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, December 12, 2010
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!
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Disgraceful Gophers Swept in Mankato
On a weekend that was supposed to mark a new beginning in the University of Minnesota athletic department, the feelings of woe and despair surrounding the Gopher hockey team remained uncomfortably the same.
The hiring of football Coach Jerry Kill could not overshadow the hockey team's abysmal performance, as the Gophers was swept over the weekend by the Minnesota State University - Mankato Mavericks.
Friday: 3-2 Gopher Loss
The Gophers were shorthanded before the puck was dropped. Mike Hoeffel missed the game due to a bout with the flu, and was replaced on the top line by the wildly ineffectual Patrick White. Alex Kangas got the nod between the pipes from coach Don Lucia, who was expected to go towards more of a goalie rotation than in the recent past.
Both teams played well in the opening period of the game. The play was up-and-down the rink and fairly even throughout the period, and even the goals scored were more a result of the open, flowing play than of one team dominating the other for significant stretches of the game. Mankato struck first, on a hard shot through loads of traffic by defenseman Ben Youds. Youds pulled a very familiar Mike Vannelli-like move, faking a shot at the point and sidestepping his man to find an open shooting lane. The goal, at 6:12 of the period, gave the Mavericks an early lead, and as we all know the Gophers have only won one game this year when they give up the first goal. The game they won, though, was one in which they struck back right after giving up the lead, and the Gophers did that again Friday as Nick Bjugstad fought through a defender to reach the puck lying open in the crease and nudged it across the goal line to tie the game at one goal a piece less than two minutes after the Youds marker. However, Mankato took full advantage of a Gopher penalty kill that ranks in the bottom three in the nation and scored a power play tally at 13:11 of the period to re-take the lead. The play continued to be fast and even for the remainder of the period, and it did not appear that one team was much better than the other. Surprising, considering the Gophers were 5-4-1 in the WCHA prior to the weekend slate while Mankato was 2-6-2. The Mavericks always seem to step up their game versus the Gophers, but eventually the Gophers edge in talent would surely wear away at the Maverick will. Right?
The second period saw a little bit of a Gopher letdown. The defense softened enough to let Maverick forward Adam Mueller to walk out of the corner with the puck, and Alex Kangas softened up quite a bit in letting Mueller's weak backhander get through the five-hole and into the net, giving the Mavericks an important two goal cushion. Nick Larson and Nico Sacchetti hooked up past the midway point of the period to get the Gophers back within one and a little more jump into their steps. Sacchetti's long shot from the blue-line was kicked aside by Mankato goalie Phil Cook, but Nick Larson beat his man to the rebound and fired it past Cook to get the Gophers within one goal again. There were no more goals the rest of the period, but the Gophers stepped their games back up to the same level as Mankato, who had showed no signs of letting down throughout forty minutes.
The Gophers really started to put the pressure on in the third period, firing shot after shot at the Maverick's Cook. Cook, however, was equal to the task. The Gophers had plenty of chances in the period, including several powerplay opportunities and a 6-on-4 advantage for the last minute of the game, but Cook stoned Minnesota to lead the Mavericks to victory.
The Gopher player of the game Friday has to be Nick Larson. Larson again scored a big goal to get the team back into the game. His hustle has always been the most prominent aspect of his game, but if he can mix a little scoring punch in like he has been the last couple weekend he could become a very valuable player to the Gophers shortly.
Saturday: 2-1 Gopher Loss
The result of this game ended up being the same as Friday night, but the feel of the game was completely different. The Gophers dominated every facet of the game, but their inability to finish and terrible special teams doomed them to a zero point weekend.
Kent Patterson got the start in net and again looked like he was the veteran goalie of the Gopher tandem. Patterson played well, stopping 30 shots in total, but the real story was Phil Cook, who stood on his head and amassed 49 saves during the game.
The first period was another fast paced one, but the play favored the Gophers. Jay Barriball and Jake Hansen each had breakaway opportunities that were stopped by Cook (or, in Hansen's case, he lost control of the puck before he was able to get a shot on goal). Nick Bjugstad's can't-miss one time attempt was thwarted when the freshman's stick broke on the shot attempt, and Bjugstad had another goal disallowed when Nate Condon was in the crease and impeded Cook's path to make the save. Kent Patterson was solid if not spectacular, and Mankato was lucky to get out of the period with a 0-0 tie given the amount of quality scoring chances the Gophers piled up.
The second period was very similar to the first. The Gophers put tons of shots on goal and had numerous good opportunities, but again Cook stopped everything the Gophers threw at him. A late powerplay gave the Mavericks a chance to take the lead going into the third period, and they did not disappoint, with Rylan Galiardi scoring at 19:11. The way Phil Cook was playing, it appeared that the one goal might be all Mankato would need.
