University of Minnesota Athletics
Weekend Preview: Minnesota-Duluth
12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Weekend Overview: The Gophers welcome second-ranked Minnesota-Duluth to Mariucci Arena for a pair of games this weekend. The Bulldogs are the highest-ranked team that Minnesota has faced this year and has four straight games in the Twin Cities. All four games were decided by one goal and two went to overtime. The Gophers have a 20-day break from games after this weekend. They return to action on Dec. 31 (Union) and Jan. 1 (Ferris State) for the Mariucci Classic.
Last Time Out: The Gophers were defeated for the first time on the road this year when they lost a pair of games at Minnesota State last weekend. Minnesota is now 4-2-0 on the road this year. On Friday, the Gophers failed to score the first goal of the game in a road contest this year when Ben Youds gave the Mavericks an early lead at the 6:12 mark of the first period. Minnesota answered less than two minutes later when Nick Bjugstad notched his second goal of the year. Minnesota State took a 3-1 lead into the third period. Nick Larson cut the deficit to one with his second goal in as many games, but Minnesota could not find the equalizer and lost 3-2. The game marked the first time all season that Minnesota failed to win when registering a first-period goal. Minnesota is now 8-1-1 when scoring a first-period goal this year.
On Saturday, the two teams were tied 0-0 at the end of the first 20 minutes. It was the first time this season that the Gophers were tied after the first period and it was also the first time all season that neither Minnesota nor its opponent scored a first-period goal. The second period looked like it would remain scoreless until Rylan Galiardi gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal with 49 seconds left in the period. Kurt Davis put Minnesota State up 2-0 with less than 12 minutes to play. Cade Fairchild answered for the Gophers less than a minute later to make it a 2-1 game. Minnesota took 22 third-period shots--and 50 for the game--but could not solve Maverick goaltender Phil Cook.
Series History: Minnesota leads the all-time series with Minnesota-Duluth 128-71-13. Friday's game is the first of four meeting between the two schools this year, as Minnesota will travel to Duluth for games on Feb. 4-5. The Bulldogs took three out of four games last year and won both one-goal meetings (one in overtime) at Mariucci Arena. Minnesota won the one-goal affair 3-2 on Feb. 26 at Duluth. The Bulldogs won the final meeting 3-0 the following day.
About The Bulldogs: Minnesota-Duluth comes into its final series of the fall ranked No. 2 after a three-week stay atop the national polls. They have sole possession of first place in the WCHA with a 7-2-1 record (19 points). Last weekend, the Bulldogs hosted No. 9/10 Denver, and lost 5-4 in overtime on Friday, but earned a split with a 2-1 win the following night. The loss on Friday snapped a five-game winning streak and marked the first time all season they lost in overtime, dropping their record in the extra session to 5-1-1. UMD has the nation's second-best offense, averaging 3.94 goals per game. Juniors Jack Connolly (6g-17a) and Mike Connolly (11g-11a) are tied for sixth and tied for eighth, respectively, in the nation in points. Justin Fontaine is tied for 14th with 21 points (9g-12a). Travis Oleksuk (9g-8a), who has a team-leading five game-winning goals, and J.T. Brown (5g-11a) are each playing at a point-per-game pace or better, as well. Sophomore Dylan Olson (1g-12a) and freshman Justin Faulk (5g-7a) lead Bulldog defensemen in points, while Kenny Reiter (2.61 GAA, .896 save percentage) and Aaron Crandall (2.23 GAA, .902 save percentage) each have six wins between the pipes.
Rank'em: Minnesota played five of its last six games (Michigan being the exception) against unranked opponents. The Gophers' next six regular-season games are all against teams currently ranked by USCHO.com. The Gophers meet No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth this weekend and then play No. 13 Union on Dec. 31. They open 2011 against No. 18 Ferris State on Jan. 1 and travel to No. 5 North Dakota for games on Jan. 14-15. Minnesota is 4-4-1 against ranked teams this year. Minnesota's success rate against ranked opponents (ranking at time of game) this year is: No. 8 Michigan (1-0-0), No. 14 St. Cloud State (1-1-0), No. 15 Wisconsin (0-1-1), No. 17 Nebraska-Omaha (0-2-0), No. 19 Colorado College (2-0-0).
