University of Minnesota Athletics
TAFFE, HAUSER LEAD MINNESOTA PAST MICHIGAN 5-2
11/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Keith Ballard got the Golden Gophers on the board first as his slap shot from the point beat goalie Josh Blackburn top shelf at 2:09. Then Taffe went to work. At 5:09, Grant Potulny's nifty backhanded pass found Taffe to the right of the goal and he put it home. Taffe added his second goal just 1:45 later as Johnny Pohl fed him on the power play.
Trailing 3-0 after the first period, Michigan got on the board as Jay Vancik collected his first goal of the season at 9:13. The Wolverines could not sustain the momentum as Matt DeMarchi fed Taffe behind the Michigan defense. Taffe scored on the breakaway and gave Minnesota a 4-1 lead.
In the third period, DeMarchi tallied his first goal of the season to put Minnesota in charge 5-1. Michigan's Mike Komisarek finished out the scoring for the Wolverines.
Hauser shut the door from there as he improved to 7-0-1 on the year. Blackburn was pulled at the 3:56 mark of the third period as he stopped 20 of 25 shots. In his first appearance of the season, Michigan's Kevin O'Malley brushed aside all seven shots he faced.
Minnesota will face Michigan State on Sunday afternoon at 12:35 Central time. The game will not be televised. The Spartans, ranked fourth in the country, defeated Wisconsin 2-1.
Game Notes:
- Minnesota has outscored Michigan 11-3 in its last two games at Yost Arena.
- With his three goals which give him 13 on the season, Jeff Taffe has already surpassed his goal total from a year ago.
- Of Taffe's five career multi-goal games, four have come this season.
- Johnny Pohl extended his consecutive point streak to 14 games.
- Minnesota has been held under five goals just once this season (4-2 win vs. MSU, Mankato).
- At 11-0-1, Minnesota is off to its best start to a season since 1939-40. That team went 18-0-0.
- The 12-game unbeaten streak is tied for fourth all-time.