However, the Gophers put on the full-court press in the third. Minnesota recorded 23 shots on net during the period, and got another breakaway opportunity from Jay Barriball (who missed). Mankato's Kurt Davis gave the Mavericks that all-important two goal lead when he scored on a half-breakaway by firing a rocket from the left circle past Patterson's glove side and off the inside of the post before settling into the twine. Davis' goal did not break the backs of the Gophers, as Cade Fairchild tucked a bouncing puck into the net just 39 seconds after the Davis goal to get the Gophers back within one.
Mad scramble would be a good way to define the Gophers charge to the finish, with Minnesota putting chance after chance at goaltender Cook. Again, though, Cook steered aside all the Gopher chances. A Cade Fairchild slashing penalty at 19:47 ended the Gophers chances and sealed the victory for the Mavericks. The Gophers finished with 50 shots on goal, but only one of those shots made it past Cook, who was outstanding in the victory.
The Gopher player of the game Saturday was Nick Bjugstad. Bjugstad is really starting to come into his own over the past couple weekends, using his large frame to play with a physical edge as well as his tremendous skill to stickhandle through opponents and put himself in a position to score. Bjugstad should have scored twice on Saturday, and I don't think it's any fluke that he's picked up his scoring over the past month.
Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend
Third Star: Mike Hoeffel
Although Hoeffel didn't play in Friday's game, he made his presence felt in Saturday's contest. Hoeffel is at his best when he's in the corners, scrumming for the puck and digging it out to continue the offensive rally. A healthy, productive Hoeffel could be the cure for what ails the Gophers moving into the second half of the season.
Second Star: Kent Patterson
Patterson has moved up to the #1 goalie on Minnesota's depth chart, and rightfully so. He rarely gives up soft goals and plays solid positionally all the time. Having two solid goaltenders is a good thing, and Patterson continues to show that he is a viable option as a starting goalie.
First Star: Nick Bjugstad
Bjugstad really impressed this weekend, using size and skill to put himself in position very frequently to help out the team. Bjugstad should have scored two goals on Saturday, and his goal on Friday was all hustle. The Gophers will need his scoring punch if they look to rebound from the sweep at the hands of the Mavericks.
Conclusion
The Gophers head into their toughest series yet, at home against the visiting Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Duluth has only lost two games so far this year, and they could steamroll a unsure Gopher team. If the Gophers can steal two points this weekend I think that should be considered a success. Frankly, my money is on one point for the Maroon and Gold.
See you at the rink!
The hiring of football Coach Jerry Kill could not overshadow the hockey team's abysmal performance, as the Gophers was swept over the weekend by the Minnesota State University - Mankato Mavericks.
Friday: 3-2 Gopher Loss
The Gophers were shorthanded before the puck was dropped. Mike Hoeffel missed the game due to a bout with the flu, and was replaced on the top line by the wildly ineffectual Patrick White. Alex Kangas got the nod between the pipes from coach Don Lucia, who was expected to go towards more of a goalie rotation than in the recent past.
Both teams played well in the opening period of the game. The play was up-and-down the rink and fairly even throughout the period, and even the goals scored were more a result of the open, flowing play than of one team dominating the other for significant stretches of the game. Mankato struck first, on a hard shot through loads of traffic by defenseman Ben Youds. Youds pulled a very familiar Mike Vannelli-like move, faking a shot at the point and sidestepping his man to find an open shooting lane. The goal, at 6:12 of the period, gave the Mavericks an early lead, and as we all know the Gophers have only won one game this year when they give up the first goal. The game they won, though, was one in which they struck back right after giving up the lead, and the Gophers did that again Friday as Nick Bjugstad fought through a defender to reach the puck lying open in the crease and nudged it across the goal line to tie the game at one goal a piece less than two minutes after the Youds marker. However, Mankato took full advantage of a Gopher penalty kill that ranks in the bottom three in the nation and scored a power play tally at 13:11 of the period to re-take the lead. The play continued to be fast and even for the remainder of the period, and it did not appear that one team was much better than the other. Surprising, considering the Gophers were 5-4-1 in the WCHA prior to the weekend slate while Mankato was 2-6-2. The Mavericks always seem to step up their game versus the Gophers, but eventually the Gophers edge in talent would surely wear away at the Maverick will. Right?
The second period saw a little bit of a Gopher letdown. The defense softened enough to let Maverick forward Adam Mueller to walk out of the corner with the puck, and Alex Kangas softened up quite a bit in letting Mueller's weak backhander get through the five-hole and into the net, giving the Mavericks an important two goal cushion. Nick Larson and Nico Sacchetti hooked up past the midway point of the period to get the Gophers back within one and a little more jump into their steps. Sacchetti's long shot from the blue-line was kicked aside by Mankato goalie Phil Cook, but Nick Larson beat his man to the rebound and fired it past Cook to get the Gophers within one goal again. There were no more goals the rest of the period, but the Gophers stepped their games back up to the same level as Mankato, who had showed no signs of letting down throughout forty minutes.