Bjugstad Invited: Nick Bjugstad was one of 27 players named to the preliminary roster for the U.S. team which will compete in the 2011 World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., from Dec. 26-Jan. 5. Bjugstad will report to the pre-tournament camp which starts Dec. 17 in Troy, N.Y. The U.S. plays an exhibition game against RPI on Dec. 19 and then plays the Czech Republic on Dec. 21 and Noway on Dec. 23. The roster will be cut to 22 before the Norway game.
First Period Goals: Good things continue to happen to the Gophers when they score a first-period goal. Minnesota is 8-1-1 this year when scoring in the first period and 7-0-1 when scoring the first goal of the game. Minnesota is 0-6-0 this year when not scoring a first period goal.
Three or More: Three seems to be the magic number for the Gopher offense this year. Minnesota is 7-1-1 when scoring three or more goals in a game this year and is 1-6-0 when failing to light the lamp three times.
39 For, 39 Against: The Gophers have scored 39 goals though 12 WCHA games this year. Conversely, the Gophers have also given up 39 goals in WCHA games this season. Minnesota has been outscored in the first and second periods 16-14 and 16-12, respectively. However the Gophers have had the upper hand in the third period, outscoring WCHA opponents 13-7.
The Unusual Happened: A few things out of the ordinary happened last weekend at Minnesota State. In addition to losing for the first time on the road all season, the Gophers also lost a game in which they scored a first-period goal. Minnesota scored in the first period on Friday, but did not win. The Gophers are now 8-1-1 when scoring a goal in the first 20 minutes. In addition, the Gophers allowed three goals on Friday and two on Saturday to the Mavericks, but yet lost both games. It was the first time all season that Minnesota failed to win a game in which it had held an opponent to three or fewer goals. Minnesota is now 5-2-1 in games in which its opponents score three or fewer goals. On Saturday, Minnesota and Minnesota State were tied 0-0 after the first period. That is the first time this season that Minnesota has been tied with an opponent after the first 20 minutes and is also the first time this season that either Minnesota or its opponent did not score in the opening frame.
Be Like Mike: Senior Mike Hoeffel missed Friday's game at Minnesota State with an illness. He returned Saturday and had one assists. Hoeffel now has at least one point (4g-5a) in the last six games he has played in. The Gophers have 19 goals in those six games and Hoeffel has had a hand in scoring nine of them.
More Hoeffel: Mike Hoeffel leads the Gophers with a +10 rating on the season (Erik Haula is second at +8). Hoeffel has been a plus player in 10 of the 15 games he has played in this season and began the year with a five-game streak of being +1 or better. He did not have his first minus game until Nov. 5 against Wisconsin (ninth game of the season) and he has been a minus player only twice this year. He is a combined +5 in his last five games.
Tightening Up: Although Minnesota is 1-2-0 in its last three games, the Gophers have yielded only six combined goals (1, 3 and 2) in those games. It ties the best three-game defensive stretch for the Gophers this year, as they previously allowed six combined goals in three straight wins from Oct. 24-30. Since the Gophers were shutout 6-0 by Wisconsin on Nov. 5, the Minnesota defense has allowed a combined 19 goals in the following seven games for a 2.7 goals-per-game average. Overall, the Gophers have permitted 3.2 goals per game to their opponents through 16 games this year.
One and Done: Minnesota has given up only one goal in five of its last 11 games. The Gophers are 6-4-1 during that span. In those 11 games, an opponent has scored four or more goals only four times. This is an improvement from the beginning of the season when a Minnesota opponent scored four or more goals on four occasions in the team's first five games of the season.
Outside the WCHA: The Gophers have played four non-conference games this season and have a 3-1-0 record in those games. Minnesota has a win against Michigan and two against Massachusetts. Their lone non-WCHA loss came to Michigan State. Minnesota has outscored their opponent in those games 15-13.
