a North Dakota-like run in the second half and being primed for a playoff run when the regular season is over.
The Gophers play next in the Mariucci Classic, with games against Union College and Ferris State. Both Union and Ferris State are ranked teams, so this non-conference series should be a very important for the Pairwise rankings which determine the NCAA tournament field. Let's hope the Gophers can pick up a couple wins on their way to a really good second half run!
Sunday: 2-2 Tie
Alex Kangas did not dress for Sunday's game, so Kent Patterson got another start in net. Rightfully so, as well, since Patterson was the player of the game in Friday's contest. Patterson didn't have much to do in the first period, though, as the Gophers dominated the action.
Outshooting the Bulldogs 15-6 in the first period, the Gophers had tons and tons of scoring chances but could not convert. Perhaps the best of these chances was a Taylor Matson breakaway, but Bulldog goaltender Aaron Crandall made a big save to keep the game at a 0-0 tie. Minnesota finally did cash in on a powerplay opportunity late in the period, when Jake Hansen tipped a Justin Holl slapshot from the point, giving the Gophers another 1-0 lead. The goal came at 17:26 of the period and gave the Gophers a well-deserved lead. However, just like Friday night's game, the Bulldogs scored a last-minute goal to even the game. Duluth's high-powered scoring line struck again, as Jack Connelly sniped a shot into the upper corner of the net at 19:23 of the period to tie the game.
Friday night's game saw the Gophers come out strong in the second period despite giving up a late game-tying goal. Sunday was a different story, however. The Bulldogs absolutely and thoroughly controlled the second period from beginning to end. Duluth outshot the Gophers 22-5 in the middle frame, but Minnesota limited the damage nicely, giving up only one goal on Mike Seidel's near-perfect shot from below the circle on a strung out two-on-one attempt. Kent Patterson and the defense could do nothing to stop that shot, but other than that the Gopher defense stood tall, with lots of help from Patterson.
The Gophers kept the game within reach heading into the third, and capitalized on a great individual play from Jacob Cepis when the gritty senior forward stole the puck from a Bulldog defender and slid the puck through Crandall's five-hole to tie the game at two goals to two. After the Gopher goal at 5:24 of the period, both teams settled into their game-plans, for the first time matching each other up and down the ice. The game was very much in the balance until about the ten-minute mark of the period.
At that point, the Gophers drew a penalty when Jacob Cepis once again hustled and got tripped. Just ten seconds later, the Bulldogs cleared the puck down the ice, and Kyle Schmidt stole the puck from the Gopher defender and beat Kent Patterson. However, Schmidt's steal was ruled a hooking penalty by the referees, and the call gave the Gophers a 5-on-3 powerplay for nearly two whole minutes. Although the Gophers had a plethora of quality scoring chances, Aaron Crandall and the Bulldog defenders stiffened and turned back the Gopher attack.
Less than a minute after the Bulldog penalties expired, Max Gardiner checked a Bulldog player hard in the back, and was whistled for a five-minute major for checking-from-behind. The Bulldog powerplay now had five whole minutes to try and score against one of the worst penalty kills in the country. However, the Gophers came up with a big penalty kill and shut down the Bulldog attack. The third period finished 2-2, and the teams headed into overtime.
The overtime was fairly evenly played, and there were not too many big chances until Jacob Cepis again drew another big penalty which gave the Gophers just under two minutes of powerplay with a chance to win the game. Again, though, the Bulldog defense stopped the Gopher attackers, and both teams skated away with a hard-fought tie.
Gopher Player of the Game: Kent Patterson
Kent Patterson is again the Gopher player of the game, surrendering only two goals (on two impossible-to-save shots) on 43 Minnesota-Duluth shots. Patterson was the most important cog in keeping the game within reach once again, stopping numerous quality Bulldog chances, including all six of Minnesota-Duluth's powerplays opportunities. Without Patterson's consistent goaltending the Gophers would have been in trouble from the get-go, and Patterson was instrumental in the Gophers stealing one point tonight and three points on the weekend.
Conclusion
The Gophers go into the winter break at 9-7-2 overall and 6-6-2 in the WCHA. Minnesota is in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference at 14 points, tied with Wisconsin and Colorado College. The Gophers are behind only Nebraska-Omaha (17 pts), UMD and Denver (20 pts) and North Dakota (22 pts).
I think that Minnesota has a great chance to make up some points in the standings in the second half. This team has won in the first half on talent alone. Goal scoring cannot be coached, and the Gophers have it. One would think that the defense will tighten up as the season moves along and the players learn more from their coaches as well as the very young defensive corps gains valuable WCHA experience. I can see this team pulling off a North Dakota-like run in the second half and being primed for a playoff run when the regular season is over.