The Gophers really started to put the pressure on in the third period, firing shot after shot at the Maverick's Cook. Cook, however, was equal to the task. The Gophers had plenty of chances in the period, including several powerplay opportunities and a 6-on-4 advantage for the last minute of the game, but Cook stoned Minnesota to lead the Mavericks to victory.
The Gopher player of the game Friday has to be Nick Larson. Larson again scored a big goal to get the team back into the game. His hustle has always been the most prominent aspect of his game, but if he can mix a little scoring punch in like he has been the last couple weekend he could become a very valuable player to the Gophers shortly.
Saturday: 2-1 Gopher Loss
The result of this game ended up being the same as Friday night, but the feel of the game was completely different. The Gophers dominated every facet of the game, but their inability to finish and terrible special teams doomed them to a zero point weekend.
Kent Patterson got the start in net and again looked like he was the veteran goalie of the Gopher tandem. Patterson played well, stopping 30 shots in total, but the real story was Phil Cook, who stood on his head and amassed 49 saves during the game.
The first period was another fast paced one, but the play favored the Gophers. Jay Barriball and Jake Hansen each had breakaway opportunities that were stopped by Cook (or, in Hansen's case, he lost control of the puck before he was able to get a shot on goal). Nick Bjugstad's can't-miss one time attempt was thwarted when the freshman's stick broke on the shot attempt, and Bjugstad had another goal disallowed when Nate Condon was in the crease and impeded Cook's path to make the save. Kent Patterson was solid if not spectacular, and Mankato was lucky to get out of the period with a 0-0 tie given the amount of quality scoring chances the Gophers piled up.
The second period was very similar to the first. The Gophers put tons of shots on goal and had numerous good opportunities, but again Cook stopped everything the Gophers threw at him. A late powerplay gave the Mavericks a chance to take the lead going into the third period, and they did not disappoint, with Rylan Galiardi scoring at 19:11. The way Phil Cook was playing, it appeared that the one goal might be all Mankato would need.
However, the Gophers put on the full-court press in the third. Minnesota recorded 23 shots on net during the period, and got another breakaway opportunity from Jay Barriball (who missed). Mankato's Kurt Davis gave the Mavericks that all-important two goal lead when he scored on a half-breakaway by firing a rocket from the left circle past Patterson's glove side and off the inside of the post before settling into the twine. Davis' goal did not break the backs of the Gophers, as Cade Fairchild tucked a bouncing puck into the net just 39 seconds after the Davis goal to get the Gophers back within one.
Mad scramble would be a good way to define the Gophers charge to the finish, with Minnesota putting chance after chance at goaltender Cook. Again, though, Cook steered aside all the Gopher chances. A Cade Fairchild slashing penalty at 19:47 ended the Gophers chances and sealed the victory for the Mavericks. The Gophers finished with 50 shots on goal, but only one of those shots made it past Cook, who was outstanding in the victory.
The Gopher player of the game Saturday was Nick Bjugstad. Bjugstad is really starting to come into his own over the past couple weekends, using his large frame to play with a physical edge as well as his tremendous skill to stickhandle through opponents and put himself in a position to score. Bjugstad should have scored twice on Saturday, and I don't think it's any fluke that he's picked up his scoring over the past month.
Three Gopher Stars of the Weekend
Third Star: Mike Hoeffel
Although Hoeffel didn't play in Friday's game, he made his presence felt in Saturday's contest. Hoeffel is at his best when he's in the corners, scrumming for the puck and digging it out to continue the offensive rally. A healthy, productive Hoeffel could be the cure for what ails the Gophers moving into the second half of the season.
Second Star: Kent Patterson
Patterson has moved up to the #1 goalie on Minnesota's depth chart, and rightfully so. He rarely gives up soft goals and plays solid positionally all the time. Having two solid goaltenders is a good thing, and Patterson continues to show that he is a viable option as a starting goalie.
First Star: Nick Bjugstad
Bjugstad really impressed this weekend, using size and skill to put himself in position very frequently to help out the team. Bjugstad should have scored two goals on Saturday, and his goal on Friday was all hustle. The Gophers will need his scoring punch if they look to rebound from the sweep at the hands of the Mavericks.
Conclusion
The Gophers head into their toughest series yet, at home against the visiting Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Duluth has only lost two games so far this year, and they could steamroll a unsure Gopher team. If the Gophers can steal two points this weekend I think that should be considered a success. Frankly, my money is on one point for the Maroon and Gold.
See you at the rink!
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