Minnesota Nice: The Gophers have 18 regular-season games left on their schedule and they will play 14 of them (10 at home) in the state of Minnesota. The Gophers will not leave Minnesota until mid-January when they travel to face North Dakota (Jan. 14-15). Minnesota's final road trip is Feb. 18-19 at Wisconsin.
Road Success: Despite two losses last weekend at Minnesota State, the Gophers have still been successful on the road this year. Minnesota is 4-2-0 on the road this year with two wins each at Colorado College and Michigan Tech. The Gophers have scored 26 goals on the road (only two on the power play) and are averaging 4.33 goals per game. On the flipside, Minnesota has allowed only 15 goals in road games this year for an average of 2.5 goals per game.
Good Point: Jay Barriball and Mike Hoeffel both average at least a point per game. Barriball (18 points in 16 games) leads the group with a 1.125 points-per-game average. Hoeffel has 15 points in 15 games this year for a 1.00 points-per-game average.
Captain Jay: Senior captain Jay Barriball leads the team with nine goals in 16 games even though he does not have a goal in his last six games. However, Barriball has at least one goal in seven of 16 games this year. He also recorded a hat trick on Oct. 9 in a 5-4 win against Massachusetts. It was the first hat trick for a Gopher since Blake Wheeler had one in a 4-2 win against Wisconsin on March 16, 2007.
He Can Pass Too: Coach Don Lucia called Jay Barriball "a pure gold scorer" earlier this year and while that is true, Barriball has been displaying his passing skills in recent games. Barriball, who leads the Gophers with nine goals, has six assists in his last six games. He had a career-high three helpers on Nov. 19 at Michigan Tech and picked up an assist on both Minnesota goals last Friday against Michigan State. Barriball is tied for second on the team in assists, as both he and Jacob Cepis have nine on the year. Freshman Erik Haula leads the Gophers with 12.
Kangas in the Record Books: Alex Kangas entered his senior season fourth all-time in program history with 2,571 saves. The 23-year-old has played in seven games this year and has stopped 231 shots. He now has 2,802 career saves, which ranks third all-time in school history behind Adam Hauser (3,777 saves) and Kellen Briggs (2,968 saves). Kangas (108 games) is also third in program history for games played by a goalie. Briggs is second with 132 career games played and Houser owns the record with 151 games.
Fairly Positive: Senior defenseman Cade Fairchild began the year with one assist in his first seven games. Since then, the offensive-minded Fairchild has three goals and six assists in nine games. That includes points in six games and includes two multiple-point games. Fairchild was also -7 after the team's first six games of the season. However, in the last 10 games he is +6 to climb back to -1 on the season.
Life on the Road: Freshman forward Nate Condon continues to play well on the road. Condon has three goals and four assists in six road games this year. Condon also has three goals and three assists in the second game of WCHA series this season.
Let's Play Two: Minnesota has scored 25 combined goals (3.125 goals per game) in the first eight games of each weekend series and is 3-5-0 in those games. The Gophers have scored 29 combined goals (3.625 goals per game) in the second game of a weekend series and are an impressive 5-2-1 in those games. On defense, the Gophers have allowed 32 goals in the first game of a weekend series for an average of 4.00 goals per game. That average shrinks to 2.5 goals per game for the second game of the weekend as Minnesota has allowed 20 goals in those games.
Going Deep: Every Gopher (except goaltender Jake Kremer) has played in at least three games this year and only eight of 24 skaters have played in all 16 games. Twenty-one players (including goalie Kent Patterson) have at least one point this year and 18 players have scored at least one goal. The only six skaters who do not have a goal this year are Aaron Ness (seven assists in 16 games), Mark Alt (two assists in 15 games), Jared Larson (zero points in six games), Nate Schmidt (zero points in five games), Joe Miller (zero points in three games) and Jake Parenteau (zero points in three games).