The Gophers play next in the Mariucci Classic, with games against Union College and Ferris State. Both Union and Ferris State are ranked teams, so this non-conference series should be a very important for the Pairwise rankings which determine the NCAA tournament field. Let's hope the Gophers can pick up a couple wins on their way to a really good second half run!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Gophers Win a Thriller Versus #2 Minnesota-Duluth
The Minnesota Gophers face a tough challenge this weekend in the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The Bulldogs, ranked #2 in the country with a 12-2-2 record coming into the series, are a tough team with a high-end offense that is led by their first line. Mike Connelly, Jack Connelly and Justin Fontaine has combined for 27 of the team's 65 total goals (42%). The UMD powerplay has hummed along at just over 25% on the season, and with the Gophers sporting the nation's third-worst penalty kill (at 73% on the season) as well as a penchant to play poor defense in their own zone, this game looked like a blowout on paper.
However, we've seen the Gophers step up and beat good teams when they give a solid effort for a full sixty minutes. The Gophers beat a very good Michigan squad with maximum effort for three whole periods. Could they bring that work ethic against a very good UMD squad?
Friday: 3-2 Gopher Win
Don Lucia gave the nod to Kent Patterson in goal, and with the aforementioned firepower UMD possesses, Patterson would likely need to come up big if the Gophers stood a chance in the game. It would also be important for the Gophers to get on the scoreboard early. The Gophers have only won one game this year when giving up the first goal (a 2-1 win against St. Cloud State), so it was imperative that the team get off to a good start.
And they did. Just three minutes into the game, Nick Larson tipped a Seth Helgeson slapshot from the point past Bulldog goalie Kenny Reiter to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, defenseman Cade Fairchild took a Bulldog check and went into the boards hard, appearing to dislocate his shoulder or break his collarbone. Fairchild did not return to the game, and his status for the rest of the season remains in doubt.
Minnesota skated with Duluth all period, at times looking like the better team, until a late powerplay gave UMD a chance to take advantage of the Gophers' lackluster penalty kill. The potent Bulldog powerplay clicked with just under 14 seconds remaining in the period, as Jack Connelly put a screened shot past Patterson to tie the game. Although Duluth had just scored, you got the sense that the Gophers still had the momentum going into the break. The fact that Minnesota had skated toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country through twenty minutes seemed to embolden the Gophers.
The second period was a very even affair. Both teams had quality scoring opportunities, but the goalies came up big. Patterson especially made quality stops, stoning Bulldog attackers left and right with plenty of help from the short-handed defensive corps. About seven minutes into the period, Nico Sacchetti cut to the slot in the offensive zone and fired a wrister into the corner of the net, to give the Gophers another lead at 2-1. This goal really fired up the Maroon and Gold, who played with passion and vigor, generating chances and keeping Duluth on their heels. Midway through the period the Gophers drew a Bulldog penalty, and after all the bad puck luck from last year's UMD-Minnesota series (at least two UMD goals scored off of Gopher skates) the Gophers were due for a break. They got one, when a Reiter rebound bounced off of Bulldog defenseman Dylan Olsen and into the back of the net. The goal at 13:36 of the period, was unassisted to Barriball, but the Hockey Gods definitely got an assist on that one. The Gophers finished the period strong, and had a two-goal cushion going into the third period.
Scott Sandelin's intermission speech must have been pretty good, because the Bulldogs came out strong in the third period. The Gophers played into the Bulldogs' plans, going into the prevent defense and crawling into their shell. Minnesota-Duluth was piling on the offense, taking shot after shot after shot at Kent Patterson. Patterson was up to the challenge, making high degree-of-difficulty saves on shots from UMD's best players. Duluth got a boost when a questionable Mike Hoeffel high-sticking call sent them on the powerplay, and they again took advantage of a bad Gopher penalty kill. A Justin Faulk rocket slapshot hit the absolute top corner of the goal, and with just over five minutes left in the game the Bulldogs were right back in the game.
The Bulldogs put on the full court press for the last five minutes, and the Gophers could only try to hold on for dear life. Duluth pulled their goalie with just under 90 seconds left, and many mad flurries in front of the Gopher net were handled with aplomb by Patterson. However, a cross-ice pass with 20 seconds left set up Justin Fontaine with a wide open net to shoot at. Fontaine's shot was right on the money, but Kent Patterson dove from the other side of the crease and his outstretched blocker got in the way of the twine-seeking puck and batted it to the corner. The Gophers cleared the puck out of the zone and celebrated a 3-2 victory.
Gopher Player of the Game: Kent Patterson
Patterson made 37 shots on the night, none bigger than the diving save on Fontaine's snipe with the game on the line. Patterson gave the team a chance to win, and without his stellar play at the back the Gophers' three goals would never have stood up. Patterson's performance stole a huge game for the Gophers, and gives them a chance to sweep a huge series going into the winter break.
