University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Extend Unbeaten Streak to 11 in 5-2 Win
11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Ryan Stoa and Jordan Schroeder each had three-point nights and Minnesota extended its season-opening unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 5-2 win at Denver on Friday.
The Gophers matched their goal total against the Pioneers from five games a year ago when Minnesota was 0-4-1 in the season series and scored once in each game. Minnesota is now 7-0-4 to start the season and 6-0-3 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Denver lost for the third straight time and fell to 6-5-1 overall and 4-4-1 in the WCHA. It was Minnesota’s first game after taking over as the nation’s top-ranked team this week. Denver entered the week ranked 10th nationally.
Schroeder scored two goals and had an assist, while Stoa had a goal and two assists to lead Minnesota’s offense. The Gophers also killed off all seven Denver power plays and got 25 saves from Alex Kangas in the victory.
Schroeder scored Minnesota’s first goal when he took a pass from Brian Schack in his own zone, skated across the blue line and wristed a shot from the top of the faceoff circle that deflected off the stick of a Pioneers’ defender and into the net. It was the only goal from either team in a defensive-minded first period and came at the 12:26 mark. Denver held a slight 6-5 edge in shots for the period.
Minnesota extended its lead in the second period when Jay Barriball knocked in a backhanded shot after a solid defensive play by Ryan Stoa at the 5:46 mark. Stoa picked off an errant Pioneers’ pass in the Gophers’ zone and passed to Barriball for the backhander. Stoa has now scored in all 11 of Minnesota’s games and Barriball has points in nine different games.
Denver’s Tyler Bozak, who scored seven goals in five games against the Gophers last season, haunted Minnesota again with a goal at 8:32 of the second period. He took a pass from John Ryder and fired the puck into the upper corner of the net. Anthony Maiani also assisted the Pioneers’ goal, which snapped a string of 96 minutes and 48 seconds of shutout hockey by the Gophers’ defense.
Denver controlled play for much of the final seven minutes of the period, but Minnesota scored the only goal. The Gophers came in on a three-on-two breakout and Schroeder scored his second goal on a picture-perfect pass from Stoa on a give-and-go play. The score came at 18:41 of the second period and put Minnesota ahead 3-1. Justin Bostrom also assisted the goal for his first point of the season.
Denver had two power plays to open the third period, but managed a total of one shot on the two tries. Shortly after killing the second penalty, Mike Carman gave the Gophers a three-goal lead scoring off a rebound of a shot by Aaron Ness at 7:42 of the period. David Fischer also had an assist on the play.
Minnesota committed six straight penalties and when Denver was whistled for a penalty later in the third period, the Gophers took advantage in a hurry. Schroeder won the faceoff back to Stoa, who whistled a shot into the upper part of the cage for a 5-1 advantage at the 12:04 mark.
The four-goal lead didn’t last long as Denver scored just 17 seconds later on a goal by Brian Gifford, but the Pioneers managed little offense the rest of the way. They had two more power plays later in the period and totaled one shot. For the night, Denver had five shots on its seven power play tries.
Denver held a 27-23 advantage in shots, marking the second straight game, but only the third time this year Minnesota has been outshot. The two teams play again on Saturday at 8 p.m. Central time.