O From the D: The Gopher forwards haven't been the only ones doing the scoring this season. The six defensemen who have appeared in at least half of the team's games have combined for 30 points (6g-24a) and each of them has at least two points. Cade Fairchild leads the group with 10 points (3g-7a). He his followed by Aaron Ness (7a), Kevin Wehrs (1g-6a), Mark Alt (2a), Seth Helgeson (1g-1a) and Justin Holl (1g-1a).
Lend a Hand: Junior Jake Hansen began the year with one point (a goal) in his first seven games. However, in his last nine games he has six points (2g-4a).
Matson Matters: Junior Taylor Matson entered the season with three career goals in 32 games. He has six goals (third on the team) in 16 games this year. Matson had zero points in the first four games of the year, but has since found his scoring touch. In the previous 12 games he has six goals and two assists. Matson also leads the team in faceoffs for anybody who has taken a significant number of draws. He has won 54.5 percent (110 of 202) of his draws. Matson has more career goals (9) than career penalties (7) and the same number of career points and career penalty minutes (14).
Fresh Idea: There are 10 freshmen on the Minnesota roster this year and all 10 have played in at least three games. Seven of them have at least one point and Erik Haula leads the group with 15 (3g-12a). He is followed by Nate Condon (5g-4a), Nick Bjugstad (2g-2a), Max Gardiner (1g-1a), Justin Holl (1g-1a), Tom Serratore (1g-1a) and Mark Alt (2a).
Can Do Condon: Freshman Nate Condon had a night to remember on Oct. 30 at Colorado College. Condon scored twice, had three assists and was +5 in the 9-4 win. Condon was the first Gopher to record five points in a game since Ryan Potulny (4g-1a) against St. Cloud State (3/17/06) and first freshman since Phil Kessel (1g-4a) against Alaska Anchorage (11/11/06).
Budish Update: Sophomore Zach Budish was injured in a moped accident on Nov. 1 and will miss the rest of the season. He underwent successful surgery on his right knee on Nov. 22.
Preseason Picks and Rankings: Minnesota began the year ranked No. 15 in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and the USCHO polls. That ended a 10-year streak of being ranked in the top 10 to begin the season.
Noticeable Draft: Nineteen Gophers have been drafted by NHL teams. The junior and freshman class each have six draftees, the senior class has five and both of the team's sophomores have been drafted. Freshmen Nick Bjugstad, Mark Alt, Justin Holl and Max Gardiner were selected in the 2010 NHL Draft, with each of them going in the first three rounds (top 74 overall). Other than Bjugstad, senior Patrick White (No. 22 in 2007) is the only other first-round pick.
Excuse Me Mr.: The highest distinction a high school hockey player in Minnesota can receive is being named Mr. Hockey. This year's team has two players - junior Aaron Ness and freshman Nick Bjugstad - who received that honor. Jay Barriball, Nick Larson, Taylor Matson, Joe Miller, Patrick White, Justin Holl, Max Gardiner and Mark Alt were finalists.
You're Not From Around Here: With the additions of freshmen Nate Condon (Wausau, Wis.), Tom Serratore (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Erik Haula (Pori, Finland), the Gophers now have four players (joining Jacob Cepis who is from Parma, Ohio) from outside of Minnesota. The last time Minnesota's roster featured at least four players from outside the state was during the 2005-06 season when there were six non-Minnesotans.
Minnesota vs. Michigan: Minnesota is 3-1-0 against schools from Michigan this year. The Gophers beat Michigan on Nov. 28 and are also 2-0-0 against Michigan Tech. The Gophers have three more games against a school from Michigan. Minnesota hosts Ferris State on Jan. 1 and then hosts Michigan Tech on Feb. 25-26. The Gophers lone loss to a school from Michigan was a Nov. 26 setback to Michigan State.
Gracious Hosts: Minnesota hosts the 2011 NCAA Men's Frozen Four from April 7-9 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The last time the Frozen Four was held in Minnesota was 2002, when current Gopher assistant coach Grant Potulny scored the overtime game-winning goal against Maine to give Minnesota its first national championship since 1979. Minnesota also hosts the 2012 West Regional at Xcel Energy Center.