The Gophers will go for that sweep Sunday afternoon at 4 PM. I'll see you there!
However, we've seen the Gophers step up and beat good teams when they give a solid effort for a full sixty minutes. The Gophers beat a very good Michigan squad with maximum effort for three whole periods. Could they bring that work ethic against a very good UMD squad?
Friday: 3-2 Gopher Win
Don Lucia gave the nod to Kent Patterson in goal, and with the aforementioned firepower UMD possesses, Patterson would likely need to come up big if the Gophers stood a chance in the game. It would also be important for the Gophers to get on the scoreboard early. The Gophers have only won one game this year when giving up the first goal (a 2-1 win against St. Cloud State), so it was imperative that the team get off to a good start.
And they did. Just three minutes into the game, Nick Larson tipped a Seth Helgeson slapshot from the point past Bulldog goalie Kenny Reiter to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, defenseman Cade Fairchild took a Bulldog check and went into the boards hard, appearing to dislocate his shoulder or break his collarbone. Fairchild did not return to the game, and his status for the rest of the season remains in doubt.
Minnesota skated with Duluth all period, at times looking like the better team, until a late powerplay gave UMD a chance to take advantage of the Gophers' lackluster penalty kill. The potent Bulldog powerplay clicked with just under 14 seconds remaining in the period, as Jack Connelly put a screened shot past Patterson to tie the game. Although Duluth had just scored, you got the sense that the Gophers still had the momentum going into the break. The fact that Minnesota had skated toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the country through twenty minutes seemed to embolden the Gophers.
The second period was a very even affair. Both teams had quality scoring opportunities, but the goalies came up big. Patterson especially made quality stops, stoning Bulldog attackers left and right with plenty of help from the short-handed defensive corps. About seven minutes into the period, Nico Sacchetti cut to the slot in the offensive zone and fired a wrister into the corner of the net, to give the Gophers another lead at 2-1. This goal really fired up the Maroon and Gold, who played with passion and vigor, generating chances and keeping Duluth on their heels. Midway through the period the Gophers drew a Bulldog penalty, and after all the bad puck luck from last year's UMD-Minnesota series (at least two UMD goals scored off of Gopher skates) the Gophers were due for a break. They got one, when a Reiter rebound bounced off of Bulldog defenseman Dylan Olsen and into the back of the net. The goal at 13:36 of the period, was unassisted to Barriball, but the Hockey Gods definitely got an assist on that one. The Gophers finished the period strong, and had a two-goal cushion going into the third period.
Scott Sandelin's intermission speech must have been pretty good, because the Bulldogs came out strong in the third period. The Gophers played into the Bulldogs' plans, going into the prevent defense and crawling into their shell. Minnesota-Duluth was piling on the offense, taking shot after shot after shot at Kent Patterson. Patterson was up to the challenge, making high degree-of-difficulty saves on shots from UMD's best players. Duluth got a boost when a questionable Mike Hoeffel high-sticking call sent them on the powerplay, and they again took advantage of a bad Gopher penalty kill. A Justin Faulk rocket slapshot hit the absolute top corner of the goal, and with just over five minutes left in the game the Bulldogs were right back in the game.
The Bulldogs put on the full court press for the last five minutes, and the Gophers could only try to hold on for dear life. Duluth pulled their goalie with just under 90 seconds left, and many mad flurries in front of the Gopher net were handled with aplomb by Patterson. However, a cross-ice pass with 20 seconds left set up Justin Fontaine with a wide open net to shoot at. Fontaine's shot was right on the money, but Kent Patterson dove from the other side of the crease and his outstretched blocker got in the way of the twine-seeking puck and batted it to the corner. The Gophers cleared the puck out of the zone and celebrated a 3-2 victory.
Gopher Player of the Game: Kent Patterson
Patterson made 37 shots on the night, none bigger than the diving save on Fontaine's snipe with the game on the line. Patterson gave the team a chance to win, and without his stellar play at the back the Gophers' three goals would never have stood up. Patterson's performance stole a huge game for the Gophers, and gives them a chance to sweep a huge series going into the winter break.
The Gophers will go for that sweep Sunday afternoon at 4 PM. I'll see you there!
Gopher Hockey Snowmageddon Update: 12/11 Game Postponed
I have just received word that the Minnesota Gopher / Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs hockey game scheduled for 7 PM tonight (12/11/10) has been postponed due to this week's version of the storm of the century. The make-up game is due to be played at 4:00 PM on Sunday, December 12th.
Hope everyone drives safe today!
Hope everyone drives safe today!
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